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Perhaps it’s time to again pull old ‘Opto and Yeahbut’ out of timeout. The water fountain conversations about UK football take place on a daily basis, especially now with the advent of a new era in UK football. These are guys that describe the optimist as opposed to the pessimist, the naysayer, the cynic, and the historian who uses history to debunk any possibility of winning at high level in the Southeastern Conference. So here are their conversations.
Opto: Brown said he and his wife are excited to be back here and he wishes they had a game Saturday. The fans are more excited than any time he can remember.
Yeahbut : I’ve seen that here in small segments before over the last fifty years. What makes you think this will be any different?
Yeahbut : Why do you think he can get it done at the University of Kentucky?
Opto : Because it's been done here before going to five straight bowl games. This is the SEC and it's the toughest league in the country - there's no question about that.
Opto: The base plays that you saw when Mumme was here will be the same - West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. The difference he will make a strong effort to run the football. He said they are playing at a faster pace and dressed it up with motion and different formations. Those are the things the fans are going to notice.
Yeahbut : Why didn’t Mumme win on a permanent basis because he had everybody excited with the “Air Raid.”
Opto : He didn’t have a high regard for the importance of defense and special teams.
Yeahbut : I’m still not convinced, I’ve got to see it.
Opto : Brown said he met with all three of the quarterbacks that he said can play in the SEC and they are all interesting guys that are eager for a new start. It's going to be an open competition.
Yeahbut : The fans are hell-bent on having an open offense that will throw the football around a lot and they have been told by the previous staff that Maxwell Smith is the obvious choice.
Opto : Coach Brown said they have to have a balanced offense to win in the SEC. You can’t line up and throw it 50 or 60 times. You have to run the football to win in the SEC. You’ve got to keep defenses off balance.
Yeahbut : Umm, that sounds familiar. But coach Stoops said they will have to be creative. What is his idea of creativity?
Opto : The coach said they system is simple and will be installed in the first three days of spring practice. He said the video of him and his offense is a great help to the learning and recruiting. It’s one thing to draw it up on the board but another to see in action.
Yeahbut : Hal Mumme always scored a lot of points in the first half and when adjustments were made by the defense at halftime the offense dropped off drastically in the second half.
Opto : Coach Brown said the tempo really affects people. The second thing that happens is when you spread the field out – the skill people are easier to recruit. He said there’s not a lot of difference in the number one receiver and the number 25-receiver in the country. He said they can recruit a lot of skill people, put them in space a make defenses try to tackle them.
Yeahbut : Isn’t that what Mumme tried to do? What makes you think UK can recruit the people in this state when UK is losing them to other schools?
Opto: “Come and be a hero.” He said that the guys that have played well at the University of Kentucky that are home grown products have a good life. Those that go out of state when they come back there’s a lot less recognition.
Yeahbut : You make some good points but again, I’ve got to see it.
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