UK seniors expected a lot more

[LarryVaught1]

Getting soundly beaten by Louisville to open the season has not convinced Kentucky’s players and head coach that the Wildcats are as bad as they looked.

“We beat ourselves,” said Kentucky senior receiver LaRod King, who had eight catches for 77 yards and one score in Sunday’s 32-14 loss, said. “We are much better than this. Saying this is the first game is a bunch of bull in my opinion. First game ... get the jitters. We prepared way too hard and way better than we showed out here today.”

Senior center Matt Smith, a Louisville native, was visibly shaken after the loss and admitted he got a bit emotional in the dressing room with teammates.

“We wanted to look like a team that was ready to go, not a team paying the first game,” Smith said. “We worked hard to be better than this. When we were in our prime, you could see the offense moving the ball and the defense making plays. You just can’t come out and let some things happen that we did. Give them credit,
Louisville rolled up 466 yards on Kentucky and had two 100-yard rushers against a UK defensive line that was expected to be a team strength by coach Joker Phillips.

“We should have stopped them,” senior defensive end Collins Ukwu said. “We should have been better defensively.”

Phillips was sure they would be, too.

“One of our goals was to win up front. We didn’t win up front,” Phillips said. “We didn’t win the physical battle.”
Phillips said after watching UK go through preseason camp, he didn’t see UK “getting pushed around up front” like it did. He also didn’t anticipate backs CoShik Williams and Raymond Sanders both fumbling and stopping scoring drives.

“I like our talent level,” Phillips said.

Quarterback Maxwell Smith said the Wildcats can only get better.

“Maybe this was a smack in the face, we all need to get better,” Smith said. “I know our defense is going to get better.”

[kingcat]

Getting soundly beaten by Louisville to open the season has not convinced Kentucky’s players and head coach that the Wildcats are as bad as they looked.
“We beat ourselves,” said Kentucky senior receiver LaRod King, who had eight catches for 77 yards and one score in Sunday’s 32-14 loss, said. “We are much better than this. Saying this is the first game is a bunch of bull in my opinion. First game ... get the jitters. We prepared way too hard and way better than we showed out here today.”
Senior center Matt Smith, a Louisville native, was visibly shaken after the loss and admitted he got a bit emotional in the dressing room with teammates.
“We wanted to look like a team that was ready to go, not a team paying the first game,” Smith said. “We worked hard to be better than this. When we were in our prime, you could see the offense moving the ball and the defense making plays. You just can’t come out and let some things happen that we did. Give them credit,
Louisville rolled up 466 yards on Kentucky and had two 100-yard rushers against a UK defensive line that was expected to be a team strength by coach Joker Phillips.
“We should have stopped them,” senior defensive end Collins Ukwu said. “We should have been better defensively.”
Phillips was sure they would be, too.
“One of our goals was to win up front. We didn’t win up front,” Phillips said. “We didn’t win the physical battle.”
Phillips said after watching UK go through preseason camp, he didn’t see UK “getting pushed around up front” like it did. He also didn’t anticipate backs CoShik Williams and Raymond Sanders both fumbling and stopping scoring drives.
“I like our talent level,” Phillips said.

Thanks Larry


I hate seeing Joker put in this position. A good head coach knows just by seeing, just what a team consists of and coaches with a certain criteria in mind. Joker obviously does not have the abilities required to do so.

[akaukswoosh]

Those are all excuses to deal with the pain of losing.
Joker appeared to be in deep pain much of the game--with good reason.

[CGWildcat]

Quarterback Maxwell Smith said the Wildcats can only get better.
“Maybe this was a smack in the face, we all need to get better,” Smith said. “I know our defense is going to get better.”

Wonder how many more smacks in they'll need? I don't have the stomach to look at last years stats of "Face smacking"

[Padukacat]

Well if the talent isnt the problem....

[dan_bgblue]

No one on the offensive side of he ball needs to hang their heads imo. On the other hand, senior leadership on the D was missing from the field completely. This crap quote from Ukuwu

“We should have stopped them,” senior defensive end Collins Ukwu said. “We should have been better defensively.”

does not cut it. You wimp out the whole game and then say coulda, shoulda, woulda is not getting it done from a leader. Don't make excuses, just man up and get it done on the field, from the first play to the last.