Mark Stoops is in His Tool Box Looking for Nuts and Bolts

By: LONNY DEMAREE

The University of Kentucky’s mailbag is packed with get well cards from the BBN. They have a return-card ready that says we don’t have Lynn Bowden and he’s not walking through that door any time soon.

In interview sessions prior to Covid-19, when offensive coordinator Eddie Gran was asked about his toolbox. He replied they had all the tools in his toolbox. If it’s loaded as he says the BBN desperately wants to see the house built.

Given all the impressions three key questions give rise – 1) It’s hard to fathom that Josh Ali is the only consistent wide receiver on the UK roster; 2) There isn’t a quarterback on the roster that can make all the throws; 3) The reasoning that if they still feel A.J. rose needs to get the bulk of the running back reps, why are they not using him in the passing game which is termed long handoffs? We’ve been consistently told I can catch the ball out of the backfield.

We know that Rose is not the physical runner Benny Snell or Lynn Bowden was, so why not get him in space so he can use his speed to create chunk plays.

There’s little doubt that Mark Stoops wants to run the football whereby setting up play-action and using RPO’s. To reach the pinnacle of the UK roster talent everything rest in the hands of the quarterback. I’m a firm believer that if you see it done once it can be done again. Joey Gatewood threw a timing route pass over the middle to Josh Ali. He hit him again on a-completion that Ali fumbled.

Terry Wilson has been a needed and by comparison successful addition. His loyalty and work ethic has been rewarded. But every 2020 winning team has a quarterback that can make all the throws.

I think with the right quarterback we will find out there are more quality wide receivers on the roster. We are referring to Joey Gatewood or Beau Allen. We see freshmen quarterbacks emerge in Dl football every year – Ala, Beau Allen. When we talk a quarterback change Joey Gatewood appears to be the guy. To be successful in the passing game, routes rather than speed are pertinent. Certain route running actually sets up big chunk plays in the passing game.

Stoops as well as yours truly loves old-school football but again, this is 2020. Not, now experiencing the ability of practice viewing, we don’t know what part of the offense they dedicate the bulk of their time to. We now know that the talented freshman Mike Drennen ll is in the starting lineup Saturday against Georgia. Now, does Eddie Gran use him?

Again I say, the quarterback stirs the drink and given that, why don’t we dip into our implied well-stocked tool-box?

Can UK reroute one of those letters in the mailbag to Georgia head coach Kirby Smart that Saturday is Halloween.