Battle for the Beer Barrel - UK@UT

Skipper

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Kentucky @ Tennessee 12:20 Sat. Nov. 27
Line: Vols -3
Total: 58

Tennessee games YTD 4-1 +$845

I know that they don't call it this anymore since some douchebag UK player drove drunk back in the 90s, but it is what it is. I guess that is what happens when you haven't beaten a team in 25 years.

That is the biggest challenge Kentucky faces IMO - the fact that in the last 25 matchups with the Vols; the Vols are 25-0. There have been many close games, but it just seems as though UK hasn't been able to close the door.

If this game were in Lexington, I would strongly consider taking UK.

If this UT hadn't won 3 in a row, with a scare at Vandy LW, I would strongly consider taking UK.

If this wasn't Senior Day at Neyland Stadium with my personal favorite UT player ever, Nick Reveiz, playing his final game at home, I would strongly consider taking UK.

If Kentucky needed this win to become bowl eligible, not UT, I would strongly consider taking UK.

Having said all of the above, I still might strongly consider taking UK.:mj07:

In all seriousness, this has the makings of a basketball game on a football field. I cannot see any way, but one, that this game doesn't go over the posted total of 58. The one reason would be that I think Tauren Poole can have success running the football against the Kats, and I think he will have ample opportunities to do so after QB Tyler Bray threw two picks against Vandy LW. This would keep Kentucky's offense off the field and keep the clock running.

UK QB Mike Hartline, RB Derrick Locke, and local Alcoa standout do all, Randall Cobb, will have plenty of chances to expose weaknesses in the Vols defense. The Vols, especially in the secondary, have gotten more aggressive the last few games, which have given them pick sixes, but will also allow for big plays if Hartline can sell it. CB Prentiss Waggner leads the nation with 3 pick sixes this year, and seems to be around the ball whether it is in the air or on the ground.

If the Vols can have success running the ball early, then it could be lights out for UK because of one man - Freshman WR Justin Hunter. Over the last 3-4 weeks, many in the SEC have become aware of the 6'4 wideout who was a high school high jump champion. He demands being double covered, so if Poole can run the football, that may free up Hunter for the one on one jump balls that we have seen from Bray. Hell, I have seen him catch two jump balls for TD's with two guys on him.

What Hunter has been able to do on the perimeter has directly affected the middle of the field, which SR WRs Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore, and SR TE Luke Stocker have taken advantage of. Freshman WR DaRick Rogers, has also been the focus of some reverse calls that teams are having to focus on as well.

Where the Vols have sucked donkey dick, is in the punting game. The Count(Dooley) has tried damn near every player with two hands to catch punts and no one appears to be up to the task. In his weekly press conference, The Count said he told his players that they have come up with a new rule, and that is if you wave your hand up high, all you have to do is catch the ball and the other team can't hit you! In all seriousness, I think whoever is receiving punts will only be fair catching the ball. He even mentioned not having anyone back and just dealing with it.:mj07:

UK's only road win of the season, came @ Louisville during week one. In typical UK football fashion, they have a head scratcher of a win against South Carolina and lost to Auburn at home by only 3.

Here is how I am playing this game:
The ONLY way Kentucky wins and or covers, is if the game goes over. They will not be able to stop the Vols defensively. Kentucky has to score and will have to score 30+. Therefore, I am going to go with the Vols and the over and expect a fun game to watch.

2 Unit Plays
Vols -2-(-120)
Vols over 58


GL everyone and I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.:toast:
 
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Skipper

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Also - not because he is my all time favorite Vol, but because of what type of person he is, do yourself a favor and read up on SR MLB, Nick Reveiz. He is 8th in the SEC in tackles with 86, and that is 20 more than anyone else on this team. I have an 8 year old son who loves him too, and there could not be a better role model for him to have.

He came to Tennessee as a walk-on, and will leave a legend. We'll miss you Nick.:0008

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/nov/23/st-nick-not-far-reveiz/
 
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#cruncher

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Thanks for taking the time to do this Skip, you may have hit the nail on the head. And for the info about Reveiz, that's truly a feel-good story and what college football is all about!

One thing that has concerned me about this game is the schedule strength...Tenn (77), Ky (72) which probably has some of the raw stats distorted. Five points early in the year probably doesn't mean that much but at this time of the year it can be huge. Most of the difference probably came from Ky playing Akron while Tenn was taking on Oregon.

Although Hardesty got his 150 or so last year I really think it was Stocker that hurt us more than anything else, especially on the 3rd down plays. I'm kinda worried about a repeat there with Poole, Ky hasn't really slowed down anyones running game this year. At the same time, and although I've bad-mouthed Kys defense quite a bit, yardage-wise they really haven't been that bad (giving up 355 a game), it's just that offensive turnovers and defending kickoffs have made the points allowed look worse than it should be.

As far as 'the streak' or jinx goes I'll relate a short story that I read not long ago. It may have gotten started here...:facepalm: ...In the early 50s when The Bear was at UK and Babe P. was the QB Ky had a real good passing attack (and may have been undefeated) traveling to Knoxville for the last game of the year. Well, it snowed (about a foot) either the night before or day of the game and of course Kys passing attack was grounded and they went on to lose 7-0.

For the most part over the years Tennessee has just had the much better team. But there have been several real close games that just seem to go Tennessee's way, you name the way, it's gone wrong for Kentucky.

Good luck this week on our Over play...May the best team win and neither team get screwed.
 
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Skipper

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I didn't know you were a UK fan. I have to confess, I liked UK basketball for the 4 years Tony Delk played there. In fact, I have two framed drawings of him cutting the nets down and receiving the MVP award after beating Syracuse.

I played high school basketball against Tony a couple of times, and the guy was the most amazing high school player I had ever seen. He played high school ball with Tyrone Hines, who played LB here at UT.

Quick story - the first time I played against him was summer team camp before I was a soph. Tony was going into his junior year. I was playing pg and Tony was as well, and I didn't think anything of it because if you remember, he was only 6'1 and I was 6'0. We started out in a 2-1-2 zone and Tony hit 4 3's in about a minute. Call TO and go man. I am guarding Tony at least seven feet beyond the arc, and he would dribble up and wherever I was, he would shoot 3 feet back. Timeout. Coach was railing me about guarding him and I said, "Coach, no offense, but if the damn guy is making shots from 30 feet, I don't know what else I can do."

We come out of TO - Delk comes up to me and said to me real quietly, "Hey, keep your head up and pick me next time down." I looked at him like are you fawking with me, and he said it again. Sure enough, next time down he gives me a smile and I pick it from him on a cross-over dribble.

I think he still had about 70, but he never talked crap, thought he was better than everyone, and made it a point to come up to me after the game and talk to me a little.

He was, is, and will always be a class act. All UK fans should support his daughter's (Taylor) fight with sickle cell at:

www.tdscf.org

Back to football in reading your comments, I actually think we are more explosive on offense this year than last. When you have a Justin Hunter, it just opens the field up for so much more. Stocker has sucked hind tit this year, so it will have to be GJ or Denarius to expose the middle.

GL:toast:
 

#cruncher

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Oh yeah (I'm a fan) and growing up on the border can even make it more intense. We'd go out to the club, play some golf, come back and watch fb/bb and the room was a sea of blue and orange. Back during the summers while in high school, when I should have been lifting weights, I was usually going back & forth from the Ky pool room to the Tenn pool room, only about 35yds apart...:mj07:

You must have been pretty good if you played against Tony Delk, he's one of our all time favorites and is loved by everyone. I think he was from around Brownsville, Tn not real far from where I grew up.

I'm going to have to watch that Hunter guy. If I'm not mistaken, one of our starting DBs (from Memphis btw, Helms) is suspended for the first half of the game by the league, for an altercation with a Vandy player in their last game. Tenn may 'check out' his replacement early...if you know what I mean.

Wish I could be at the game. In all this time I've only seen one game in Knoxville, that's an awesome place!
 
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Ronnie

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Good Luck Skipper! Really love the over in this matchup. Think both teams end up in the 30's with hopefully the Vols on top.
 

Skipper

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Good Luck Skipper! Really love the over in this matchup. Think both teams end up in the 30's with hopefully the Vols on top.

Good to see you on here Ronnie. I think it will be a fun game to watch. Sure as hell wish Randall Cobb was playing for us.

Fulmer:banghead:
 

#cruncher

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Article on Bray

Article on Bray

101125bray.standalone.prod_affiliate.79.jpg
 

Skipper

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The scariest thing about Bray, is that he still doesn't know how to read coverages well. He has 10 TDs and 2 INTs in the last three games and the receivers were laughing at him after the Ole Miss game, because they said he just acts like it's backyard football. They signaled a play in and he didn't know what it was, so he told Hunter to "go deep and I will throw it up there - go get it.":mj07:

Dooley said the QB's coach is pulling his hair out every game and every practice because Bray just keeps improvising everything. That's probably why he is having success because he doesn't think, he just does it.

I always liked those "stupid freshmen" because they just played and never thought about situations, and how big they were.
 

#cruncher

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The scariest thing about Bray, is that he still doesn't know how to read coverages well. He has 10 TDs and 2 INTs in the last three games and the receivers were laughing at him after the Ole Miss game, because they said he just acts like it's backyard football. They signaled a play in and he didn't know what it was, so he told Hunter to "go deep and I will throw it up there - go get it.":mj07:

Dooley said the QB's coach is pulling his hair out every game and every practice because Bray just keeps improvising everything. That's probably why he is having success because he doesn't think, he just does it.



I always liked those "stupid freshmen" because they just played and never thought about situations, and how big they were.


Now that is funny...sometimes it's hard to beat innocence...:scared
 

Skipper

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I like the candidness of Dooley at his press conferences. He toys with reporters. I was afraid he would just be a complete jerkoff like his old boss Nick Satan.
 

#cruncher

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I like the candidness of Dooley at his press conferences. He toys with reporters. I was afraid he would just be a complete jerkoff like his old boss Nick Satan.

It just seems like it's hard for Nick to have any fun? I've liked Dooley from day 1.
 
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