UK/MSU post game analysis

Over the past two days there’s been a lot of discontent amongst the Kentucky fanbase and I have to include myself in that group. I will not say that I think Joker is the wrong guy for UK’s future, but I found myself puzzled by his and Browns play calling after the loss. The team did not execute like they should have and this has as much to do with the loss as the play calling. After re-watching the game, I did find some positive things to praise, along with the negatives.

Joker has a tough job to do every week from the USC game on. A lot of fans understand that it’s difficult to get a new QB ready to play, but very few really know. The play book has to be whittled down to fit the new QB’s style and we all know that, but the most important things to keep focused on when grooming a new QB are timing with receivers, keeping the player’s confidence up, and putting him in position to succeed. Joker has to keep Newton within a play-set he can excel at, while keeping enough plays in his arsenal to keep the defense honest. Yeah this is a tough job, but he still needs to be great at it, that’s where great head coaches are made. Morgan Newton is not the first freshman QB thrown into the starting lineup in NCAA history, so Joker needs to roll with the punches and show the team, the fans, and the administration that he is the right guy for this job.

Newton’s timing was best with young receivers he’s practiced with from the day he got on campus. Watch Peyton Manning throw to Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne, then watch him throw to Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. The ball is almost always on the money to DC and RW, but it’s not quite as good with AC and PG. This comes from repetitions and time, and Newton will get there, but remember when he’s missing Randall Cobb wide open, that Mike Hartline was running the first team throwing to Cobb and Matthews, Fidler was running the second team throwing to Lanxter and McCaskill, and he was running the third team with Roark and King. He will naturally feel more comfortable throwing to the reserve WRs until he gets more time with the first stringers.

Morgan Newton actually played a pretty good game. He went 11 for 18, throwing for 119 yards. Really not bad numbers at all, and better numbers than Hartline was averaging a year ago. The interception was a stupid, stupid throw that a high school QB knows not to make, but he’ll learn from that. The sacks were awful, but when you’re rolled out on every play, they will happen. I saw a lot of the same play that frustrated me in 2005 when Woodson took over, and he turned out ok. One thing Newton has that Andre did not, is some wheels. If you take out the three sacks, Newton ran for 49 yards and looked dominant doing so. Maybe next year we’ll have Tebow Jr. on our hands?

Sorry Will Fidler, I think the staff may have given up on you.

Great game from Derrick Locke. 17 rushes for 103 yards, averaging 6.1 yards a carry, that’s not bad at all. When he gets going with a head of steam and charges forward, you just know this little guy will get past the sticks.

Smith needs to hold onto the ball. I like Antonio quite a bit, but there is nothing that will get you into your coach’s doghouse like a turnover in a close game. The staff needs to work with Locke and Smith both to make sure they cover the ball with two hands when making contact with defenders.

The offensive line had an up and down day as a whole. Run blocking was great, as it always is, and pass blocking was mediocre. Joker has got to stop rolling the pocket out on every play because it is exposing the UK O-line to the D-line’s speed advantage. I thought Jorge Gonzalez played well through his injury and showed the grit you want from your center. I thought Larry Warford looked great and I remember two specific plays where he blew his defender about six yards back pst the line of scrimmage. This Rotation is working for UK and keeping the hogs fresh.

Once again the tight end production is minimal. We really need at least one of these seniors to step up and provide Newton a big target in the passing game. Drake has got to make that catch on forth down, regardless of who’s hanging on him.

Kentucky’s top three receivers all came out with two catches a piece for 31 or 32 yards. We have to get Cobb the ball more. Every post game analysis you read will say this, so I’ll leave it alone for today. Nice job by LaRod King making the tough catch in traffic. He should be a great option for Newton for the next three years.

I don’t know what to say about Steve Brown? I thought playing the game in a 4-2-5 Nickel alignment killed UK. I don’t like to second-guess coaches, but it is deserved this week. More than one person has questioned UK’s decision not to stack the box and make a mediocre Tyson Lee beat you, and I have to agree. After halftime, UK should have lined up in the old 4-6 and gone after Dixon 100% if that’s what it took to win. I guess the confidence that Brown has in the UK secondary is not where it should be.

An injured Micah Johnson should not be your leading tackler with 7.5 stops. Paul Warford, a CB, should not be your second leading tackler with 5.5 stops.

One of the biggest problems UK had was that the Linebackers and Defensive line where out of position throughout this game and it cost Kentucky dearly afainst the MSU running game. Trevathan, missed tackles, Wyndham overran plays, and Lumpkin got bullied by a average offensive line. One bright spot out of the linebackers was Sam Maxwell’s interception in the end zone. You keep making plays Sam, and we’ll all watch you on Sundays next year.

The secondary has got to step up and make the QBs job harder. Burden had a great pick after he read Lee’s eyes all the way to an interception, but overall the DBs gave up to many big plays and took themselves out of the game on play-action passes. Calvin Harrison played an absolutely awful game at SS, and he is much better than that. Let’s hope he bounces back against EKU and finishes his senior year strong.

I’ll have to give Steve Ortermayer some props. He’s kind of been the UK whipping boy for the past two years, but on Saturday, his special teams units were on their game.

I’m going to be the first to declare Craig McIntosh the UK MVP from this game. He had four kickoffs for 256 yards. That’s crazy. Mcintosh Averaged 64 yards per kick and kept giving Mississippi State a long field to work with.

Ryan Tydlacka once again put Kentucky in position to win. This week’s stat line read:
4 punts / 170 yards / 42.5 yards averaged / long of 50 yards / 3 downed inside the 20 / 0 touchbacks
Another fantastic game from this young man. Way to make losing Masthay more bearable.

Congratulations to Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb, who both eclipsed 1000 all-purpose yards this past weekend. Locke has 1139 yards on the season, and Cobb has 1166 all-purpose yards this year.

Will Johnson, you hit #4 so hard it would be on “jacked-up” if ESPN still featured it.

Let’s not get down on our Wildcats this week and have a good showing on Saturday against EKU. At least you don’t have to worry about black jerseys this time.