Trying to put the Cats' season in some sort of perspective, I am struck by an interesting fact. UK has played at least its three, if not four, best games on the road this year. Overall we are 3-3 at home. Our wins were close over one of the BCS conference's worst teams (that is you, Da Ville), uninspired against ULA-Monroe, and hardly dominant over EKU. In contrast, we've beaten two SEC teams (one of them decent) and owned a lower D-1 team on the road. Even the loss to USC was a pretty fair game for the Cats, one we were arguably a play or two from winning.
At home, we had enormous clunkers against Florida and Mississippi State, and a game but ultimately lacking showing against Alabama.
Last year the Cats spanked Louisville 27-2, eecked out bowl eligibility against Mississippi State and put together an inspired defensive effort in a 17-14 loss to then #2 and undefeated Alabama. All on the road. We've played all those teams at home this year, with very different results. Last year's best home win was the 21-20 comeback over Arkansas. A fun win, but still a narrow one over a team that did not go bowling. There was also an embarrassing loss to Vandy at Commonwealth.
The argument breaks down some when one takes 2007 into account, but only on the surface. True, the home wins against LSU and Louisville were the best of the Brooks era. Still, there was the season killing loss to Mississippi State at home. A great road win against a Cotton Bowl Arkansas squad catapulted the Cats into the top 10. In fact, LSU might be the exception that proves the rule. It is probably the last real good game we've played at Commonwealth.
Throw in three straight bowl wins, and you could make a good argument that we play better away from home.
What I don't know is why. My theories are not very scientific. One, our crowd still lags behind most of the SEC in enthusiasm and noise. Two, we play better in warmer weather. Three, something about the players' road routine is good or something about the home one is bad. Finally, it could all be a big coincidence. I'm not sure which of these is true, but I am interested in your thoughts. I thought it was interesting and worth mention.
Happy Tuesday.
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4 comments:
Personally, I'm a road dog, too. Lifetime, I'm 6-3 seeing the Cats away from Commonwealth. You mentioned one loss, this year's loss to USC where the Cats played okay. Another was an awful loss to UC in Nippert in the early nineties where the Cats marched up and down the field in the snow, but couldn't put it in the endzone or hold onto the ball near the goal line. The third was the '93 Peach Bowl, that we arguably should have won against a better opponnent.
The wins include 2-0 at Vandy, and a win in Bloomington. Plus the three Bowl wins of late.
I forgot in our discussions on this topic that I caught a god awful 24-3 loss at UC in 1996. I've recently been told that Couch's Dad left in the middle of that game proclaiming that Tim would transfer to UT, and it was only because of an immediate promise to fire Curry that he stayed.
Wow! I never heard that story. Feel bad for Curry but he should have already been fired for having Couch run the option.
The story goes that running the option was the source of the elder Couch storming off to begin with. So you could say that is why he was fired.
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