Wildcats fall to Bama 38-20 but go down fighting
By Staff
Let’s be honest with each other for a second, Wildcat fans. When we looked at the football schedule, we knew that UK would be 2-2 and that was realistically the best possible outcome for the first four games. Granted, Florida and Alabama could conceivably be meeting in the national title game if not for a little thing called the SEC championship. It was a cruel joke for UK to have to face these teams back to back, but in the span of just one week, you can see that UK did make great strides the outlook for the rest of the season is not as “gloom and doom” as it was just a week ago.
In the beginning, it was “deja vu all over again” as Alabama took the opening kick off back 60 yards to the UK 37, and then aided by an incredibly bad personal foul on DeQuin Evans, the Bama offense was at the UK 17. Just two Mark Ingram runs later and UK was in a 7-0 hole just :57 into the game. On the Wildcat’s next possession, on just the fourth play, Mike Hartline threw an incredibly ill advised pass right to Mark Barron which was returned to the UK 37. The boo birds at Commonwealth expressed their displeasure as UK appeared headed for a virtual replay of the Florida game.
And then something funny happened on the way to the Alabama rout. The UK defense, fueled by a Trevard Lindley pass deflection on Julio Jones forced a three and out and UK had the ball out. At quarerback was Randall Cobb and it appeared that UK was going to finally unveil the “Wildcat offense” which has been kept under wraps. Cobb has a nice QB draw and Mike Hartline hit Derrick Locke on a 18 yard pickup and UK was driving into Alabama territory. The drive stalled at the Bama 34 when a much maligned Lones Seiber booted a career record 49 yard FG and UK was on the board at 7-3.
Three straight Alabama passing plays only netted four yards and UK had a second straight three and out as UK forced a punt. And then in a display of smashmouth football rarely seen from the Wildcats, UK used Derrick Locke, Randall Cobb, Moncell Allen, and Alfonso Smith to run the ball 10 straight plays and drove the ball to the Alabama 22. A sack of Mike Hartline stalled the drive and Lones Seiber kicked his second 49 yard FG as UK trailed 7-6 after one.
The second quarter was a defensive struggle as UK and Alabama each had two three and out possessions. I know that Alabama is one of the best defenses in the country, but UK lost a couple of opportunities starting their drives at the 50 but could not even get into FG range. Ryan Tydlacka kept Alabama pinned withing their own 5 yard line and midway through the second quarter, Micah Johnson missed a safety by an inch (literally) on a nice stop of Trent Richardson. Alabama then put together a 12 yard play that went 99 yards and 10 inches and ended with a 3 yard TD pass that put Alabama up 14-6 with just :40 left in the quarter.
Then disaster struck.
Mike Hartline completed a pass to Derrick Locke which he fumbled, and the ball was scooped up by Rolondo McClain and taken 45 yards for a TD as a stunned Commonwealth Stadium watched Alabama take a 21-6 lead in a half. Derrick Locke returned the 3rd quarter kickoff to the UK 46 and then had a nice 18 yard run to the Alabama 33 until another 15 yard personal foul penalty wiped out the progress. With UK on full self destruct mode, Mike Hartline threw another poorly advised pass that was intercepted and Mark Ingram scored on a 32 yard run just 2 plays later. Three plays later, a Mike Hartline pass was tipped in the air and hung for what seemed to be an eternity before Eryk Anders came down with the interception. To his credit, this interception was not Hartline’s fault as it should have been a catch by the receiver.
The UK defense hung tough and forced a FG which put Alabama up 31-6 but just three plays later, Mike Hartline hit Randall Cobb on a deep route for a 45 yard touchdown. Taking it personally, the Alabama offense put together another 12 play drive and Alabama went back up on top 38-13.
Mike Hartline then put together a very nice 16 play drive which went 65 yards and ended on a Moncell Allen run which put UK within 38-20. The scoring was done, despite the douche-bag like attempts on Nick Saban to run the score up, as Alabama converted a 4th and 8 on a fake FG from the UK 32 and then had a incomplete pass in the endzone on a 4th and 9 from UK’s 9. A last UK drive towards ultimate respectability and beating the spread ended as the clock ran out.
So what to take from this game? UK is not nearly as bad as the score indicates but in both games UK has had an extended lapse where they just kill themselves with mental errors, penalties, and turnovers. Last week, UK was blitzed by a 31 point first quarter. Against Alabama, the lapse was just as deadly. From the 7:30 point mark in the second quarter to the 10:18 mark of the third quarter, UK was blitzkrieged 24-0. That is a 55 point period of self destruction in both games in less than two full quarters. Simply put, these type of breakdowns have to stop and have to stop now.
Aside from that UK has played relatively well. I like the fight UK showed today. They put together a couple of really nice drives against Alabama, and for a portion of the first half, thoroughly dominated the Crimson Tide. But you can not turn the ball over four times against Alabama and expect to win.
But like I said earlier, we expected UK to be 2-2 at this point. I like the fight UK showed at the end of this game and think that we can still steal one one of the next two road games. UK has to take one of these next two games to show that the Rich Brooks approach is working and that we are on the right path.
But let’s get rid of the “Blame Hartline” talk right now and get over our “shock” that we lost two blowout games to the top two teams in the country and see how the Wildcats. The two sure losses are off the schedule and there is not another game besides maybe at Georgia, that can be considered a sure loss. Is a 5-3 finish (or better) possible?
The real season starts now.
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