Building Ashley a Winner: GJEM’s Kentucky Wildcats Dynasty

[GJEM]

NOT THIS YEAR!

Louisville avenges last years 40-34 loss at the hands of Wildcats as they pound Kentucky this year 38-21.

Louisville, KY- Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium was packed to the brim with 42,000 screaming fans which couldn’t have been exactly the ideal location for Coach Mitchell to start his tenure as the head football coach of the Kentucky Wildcats but that is exactly where he found himself on the first weekend of competition. Smack dab in the middle of a heated rivalry which dates back to 1912, I’m sure he was hoping for the same result as Kentucky won that inaugural meeting between these two teams 41-0.

That hope vanished quickly as Louisville wasted no time in welcoming Coach Mitchell to this in state battle as George Stripling quickly found the end zone on a 5 yard touchdown run that put Louisville on the board, 7-0.

Not to be out done by Louisville’s quick strike offense, new man under center quarterback Mike Hartline hooked up with offensive captain and impact wide receiver Dicky Lyons for the 81 yard touchdown reception that tied things up as 7.

That’s pretty much where Coach Mitchell’s honeymoon ended as Louisville’s quick strike offense went on a 21-0 run that didn’t stop until there was a little less than 2 minutes to go in the half.

Kentucky salvaged some sort dignity just before halftime as Mike Hartline found DeMoreo Ford in the middle of the end zone for the 9 yard touchdown catch which brought Kentucky within 14 at halftime.

The 3rd quarter was somewhat silent as the two teams did their best at playing keep away from the each other. However as the clock ticked under 2 minutes Louisville’s George Stripling found the end zone for second time of the afternoon on a 6 yd touchdown run which padded the Cardinals lead at 35-14.

With the game practically in the bag for Louisville as they held a 21 point lead with less than 3 minutes to play, Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline found a wide open Andre Henderson for a 7 yard touchdown pass which made the score a little more respectable at 35-21.

The Cardinals would go onto add a field goal which ended up being the final score of the afternoon as Louisville took down their instate rivals by the score of 38-21.

The Wildcats will look to get their new head coach a win next Saturday as they’ll take on a much weaker opponent in the Norfolk State Spartans from the Championship Subdivision.

2008 Schedule and Results

[GJEM]

UNSTOPPABLE

Derrick Locke couldn’t be contained as he found the end zone 5 times in a 45-10 blowout of Norfolk State.

Lexington, KY (AP) – Derrick Locke was a one man wrecking crew Saturday combining for 381 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns, including three touchdown catches of over 55 yards. He also ran for two more, one from 56 yards out and another from 2 yards out.

With the performance Locke captured both the SEC and the NCAA Player of the Week honors for his offensive production.

“They couldn’t stop me”, Locke said after the game. “I got some great blocks by our wide receivers down the field and from there I knew I just needed to make plays and and outrun the other guys. The hardest part was figuring out which celebration I wanted to do once I got in there.”

The Kentucky defense was solid as they only allowed Norfolk State to convert on 1 of 12 third down attempts while only allowing the Spartans offense to gain 132 yards. That was mostly due to the tremendous play out of linebacker Micah Johnson and cornerback Trevard Lindley as the two players combined to tally 21 tackles and 5 tackles for loss on the afternoon.

Quarterback Mike Hartline looked good even though he only attempted 11 passes but in those 11 attempts he racked up 232 yards and three touchdowns.

The Spartans constantly shot themselves in the foot time and time again as they committed seven penalties for 55 yards, three of which came on third down attempts which hindered them from moving the chains and continuing drives.

With the win Kentucky gives their new head coach his first “W” of his career which will hopefully be a sign of things to come as he builds this program up and turns them into an every year contender.

Kentucky will stay in Lexington as they’ll face Middle Tennessee State next week at noon eastern time.

What to watch for next week: How this team plays coming off a lopsided win. Will they play as if this one’s already in the bag or will they give Middle Tennessee State the respect they deserve?

Team Pulse: Great and ready to get after Middle Tennessee State.

[GJEM]

ESCAPED…BUT BARELY

Kentucky escapes near disaster at the hands of MTSU to prevail 16-14.

Lexington, KY (AP) Well it looked as though we got last weeks question answered as far as if Kentucky (1-1, 0-0) would take Middle Tennessee State (1-1, 1-0) seriously or not and that answer was resounding NO and it nearly cost them invaluable win.

The Blue Raiders showed their toughness early and often as they held Kentucky scoreless throughout the first quarter and a half. This was mostly due to the tremendous play of three players, linebacker Lonnie Clemons, cornerback Marcus Udell, and safety Anthony Glover as the three players combined for 34 tackles on the afternoon.

With a little over 3 minutes to go in the first half quarterback Mike Hartline hooked up with DeMoreo Ford for the 6-yard touchdown pass that put the first points of the afternoon for either squad on the board as Kentucky held a 7-0 advantage heading into halftime.

Late in the 3rd quarter the Blue Raiders answered Kentucky’s late touchdown drive with one of their own as Joe Craddock found Anthony Jones in the center of the end zone for the 11-yard touchdown reception.

Kentucky went on to score on their next two drives which were capped off by two Lones Seiber field goals – one from 49 yards and one from 51 yards – which gave the Wildcats a slim 6 point lead.

With less than four minutes to play Kentucky once again needed to call upon Seiber for a much needed field goal from 25-yards out – Seiber was able to punch it through to give Kentucky a shaky but comfortable 9 point lead – Seiber was 3 of 3 on the day.

The Blue Raiders never gave up however and with just under 2 minutes to play Joe Craddock found the end zone again but this time with his legs as he barreled over a potential Kentucky defender for the 3-yard touchdown run that brought the Blue Raiders within 2 points with about 1:16 to play.

However the onsides kick did not bounce the Blue Raiders way as tight end Andre Henderson was able to leap up and eventually fall on it which allowed the Wildcats run out the remaining time on the clock.

The win gave Kentucky their second win of the season and nice way to go into their bye week. The loss drops the Blue Raiders under .500 on the young season at 1-2 but with the way they played today I doubt they’ll end up that way by seasons end.

What to watch for against Western Kentucky: If this week’s near disaster wakes the offense up.

Team Pulse: Highly motivated and ready to play Western Kentucky.

[GJEM]

NEVER FEAR DIXON’S HERE

Second string RB Tony Dixon steps in to steal the show in Wildcats 38-21 win over WKU.

Lexington, KY (AP) The Kentucky Wildcats (2-1) roared to their third straight victory behind the legs and hands of second string running back Tony Dixon as they took care of Western Kentucky 38-21.

Tony Dixon came in mid-way through the first-quarter after first string running back Derrick Locke went down with bruised ribs after he was blindsided by linebacker Alonzo Higgins – Higgins didn’t stop there as he finished the day with 12 tackles 2 of which were for a loss.

The scoring got started after Mike Hartline was picked off in the red zone by Jihad Morris which he returned 89-yards to give Western Kentucky the early 7-0 lead

Just 33 seconds after Morris’s 89-yard interception return the Wildcats answered with a huge play of their own as Mike Hartline found Tony Dixon on a running back curl which he took 74-yards after breaking 3 potential Western Kentucky defenders to tie the game up at 7.

The second-quarter proved to be the beginning of the end for the Hilltoppers (3-1) as Dixon again found the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run that gave Kentucky their first lead of the afternoon at 14-7. Wide receiver Aaron Boyd followed Dixon’s touchdown up with one of his own as Mike Hartline found him on a crossing route in the end zone which Boyd leaped up and snagged before DB Rashad Etheridge had an opportunity to knock it down; the touchdown gave the Wildcats a 14-point lead at halftime.

On Kentucky’s first drive of the third-quarter fullback John Conner was able to find pay dirt when he took the rock right up the middle for the 1-yard touchdown run which expanded the Wildcat lead to 21-points.

With time running out in the third-quarter the Hilltoppers were finally able to find some continuity as their offense was able to drive down the field on a 10-play drive that was capped of when Jake Gaebler caught a 21-yard pass in the end zone from quarterback David Wolke, the touchdown closed the Wildcat lead to 14-points at the end of the third-quarter.

Western Kentucky continued with their new found rhythm on offense as they were again able to put together a decent drive that ended when quarterback David Wolke ran it in from 1-yard out to bring the Hilltoppers within 7-points. The score made the Wildcat faithful a bit uneasy as they witnessed the same thing just a week earlier when they had to fight tooth and nail to stay in front of Middle Tennessee State in the final minutes.

The uneasiness of Commonwealth Stadium was eased when the Wildcat offense was able to shed 3 minutes off the clock and punch it in via Tony Dixon’s 7-yard touchdown run that sealed the game up for Kentucky and gave them their third straight win of the young season.

Tony Dixon’s 200 all-purpose yards and 3 total touchdowns were enough to earn him the SEC’s offensive player of the week honors. Dixon is the Wildcats second running back to do so this season -- the first being Derrick Locke back in week two.

The Wildcats now go on the road where they’ll face a surprisingly down (1-4, 0-2) Alabama team that has lost their last three games and have been outscored in those games by the count of 99-64 -- however the Crimson tide are still favored by 5 ½ over the seemingly better Kentucky squad.

What to watch for against Alabama: How the Wildcats respond in the hostile crowd of Bryant Denny Stadium.

Team Pulse: Excited to get their SEC schedule started.

2008 Schedule and Results

[GJEM]

TOO MUCH COFFEE FOR THE WILDCATS

Glen Coffee runs for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns in Alabama’s blowout of Kentucky.

Tuscaloosa, AL (AP) Glen Coffee sliced and diced Kentucky’s defense all the way to a 257-yard rushing day with 3 touchdowns. Coffee found most of his success in the second half as Alabama (1-4, 0-2) went on a rampage outscoring the Wildcats 42-3 in that time.

Mike Hartline was under tremendous pressure all day by Alabama’s stout defense as they were able to put Hartline on the turf four times on the afternoon. However even after getting pounded time and time again Hartline continued to sit in the pocket and deliver catch able balls to his receivers which contributed to him completing 25-of-37 passes for 244 yards.

The Kentucky Wildcats (3-1) hung in there through the first half as they were able to find the end zone twice, once on a Mike Hartline 4-yard run and another on a Derrick Locke 51-yard scamper that put the Wildcats in the locker room with a 14-14 tie.

The Wheels fell off for the Wildcats however when Alabama scored on their first possession of the second half when quarterback John Parker Wilson found wide receiver Brandon Gibson on a corner route in the back of the end zone that gave Alabama the momentum and the lead at 21-14.

Glen Coffee had touchdown runs of 42 yards, 84 yards and 32 yards. The first touchdown came in the first-quarter with 2:25 left. His second came halfway through the third-quarter with 4:06 left and his final touchdown of the day came when Alabama was just trying to run out the clock when Coffee ended up breaking a tackle as the clock expired.

Alabama FS Rashad Johnson had had a huge day on defense racking up 12 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and a pick six in the fourth-quarter. MLB Rolando McClain also had himself a big day as he ended the game with 10 tackles and an interception of his own.

The schedule doesn’t lighten up for Kentucky either as they now head home where they’ll take on the #17 South Carolina Gamecocks who are coming off a lopsided game of their own but they were on the winning side of things beating Mississippi 34-12 in Oxford.

What to watch for next week against South Carolina: How does Kentucky respond after their demoralizing loss to Alabama? Will they pack it in or will they come out lay it all on the line regardless of South Carolina’s ranking or what they experts think will happen?

Team Pulse: Humbled and a bit shaken.

[GJEM]

vs.
SCOUTING REPORT

 
                               Kentucky    #6 Georgia
                               B-,B-,B        A,A+,B+

                Games Played   3     (2-1)    2    (2-0)
                Pts. Per Game  30.6  (50)     27.0 (70)
                Total Off.     1,006 (15)     750  (64)
                Rush Off.      435   (28)     480  (23)
                Pass Off.      571   (20)     270  (102)
                Total D        842   (82)     573  (43)
                Rush D         318   (68)     253  (49)
                Pass D         524   (85)     320  (41)
                T.0. Diff      -1    (80)     2    (17)

                Lee  Picks- Georgia
                Kirk Picks- Georgia

[stewaat]

Yea USC is really, really good. Their defense is insane...I figured they would get the best of you.

[GJEM]

Quote: Originally Posted by stewaat

Yea USC is really, really good. Their defense is insane...I figured they would get the best of you.

Well I'm glad I had your vote of confidence...

[GJEM]

CAN YOU SMELL-EY WHAT THE GAMECOCKS ARE COOKING

#17 South Carolina pounds Kentucky to earn their 6th win in 7 games.

Lexington, KY (AP) For the second straight week the Kentucky Wildcats are taken behind the woodshed, this time against the South Carolina Gamecocks at home.

Chris Smelley and the Gamecocks offense put up 56 points and 551 yards of total offense on a Kentucky defense which was supposed to be their backbone this season after losing countless playmakers on the offensive side of the ball after last season.

Chris Smelley completed 28-of-39 passes for 399 yards and 6 touchdowns which broke a South Carolina single game passing record for touchdowns thrown.

The Gamecocks (5-1, 2-1) jumped on the Wildcats (3-2, 0-1) early and often spotting Kentucky an early 3-0 lead before out scoring the Wildcats by the score of 42-0 before letting off the gas early in the third-quarter.

A margin reminiscent of last weeks game against Alabama in which the Crimson Tide went on a 42-3 terror that didn’t end until the final gun sounded.

These last two games have Coach Mitchell scratching his head about his choice of game play sliders for this dynasty. Said Coach Mitchell, “A part of me wants to let it ride and see if it’s just our talent level and see how we do against some lower tier SEC teams (chuckle) like Arkansas, Mississippi State and Vandy. Then another part of me is hitting the panic button with both hands AND both feet like dynasty reporting legend BDawg did after his first four games of his Oregon State ‘NASTY. I think for now I’m going to take these into our next game against Arkansas since their ratings are the same as mine and see how it turns out. However if things fall by the way side then I might be prompted to act swiftly and think about going to a different set of Heisman sliders like NJPapi’s which I have used before but felt like they were a tad bit above my skill level but as of right now I can’t see how I can really do much worse. The last two games have really taken the fun out of it for me and when that happens you tend to lose motivation. Don’t get me wrong I welcome losing and sometimes prefer it when I know I have less talent or I play a bad game but I at least need to feel like I have a chance, and from the get go in these last two games I feel as though I don’t have a chance in hell and I just can’t enjoy that – but we’ll see what happens.”

Some notable plays by the South Carolina offense in the first half came seconds after receiving the ball for their first possession of the game when wide receiver Kenny McKinley did a wicked shimmy move halfway through his route on corner E.J. Adams which allowed McKinley to break away for the 64-yard touchdown reception that put South Carolina in the lead at 7-3. Another came late in the second-quarter when tight end Jared Cook caught a Chris Smelley pass over the middle for a 31-yard touchdown that expanded the Gamecock lead to 35-3 going into halftime.

The second half yielded more of the same out of the Gamecock offense and just 1:20 after receiving the ball Smelley hooked up with full back Patrick DiMarco for a 12-yard touchdown pass that put South Carolina up 42-3.

Kentucky’s next two drives showed some promise for the coming weeks however only one of them put a seven spot up and that came when wide receiver Andre’ Henderson caught a 7-yard pass on the left sideline that he took 75 yards to pay dirt – that was Henderson’s only catch of the afternoon.

With the loss Kentucky has dropped to last in the East behind Vanderbilt with a 3-3 record and 0-2 in the SEC. They’ll once again look to next week to dust themselves off after their two demoralizing losses in back to back weeks.

What to watch for next week against Arkansas: How Kentucky’s defense plays after giving up 112 points in their last two games.

Team Pulse: Down and frustrated.

[GJEM]

LOSING STREAK SNAPPED

Kentucky snaps their 2-game losing streak with a 31-17 victory over Arkansas.

Lexington, KY (AP) After two straight blowouts in back to back weeks in which Kentucky’s defense gave up 112 points and a Florida team waiting in the weeds you just knew Kentucky had to beat Arkansas at home or their season would be over before November even hit.

Fortunately for Kentucky (3-3, 0-2) they did just that, disposing of Arkansas 31-17.

Mike Hartline had one of his best games as a Kentucky starter throwing for 319 yards on 31 pass attempts and 3 touchdowns. His lone interception came in the third quarter when tight end T.C. Drake allowed a pass to slip right between his hands and right into free safety Rashaad Johnson’s.

The Kentucky ground game again struggled even against Arkansas’s 103rd ranked rush defense as Derrick Locke was only able to manage 86 yards on 28 carries and 1 touchdown.

Neither team was able to muster any points in the first-quarter but the second-quarter was a different story as the two teams combined to score 24 points.

True freshman running back De’Anthony Curtis got things started in the second when he broke two tackles on the way to a 27-yard touchdown run that put the Razorbacks up 7-0.

DeMoreo Ford answered the Razorbacks (3-3, 1-2) touchdown mid-way through the second-quarter with a 10-yard touchdown catch that evened things up a 7.

With 1:43 to go in the half Arkansas’s Van Stumon caught a Casey Dick pass in the corner of the end zone that put Arkansas back up by the count of 14-7.

Although things looked bleak for Kentucky to score before the half, their offense knew they still had a chance since they were still holding onto three timeouts. After a few easy out routes with a couple of over the middle routes mixed in and some quick reaction time to get to the line the Wildcats were able to leave just enough time to get kicker Lones Seiber out to attempt a 44-yard field goal which he was able to boot through to send the Wildcats into the locker room down by just four at 14-10.

Aaron Boyd was able to get the only points of the third-quarter on the board when he was able to reel in a Mike Hartline 7-yard pass that gave Kentucky their first lead of the game, 17-14.

Arkansas kicker Alex Tejada was able to connect on a 24-yard field goal just seconds after the fourth-quarter started to again tie the game up at 17.

Kentucky went on to score the next 14 points of fourth-quarter. The first touchdown coming with a huge pass play from Mike Hartline where he was able to make the safety bite which freed up DeMoreo Ford in the middle of the field for a 79-yard touchdown pass that gave Kentucky a 7-point lead. Derrick Locke finished things up with 1:56 to go with an 8-yard touchdown run that finally cemented Kentucky’s 31-17 victory.

Next week is a far more of daunting task however as the Wildcats must go into the Swamp where they’ll face a Florida team that’s coming off a huge win in their last outing against LSU where the Gators won 28-14.

What to watch for next week against Florida: How will the already undermanned Wildcat offense fair against Florida’s 8th ranked defense.

Team Pulse: Relieved with this win.