In a battle of his own, John Schlarman setting an example for this UK football team
In the midst of the ups and the downs of this Kentucky football season, John Schlarman’s ongoing personal fight has been lost in the shuffle.
It shouldn’t be, of course. UK’s offensive line coach was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer before the 2018 season. He has been fighting it since, taking treatments, undergoing procedures, all while doing his job, all without much attention or fanfare, because he wants it that way.
But through the last five games of the Cats’ 2019 campaign, when offensive coordinator Eddie Gran moved wide receiver Lynn Bowden to quarterback and went all-in on a power running game, we should remember the job Schlarman and his offensive line is doing.
“That’s the O-line,” said Bowden after UK’s 38-14 win at Vanderbilt on Saturday in which the winners rushed for 401 yards. “I was telling them all night that I love them. They were doing amazing things out there tonight, picking up everything. Our coaches put us in a position to dominate tonight.”
Schlarman being one of those coaches, with Landon Young, Logan Stenberg, Drake Jackson, Luke Fortner and Darian Kinnard being his five starters along the offensive front.
“Just remarkable. He really is. John is just amazing, to be honest with you,” Stoops said Saturday. “He had some treatment this week. Then he had to go back for another little procedure. I don’t want to get too invasive in his business. He doesn’t want any attention, but he has to drive his own car on Friday, or have someone drive him down here on Friday after another procedure. And he shows up at practice. We thought he was going to miss it, but sure enough he’s here and he pops in there with a smile on his face like nothing’s going on and goes about his business.”
Though it does not compare to what Schlarman is going through off the field, on the field is tough enough. Sure, offensive linemen live to run block, but it’s a different task when everyone in the stadium knows that is exactly what you’re going to do.
In Bowden’s five games as the starting quarterback, Kentucky has run the football 81.7% of the time — 258 rush attempts compared to 58 pass attempts. Despite the lack of balance, UK has rushed for 1,490 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
And, yes, I know, it was Vanderbilt, the same ‘Dores who lost 56-0 at Florida the week before and are now 2-8 on the season. Still, Vandy Coach Derek Mason’s background is defense and he could not find a way to stop a one-dimensional attack.
Example: Saturday, Kentucky ran the ball eight times on third down. It converted six of those. It failed to convert its first try — a third-and-4 at the Vandy 14-yard line on its first possession. It failed to convert the last, a third-and-34 during mop-up time. That’s it.
“Some of the runs we hit on third down,” Stoops said, “certain pressures and that we’re coming, we were looking for that, offensive coaches were checking that from the sidelines, but they’ve still got to collect it all up and block it. We split them for some huge plays.”
As for run blocking: “They always embrace that,” Stoops said.
“That’s one thing coach said today after the game,” said Gran of the coach’s postgame speech to the team. “He talked about how much he appreciated their selflessness. And really they have been selfless. They have done everything they could to do everything we asked them to do and that’s pretty awesome.”
As his personal fight continues, Schlarman has done all that and more.
“It’s a really remarkable story what he’s going through and the job that he’s doing,” Stoops said. “And it can’t do anything but help I would imagine with these players and inspire these players to see what he’s going through. They can’t feel sorry for themselves, that’s for sure. John’s done a great job and so has the O-Line.”
Next game
Tennessee Martin at Kentucky
3:30 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network)
