Looking At the Vandy Game

[MercerTitans]

:thumbup

If Kentucky wins this game, it seals a bowl bid somewhere.A win versus the Commodores gives UK four SEC wins for the first time since '99. IIRC, UK also needed a win over Vandy that year to wrap up a bowl bid.

Looking at the rest of the schedule, UGA and Bama both play Auburn, Bama plays LSU, and USC plays Florida. Barring any upsets, UGA and USC would finish 3-5 in the SEC and Bama (ouch!) 2-6. A .500 record in league play really helps UK in the pecking order when the bowls come calling.

Vandy will be playing with a chip on its shoulder after their comeback attempt fell short last year versus UK. As big as the UGA win was, this game in my eyes is the most important so far in the Brooks era.

GO CATS!

[titleist_guy]

I hope no one fools themselves, because this Vandy game will be every bit as tough as the GA game in my opinion. Vandy is a better team that their record shows -- just look at how tough they have played everyone this year, especially Georgia. Also, I believe that we kept them from getting to a bowl game last year, so that might still be fresh in the minds of some of their players.

Bottom line is that Vandy is a much more solid team than in years past. But, so are we . . .

[Spanish Moss]

Vandy will be tough to handle, that is a given.

[poodoo]

titleist_guy wrote: I hope no one fools themselves, because this Vandy game will be every bit as tough as the GA game in my opinion. Vandy is a better team that their record shows -- just look at how tough they have played everyone this year, especially Georgia. Also, I believe that we kept them from getting to a bowl game last year, so that might still be fresh in the minds of some of their players.

Bottom line is that Vandy is a much more solid team than in years past. But, so are we . . .


I agree, titleist_guy. In fact, in order to win the game, I suspect we will need to play better against Vandy than we did against Georgia. Before the Georgia game the Vandy game had scared me more than the Georgia game. It still does. Actually, realizing we could have an emotionallet-down, I am now even more concerned.

Having said that, I am still counting on us to win the game, of course. GO CATS! BEAT VANDY! :)

[sojourner]

MercerTitans wrote: :thumbup

If Kentucky wins this game, it seals a bowl bid somewhere.A win versus the Commodores gives UK four SEC wins for the first time since '99. IIRC, UK also needed a win over Vandy that year to wrap up a bowl bid.

Looking at the rest of the schedule, UGA and Bama both play Auburn, Bama plays LSU, and USC plays Florida. Barring any upsets, UGA and USC would finish 3-5 in the SEC and Bama (ouch!) 2-6. A .500 record in league play really helps UK in the pecking order when the bowls come calling.

Vandy will be playing with a chip on its shoulder after their comeback attempt fell short last year versus UK. As big as the UGA win was, this game in my eyes is the most important so far in the Brooks era.

GO CATS!



Aw c'mon guys. Every game can't be the most important ever. If we lose to Vandy and beat that Louisiana directional school we still have the six wins. Yes I want to beat Vandy. Adn UT as well. But geez, Louise quit always making something into a bigger deal than it is.

This must be at least the 5th or 6th game this year I have seen someone refer to as the most important ever in the Brooks era. Give it a rest. And just enjoy the season.

[lighthouse]

Whoa there sojourner, this is a huge game in the Brooks era. Besides, with all we've been through, it's fun to be in this position for a change. And we're enjoying it!!! :)

[sojourner]

That's fine Lighthouse I am enjoying the ride. Especially as I was not sure it would ever come. But always building up the next game as "the most important ever" gets a little old. I feel like I am watching WWF.

Especially as we have two more games to go after Vandy.

[I. Melvin]

OK, how about "a really, really big and important game if we want to capture the gains we've made this year"?

In an odd way, every time we've said "it's the most important game of the Brooks era" we've been correct. When you're building from next to nothing, every step toward success requires the next step to make it last.

Lose to Vandy and much of the lustre will be off what could have been a very important turnaround season.

Few of us expected 7-5. Most of us expected 6-6 unless the wheels came off and we had to start again.

Kentucky needs to win Saturday. Brooks really needs to win Saturday.

Just once, can we make hay while the sun has peeked between the clouds?

[7lives]

I. Melvin wrote: OK, how about "a really, really big and important game if we want to capture the gains we've made this year"?

In an odd way, every time we've said "it's the most important game of the Brooks era" we've been correct. When you're building from next to nothing, every step toward success requires the next step to make it last.

Lose to Vandy and much of the lustre will be off what could have been a very important turnaround season.

Few of us expected 7-5. Most of us expected 6-6 unless the wheels came off and we had to start again.

Kentucky needs to win Saturday. Brooks really needs to win Saturday.

Just once, can we make hay while the sun has peeked between the clouds?

Every game on our scheduleis "a really, really big and important game" especially the ones that looked winnable.

But to continually overstate the obvious is getting a little trite.

[Brian McCat]

When you only get 12 games a year, every game is big. None of them can be minimized in importance, but each of them should be taken for what they are- a chance for a win that gets you closer to a bowl, that will give you an extra month of practice, that gets you better recruits, that IMPROVES YOUR OVERALL PROGRAM.

A better bowl means that you're playing to more exposure.

Go Cats! Carpe diem! Beat the 'dores!

[Spanish Moss]

It is a big game because we are still not bowl eligible. A victory against Vandy, followed up with a win against the Louisiana school and our season becomes more than most expected or dreamed of having.

We were at the bottom of the league so every win should be cherished and seen as an important building block to our program.

Vandy will be tough and if we beat them, it will be a big step forward.

[Brian McCat]

Exactly.

Do you guys realize that in the SEC, there are still 10 teams vying for 8 guaranteed bowl slots? There's a possibility of getting 9 slots if 2 make the BCS.

The truth is, we NEED 7 wins before we start talking about sure bowl bids.

Yesterday, the UK Men's Soccer team was ranked 13th in the nation, and finished 2nd in their conference tournament. 48 teams were invited to the NCAA tournament. Kentucky was not one of them. My heart goes out to those guys, but it should be a warning-- we can't count on anything until we get to 7 wins.

At present, 7 teams in the SEC are eligible. 2 are mathematically eliminated: the Mississippi schools.

Vanderbilt sits at 4 wins, needing to beat Kentucky and Tennessee to get in.

South Carolina sits at 5 wins, needing to take 2 of the next three to win. That will be a tough road, as they play Florida and Clemson. Likely, they will be 6-6, maybe 7-5. Losing to them may bite us in the shorts more than we know.

I'm not tryin to rain on anyone's parade, but trying to help you guys see that Vandy is MUST win. We can't expect to cruise through and take 1 of the next 3 to punch our ticket for a bowl. Bowl representatives place more weight on how you FINISH the season rather than how you start. So, let's get behind the Cats and root them on to 3 more wins!

[MercerTitans]

sojourner wrote: MercerTitans wrote: :thumbup

If Kentucky wins this game, it seals a bowl bid somewhere.A win versus the Commodores gives UK four SEC wins for the first time since '99. IIRC, UK also needed a win over Vandy that year to wrap up a bowl bid.

Looking at the rest of the schedule, UGA and Bama both play Auburn, Bama plays LSU, and USC plays Florida. Barring any upsets, UGA and USC would finish 3-5 in the SEC and Bama (ouch!) 2-6. A .500 record in league play really helps UK in the pecking order when the bowls come calling.

Vandy will be playing with a chip on its shoulder after their comeback attempt fell short last year versus UK. As big as the UGA win was, this game in my eyes is the most important so far in the Brooks era.

GO CATS!



Aw c'mon guys. Every game can't be the most important ever. If we lose to Vandy and beat that Louisiana directional school we still have the six wins. Yes I want to beat Vandy. Adn UT as well. But geez, Louise quit always making something into a bigger deal than it is.

This must be at least the 5th or 6th game this year I have seen someone refer to as the most important ever in the Brooks era. Give it a rest. And just enjoy the season.


I'm entitled to my opinion as much as anybody else on this board. And I am enjoying this season, thank you. Geez, lighten up.

[UedK]

On paper Vandy is also bowl eligible but they will have to make it happen against UK and UT in their last two games. With wins against Wake Forest, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Georgia in the past two seasons this is new Vandy football program we are facing.

The Commodores last winning season was in 1982 when they went 8-4 and earned a berth in the Hall of Fame Bowl. We spoiled their bowl run last year, they will be more than ready for us this Saturday. Like many have pointed out above, we may need our best game of the year to beat this team.

[WildcatRick]

sojourner wrote: That's fine Lighthouse I am enjoying the ride. Especially as I was not sure it would ever come. But always building up the next game as "the most important ever" gets a little old. I feel like I am watching WWF.

Especially as we have two more games to go after Vandy.


Sometimes one win does make the next game even bigger, wins are NOT guaranteed here, against ANYONE!! MercerTitans is exactly right, this game is big. Ask Brooks, Archeror the players, Georgia is in the past Vandy now becomes big. Like it or not there is a big difference in 7-5 and 6-6. Considering this is a must season for the coaching staff, I would say Vandy isHUGE.

I got a PM from one of the players yesterday that said "The task is long from being over" and it wasnt from Hulk Hogan.:rolleyes:I hope they are all in that frame of mind.

We are not bowl eligible yet, period.

[MercerTitans]

I stand by my comments. I know the coaches agree and I pray that the players agree as well. A 4-4 finish in the SEC could be the difference in playing in Atlanta or Shreveport.

Sounds pretty big to me. Go Cats!

[bcbaxter10]

I agree that this is huge. UL(insert name here) game isn't a guarantee, but it's a "should win". But Vandy would be an SEC win, and also a tough SEC win. Watching them against Florida last week, they are so much more physical than they have been in the past. Itit's going to be a helluva game for us. After watching them play this season, and looking ahead to this game on the schedule, I thought "Man, I'm glad we're playing this one at home." That could be a big factor for us getting the W.



But hey, I'm enjoying all of this!!!