Saturday Brain Dump

First of all, UK Football Fan was totally on ice for the last two weeks. I apologize. Both work and real life intervened at the same time, leaving me too frazzled to write by the end of every day for the last two weeks. Here are some nuggets for a Saturday, UK-Ala. game day morning. I'll catch up on a couple of thoughts.

*I was as disappointed as everyone else with the game last week. It is one thing to get beat physically and with speed against Florida. If you cannot see the talent discrepancy on the field, then you don't know much about football. But I cannot excuse the lack of execution and the fact that we were not ready to play. You cannot be lining up wrong in the SEC, playing the number one team in the nation.

*You look at a team like Missouri, who has been able to compete in the Big 12 for the last few years. They cannot recruit like the teams in Texas and Oklahoma, so there will always be a talent gap. But they have good schemes, particularly on offense, and they GO OUT AND EXECUTE. To make the next step as a program, UK has to stop giving it away. It is that simple.
*Chris Matthews has lost his starting spot this week because of his play in the Alabama game. The media have mentioned that he ran a couple of bad routes and lined up wrong on several occasions. I saw something else that as a football guy was a much bigger transgression. In the second quarter, Matthews ran a fly pattern down the right sideline, got a half step on the corner and Hartline overthrew him slightly. Chris turned his head and glanced at the safety who was coming over to hit him if he got to the ball. It was very subtle, but I talked to a friend at halftime who saw the same thing. Rather than selling out for the ball, Matthews broke stride and let it fall to the ground. In addition to executing, we have to have some heart and courage to win in the SEC East. Plays like that won't get it done.

*On the same note, I wasn't nearly as disappointed with Hartline's play as others were. His two picks were awful, but they were well after the game was decided. The first quarter was no more his fault than it was mine or yours.

*Looking forward, I've talked on this site about what a brutal four game stretch this would be. The only thing keeping Auburn and South Carolina out of the top 25 right now is that they didn't start higher. USC light is coming off a big win against Ole Miss and between them the teams have one loss (USC@Georgia, in a game it had a chance to win on the last series). Brutal schedule. Taking one of these is looking like a tall order. Still, that is why they line 'em up and play.

*With all this on the horizon, I'd just like to see us play better today. Move the chains some, not commit stupid penalties, make some sure tackles on D. We've been pretty good over the last three years about not throwing in back to back clunkers. Last year we ended the year poorly against Vandy and UT, but I think that was as much about fatigue as anything.

*I am taking my son to the game today. I'm pumped about this. It is the first time just he and I have gone and the first time I think he'll really remember going to the game with me. My Dad started taking me to Alabama games (we lived in Tuscaloosa then) when I was about Ethan's age. I don't remember much other than that Alabama always seemed to win, the crowd was loud, and my favorite player was a white WR named Major Oglivie. But I did love going to those games with my Dad. So there is a nice symmetry to me taking E to the Alabama game today.

* Speaking of my son, I had two thoughts as I watched Tim Tebow lay on the ground last week. The first was, "Am I so sure I want my son to play football?". The second was "If he doesn't get up, I am going be reminded of this moment for the rest of my life." As much as I loved the hit, I completely forgot I was watching a football game and was about as worried as I've ever been for someone I don't actually know in my whole life.

*I am heading down to Columbia with my friends The Todd and Big Z next week, meeting up with my cousin Ap who is coming over from Atlanta. I don't know how the game will turn out but the weekend is going to turn out great.

*We are right for the fight today.