Seth McGowan scored twice against Ole Miss. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Seth McGowan certainly is playing like a four-star recruit and big-time transfer Kentucky hoped he would be. He averaged 6.2 yards per rush against Ole Miss last week and scored two touchdowns. However, he was not happy after the game.
“To be honest, not really because we didn’t come out with a win. I don’t think that the state of Kentucky is happy right now just because a player might have played okay,” McGowan said. “I think that ultimately we’re playing this game to win. I don’t care what the outcome is, other than if we won the game or didn’t win the game.”
Say amen Kentucky fans. Finally someone to offer no excuses and admit that winning is all that matters. Win pretty, win ugly … it doesn’t matter. Just win.”
Maybe it would have helped UK win if McGowan had ran more than 15 times.
McGowan and Dante Dowdell, another transfer running back, are in the top 10 in rushing in the Southeastern Conference. Dowdell is seventh with 185 rushing yards, including a 79-yard score, and one touchdown. McGowan has 171 yards with three touchdowns. Arkansas and Missouri are the only other SEC teams with two running backs in the top 10.
So why isn’t UK running the ball more behind an obviously improved offensive line? Kentucky is sixth in the SEC in rushing attempts. Against Ole Miss, UK ran 29 times for 149 yards — almost five yards per play. Quarterback Zach Calzada threw the ball 30 times for 149 yards. That’s balance but Calzada is not producing points with his passing, so why not lean on the running game.
“That’s not up to us, right?” McGowan said about the play calls. “We’re not calling the shots and all we can do is be ready when our number is called. I think me and Dante have done a pretty good job at that. (Running backs coach Jay) Boulware has kept our minds right, he’s kept our legs fresh, and we got other weapons too. It ain’t just us.”
Great attitude for McGowan but coach Mark Stoops has to consider leaning on the run more, something he indicated he would do this year.
“I think we definitely ran very well. The backs are very talented. I think we’re getting some movement,” Stoops said after the Ole Miss loss. “Again, you play Ole Miss, you know they’re going to be disruptive at times.
“So I think we just have to keep on cleaning up the areas where we can. There were some things that just the way we target things, the way we pull, we missed some things as well. But we’ll keep on building on it.”
Stoops admitted McGowan, who is both shifty and powerful, is getting “more comfortable” each week. He also said he would like to get the running back more involved in the passing game.
Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan‘s offense is averaging 23.5 points per game, 14th in the SEC. If not for the running game, it would not even be 14th.
“(Bush) and I both talked about it. It pisses us both off because in hindsight we should just pound it, pound it, pound it,” Stoops said. “I don’t say anything because I don’t want to hinder us from improving and being aggressive.”
McGowan, a New Mexico State transfer, won’t complain. He said he was proud of his team’s play against Ole Miss.
“The things that we have to fix are minuscule and they are fixable. Things like communication and just overall synchrony,” McGowan said.
4 Responses
Winning is important. How one wins (or loses) however is also important.
This is the kind of game that there is no doubt who will win, the only question that matters is how well does UK play relative to this #158, below average, football team.
Vegas opened with UK a 24 1/2 point favorite. Today, the line has slipped to 23 1/2. ANE says 24 points. Fans, and sports writers, and coaches may be excited by a 24 point win on Saturday, but in this case, a 24 point win merely means that UK is a mid 40s type of team, which today puts any team at #15 of 16 in the SEC.
If this team wants to get this fan’s attention, in a positive way, then it needs to win big Saturday, by 35 or more points, and the more the merrier.
A team that is competitive on the national stage, which also means being competitive in the SEC, should beat a team like Eastern Michigan, at home, by 40 or more points. A middle of the pack SEC team should beat a team like Eastern Michigan by 35 points or more.
I don't care how many times a coach says his UK team is competitive. Show me with game performance.
Thus far, this team has played like a #44 ranked team both weeks.
Poor kid. McGowan hasn't been here long enough to know what he transferred into.
Correct
Barn wants 8 game schedule in SEC, 4 wins and if UK gets two SEC, we are in a lower level bowl, counting on a Vanderbilt and Mississippi State wins, not anymore, my friends. Then WHY? My only thoughts is Barn wants to keep feeding $800 grand to 1.4 million to Ohio,Toledo,Eastern Michigan,Southern Miss,Tennessee Tech,Ball State,Akron,New Mexico State,Youngstown State,Northern Illinois,Louisiana Monroe,Chattanooga, That is $10,400,000. -$18,200,000,
KENTUCKY MONEY NOT GOING TO THE INSTATE SCHOOLS,IN THE PAST 5 SEASONS
I may be wrong UK played Murray, EKU 1 time each.
I am very positive to think WKU,MURRAY,EKU,MOREHEAD,KY.WESYLEAN,CUMBERLAND COULD USE SOME MONIES FOR THEIR ATHLETIC PROGRAMS.