Hammond and Swain dont get enough respect. They are clutch players who come through at clutch times all the time. I dont think it gets mentioned enough so I led with it.
My first impression of this game is that we got lucky that Mark Brooks shat his pants again by going conservative to try and ice the game. After watching the game a 2nd time, being able to not be emotional like I was witnessing the live game, UK O didn't go conservative. Our secondary had a much better 2nd half along with our DL getting just the slightest amount of pressure on the young QB that may or may not have caused some of his throws to be off target. Smith threw some really bad throws in the 2nd half, and that probably has a lot to do with our win as does our D making some stops.
Also on the 2nd watch of the game I focused in on Franks and Trask. Franks had a really good game and his stats prove it. That horrible choice of a throw on the first drive was his biggest, if not only, mistake of the game and we didn't have to pay for it. But even with the very efficient performance, there is something about his game that just doesn't leave you feeling like he had a great game. Trask comes in, has similar stats (albeit, in shorter time span annd with more urgency) but looks way better. In my opinion, the difference is in the playcalling as well as poise. Trask just seems to have an internal clock and pocket awareness that Franks doesn't. Franks dwells on the long ball while Trask hits the intermediate routes quick. I am not smart enough to know if this is due to playcalling or if it is the difference in how they play, but that is what differs between them to me.
Im not a fan of CDM playcalling so far this year. I hate designed QB runs with Franks and Trask. Franks is really not good at finding a hole and going. He is a much better runner when he can have it as an option to run if there is no open receiver versus just tuck and run. Same with Trask. Furthermore, our OL is just not that good at run blocking.
Sure wish we could have seen more of Peirce and Copeland. I love Perine and think he is a baller, but I also think Peirce and Copeland open up our O more for everyone.
Tired of hearing how we got lucky because they missed a FG at the end. They got lucky to even have a chance to kick a FG at the end because our coach made a bonehead decision to go for 2 ... twice. Also ... we missed a 27yd FG. Its part of the game. He missed a FG. It happens and it happened to us from a shorter distance in the same game. Stop with that nonsense.