Bluegrassrivals

Final

Hard game to watch. Does anyone still believe UK could easily win the Big East? There's noway.

Aslan Wrote:Hard game to watch. Does anyone still believe UK could easily win the Big East? There's noway.

There is no way they could win the Big East.

This is the worst game I have ever seen Kentucky play. Special teams flat out killed us in this one, there is no excuse for us to lose like this. Offense sucked pretty bad to but that is to be expected with a new qb. The defense played good enough to win but you cannot let the other team have average starting field position at midfield and expect to win. another chapter in the book of the lsukff

As bad as it kills me deep at my soul to ever say this. Mike hartline would have been greatly needed in this game. As im not blaming newton, he didnt loose the game by a long shot.

Jarons Wrote:There is no way they could win the Big East.

I saw some people state that earlier this season, figure I'd asked if they still believed it.

Wildcatk23 Wrote:As bad as it kills me deep at my soul to ever say this. Mike hartline would have been greatly needed in this game. As im not blaming newton, he didnt loose the game by a long shot.

Newton didn't play well, but before this game he only threw seven passes all year. He's much better than Hartline was at this point in his career.

Aslan Wrote:I saw some people state that earlier this season, figure I'd asked if they still believed it.

UK will not win any conference until they quit being happy with lower tier bowls and beef up their nonconference schedule.

It was miserable to watch, but it would have been a much different offense with Hartline on the field. That said, the defense was very disappointing to watch. I could have expected to give up 27 points in the SEC, but not a Pitt team in complete disarray! I'm glad I fell asleep before the game ended!

Tough loss for the Cats. I wish Hartline wouldn't have made stupid off field decisions. I hope Newton improves over the off season. To the earlier question, I admit UK couldn't even win the weak Big East conference.

This was just simply hard to watch

MVP2 Wrote:Tough loss for the Cats. I wish Hartline wouldn't have made stupid off field decisions. I hope Newton improves over the off season. To the earlier question, I admit UK couldn't even win the weak Big East conference.

What if Hartline was the QB?

FoOtBaLl FrEaK 8-0 Wrote:This was just simply hard to watch

I fortunately fell asleep before it ended

Stardust Wrote:What if Hartline was the QB?

I don't think he would help them enough to win the Big East

With or without Hartline, UK would be a mid-tier Big East team. Ive said this all along. Mike Hartline's doesnt play defense, and it dont matter what power conference UK would play in, theyd get the ball ran down their throats. Theyd win 2 or 3 games in the Big 10, a couple in the Big 12, 2 or 3 in the Pac 10 and theyd win 3, MAYBE four games in the Big East. Hartline MIGHT have made this a little bit closer, but Pitt is a good 10-14 point better team than UK is this year, even with Hartline.

Jarons Wrote:UK will not win any conference until they quit being happy with lower tier bowls and beef up their nonconference schedule.

How would beefing up the nonconference schedule help? That would just lead to more losses. Their schedule is tough enough. Even the top tier SEC teams play some cupcake teams. The schedule is not the problem. They need to spend the money to get the right personnel in place. While we hire Joker, Arkansas hires Petrino. SC hires Spurrier. UK needs someone with a proven record. And before you say it can't be done, UK was better than Arkansas just a couple years ago. With the ticket prices we pay, the money has to be there. I seriously doubt I will renew my tickets next year. I am a long time ticket holder, but the money is too much to pay to watch a 6-7 team.

TidesHoss32 Wrote:With or without Hartline, UK would be a mid-tier Big East team. Ive said this all along. Mike Hartline's doesnt play defense, and it dont matter what power conference UK would play in, theyd get the ball ran down their throats. Theyd win 2 or 3 games in the Big 10, a couple in the Big 12, 2 or 3 in the Pac 10 and theyd win 3, MAYBE four games in the Big East. Hartline MIGHT have made this a little bit closer, but Pitt is a good 10-14 point better team than UK is this year, even with Hartline.

Fair, and I can agree with that.

Shady Grady Wrote:How would beefing up the nonconference schedule help? That would just lead to more losses. Their schedule is tough enough. Even the top tier SEC teams play some cupcake teams. The schedule is not the problem. They need to spend the money to get the right personnel in place. While we hire Joker, Arkansas hires Petrino. SC hires Spurrier. UK needs someone with a proven record. And before you say it can't be done, UK was better than Arkansas just a couple years ago. With the ticket prices we pay, the money has to be there. I seriously doubt I will renew my tickets next year. I am a long time ticket holder, but the money is too much to pay to watch a 6-7 team.

If Kentucky didn't schedule three or four low level creampuffs each year they would not finish 6-6. If they don't finish at least 6-6, there will be no invitations to a toilet bowl. It's all about money although the stands appeared a bit empty at Birmingham.

At least this team has a place in history. It is the first Kentucky team to ever play in a bowl and finish with a losing record. At season's end, I would rate this UK team as probably sixth in the Commonwealth- behind Trinity, Highlands, Ryle, Boyle County, and St. Xavier. It's probably good that they play Charleston Southern, Western Kentucky, and Akron rather than any of the aforementioned five.

Jarons Wrote:There is no way they could win the Big East.

With Hartline they would have won the Big East, and this game.

Shady Grady Wrote:How would beefing up the nonconference schedule help? That would just lead to more losses. Their schedule is tough enough. Even the top tier SEC teams play some cupcake teams. The schedule is not the problem. They need to spend the money to get the right personnel in place. While we hire Joker, Arkansas hires Petrino. SC hires Spurrier. UK needs someone with a proven record. And before you say it can't be done, UK was better than Arkansas just a couple years ago. With the ticket prices we pay, the money has to be there. I seriously doubt I will renew my tickets next year. I am a long time ticket holder, but the money is too much to pay to watch a 6-7 team.

I am not saying schedule USC. Schedule a BCS team that will challenge them, someone the caliber of Illinois, Northwestern, etc. someone that is very winnable but will challenge them.
I am just sick of UK playing cupcakes to win enough just to say they made it to a bowl game. I think it can be done, I do not think they are very far away to going to the next level. The preconference schedule just does not get them ready for the close games in the SEC.

Newton flat out sucked. Asian, get over it. Hartline would have made a huge difference in this game. I quit watching after the first half. I do question the coaching in this game. Why put that much on Newtons shoulders. Locke was healthy and looked good on way too few touches. Cobb seemed to disappear at times as well. With the young QB ride your horses and go back to what they did last year.

Stardust Wrote:What if Hartline was the QB?

Nope.

How did newton flat out suck people? Was it his fault we didnt go to locke enough? Did he throw 3 interceptions? Did he let the other team score 27 points? Did he miss a block on the punt that clearly was the game changer? Did he drop wide open passes?

Jarons Wrote:I am not saying schedule USC. Schedule a BCS team that will challenge them, someone the caliber of Illinois, Northwestern, etc. someone that is very winnable but will challenge them.
I am just sick of UK playing cupcakes to win enough just to say they made it to a bowl game. I think it can be done, I do not think they are very far away to going to the next level. The preconference schedule just does not get them ready for the close games in the SEC.

I agree with this, and have been saying it as well. I think the Cats can improve by playing better teams, and teams that improve their SOS. Playing teams at the mid or lower level of a BCS conference has to help them improve versus playing D2 schools. This is about building a program to beleive they can win meaningful games.

If you beat enough Illinois, Wake Forest, Kansas, you will learn more about yourselves than scheduling Akron, Charleston Southern, or WKU! How would crushing WKU relate to thinking you can compete with another solid football team?

Wildcatk23 Wrote:How did newton flat out suck people? Was it his fault we didnt go to locke enough? Did he throw 3 interceptions? Did he let the other team score 27 points? Did he miss a block on the punt that clearly was the game changer? Did he drop wide open passes?

He struggled holding onto the ball and something he has always had trouble with, giving up what was a sure 7 points. He missed wide open receivers because he is not a skilled thrower. He had runs that that he could have made bigger plays, but made the wrong cut. He did not play well.

But you are right, it was the defense that was miserable today. But I contend that the blocked FG along with not being able to move the football with a running game is what lost this game.

Stardust Wrote:He struggled holding onto the ball and something he has always had trouble with, giving up what was a sure 7 points. He missed wide open receivers because he is not a skilled thrower. He had runs that that he could have made bigger plays, but made the wrong cut. He did not play well.

But you are right, it was the defense that was miserable today. But I contend that the blocked FG along with not being able to move the football with a running game is what lost this game.

Were use to seeing turnovers in the QB position, Use to seeing over thrown balls. He did great on his feet. Hes not Cam Newton.

Wildcatk23 Wrote:Were use to seeing turnovers in the QB position, Use to seeing over thrown balls. He did great on his feet. Hes not Cam Newton.

We are used to seeing a QB complete 66% of their passes, not 58% like today. We are used to seeing a QB rating of 146 versus today's 107. But I agree with one stat that we are used to seeing, and that is the 1.5 yard average rushing from the QB like we saw today.

Like I said, I'm not blaming Newton. He played to the same level that has kept him on the bench, but he is not the reason the Cats lost.

Stardust Wrote:It was miserable to watch, but it would have been a much different offense with Hartline on the field. That said, the defense was very disappointing to watch. I could have expected to give up 27 points in the SEC, but not a Pitt team in complete disarray! I'm glad I fell asleep before the game ended!

i agree, but atleast it wasnt 27 points in first half,lol

cuppett777 Wrote:i agree, but atleast it wasnt 27 points in first half,lol

LOL, good point:Thumbs:

In the first half, we didn't go to Cobb or Locke enough and yes, Hartline is 10x better than any quarterback we have on the our current roster. Our defense blows, like it did during the regular season as no one knows how to tackle and our guys are never in the right position to make a positive play.

Pitt didn't have a very good team, but they were better than us.