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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 10-13-2008, 12:06 PM:

Bottom line we are young and need to mature..

A decade or so ago, I saw Jackson Brown playing an outdoor theatre when between newer material, fans in the audience kept shouting out requests for old favorites.

Finally, in a flash of anger, the musician shot back, "They were all new songs once."

We should keep that in mind about the UK offense.

Did you know that as a redshirt freshman back in 2004, Jacob Tamme caught all of 16 passes?

As a true freshman, Rafael Little rushed for a grand total of 265 yards. His first season, Keenan Burton made a whopping 20 grabs.

When Andre Woodson became the full-time starter at UK in 2005, his sophomore season, the former North Hardin star ended the year having thrown exactly six interceptions and six touchdown passes.

Yet that foursome formed the nucleus that led the Cats out of the wilderness and into the post-season spotlight as the winners of back-to-back Music City Bowls.

This isn't to say quarterback Mike Hartline is the next Andre Woodson, or running back Derrick Locke is the next Rafael Little, or wideout Aaron Boyd is the next Keenan Burton.

But it is to say that as the Cats have struggled their way to an 0-2 Southeastern Conference start and a No. 96 ranking among the nation's offenses, it's easy to forget that much of this group is as green as the stadium grass. That's a tough way to make headway in the SEC.

The heart of the offense was supposed to be a more experienced offensive line, but because of injuries and underperformance, the line has been a mid-season disappointment, failing to open the holes needed to establish a consistent running game.

That's put the pressure right back on Hartline, the first-year starter who averaged just more than three yards per pass attempt in Saturday's loss to South Carolina. As UK was converting just one of 16 third-down situations, many of Hartline's throws were off the mark. Some were on the mark, but a bit high. Some were on the mark, but dropped.

But then it's easy to forget the youth of the receiving corps. With senior Dicky Lyons Jr. out indefinitely thanks to a knee injury, the Cats will have to depend even more on a group that includes Eric Adeyemi (true freshman), Matt Roark (true freshman), Aaron Boyd (true freshman), Gene McCaskill (true freshman) and Randall Cobb (true freshman).

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Posted by uncSUCKS (Member # 2148) on 10-13-2008, 01:53 PM:

First time I can ever remember our defense catching up to and passing our offense.
I know it is what if's, but losing our #1 and #2 QB's didnt help any.
For us to go "bowling" year in and year out, we will have to have an upper echelon QB.

Posted by prophet (Member # 2089) on 10-13-2008, 03:14 PM:

While I can't disagree with Clay's premise and "green to grow" is a clever hook, the point that bothers me is that we fans had been told -- and many accepted -- that UK had passed the point of accepting "green" and the program was at the level where it could compete on a relatively level playing field, actually be a contender in the SEC east. Now a winless SEC season is a distinct possibility, therein lies my great frustration, disappointment and, actually, a feeling of intentionally being misled. Lord Byron described it quite well:

quote:
But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of.

Ah, but then basketball season begins in a mere 3 weeks.