Joker's "Operation Win" turns into "Operation When?" as Vols extend streak to 26 with 24-14 game

Another year, another head coach, another Tennessee game and the same result.  This makes 26 years in a row and to be honest, I do not know when UK will ever find a Tennessee team as vulnerable or as bad as this one.  But none of that matters.  we can make Tennessee jokes and Derek Dooley jokes as much as we want, but the fact remains that Tennessee owns Kentucky for the 26th year in a row.  Tennessee abandoned the run in this game and took it to the Wildcats via the air, and made win 26 a relatively easy 24-14 win.

Momentum was the word for the first half.  The Vols seem to have big Mo on their side when Da’Rick Rogers returned the opening kick 78 yards to the Wildcat’s 17 as the “here we go again” tweets flooded the Internet.  The Wildcat defense manned up however and forced a Daniel Lincoln FG attempt which was wide left.

Crisis averted, Uncle Mo swung to the Wildcats side and Mike Hartline led Kentucky on a very impressive 10 yard, 80 yard drive which culminated in a 17 yard Derrick Locke scamper and dive into the end zone which put Kentucky up 7-0.  The defense responded with a three and out series and the Wildcats marched down the field on an even more impressive 15 yard, 77 yard drive.  The Wildcats were poised to go up 14-0 and start driving the nails into the coffin of this 25 year streak until ….

On play 16 from the Tennessee 1, Derrick Locke fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Vols.  Crisis averted by the bad guys.  Tennessee took to the air and it took a while for Tyler Bray to finally get it going.  When he did, he hit Denarius Moore (remember the name) for a 44 yard strike to the Kentucky 11.  Tyler Bray hit Gerald Jones on the next play for the tying touchdown.  The next Kentucky series ended with a 18 yard punt by Ryan Tydlacka.  Tennessee responded with two Bray to Denarious Moore strikes of  49 yards and 12 yards and Tennessee was up 14-7.

About this time, momentum took a break and was replaced by ineptitude as neither team could take advantage of the breaks afforded them.  Randall Cobb fumbled on the Kentucky 44 and even before they stopped playing “Rocky Top”, Tyler Bray threw an interception which was picked off by Winston Guy at the Kentucky 4 yard line.  At this point, Kentucky reverted back to their offensive success of the first two drives and drove from the 4 to the Tennessee 24.  Things looked good for the Cats until Kentucky reverted to their curious playcalling fascination of screens and trying to run outside on every play and the drive stalled.  Robbie McIntosh missed the FG and the first half pretty much summed up the past 25 years of frustration for Kentucky fans.

Unfortunately, the first half was just an appetizer for the second half of heartbreak for Kentucky football fans.  But if we know Kentucky football, we know there has to be a massive tease before the eventual letdown.  As they did in the first drive of the first half, Kentucky owned the Volunteer defense on their first drive of the second half, going 11 plays for 76 yards.  Kentucky scored on a gutsy 4th and 2 Mike Hartline to Tyler Robinson pass and the game was tied.    A Mychal Bailey interception in the endzone firmly swung all momentum onto Kentucky’s side.

But it would not be Kentucky football without the tease.

UK’s momentum swing only lasted four plays on offense before they had to punt and Tennessee responded with a 73 yard drive that put the Vols up 21-14.  Now early in the fourth quarter, Kentucky drove to the Tennessee 37 where Kentucky faced a fourth and two.  Tennessee showed their cards and Joker folded, opting to punt rather than playing to win.  What made the decision worse was the fact that the Kentucky punt went out of the end zone, effectively making it a 17 yard punt.  Tennessee drove for a FG and a 24-14 lead and it was all over except for an inept offensive performance the rest of the way.

Another year, a 26th straight loss and as with last year, a lot of the blame has to go on the coaching staff.  Once again, Kentucky had no answer for whatever was thrown at them by the Vol’s offense, allowing Tyler Bray to throw for 354 yards, seemingly at will against the Kentucky pass defense.  The Vols leading WR Denarious Moore had 205 of those yards.  And then we have the usual Jekyl and Hyde offensive playcalling, not going with what worked and going super conservative at odd times in the game.

And say what you will, the game changing moment was when Joker gave up on his offense and called the 4th and 2 punt.  What kind of signal does that send to the offense who had been moving the ball recently?  That he does not trust the offense to get TWO YARDS?  And if we recall it was the same playcalling of Joker last year that kept the ball out of Randall Cobb’s hands inside the 10 yard line.  Needless to say, the honeymoon is well past for Joker and he has some serious changes to make in the next 9 months or so.  Just saying.

It’s a shame that Randall Cobb could not get a win in a return to his home state.  Cobb caught 13 passes for 116 yards and finished with over 100 yards receiving in three of his last four games.  If Mr. Cobb is intent on taking his show to the NFL, he is definitely at the top of his game right now.  You also feel bad for Mike Hartline, who after a career of cat calls and indifference from Kentucky fans, finally blossomed this year, but that is all tarnished by the “26” the Cats now wear as their scarlet letter.

As always. the Tennessee loss will be dissected and replayed more, but I have had enough.  For complete game stats, go here. 

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