Building Ashley a Winner: GJEM’s Kentucky Wildcats Dynasty

[GJEM]

Lexington, KY- Let me first start out by saying this was without question the best, most enjoyable game that I have ever played since owning any series of NCAA football for next gen. I have also been privileged to have played the second best, most enjoyable game that I’ve ever played back in week 5 against Florida in the very same season. I also want to take this opportunity to say thanks to those in the OS Legends League that have spent so many man hours finding and testing out the sliders that I’m currently using now with a few tweaks. They have been in my humble opinion the best sliders I have ever used since I started playing NCAA football, at least for my skill level that is.

Now on with the write-up;

“I take full responsibility for this loss,” said Coach Mitchell. “I let these kids down and I robbed them from what would have been a monumental win in this programs history. Not every day could these kids say, “Yeah I was there when we knocked off the number two team in the land in the last game of the year, oh yeah did I mention they were are hated rival.” “Well they could have if not for a few coaching blunders on my part. I let this university, our kids as well as our fans down and for that I’m deeply sorry.”

The coaching blunders Coach Mitchell was referring to are the neglected field goal with 3:46 left in the fourth-quarter in which Coach Mitchell elected to go for it on fourth and one from the 32 yard line rather than kick the go ahead field goal. Then a thrown pick in the fourth-overtime period trailing by just a field goal in which are beloved coach had a massive brain fart and hit (Y) instead of (RB) to throw the ball away and the pass ended up going right into the gut of senior DB Demetrice Morley to end the game and keep Tennessee’s dream of playing for a national championship alive.

Both teams came flyin’ out of the gate scoring 49 points before the first half even ended.

Tennessee gained 293 yards of total offense in that first half alone and 166 of it came on the ground courtesy of senior halfback and now Heisman leader Montario Hardesty.

Right on Tennessee’s heels the whole time without missing a beat were the Kentucky Wildcats as they also lit it up on the ground gaining 149 yards rushing off new starting running back Alfonso Smith’s 132 yards and one touchdown in the first half.

Kentucky’s first drive of the second half was something to admired as their 19 play, 84-yard drive took 5 minutes and 39 seconds off a clock that is only 7 minutes long. In that time they converted 7 third downs and ran the ball 17 times out of 19 plays which tied the game up at 28.

The fourth-quarter was largely dominated by the Wildcats offense but unfortunately for Kentucky the quarter yielded zero points due to Coach Mitchell’s aggressive nature. However their defense didn’t allow any points either so I guess you can’t complain that much if you’re a Wildcats fan.

The four overtime periods were a mixture of guts, brains, nerves, and just some great all around football, actually the whole game was that was but when you enter overtime the heart races a little more the adrenaline kicks up a notch and you tend to focus a little more.

Tennessee won the coin toss entering overtime and like the CPU likes to do they elected to go on offense first.

The unstoppable force Montario Hardesty busted it to the outside and took it into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown run that gave Tennessee an early 7-point advantage.

Kentucky’s Mike Hartline answered with a 1-yard run of his own as he tied the game up at 35.

The two teams then went on to play follow the leader for the second and third overtime periods as they took it in into the fourth-overtime with the game deadlocked at 45.

Then in the fourth-overtime Kentucky’s world crumpled before our very eyes as quarterback Mike Hartline dropped back on a 5 step drop and then started scrambling away from Tennessee’s pressure to the left side and that’s when it happened, as Hartline was scrambling to the side line he threw to a blanketed Andre’ Henderson in the end zone in which the only one that had any shot of catching the ball was none other than DB Demetrice Morley and low and behold he was one that was able to make the catch and end Kentucky’s chance of upsetting the #2 Tennessee Volunteers.

From there it was run up the middle with Hardesty, then run up the middle some more with Hardesty and then finally run one last time up the middle with you guessed Montario Hardesty and then on fourth down and two kicker Daniel Lincoln booted thorough a 24-yard field goal that sealed the game up for Tennessee 48-45 in quadruple overtime.

The Wildcats have two straight bye weeks as they’ll get to sit back and relax and see where if any where they’ll go for the post season. As of right now there are 75 teams vying for 64 bowl slots so a bowl game for the 6-6 Wildcats is not guaranteed yet.

[GJEM]

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK

ACC     #24 Virginia Tech - 34
            Clemson -       7
 
SEC     #23 Alabama -       42
        #2  Tennessee -     6

C-USA       Houston -       17
            Southern Miss - 21
            
BIG 12  #15 Kansas State -  29
        #3  Texas -         10

MAC         Toledo -        16
            Bowling Green - 35

[GJEM]

[GJEM]

VS.
SCOUTING REPORT

 
               Kentucky       Southern Miss
               B-,B-,B        B-,B-,B-

Games Played   12    (6-6)    13    (9-4)
Pts. Per Game  28.5  (49)     28.0  (51)
Total Off.     3,762 (90)     4,841 (33)
Rush Off.      1,602 (89)     2,223 (22)
Pass Off.      2,160 (88)     2,618 (49)
Total D        3,664 (20)     4,118 (44)
Rush D         1,194 (10)     1,886 (61)
Pass D         2,470 (56)     2,232 (34)
T.0. Diff      4     (32)     -7    (98)

               Lee  Picks- Southern Miss
               Kirk Picks- Southern Miss

Memphis, TN- This year’s AutoZone Liberty Bowl matches up two teams that finished the year very differently.

The Kentucky Wildcats are entering this match-up losers of their last three straight games while the Southern Miss Golden Eagles have won eight out of their last ten, the biggest for Southern Miss coming against then #9 Memphis 40-37 in overtime.

Kentucky will have to watch out for senior tailback Damion Fletcher and his Conference USA leading 6.2 yards per carry and his 343 yards after contact. Kentucky’s defense has had a tough time of tackling and containing running backs over the past couple weeks so this will need to be a point of emphasis for Coach Mitchell and the Kentucky Wildcats coaching staff.

Southern Miss’s senior quarterback Martevious Young will need to be aware of Kentucky’s duel cornerback threat of All-American and All-SEC corner Paul Warford as well as senior corner Trevard Lindley as the two players share the SEC’s lead for picks with six each.

“I’m really grateful we got the opportunity to play in a bowl game that has so much tradition,” said Coach Mitchell. “I know our kids are really excited to get to play in this particular bowl game as well as have the opportunity to end this season on a high note.”

Very nice. Good luck against USM.

What a terrible BCS NC!

[GJEM]

Quote: Originally Posted by stewaat

Very nice. Good luck against USM. What a terrible BCS NC!

Yeah I know, sorry to any Buckeye fans but I'm pullin' for the Cougs. I think if this was real life the most intriguing match-ups to me are the Cotton Bowl between Auburn and Texas and then the Fiesta Bowl between Kansas State and Tennessee since both K-State and Tennessee's offenses are Top 5.

[GJEM]

Memphis, TN- It was really a game of missed opportunities for the Kentucky Wildcats a problem which has crippled this Wildcats team throughout the 2009 season.

Kentucky was forced to settle for a season high 5 Lones Seiber field goals. The senior impact kicker really became the Wildcats savior in their 23-21 victory over Southern Miss in the 2009 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Seiber’s most dramatic Field Goal of the night came as the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Wildcats helpless to stop it due to not having any timeouts left. As the clock ticked under 15 seconds the Wildcats were still not set for the game winning field goal attempt but with just 8 seconds left the Wildcats got the play off and Lones Seiber banged through the hurried yet accurate 31-yard field goal that gave Coach Mitchell his first bowl win of his Kentucky tenure.

Kentucky’s defense never seemed to find the adjustment to stop Southern Miss’s half back screen as Martevious Young found Damion Fletcher 5 times for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“I’ve never seen our defense get shredded like that off the same play over and over again,” said Coach Mitchell. “I kept waiting for our defense to make the adjustment and stop it since Southern Miss seemed to run on just about every pass play but they just never could, either they were that good at running it or we were just that bad at defending it. Then again I don’t blame Southern Miss for running it over and over it’s their job to execute and our job to stop it and well…we couldn’t, so why not torch us with it.”

Southern Miss’s senior linebacker Gerald McRath played out of his mind accounting for 20 tackles on the night and 1 tackle for a loss. Said Kentucky halfback Alfonso Smith, “I swear he was in on every single tackle, I really got tired of seeing him coming after me whether we were running up the middle or to the outside he always seemed to be there.”

Senior tailback Alfonso Smith continued to impress as Kentucky’s starting running back as he gained 178 yards on 31 carries and 1 touchdown. “I wish we had him next year,” said Coach Mitchell. “He really added a new dimension to our offense that we didn’t have before and it’s just a shame he was hurt at the beginning of the year or maybe we would’ve won another game or two. Don’t get me wrong I like Derrick Locke and I’ll think he’ll be able to step his game up next year but Smith just has that “it” factor when he’s in the game, like you know at anytime he could make a game changing play and it’s really comforting to have that type of player on the field for you.”

Coach Mitchell and the entire Kentucky Wildcats family really needed this bowl win to help solidify their choice in hiring Garrett Mitchell as Kentucky’s head football coach prior to the 2008 season which didn’t end so well as the Cats finished 5-7. So for the time being that hot Garrett Mitchell was seating in just a little bit cooler.

[GJEM]