WildcatRick
10-10-2008, 12:06 PM
The Kentucky football team has looked like the Monsters of the Midway from the second quarter on this season.
The Wildcats have outscored their opponents 41-6 in the second quarter, 24-7 in the third and 58-5 in the fourth.
Now if they could only get that first quarter squared away. Kentucky has been painfully slow out of the box in the first five games, getting outscored 21-17 in the opening period.
The Cats haven't scored on their opening drive all season, and their only first-quarter touchdowns came against Norfolk State and Middle Tennessee State. UK has generated only 11 first-quarter first downs in five games. The players and the coaches have recognized and addressed the slow starts.
"We stress that at every practice and before every game," quarterback Mike Hartline said. "We try to get out fast. To tell you the truth, I don't know what it is. It just hasn't happened. We just need to work faster and harder. We need to get to the point to where we don't have to come back and score all the time. We need to get to where we can get a good lead and have our offense on the field for 10, 12, 15 plays at a time. When our offense can show they can stay on the field for more than six or seven plays and not have to rely on our defense, that's when we can become a big-time factor in the SEC."
Offensive coordinator Joker Phillips said several early UK drives have been killed by mistakes. The Cats crossed midfield on their opening possession against Louisville, but a Hartline fumble put them in a third-and-12 and essentially killed the drive.
On UK's first drive against Alabama, Hartline converted a third-and-3 pass to DeMoreo Ford for a first down into Crimson Tide territory, but an illegal-procedure penalty negated the play and forced third-and-8. UK was then whistled for a delay of game, and Tony Dixon dropped a third-and-13 pass from Hartline.
Chip Cosby (http://www.kentucky.com/817/story/550672.html)
The Wildcats have outscored their opponents 41-6 in the second quarter, 24-7 in the third and 58-5 in the fourth.
Now if they could only get that first quarter squared away. Kentucky has been painfully slow out of the box in the first five games, getting outscored 21-17 in the opening period.
The Cats haven't scored on their opening drive all season, and their only first-quarter touchdowns came against Norfolk State and Middle Tennessee State. UK has generated only 11 first-quarter first downs in five games. The players and the coaches have recognized and addressed the slow starts.
"We stress that at every practice and before every game," quarterback Mike Hartline said. "We try to get out fast. To tell you the truth, I don't know what it is. It just hasn't happened. We just need to work faster and harder. We need to get to the point to where we don't have to come back and score all the time. We need to get to where we can get a good lead and have our offense on the field for 10, 12, 15 plays at a time. When our offense can show they can stay on the field for more than six or seven plays and not have to rely on our defense, that's when we can become a big-time factor in the SEC."
Offensive coordinator Joker Phillips said several early UK drives have been killed by mistakes. The Cats crossed midfield on their opening possession against Louisville, but a Hartline fumble put them in a third-and-12 and essentially killed the drive.
On UK's first drive against Alabama, Hartline converted a third-and-3 pass to DeMoreo Ford for a first down into Crimson Tide territory, but an illegal-procedure penalty negated the play and forced third-and-8. UK was then whistled for a delay of game, and Tony Dixon dropped a third-and-13 pass from Hartline.
Chip Cosby (http://www.kentucky.com/817/story/550672.html)
