With the lack of football news right now, I figured it would be a good time to start a new series of posts that could get football fans ready for the upcoming season. I’ll break down each game and tell you why Kentucky will win, and why they might not.
October 16 – South Carolina
You know, I don’t think there is a bigger conundrum regarding UK football than the ridiculous ten year losing streak to the Gamecocks. Realistically, this one just doesn’t make a lot of sense. The recent USCjr squads have been good football teams, but they are usually pretty evenly matched with Kentucky. This year South Carolina will feature the return of their top three rushers from 2009 in sophomores Kenny Miles and Jarvis and bruising 230 pound senior Brian Maddox. Despite the talent returning, the most dangerous offensive threat the Gamecocks will bring to the table might be blue-chip freshman Marcus Lattimore. The defense will return plenty of talent, but it’s hard to replace a player as talented as Eric Norwood and USCjr will have to find someone to help Cliff Matthews on defense.
This is another one of those years where the Gamecocks are a team that the Wildcats should match up well against on paper, but you have to wonder if there is a mental block beginning to form for Kentucky players and fans.
Kentucky will lose if…..
They can’t contain the creative Steve Spurrier offense. The Ole’ Ball Coach will have four talented Running backs and they all have the talent to run wild on the UK defense. Lattimore should have the starting job locked down by this point in the season and had the talent as a prep player to be recruited by almost every school in the country. The Wildcats might not have an answer for receiver Alshon Jefferye for yet another season. The 6’4 Jeffrey is built like a tight End at nearly 240 pounds but is deceptively fast for a player his size. Kentucky will need a big game from one of their corners if they hope to keep him in check. If too much attention is paid to Jeffrey, Kentuckian D.L. Moore could have a big game on the other side of the field and there’s little doubt the Bowling Green native will be eager to make UK wish they’d recruited him harder. If the offensive line can’t keep star Defensive End Cliff Matthews in check, the Kentucky QB could have flashbacks to the 2007 season where Eric Norwood single handedly harassed Andre Woodson for four quarters. If Kentucky can’t avoid DeVonte Holloman altogether, it would be wise to steer clear of him as much as possible. He’s a tweener OLB/SS type athlete that has a knack for making the big play. If Kentucky comes into this game with the mentality that South Carolina will beat them, they will. The Gamecocks are just too talented for Kentucky to defeat if they don’t bring their “A” game.
Why Kentucky will win…..
It is high time that this streak comes to and end. The Wildcats went into South Carolina and played them to the wire last season. Fans debated through the rest of the season on whether Kentucky would have won if Hartline hadn’t been hurt or whether the two point play should have gone to Cobb, and what else should have happened for the outcome to be different. Regardless, the undermanned Cats stayed with the Gamecocks until the very end and if they can parlay that performance into some confidence going into this game, it may be the difference in a win and a loss. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but if Kentucky can establish a running game early, they can get the Gamecocks on their heels. The USCjr defense operates out of the 4-2-5 nickel as much as anyone in the country and the Wildcats should be able to take advantage of their imposing size along the offensive line to open lanes for the Running backs. I’m going out on a limb here, but I think either Jonathan George or Donald Russell will have a big game against South Carolina because of their powerful running styles and how they can compliment Derrick Locke’s speed. If the Kentucky receivers can stretch the field (and the defense) effectively, look for the tight ends to have a big game as well. The offensive line absolutely MUST keep Cliff Matthews at bay. The defensive line should be able to get pressure and force Stephen Garcia into mistakes (he usually makes plenty by himself) but they will have to seal the deal and register some sacks. If they can get Garcia rattled the defensive backs will be licking their chops and a pick-6 or two is a real possibility. It will be important for UK’s smaller Linebackers to minimize the damage from the USCjr rushing attack. If the Cats can keep their QB upright and establish the run on offense it will go a long way towards getting the win. If they can top that off by minimizing the damage done by the stable of backs the Gamecocks will field and keeping Alshon Jeffery from making the deep catches, this game should be a sure thing.
For a breakdown of the Louisville game, go HERE
For a breakdown of the WKU game, go HERE
For a breakdown of the Akron game, go HERE
For a breakdown of the Florida game, go HERE
For a breakdown of the Ole Miss game, go HERE
For a breakdown of the Auburn game, go HERE
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