Kentucky Possessions

[grimedawg1]

I've seen some comments about how the defense played well and just wore down. State's D was on the field for 37 plays in the first half - not an unusually high number. State's D started giving out immediately after half time then because UK was not slowed in the second half from the opening drive on.
Because the D could not get off the field, State only possessed the ball 5 times in the first half (with the last being the one snap kneel down). State also had the ball 4 times in the second half. That's a ridiculously low number of possessions.
These are UK drives:
1st half:
UK 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:31 - Gave up a 3rd and 17 pass play but got a turnover. Not a stop or forced punt.
UK 10 plays, 28 yards, 6:13 - UK punt from its own 45
UK 11 plays, 42 yards, 6:34 - UK missed 51 yard field goal
UK 5 plays, 54 yards 0:43 - End of half field goal, aided by 35 yards in MSU penalties
2nd half:
UK 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:26 - field goal (MSU scored to up 10-6 after this drive)
UK 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:18 - UK Touchdown (UK ran for 7 plays and last play was pass on fourth down to go up 13-10)
UK 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:52 - UK Touchdown
UK 4 plays, 8 yards - This was Forbes Pick 6
UK 5 plays, 75 yards - UK touchdown
UK 8 plays, 30 yards and end of game

Kentucky punted only one time in the game. There was not one 3 and out.
Kentucky did not have a drive that did not get to MSU territory.
UK scored 3 TDs on drives of 76, 80 and 75 yards in the second half. Forbes pick 6 was the only bright spot.

The offense was not good. State's first drive of the game was 4 plays and second was 3. It's last two of the game were 3 plays.
But it wasn't like the defense was getting the ball for the offense over and over.

 

[johnson86-1]

So you're saying we have problems on offense and defense. Good to know.

ETA: But seriously, good info. Just depressing that we struggled that much against their offense.

 

[grimedawg1]

So you're saying we have problems on offense and defense. Good to know.

ETA: But seriously, good info. Just depressing that we struggled that much against their offense.

Ha, I guess that's a good summary. State was bad on both sides of the ball.
My point here is that it seems the idea is that the defense keeps us in games, etc. But, this time they did not at all.

 

[johnson86-1]

Ha, I guess that's a good summary. State was bad on both sides of the ball.
My point here is that it seems the idea is that the defense keeps us in games, etc. But, this time they did not at all.

I would quibble with that. It wasn't like LSU where they clearly did their job until the offense and Austin William's gut punch just left them gassed. But they put in an adequate performance and if the offense had put in an adequate performance, it probably would have been enough to win, or at least enough to make it an OT game or within a field goal.

 

[The Peeper]

Another stat, through our first 7 games, our opponents are 27-21. In our next 5, their records are 26-9 so our next 5 opponents have won 1 short of the same number of games as our first 7 and lost waaay less.

 

[dawgstudent]

At the end of the day - State gave up 13 points after 3 quarters. It's on our offense to score more.

 

[grimedawg1]

I have seen comments on this particular game. In this game, the defense did not play well.
Why the offense struggles on the road, that is another problem to discuss. I have no excuses to offer for that side of the ball.

 

[patdog]

I was a lot more concerned about the defense than the offense after the UK game. We've given up a LOT of yards the last 2 weeks.

 

[onewoof]

Any questionable call that was on a 3rd down for KY went their way and gave them momentum.

We had momentum for one drive only all night.

Just how it played out, glad to see the SEC east has more than 1 top 25 team that can compete. $45M practice facility to follow a $110M 2014 stadium renovation. Can't see all that money go to waste.

UK also signed 4 4 stars in 2021, 9 4 stars in 2020 and 2 in 2019. They have 5 4 stars for 2023. That aint cheap either.

 

[SouthFarmchicken]

I was a lot more concerned about the defense than the offense after the UK game. We've given up a LOT of yards the last 2 weeks.

There is literally no reason to pass against this defense.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

At the end of the day - State gave up 13 points after 3 quarters. It's on our offense to score more.

True but object is both let us down big time. Kentucky left a lot of points off the board. Got to make it the whole 4 quarters. Our depth is shallow on D but still got to hold up.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

I was a lot more concerned about the defense than the offense after the UK game. We've given up a LOT of yards the last 2 weeks.

Our run defense has not been as good as most think. Usually we have a good lead lately so people abandon the run early to try to catch up

 

[grimedawg1]

At the end of the day - State gave up 13 points after 3 quarters. It's on our offense to score more.

I generally agree. But, thru 3 quarters, state only had the ball six times and scored on two of the possessions. No drive started beyond MSU's 35 I don't think, and several were significantly worse.

In this scenario, the offense better have an urgency to score nearly every time they get the ball because the defense isn't going to go out and get a 3 and out. And, when the other team gets the ball, the offense is going to sit on the sidelines a long time.

 

[kired]

Yeah, we absolutely could not get off the field. They converted 6 of 15 third downs - but then converted 4 of those fourth downs. So they converted 10 first downs on either third or fourth down. Plus we gifted them another on third down so make that 11.

I felt like what really killed us was giving up those big 3rd down plays. Some busted for big gains. But others got them close enough to convert on 4th & 1. It was like KY did their best when it was 3rd and long.

 

[CDawg08]

The bottom line with this cluster of a performance to me is simple. The team was not ready to play. They looked lazy unprepared and like they had been reading their headlines all week about how great they were. It was an embarrassing pathetic performance and unbelievable that a veteran team shows up for this big of a game and gives that performance. I mean a top 25 SEC matchup at night on the road to a team we haven't beaten at their place since 2014 and we get this **** performance. I have supported Leach but this is indefensible. RANT OVER