My Thoughts on the Kentucky Game, After Sleeping on it

[NighthawkVol]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

 

[SubVet676]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

Solid post. Could not agree more.

And as for the defensive woes...I've said what I said...stick by it...and don't want to be the dog that won't quit barking. I'm done with it. It is what it is.

I'm with Sir Winston Churchill on that one.

Good post. Go Vols.

 

[Rocky Top T]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

Agree, our team doesn't believe in tackling. Pathetic!

 

[MemphisVolFan1978]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

You forgot to mention how you feel about the tackling.

 

[columbia vol]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

How was the tackling?

 

[temptn]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

.
You forgot to mention coaching. Josh ran the right plays against what they were giving us.
/

 

[TboneinHuntsvilleAL]

You took the words out of my head! I wonder if Heupel has had enough of the defense to make the coaching changes?

 

[SmokeyLives]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

In addition, it should be mentioned that, our tackling is pathetic.

 

[adam.vol]

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

The analytics book should include qualifiers. Such as: “If you’re Kirby Smart, go for 2. If you’re Bob Stoops, take the extra point”.

 

[Stoerner Fumbles]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

My initial thoughts are: You might need a CPAP machine. You seem to need sleep before forming clear thoughts. This is thematic and I can’t keep blaming soft cranium.

Beyond that, your well-rested observations are all right on.

I heard an observation from a coach that seems to ring true after having watched the season so far: Boo doesn’t get it. I’m hesitant to attack his intelligence, but this coach said he’s an absurdly gifted athlete, but quite literally forgets things he learned the day before. He’ll run into an assignment from an entirely different set, and then scramble to recover. The sad reality is that we have great young talent and LB and they are catching on, but Safety is so thin we can’t get one solid group on the field. At LB, It’s hard to fault Telander. He plays with lots of heart. He just gets beat on anything that he can’t reach. The young guys are so much better. Have to play them. At Safety, we’re just screwed and everyone we play knows it.

Keep sleeping. It’s working!

 

[EZE]

You took the words out of my head! I wonder if Heupel has had enough of the defense to make the coaching changes?

He would be stupid to make any coaching changes right now. We’re still in the hunt.

I’m sure he will evaluate everything…everything…in the offseason. That includes coaches, but there are other factors to evaluate in the defense’s performance, too.

 

[cncchris33]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

I was able to attend in person for the first time in a few years. Our seats were in the corner of the end zone, and the appreciation for how bad our defense is from that angle and in person is incredible. The number of times you saw UK WRs running wide open, the number of bad angles our safeties take, the missed tackles...that perspective made all those issues all the more glaring.

Telander is a problem, and not the good kind. I know he's a junior, so the die is likely cast with him, but I wonder if he'd have been better off playing as an undersized DE, a la David Pollack. I can't imagine him holding off some of our young LBs (Spillman, Perlotte, Harmon) going into next season, so if he sticks around, I wonder if that is something we consider toying around with as a situational rush end.

UK's refusal to watch film and learn/understand how to defend Brazzell was puzzling. Mississippi St. and Alabama wrote the blueprint, but manning up 1v1 on him ain't it.

3 WRs going over 100 yds with no drop was very encouraging. Agree on the talent of those 3 when they are locked in.

And yes, the going for 2 by UK was super weird. Nothing to gain there. No difference in a 21 pt deficit and a 20 pt deficit. Mark Stoops outthinking himself there.

 

[CAVPUT]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

Do we tackle to the ground in practice or is it just thudding? Seems like there might be this paranoia about injuries? Might explain why this team is so soft and not willing to stick their facemask into a guys chest and wrap him up? Some of our defenders certainly look scared.

 

[strkr]

Haven't done one of these in awhile. Here goes:

-Our defense is ass. I don't know how it got so bad so quickly. All season, I kept thinking it would come around, but it clearly will not. The tackling is pathetic. At this point I'd like to see more young guys play, and that's exactly what happened last night. You can tell Perlotte, Harmon, and Walton are guys who will be good. They may not be there yet, but hell, neither are some of the older guys we're playing.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Edwin Spillman was phenomenal. He needs to be the starter with Carter and not splitting time with Telander.

-I hope Colton Hood is healthy against OU because we need him. He kept coming in and out of the game, with Wright replacing him. Not sure what the issue was.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Boo Carter can sit. I'm tired of wasting time and resources into him. He won't be here in 2026, he's got a bad attitude, he quits on plays, and he's not a good football player right now. Replace him with Dylan Lewis and let Lewis get some experience. I'd expect Boo to quit if the coaches do that, which would be a good thing.

-Where was our pass rush? Kentucky doesn't have a great oline. But we got pressure, just couldn't bring Boley down. They'll have to finish against Mateer, another mobile QB.

-On a positive note, the self-inflicted stuff got cleaned up. 6 penalties, no drops, and a pretty clean game from an operational standpoint. Yes, I know this wasn't a true "road" environment in terms of noise, but we've been sloppy at home and away. The worst mental mistake was early, when Herring jumped offsides, eliminating a Spillman sack, but we wee pretty clean overall.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-Man, Joey Aguilar can sling it. His deep ball accuracy is incredible. Ands that deep TD to Matthews surprised me. I thought he threw it too late, but he still had the arm to get it there.

-I think this is the best WR group in Heupel's tenure. Past groups featured guys who each had a "niche." These guys are all rounded. All 3 are deep threats. That's tough to defend because all 3 can run any route.

-I think my favorite play of the game was when Kentucky went for 2 (why?) and Perlotte obliterated Boley. It was actually funny because it was such a weird decision and we just shoved it down their throat.

-The tackling is pathetic.

-The score was really weird in that Kentucky has a pretty good defense and a bad offense. But we shredded their good defense and got shredded by their bad offense. I guess our own strengths/weaknesses dictated the game, not theirs.

-I hate how poorly we ran the ball, but UK played to stop the run and went man to man. So we killed them with the passing game. I guess it was just a matter of take what the defense gives, but I'd like to think we can run against anyone.

-Loved the Ethan Davis TD. We've missed him. Hopefully, a sign of things to come.

-The tackling is pathetic.

What is sad is the defense is suppose to improve over the season. We have digressed on defense makes no sense.

 

[JMSqb11]

The analytics book should include qualifiers. Such as: “If you’re Kirby Smart, go for 2. If you’re Bob Stoops, take the extra point”.

Stoops has mailed it in. He called a timeout before we scored prior to the halftime. He’s trying to get fired and get that buyout.

 

[#1fulmerite]

Did anyone not notice just how fast two of those (cats) were? I mean, we’re not world beaters but those dudes were track fast.

 

[KoachKrab127]

My favorite part of the game was when Kentucky starting coming back, when they cut the lead to 28-21, our offense kept cool and answered with a TD before halftime and essentially put the game away with another TD at the start of the 3rd quarter. We failed to take control like that against MSU and Arky. We let them hang around because our offense had undisciplined penalties and/or turnovers. We corrected that yesterday.

 

[Allvols98]

Pf grades for boo was abysmal

 

[cncchris33]

Stoops has mailed it in. He called a timeout before we scored prior to the halftime. He’s trying to get fired and get that buyout.

I was told last night that his buyout is $39 milli9n and his due to him in full within 90 days. Way to protect yourself, UK.

 

[JMSqb11]

I was told last night that his buyout is $39 milli9n and his due to him in full within 90 days. Way to protect yourself, UK.

I assume they thought it wouldn’t turn south this fast.

 

[CAVPUT]

Pf grades for boo was abysmal

For an old guy like me, what is a good, average and bad PFF grade?

 

[LittleVol]

My favorite part of the game was when Kentucky starting coming back, when they cut the lead to 28-21, our offense kept cool and answered with a TD before halftime and essentially put the game away with another TD at the start of the 3rd quarter. We failed to take control like that against MSU and Arky. We let them hang around because our offense had undisciplined penalties and/or turnovers. We corrected that yesterday.

Because it's Kentucky.

They suck.

And they really suck when they play Tennessee.

 

[CAVPUT]

I was told last night that his buyout is $39 milli9n and his due to him in full within 90 days. Way to protect yourself, UK.

I suspect he's a Sexton client?

 

[CAVPUT]

Because it's Kentucky.

They suck.

And they really suck when they play Tennessee.

And Florida says the same thing about us....and for the most part, so does bama and uga.

 

[cncchris33]

I assume they thought it wouldn’t turn south this fast.

Probably not, but man the signs have been there. They are 5-19 in their last 24 games against P4 teams. Tennessee has more SEC wins at Kroger Field in the last 3 seasons than UK does.