This week the Cats improved their record to 2-0 in a nail biter over in-state rival Louisville at Commonwealth Stadium Saturday afternoon. In a matchup that proved winning doesn't have to pretty, UK shored up their 3rd straight win over the Cardinals effectively maintaining possession of the state's coveted Governor's Cup.
For more on the hits and misses from the Cat's home opener, click the Read More button below.
Touchdowns
3 in a Row: No matter how you cut it, ugly or pretty, at the end of the day win is a win. It's true some Cards fans will want to claim moral victory after Saturday's game and even some Cats fans will argue it's a "bad" win, but the truth of it is the Governor's Cup is sitting in Lexington for the 3rd year in a row for the first time since the rivalry was renewed in 1994. Not enough credit is given for winning when the chips are down, or in this case way down. Just doesn't happen that often for those in the Blue and White.
Offensive Line: I know they got their props two weeks ago, but they deserve it again this week with as much time Mike Hartline had to throw consistently throughout the game. Add to it plenty of room for Locke, Smith, Allen, and Conner to get out of the backfield and it's good to see 2nd most experienced line in the SEC make a name for themselves.
Derrick Locke's 100 Yard Touchdown Return: Talk about a thing of beauty. In a game where both offenses struggled in the red zone, big credit goes to the lightning quick back for getting points however he can get them. For some teams, like the Virginia Tech's of the world, a special teams TD may not necessarily be that big of a deal. But when you consider less than a year ago the same kid was on crutches wondering whether he would ever play football again, it takes it to a whole other level. If the past two games are any indication of how his play may progress from here, I may have to just copy and paste his name all season in this blog.
The ESPN/SEC TV Contract: I'll be the first to admit I don't get to Lexington enough to see the Cats in live action and am often left to rely on being glued to the closest electronic device broadcasting the game when kickoff rolls around. And for the past few years that's resulted in padding the SEC's Pay Per View pockets with $30, while wanting to pull my hair out over everything from black screens with just sounds, fuzzy figures on my HDTV, and the potential loss of hearing from inconsistent sound levels throughout the broadcast. So I can't say enough just how satisfied I am knowing each week there'll be some consistent coverage of the Cats.
Missed Tackles
The Title Says it All: Like a lot of Cats fans I've come to know and love, I have a tendency to yell at the TV or radio like I'm donning a headset on the sideline during the same. And unfortunately Saturday, I could've saved my voice and just posted a sign in my living room with the words "Wrap Him Up" after seeing the Kentucky defense time and time again fail to simply square up and tackle a guy. It seemed on several occasions when the opportunity presented itself to prevent a long run or yards after the catch, the defense reverted to arm tackling instead of just squaring up and taking the guy down. Here's to hoping Coach Brown gets back to basics this week.
3rd and Long: Of the nine 3rd down completions for the Cards, 4 of those were in long yardage situations ranging anywhere from 7 to 14 yards. While the numbers may seem insignificant, it has to be of a concern for Cats fans that the defense has adopted a "bend, don't break" philosophy when trying to stifle an opposing team's offense based on this recurring trend throughout the years. Add to it the much maligned 5 yard playcall on 3rd and 8 on the offensive side of the ball and it's easy to see why 3rd and long situations aren't exactly a Cats fan's happiest moment these days.
15 Yard Penalty
Now Hiring: As any longtime sports fan knows, there are supposed to be certain advantages to playing on your home field. Vandy and Memorial Gym's crazy layout, Florida and the fans that literally are on top of you at the Swamp, and LSU and the Tiger outside of the visitor's locker room are all just a few of the frustrating elements you encounter as a visiting player at those venues. Add to it the usual "home cookin'" such as favorable officiating and even a slow to tick game clock that are supposed to give as much of an edge to the home team as humanly possible. Unfortunately on Saturday at the end of the first half, UK encountered the opposite at home with a huge error by Commonwealth Stadium's home clock operator that resulted in a set of Big Ten officials claiming 15 seconds had rolled off the clock to the dismay of the Wildcats who were within yards of scoring another touchdown. While I'll go as far to say it wasn't the operator's fault alone based on the notion that the play called in complicated things by not unfolding in a favorable manner for the Cats, it's always a concern when you can't even get a little bit of "home cookin'" against your in-state rival at home. Call me crazy to complain but in a conference as tough as the SEC where your out of conference success is vital, I'll take any little edge I can get to win a ballgame. And I'll certainly take a situation at home that should be working in my favor instead of against it.
Mental Mistakes: Whether it was the 3 turnovers by multiple Cats, not running all the way to the sticks with a wide open path in front of you, or blatantly grabbing a facemask in a crucial 3rd down situation there were just some bad, bad mental mistakes committed by UK on Saturday. Thankfully UofL was unable to capitalize on many of the mistakes, leaving a ton of potential points on the board, but the fact remains that had it been a Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, or Auburn that UK would've likely been looking down the barrel of a bad loss as a result. On the upside some of the errors are ones that can be corrected with some practice, but it's a bit disconcerting with Florida rolling into town in just 6 days to be making those types of mistakes.
Big Ten Officiating: If anyone was consistent on Saturday, it was the consistently bad Big Ten officiating crew on the field. While the Cats made it easy for some calls with some blatant mental mistakes, others were consistently missed all day long especially in the trenches. Throw in a baffling pass interference call and those 15 seconds at the end of the 1st half and it's not surprising why some of our college football friends to the North have a gripe with the stripes.
