WildcatRick
08-23-2007, 01:22 AM
Kentucky’s offensive linemen are ready for the question. They’ve heard it. They heard it last season. They heard it in the off-season, and they’ve heard it many times this pre-season. They’ve heard it in interviews, on campus and in the barber shop. Every “big ugly” on the Wildcat roster has endured some variation of this question. The University of Kentucky’s football team is currently blessed with the finest assortment of skill position talent that it has enjoyed in at least half a century. Are you linemen going to do your job well enough to reasonably support the players that surround you this season, or will you morph into the same collection of human turnstiles that have manned the Kentucky trenches for each of our collective lifetimes, ruining a promising season in the process? Okay, so the question is not overly complimentary, and I would not ever actually say this to a Kentucky lineman in person as those guys are enormous, but it is relevant nonetheless based on the tragic history of Kentucky football.
Like hack writers everywhere, I am a fan of analogies. In making use of this wondrous tool, I feel that Kentucky’s offensive line as a unit is personified by Cooper Manning. Bear with me on this for a second. By all accounts, Cooper is a decent and talented guy, but while his father and two younger brothers are famous NFL quarterbacks, Cooper is just some dude in the stands. (In fairness, Cooper was a good athlete as well before medical concerns ended his playing career in high school.) Much like the U.K. offensive line, Cooper has a tremendous amount of talent operating in very close proximity to him, but very little fame that can be directly attributed to his own merit. The analogy falls apart in one regard, however. Cooper’s talent, or lack thereof, cannot derail the remainder of the Manning dynasty. Kentucky’s offense, on the other hand, can be severely hamstrung if the line is not providing holes for its backs, or time in the pocket for its quarterback. One need only go back to last season to see that there is ample cause for concern. Kentucky ranked next to last in the SEC in rushing in 2006 at a paltry 98.6 yards per game. The Cats also finished 10th in red zone offense. Both of these stats indicate that Kentucky’s linemen failed to achieve the requisite push to consistently knock their defensive counterparts off of the line of scrimmage. Kentucky also allowed more sacks than anyone else in the conference with 39. (Arkansas, by comparison, gave up 9.) Unfortunately, this lack of consistent pass blocking seems more like a lifestyle decision than a trend for Kentucky fans as the Cats have seemingly provided a personal highlight tape to every drafted defensive end on the Continent over the last decade.
Despite the rather grim picture painted to this point, there is significant cause for optimism in 2007 and beyond. With probation finally in the rearview, the current version of the Kentucky football squad possesses more offensive line options than it has had in this millennium. There are returning experienced players, highly regarded newcomers and players with legitimate SEC size. To sum up, with any luck, this group could make great strides in 2007, and reach the next plateau of the Manning family analogy. They could become competent, if underwhelming. In other words, they could be Eli. Dare to dream.
Projected Starters:
*Based on Rich Brooks’ recent update from fall practice.
http://blog.kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=3271
Like hack writers everywhere, I am a fan of analogies. In making use of this wondrous tool, I feel that Kentucky’s offensive line as a unit is personified by Cooper Manning. Bear with me on this for a second. By all accounts, Cooper is a decent and talented guy, but while his father and two younger brothers are famous NFL quarterbacks, Cooper is just some dude in the stands. (In fairness, Cooper was a good athlete as well before medical concerns ended his playing career in high school.) Much like the U.K. offensive line, Cooper has a tremendous amount of talent operating in very close proximity to him, but very little fame that can be directly attributed to his own merit. The analogy falls apart in one regard, however. Cooper’s talent, or lack thereof, cannot derail the remainder of the Manning dynasty. Kentucky’s offense, on the other hand, can be severely hamstrung if the line is not providing holes for its backs, or time in the pocket for its quarterback. One need only go back to last season to see that there is ample cause for concern. Kentucky ranked next to last in the SEC in rushing in 2006 at a paltry 98.6 yards per game. The Cats also finished 10th in red zone offense. Both of these stats indicate that Kentucky’s linemen failed to achieve the requisite push to consistently knock their defensive counterparts off of the line of scrimmage. Kentucky also allowed more sacks than anyone else in the conference with 39. (Arkansas, by comparison, gave up 9.) Unfortunately, this lack of consistent pass blocking seems more like a lifestyle decision than a trend for Kentucky fans as the Cats have seemingly provided a personal highlight tape to every drafted defensive end on the Continent over the last decade.
Despite the rather grim picture painted to this point, there is significant cause for optimism in 2007 and beyond. With probation finally in the rearview, the current version of the Kentucky football squad possesses more offensive line options than it has had in this millennium. There are returning experienced players, highly regarded newcomers and players with legitimate SEC size. To sum up, with any luck, this group could make great strides in 2007, and reach the next plateau of the Manning family analogy. They could become competent, if underwhelming. In other words, they could be Eli. Dare to dream.
Projected Starters:
*Based on Rich Brooks’ recent update from fall practice.
http://blog.kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=3271
