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CatsPause Commentary: Are better football days ahead?

  • http://kentucky.247sports.com/Article/Kentucky-football-could-have-brighter-future-80711

    The question is inevitable. Every conversation about Kentucky football this offseason included the same query: Are the Wildcats going to be any better in 2012?

    This post was edited by Matt May on 7/14/2012 at 7:00 AM

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    Follow me on Twitter: '@TCPMattMay'

    Matt May

  • Thanks for the article, Matt. Well written.

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    rompcat

  • It's good to see a positive yet realistic article.

    Twenty1

  • Twenty1 said...

    It's good to see a positive yet realistic article.

    Amen, that article nailed it.

    signature image

    "Kentucky Football needs to be and will be a championship contender in the SEC."~Mitch Barnhart 11/4/12

    rgunslinger

  • What has given me hope going forward was how we played in the final 2 games. After laying what was arguably (along with the game at Carolina) the biggest egg of the season at Vandy, these guys could have rolled over like a possum for the rest of the year. Instead, they went into Athens and went toe to toe for 4 quarters with UGA and then came home and knocked that huge monkey off the back of the program in beating a UT team that in spite of what some UK fans WANT to believe, had more to play for than we did, and had beaten that juggernaut Vandy team the week before.

    JDHoss

  • I stopped reading at:

    Because it's relatively easy to see the program is set up for a major run at a New Year's Day bowl game in 2013 and 2014, when the fruits of improved recruiting and maturing talent converge.

    We've gone to one NYD bowl in the last 60 years. 2012 will almost certainly be the third straight losing season. And you think there's a good chance to go to a NYD bowl in the next two years?

    Beavis13

  • as many have said before, we could be a markedly improved team on the field and be much more competitive, and still have about the same record as last year. Question is, if we don't make a bowl again this year, does he come back for a 4th year? If we see improvement, I think so. But we can't have games like Vandy where we just don't show up at all.

    Hogan_Ryan

  • rgunslinger said...

    Amen, that article nailed it.

    seconded

    mrbaseball2004

  • Very good article..

    KYDave32

  • Beavis13 said...

    I stopped reading at:

    Because it's relatively easy to see the program is set up for a major run at a New Year's Day bowl game in 2013 and 2014, when the fruits of improved recruiting and maturing talent converge.

    We've gone to one NYD bowl in the last 60 years. 2012 will almost certainly be the third straight losing season. And you think there's a good chance to go to a NYD bowl in the next two years?

    There are a lot of bowls on NYD. Since 2006, if we make 3 FG from less than 40 yards, we are likely in two Outback Bowls....

    JDHoss

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    bish7

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    bigcat65

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    JDHoss

  • I always have hope. I was good with giving Brooks time as we were in sad shape as a football team. The last 2 years have been a little more difficult to take after seeing good success in the Brooks regime. Everyone has to make their mark and no matter what, with a new head man, whom ever that is, things change. Just like the manager of your department leaving and some being promoted from within the department as manager. Things just change. As much as I want to win, and win NOW, it would IMHO be a setback to move on from CJP after this season - that is barring an absolute 2-10 catastrophe. The best analogy I have seen on this board is that we gave Bill Curry about 8 years, we can give Joker 4.
    I still believe the season hinges on GAME 1. If we can somehow win that game then there is a real possibility we could get to 6-6. Win the 1st 3, win the last 3, all very winable games.
    Here's to no injuries, a good ground game, receivers that can catch, a decent defensive showing, and a PLUS in the turnover battle. That will get us a long way.
    Go Cats!
    cheers

    This post was edited by KickAssCats on 7/14/2012 at 12:41 PM

    KickAssCats

  • Giving Joker time because of what happened with Bill Curry is a really bad argument, IMO - Just because UK made a mistake by keeping Curry too long does not mean they have to repeat that mistake.

    Perhaps keeping Joker will be the right decision, but I hope that decision is based on sounder logic than what happened with Curry. Making current decisions just because of previous ones (while knowing the previous ones ended up failing) would be poor judgement IMO.

    UKFlounder ●

  • UKFlounder said...

    Giving Joker time because of what happened with Bill Curry is a really bad argument, IMO - Just because UK made a mistake by keeping Curry too long does not mean they have to repeat that mistake.

    Perhaps keeping Joker will be the right decision, but I hope that decision is based on sounder logic than what happened with Curry. Making current decisions just because of previous ones (while knowing the previous ones ended up failing) would be poor judgement IMO.

    Not saying to base it on Curry, just saying that IMHO it is unreasonable to fire someone after 3 years unless there are major issues. There are not major issues and just about by everyones accountincluding the recruiting rankings over the last couple years, things certainly appear to be getting better on the recruiting front.
    After riding the fence on it and bashing most everyone on the staff last year - primarily CJP, I have had somewhat of a change of heart. I really believe that barring a catastrophic season, he needs to coach to the end of 2013.
    We can evaluate him then.
    My family will be sitting in the same seats we have for the last 10+ years hoping for the best in 2012.
    Go Cats!
    cheers

    KickAssCats

  • Barring a major step back 3-4 wins, Joker should be back. He should be judged by the 2013 squad because he would have his own players fully at that point. The recruiting has to pay off, and if it doesn't, then the next coach at least has a good foundation to start with. I think Joker can and will get it done this year (albeit 6-7 wins).

    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and it has made all the difference (Frost).

    Cats Den

  • Great article Matt. Joker seems to be getting the program where we all want it to be....

    PatWren

  • We need to at least go to a Bowl game this year...although I think that is a stretch right now. 2013 should/will be joker's make or break year.

    PatWren

  • Beavis13 said...

    I stopped reading at:

    Because it's relatively easy to see the program is set up for a major run at a New Year's Day bowl game in 2013 and 2014, when the fruits of improved recruiting and maturing talent converge.

    We've gone to one NYD bowl in the last 60 years. 2012 will almost certainly be the third straight losing season. And you think there's a good chance to go to a NYD bowl in the next two years?

    Meh, 7-5 might be good enough to go to the Outback Bowl. 6-6 was good enough for Florida to play in the Gator last season. Not mission impossible even with the difficulties presently facing UK football.

    JHB4UK

  • PatWren said...

    Great article Matt. Joker seems to be getting the program where we all want it to be....

    I agree that it appears that we have turned the corner. I am a Joker fan and hope we have success and he stays for many years. He is one of us! The only way I see making a change after this year is if he loses the confidence of the team and the team in turn does not play or could care less how they play, resulting in several embarrassing losses like the Vandy and USCjr losses last year. It wasn't as much that we lost, it was how we lost. We simply did not show up to play. If we show up to play all of the games and give good effort, even if we don't make it to a bowl game, I think Joker deserves at least one more year. Great article Matt!!! GO CATS!!!!!!!!

    IB4UK7

  • IB4UK7 said...

    I agree that it appears that we have turned the corner. I am a Joker fan and hope we have success and he stays for many years. He is one of us! The only way I see making a change after this year is if he loses the confidence of the team and the team in turn does not play or could care less how they play, resulting in several embarrassing losses like the Vandy and USCjr losses last year. It wasn't as much that we lost, it was how we lost. We simply did not show up to play. If we show up to play all of the games and give good effort, even if we don't make it to a bowl game, I think Joker deserves at least one more year. Great article Matt!!! GO CATS!!!!!!!!

    I think we'll show up a little more with a young hungry team. We'll see how these guys are built. You gotta freakin bring it in the SEC. You better be focused. Our D has got to keep us in games. And our O can't turn the ball over or have quick 3 and outs like last year. They put so much pressure on the D last year that we really had no chance at all.

    tWhit

  • I am still of the belief that "IF" the offense will produce this season, and if the defense can keep us in the hunt, then we'll be okay for this season. But the offense has to start producing, mainly the passing game(WR's....... are you listening? Do you feel the heat from the last 2 years of non-production?)and if it does that, then the running game will be much better as well.
    I think we finally have our QB with Max Smith, I'm comfortable with him under center. I just hope he can stay healthy given the rigors of the SEC week-in & week-out.
    After all of the failures of the last 2 seasons, we are due for a change in fortune, but these players absolutely have to start doing what they've been coached to do.

    And realistically, CJP has to have at least a couple more years to make this right, and if given that chance, I believe he will. But his players need to start playing with some sense of urgency and develop a damned mean-streak as well. The talent is there, they just have not been performing.

    This post was edited by suncat05 on 7/14/2012 at 4:55 PM

    suncat05

  • LOL..Matt stole my article....(My 2015 and beyond football roster)

    I agree..we are in such good shape for 2013/2014, and the east powers Georgia, Florida, Tennessee(well, used to be power here) and S.Car. will be losing talent to the NFL, and be reloading..we will have experience , speed, size and talent as well as be 2 to 3 deep across the board.
    All those 6'7, 6'8 270/280lb OT's will be 6'8/6'9 320-340 and be strong as oxen. The tailbacks like Mobley and Taylor will have experience...Mobley at 6'0 230ish, Taylor 5'10 220ish...Khalid Thomas coming in to provide quickness and wiggle.
    The WR corp should be great by 2013..D.Robinson...D.Collins...AJ LeGree and D.Sweat. R. Cunningham at 6'4 225...Shields..Kendrick.Robinson Aumiller at TE..with any new additions providing help a plus instead of a nessesity.
    Max Smith will be a 3 year vet...and Towles pushing him or perhaps even overtaking him.
    Then..the Defense..im very excited to think about our 2013 D.
    Cobble and Rumph giving us the best DT tandem in the league...Chapman, Coleman, Hyde behind them. Huguenin, Douglass, Newton, Bell, Drennon?, at DE.
    Then Dupree, Forrest, Williamson, K.Thomas, D.Rancifer, M.McDuffen, K.Henderson at LB. Hopefully a Jeremy Benjamin in there to help
    At CB..Caffey will have a year of SEC play under his belt...Eric Simmons, Eric Dixon, Fred Tiller, and any talented frosh like Boaz Jospeh or D'Andre "Chocolate" Wilson adding speed and depth.
    Saftery should be in great shape...Ashley Lowery, Glen Faulkner, Zach Blaylock, Dakotah Tyler and any other young saftey adding depth.
    The big question coud be the kicking game...lets hope Mansour can step up or Austin McGinnis can help immeadiately. The punter...Landon Foster has to be the man here. I see our coverage team being pretty good..loads of tweener LB/S kids on roster and thats what you want here...and with Robinson, Sweat, and others and hopefully Ryan Timmons on board.
    Think were in good shape guys.
    Great article Matt..Go CATS!!

    BigBlueDawg12

  • My short answer is, the defense will be fine, as long as the secondary can perform at a decent level. The offense is short on experience and quality at the skill positions. The O-line has two proven starters and nothing more. I would love 7 wins, but 5 is realistic.

    Katonic

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