Ron Hudson isn’t exactly winning friends with some UK football faithful.
Curious playcalling last season aside, Hudson uttered a phrase earlier this month that sent shivers down the backs of many.
“We’d like to throw 25 times a game and run 40 times a game approximately,” Kentucky’s offensive coordinator noted during an Internet chat on ukathletics.com.
What?!? Run the ball more than throw it?
An interesting concept, but one that many who jumped on the Air Raid bandwagon of former coach Hal Mumme don’t want to hear.
In all fairness, Mumme did revive interest in the Wildcat football program, even leading to an expansion of Commonwealth Stadium. And, lest we forget, Kentucky did appear in back-to-back bowl games during his watch.
His teams were also among the leaders in the Southeastern Conference in yards and points per game, despite the insistence of many that the rest of the league had his offense “figured out.”
On the other hand, Mumme’s inability to control his own staff resulted in UK being put on probation for recruiting violations — probation which it is just now starting to crawl out from underneath.
Had Mumme put a stop to the shenanigans of recruiting coordinator Claude Bassett and concentrated a little more on defense instead of allowing the inept Mike Major to run amuck as defensive coordinator, Mumme and the Wildcats might be making a serious run at the SEC’s elite right now.
Instead, UK basically started from scratch last season with the hire of Rich Brooks as head coach. Brooks, a knowledgeable football man by all accounts despite an overall losing record as a coach, isn’t big on the gimmicky aspect of the game.
Sure, the Wildcats lined up Jared Lorenzen at receiver a few times last season while slipping Shane Boyd under center, but for the most part, UK seemed intent on instilling a run-first philosophy.
With Boyd the man at the quarterback spot this season, the days of tossing the ball all over the yard will seem even farther removed.
But what Boyd brings to the table that Lorenzen didn’t, is the ability to pull the ball down in passing situations and scramble for big yardage. In many respects, Boyd is a much better fit for Hudson’s offense than Lorenzen could ever have become.
With what figures to be a strong defensive unit returning this season, a conservative approach on offense would seem to make a lot of sense.
While those who want to see 60 passes a game won’t be happy, the job of the UK offense this season may be to take time off the clock and give the defense as much rest as possible.
The offense needs to let the Wildcat defense dictate field position and not give away that position with unnecessary turnovers. Sometimes three running plays and a punt is a positive offensive possession, even if some of us did enjoy the freewheeling passing attacks of Tim Couch, Dusty Bonner and Lorenzen and going for it on fourth-and-20.
However, those days are gone. And a lot of UK fans may have to get used to viewing the game a different way.
Said Hudson: “In this conference one has to be sensitive to maintaining ball control with a balanced offense. We can’t throw it 35-45 times a game. That’s not this offense. We feel our running backs can be effective and are continuing to get better. Thus we feel more comfortable running the ball.”
Only time will tell if that leads to more wins and more bowl trips.
••• Busy Summer Slate For Young Athletes •••
The 2003-04 high school sports season will officially conclude today (Saturday) with the state baseball championship game in Lexington.
However, most will tell you that, anymore, being a high school athlete is a year-round job.
Most of Caldwell County High School’s athletes are already at work in preparation for next season — whether it be in football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, any number of running events or whatever.
Some are honing their skills at several sports during the offseason — so much for the summer break.
Here’s hoping that some of our young athletes work in a little free time over the next month or so, because the 2004-05 sports year may be closer than you think.
••• Former Caldwell Stars Honored •••
A pair of former Tigers had strong finishes to their college season earlier this month.
Wes Dunn finished the year batting .269 while Daniel Kukahiko hit .267 this season at Brescia University in Owensboro.
In the team’s final game against Bethel College, Kukahiko went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, but the Bearcats came up just short in a 10-9 setback.
In the previous game, a 16-6 win over Berea College, Dunn was 3-for-5 with four runs batted in while Kukahiko went 3-for-3 and scored twice.
Dunn played in 48 games for Brescia while Kukahiko saw action in 40.
The Bearcats ended the 2003-04 season with a 15-41 record.
Dunn was also one of three members of the Brescia squad named Daktronics-NAIA Baseball Scholar-Athletes
Dunn, a junior outfielder, has accumulated a 3.694 GPA with a major in Business.
Meanwhile, former Lady Tiger Misty Jones was selected for that honor as a member of the Lady Bearcats softball program.
Jones, a junior outfielder majoring in Chemistry, was one of five Lady Bearcats selected for the honor.
