Vicky Graff Photo
I have never understood how a coach can accurately assess what happens during an intrasquad scrimmage.
Take Kentucky coach Mark Stoops. If his quarterbacks look great, does that mean there is a problem with his secondary? If the defense stuffs the run game, does that mean either the running backs or the offensive line — or maybe both — have issues?
Kentucky had only one of two scrimmages with full tackling allowed on Saturday, and Stoops thought it was “good” all things considered.
“Just to see the complete operation and just see what is real pressure and what’s not. We’re out there getting so many reps in practice, sometimes that is hard to judge, whether it was a true sack or not,” the UK coach said.
“I think we gotta continue to watch it. Anytime during camp, you want to see one side do well because they’re doing something exceptional, not because the other side’s inept.”
Here was the best news for UK football fans: “I’m starting to see more quality football,” Stoops said.
Kentucky will need plenty of that when the season opens Aug. 30 against Toledo after going 4-8 in 2024 when the play was often not near “quality football.”
Stoops has made it clear that UK’s offensive line play not only has to improve this season but also be dramatically better. He thinks that is progressing and believes the offensive line is handling all the demands being placed on it.
“We have to be one unit there. We have to be cohesive and have some depth. I feel like we’re getting there,” he said Saturday. “We need to improve on the offensive line, and we need to run the ball like we used to. I saw some of that today, and it helped us mix things up a little more.”
Kentucky’s top two running backs — Seth McGowan and Dante Dowdell — were held out of the scrimmage.
“In obvious run situations, we have to be better. It’s third-and-one or fourth-and-one, it’s a high percentage of run, and we have to be more effective than we were a year ago. I feel like we’re making strides. Across the board, I feel better about it,” Stoops said.
4 Responses
We have 2 runnings backs that are bigger or about the same size as our linebackers. Dowdell last season was the best short yardage runner in college football. So even if he just improves 5-10% he will be unstoppable. He will be able to get 3-4 yards on 3rd and 2 or 3rd and 1. Remember all the 3rd and 1s last year that we couldn't get? Then we went for it on 4th and inches and still didn't get it. That has to be fixed to be successful. Stoops and Wolford built this line to be great at run blocking but to also be able to hold there own on pass blocking. Farmer and Pete are probably the best at Pass Blocking then the othets dominate in run blocking. Which the 2 I mentioned are Also great at run blocking. Law and Stellato are both considered Elite run blocking receivers. So it looks like we will be able to run up the middle and on the outside. If you put Law and Stellato on one side you can run a jet sweep and get 6-8 yards every time. I just hope Bush and Mark give our offense a chance to succeed.
Talking the talk is one thing…everybody does that. Can we walk the walk? That question will be answered soon against Toledo. This is a MUST win game…no if and buts about it. Then comes Ole Miss looking for some payback. Was the win last year in Oxford a fluke? Based on the outcome of the rest of the season, I would have to say most definitely. Beating both Toledo and Ole Miss is a statement Kentucky needs to make. Eastern Michigan is not a team to sleep on but going to South Carolina and Georgia on the following Saturdays will reveal if we are a contender or a pretender. No more mulligans. It's time to win! Go CATS!!!
It wasn’t a fluke. Kentucky was just hurt and bang up. Offense line hurt the team chance to get more wins.
Its almost the same story every year we start out strong and as injuries piled up we get weaker and weaker