Kentucky football: OC Eddie Gran says he was ‘too stubborn’ with wildcat formation

[Matt Dillon]

Snell had some decent runs late. Benny seems to want to run into piles and try to carry guys when the outside looked to be open quite a few times. I still thought he ran hard; also thought the O-line was missing blocks that it didn't miss last year.

In my opinion, Benny's style is better suited to running inside. He's more of a back that tries to run over people or carry them with him. I'm not sure he has the speed to get to the corners, especially against a quick fast defense.

[Joneslab]

In my opinion, Benny's style is better suited to running inside. He's more of a back that tries to run over people or carry them with him. I'm not sure he has the speed to get to the corners, especially against a quick fast defense.

Last year he did get outside a few times and got big yardage.

Seems to be his default to lower his head and run toward guys. That's great most of the time, but other times when the entire field is a yawning chasm of openness you might need to look to run away from contact.

It's likely a tough balance and one I'm confident he can work out. But if it's just Benny with nobody behind him, this team goes nowhere IMO. We'll not be able to control possession like we did so artfully in the second half last season.

[Matt Dillon]

I posted, on another thread, that I'm very concerned about the off. I'm not sure all or even most of the offense's problems are solvable with corrections and tweeks. And, contrary to what some have posted, I don't believe the coaching staff was holding anything back Sat. Based on my observations, Johnson doesn't seem to be that much better than he was last season, the oline isn't as deep and doesn't seem to be as talented as it was last season, with the exception of Conrad, the receiving corps doesn't seen to be as good as last season and, last but not least, Boom isn't walking through the door.

[Joneslab]

I thought Johnson had improved a little. You could count on one hand the mistakes he made. I even thought the deep balls looked well-thrown, the receivers just didn't seem to be getting much separation.

Southern Miss's secondary played well. A couple of deep passes were right there for our receivers to wrestle away and they couldn't. This goes back to my main worry about this team which is specifically the receiver corps and generally the dearth of big-play guys.

Though if you just cut the wildcat formation in half I think you would have seen a completely different game.

[Spiritof96]

I thought Johnson had improved a little. You could count on one hand the mistakes he made. I even thought the deep balls looked well-thrown, the receivers just didn't seem to be getting much separation.

Southern Miss's secondary played well. A couple of deep passes were right there for our receivers to wrestle away and they couldn't. This goes back to my main worry about this team which is specifically the receiver corps and generally the dearth of big-play guys.

Though if you just cut the wildcat formation in half I think you would have seen a completely different game.

That WIDE open 3rd down pass, five feet over the reciever's head and behind him was a pretty bad miss. He didn't make a lot of mistakes as he didn't have that many attempts. I'm rooting for the guy but... are we sure he is good? Does his ability to run offset his limitations in the passing game?

[Joneslab]

That WIDE open 3rd down pass, five feet over the reciever's head and behind him was a pretty bad miss. He didn't make a lot of mistakes as he didn't have that many attempts. I'm rooting for the guy but... are we sure he is good? Does his ability to run offset his limitations in the passing game?

I'm not capable of really judging how good he is because I don't know enough about the sport. Just putting him in with the other UK quarterbacks I've seen he looks okay. Definitely a guy who will generally not go out there and beat you, which seems to be what the coaching staff wants.

It does seem when I see highlights and pieces of other games that the tendency is to have guys who can pass a little but run a lot. Explosive speed out of the backfield seems to be the way the college game has gone. Not sure Johnson has that kind of speed but I do sometimes wish instead of the wildcat they'd draw up more quarterback runs. It's a devastating play if called at the right times.

[Catsrock]

I just remembered a play I had forgotten. The officials gave USM a 1st down on a play my HD TV showed they were about a half inch short. They allowed to just say "ah close enough?"

Clarification: this was a play when they measured and showed the closeup of ball and chain.

[johnkyblue]

That WIDE open 3rd down pass, five feet over the reciever's head and behind him was a pretty bad miss. He didn't make a lot of mistakes as he didn't have that many attempts. I'm rooting for the guy but... are we sure he is good? Does his ability to run offset his limitations in the passing game?

One miss, and I think that was the WRs fault. He ran shallow of the Umpire but WHY? When he threw that ball he could have been thinking the route was deeper than the Ump. ONE MISS, that's it. I'm a big fanboy for Johnson.

[Spiritof96]

I just remembered a play I had forgotten. The officials gave USM a 1st down on a play my HD TV showed they were about a half inch short. They allowed to just say "ah close enough?"

Clarification: this was a play when they measured and showed the closeup of ball and chain.

I had been wanting to discuss this but didn't want to start a whole thread on it.

[johnkyblue]

Spiritof96 Think a whole thread on the Wildcat would be good? I'll start one. (Oh, and it's cool we get to be friends again for 4 months!)

[Lighthouse]

I just remembered a play I had forgotten. The officials gave USM a 1st down on a play my HD TV showed they were about a half inch short. They allowed to just say "ah close enough?"

Clarification: this was a play when they measured and showed the closeup of ball and chain.

Why that happened is a puzzle to me also. There was definite separation between the ball and the chain post.

[Matt Dillon]

One miss, and I think that was the WRs fault. He ran shallow of the Umpire but WHY? When he threw that ball he could have been thinking the route was deeper than the Ump. ONE MISS, that's it. I'm a big fanboy for Johnson.

Actually, he had more than one miss. He was 11-20.

[johnkyblue]

Actually, he had more than one miss. He was 11-20.

Um, you are reading me wrong, then. Miss != incompletion.

You already knew this, though. :P

There was only one pass that was uncatchable, and not caused by some USM guy grabbing him. You could make the case the ball to 88 was too far out of bounds... I've rewatched the game, looking for this.

[johnkyblue]

Oh, this a thread about the wildcat, lol.

The options out of the Wildcat are

1. Any of the six holes dive or delay.
2. Jet Sweep (They only tried to even fake this on the first play and abandoned it, since it wasn't needed)
3. Single pass (Snell was 0 for 2 last year, with an INT, from memory)
4. Double pass (the first is technically a lateral, with Johnson throwing the ball, we saw it last year but my memory on how it did is failing).

Is that a complete list? How much do you expect to see against tUSC? I don't want to see any of it next week. Just run off tackle all game, with maybe a counter or something.

[Matt Dillon]

Um, you are reading me wrong, then. Miss != incompletion.

You already knew this, though. :P

There was only one pass that was uncatchable, and not caused by some USM guy grabbing him. You could make the case the ball to 88 was too far out of bounds... I've rewatched the game, looking for this.

I'm going from memory, but I believe he failed to connect with Richardson on a slant, in the second qtr. that may have gone for a td had it been completed and, on the first possession of the second half, he failed to get the ball to a wide open Charlie Walker. There were probably others as well.