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Philippians 4:11-4:13 -
Basketball season has started!!Comment
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I think rather than holding out hope that UK Football is on the rise, I am waiting for the team to demonstrate that things are moving in the right direction. If we come out and play well against Charlotte, I will be a little more excited for the UL game.Originally posted by John Stuart MillRIP: Charlie Munger​Originally posted by Robert “Hoot†GibsonComment
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What's going on, in my opinion, is watching a group of coaches learn their new positions on the job. Mark Stoops is assembling a group of assistant coaches that will largely determine his success as a head football coach, and most, while loyal to Stoops, have been enticed by promotion (career opportunity) and money. There's nothing wrong with that, but with a first-time head football coach, we're experiencing the bumps and bruises that come along with learning how to be a head football coach and the process of developing a core of competent assistants. That's what you get when you gamble on a first-time HC. When you hire an established HC, you hire a team of coaches that have largely worked with each other and are known quantities. I continue to believe that Mark Stoops will prove to be a competent and winning head coach. He should be given plenty of rope, and I believe that he will be. I am not wearing blue-tinted glasses, and I have lots of critiques about the program. None of the things that we are witnessing are things that can't be corrected, and I like that Stoops is the first person to hold himself accountable.
In my opinion the quarterback change has come too late this season. The program is now clearly building for next year, and should be. The talent next year should be better than this year, but experience will be near zero if not put on the field now. Younger players should now be absorbing the majority of playing time for the remainder of the season, and should be allowed to play through mistakes. Older teammates, if they truly love the UK football program, should take on the role of field coaches and cheerleaders for their younger teammates. They have had their time and failed. If there truly is dissension in the locker room, I view that as on the older players. They should be leading by example. Of course, stringing together a couple of wins will magically fix the dissension in my opinion.
I would rather the coaches position the team now for a real bowl next year than a turd bowl this year, although I concede that any bowl gives us valuable practice time on the field for the younger guys. Then again, if there is dissension in the locker room it may be best to end the season 5-7 rather than head toward Christmas continuing locker room drama that's anything other than getting better at playing football.
It's a shame that Towles finds himself on the bench. He has great physical tools, and I viewed his first year as similar to that of Woodson. The difference between the two, ultimately, may be between the ears. I hope that Barker is afforded the opportunity to play through mistakes, and that his learning curve proves to be much faster than Towles'. I also think he should have been allowed to finish the Vandy game. The "going with the hot hand" argument for Towles' return is inexplicable, although I understand the mentality for wanting experience. I disagree that Towles' experience is all of that great, it's not like you're choosing between Peyton Manning and Drew Barker, your choosing between 2-11 SEC experience out of the last 13 games and Drew Barker. Big difference.Comment
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Just trying not to go overboard with criticism....I've never been a coach. Nearest thing I've ever done is being a manager.....and this team just seems to be terribly mismanaged. really strange decisions from play calling to in game decisions to time management personnel......I really am lost. I was completely sold on recruiting, but goodness...we are getting much the same play as we did two star kids. And the line plays..........I dunno.Comment
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Well, I do not know if there is any point in chiming in, but I will make a few comments.
First, if they are going to give Barker a shot, clearly this is the week to do it. I would hope we could beat Charlotte with our red-shirt walk-on QB, but then, who knows? More importantly, I do not know if changing QBs will make any difference if we continue calling the same dumb plays. Our OL is what it is. A good staff finds a way to work with that. (WRs dropping balls -- now that is probably beyond anyone's ability to work around.)
Secondly, as I argued in another thread in these forums, I would maintain that 6-6 is NOT an improvement over last year. Sure, we were 5-7, and while every team in America can make this claim, we were literally 1 blown call and 1 dropped INT away from being 7-5. This year, we are a handful of plays away from being 0-10, or at best, 2-8. Take away the int vs USC and the miracle fade on 4th down vs EKU and where are we?
Finally, I would also maintain that this is not the "same old Kentucky football." In the past, we have been snake-bitten. Something bizarre happens to cost us a game. Some quirk, some amazing play by an opponent, a bad call by an official, an untimely turnover. This year, the largest portion of our problems have been self-inflicted. We cannot blame the football gods or the curse of the Bear or CWS being built on an Indian burial ground or any other such hocus pocus. We need only look in the mirror to figure out why this season has gone so wrong.
To tell you the truth, I don't care at all about the blow-out losses to MSU, UT and UGA. That stuff happens. For whatever reason, we were not ready to play. What eats me -- and will eat me for some time -- were the losses to UF, Auburn and Vandy. Its not the blowouts that are killing our collective spirit right now. Its the big wins that were there for the taking that we left on the table that have me down. Those are the games that have me wondering if we will EVER get it right. An 8 or 9 or even 10-win season was there for the taking. And, no one took it away from us this time. We just failed to grab it.
But, I'm glad to see the UofL game is a noon kick-off. That means I will almost certainly be there.Comment
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Great post, in my opinion, SBCatMan.Philippians 4:11-4:13Comment
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Reading the posts on this thread, I see many comments I can agree with. I always try to stay positive, but it's been real hard the last few weeks. The thrashing by ut was hard enough to take, but to think maybe we have to again see that smirk on Petrino's face is hard to comprehend. After last years game, I just knew we would win the game this year, but now, who knows.John 3:3
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