If Kentucky does any or all of these things tomorrow, not only would it make my day, but it would also make some bacon.
Get something, anything, going on the ground. Do you remember last year’s Arkansas game? Kentucky was able to win the game because of some amazing throws by Andre Woodson, but he would not have been able to make throws had UK not been able to establish the run. Kentucky ran at the Razorbacks with Rafael Little in the first quarter, Tony Dixon in the second and Derrick Locke in the second half. UK wore Arkansas down with the speed of Locke, who took some of the hardest shots I’ve ever seen a running back take. Kentucky has to be able to gash the Arkansas defensive line the way they did last season. They have the personnel in the backfield to do it. Dicky Lyons is gone, so I’d love to see the offense rely on the running game as much as possible in this one.
Make Casey Dick beat you. Michael Smith is a pretty good back, but I’ve never been very concerned about the Kentucky rushing defense. If you remember last year, Smith got some carries at the end of the first half to spell Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, but he made the costly fumble that Trevard Lindley returned for a TD, preventing an inevitable Arkansas score before the half. He’s good, but other than Jonathan Luigs, I don’t know anybody else on that offensive line that I can call a force. Casey Dick has been a very bad quarterback for many years now, and Kentucky’s defensive strategy from last year paid off. Last year, UK loaded up the box and made it tough for McFadden or Jones to bust loose, forcing Dick to make plays with his arm. Lots of turnovers and incomplete passes followed. Really, it was the same thing South Carolina did to Mike Hartline last week.
Stay in base defense as many snaps as possible. Arkansas does not have the height or talent that South Carolina does at wide receiver. That’s a product of Houston Nutt recruiting guys for a rushing offense. My heart bleeds for Bobby Petrino because of this…no, it doesn’t. I’m sure that if UK loads the box and forces Dick to make plays, Petrino will spread out the field in four and five-wide sets. I realize that in these sets, the defense has to compensate and substitute corners for linebackers. Kentucky has to give some safety help to the #3-5 corners in those situations. If the field isn’t spread out, then keep those linebackers on the field. I don’t care if it’s 3rd and 19 and an obvious passing situation. Kelley, Johnson and Williams need to be on the field because they make plays.
End the garbage on special teams. Let’s face it, you can heap all the blame you want on Mike Hartline, and while he did play very poorly, at least he didn’t give up two huge plays like the special teams did. First, there was the 86-yard kickoff return where Carolina scored on the very next play. Then there was the blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown. Eight different guys could blocked that one for Carolina. Arkansas doesn’t have particularly strong kickers (or returners, now that Jones is a Dallas Cowboy), so it is absolutely critical to win the special teams battle.
If UK lets Casey Dick beat them, then I might as well write about basketball for the rest of the year because they’re going 4-8. If they can man up, bounce back and pull off this win, then I think a bowl will be the end result.
I’m Seth Stogsdill, and I’d love some bacon.
