Random notes: Analytics aside, why won’t football coaches just take the points?
Random notes:
▪ As someone pro-analytics, even I believe this go-for-it-on-fourth-down epidemic has gone too far. Take the points, coaches. Those three points Bengals Coach Zac Taylor passed up against the Ravens in the third quarter on Sunday night would have come in handy at game’s end. Cincinnati lost 19-17.
▪ Same for Raiders Coach Josh McDaniels, who went for two points instead of kicking the PAT down 30-29 to the Raiders on Monday Night Football. There was 4:27 left. Conversion failed. Chiefs won. Raiders dropped to 1-4. Some coaches outsmart themselves.
▪ With an offseason of study, opponents have figured out the Bengals’ deep passing game. And how to stop it. The ball is back in the Taylor/Joe Burrow court. All about adjustments.
▪ It’s clear the roughing the passer rule in the NFL needs an overhaul. How is a 325-pound human supposed to rush the passer at full speed and still keeping from landing with his “full body weight” on the quarterback? Passers must be protected, not coddled.
▪ Super basketball recruit DJ Wagner signing an NIL deal with Nike has to bode well for Kentucky’s recruiting efforts. After all, Kentucky is a Nike school.
▪ Kudos to the UK women’s golf team, who broke a school record on Monday with a low round of 275 in the Illini Women’s Invitational at Medinah, Ill.
▪ Kentucky volleyball takes a five-match winning streak into Wednesday’s 8 p.m. home match with Ole Miss. After a rough start against a ridiculously tough schedule, Craig Skinner’s Cats are 10-5 overall, 5-1 in the SEC.
▪ Is Indiana basketball back? Finally. The Hoosiers were picked to win the Big Ten in a media poll in advance of the conference’s Media Days this week.
▪ Can Tennessee football snap its 15-year losing streak to Alabama on Saturday? Yes, it can. The Vols are that good.
▪ After missing Saturday’s loss to South Carolina, UK quarterback Will Levis dropped from ninth to 11th nationally in pass efficiency.
▪ On UK’s fourth quarter TD drive Saturday, Kaiya Sheron was 8 of 12 for 104 yards through the air. In a tough spot, the redshirt freshman showed promise.
▪ Forgotten man: Ramon Jefferson. The transfer from Sam Houston State was to fill a running back role in Rich Scangarello’s offense. Alas, Jefferson tore his ACL in the season opener.
▪ Kentucky had to know South Carolina would attempt to block a punt last Saturday. That’s what Shane Beamer’s teams do. South Carolina blocked one anyway.
▪ Missouri has lost three SEC games by a combined 14 points. UK plays at Columbia on Nov. 5.
▪ You could put Kirk Herbstreit on a NASCAR telecast and he’d do a great job. His fit on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football telecasts with Al Michaels has been seamless.
▪ On a similar note, I like Greg Olsen as color analyst on Fox Sports’ main NFL broadcasts. Olsen had big shoes to fill, succeeding Troy Aikman. He has been up to the task.
▪ Louisville football’s final six games: (formerly ranked) Pittsburgh, No. 14 Wake Forest, No. 25 James Madison, No. 4 Clemson, No. 15 North Carolina State and No. 22 Kentucky. Yikes.
▪ Name the three teams in the AP college football poll preseason top 10 who are no longer ranked? Answer: Notre Dame (No. 5), Texas A&M (No. 6) and Oklahoma (No. 9).
▪ Unranked in the preseason, UCLA is now 6-0 and No. 11. Chip Kelly didn’t forget how to coach.
▪ The first three games, UK football’s opponents converted seven of 37 third downs for 18.9 percent. The last three games, UK football’s opponents have converted 19 of 43 third downs for 44.2 percent.
▪ Kentucky ranks 20th nationally in total defense.
▪ In two NFL games with the New England Patriots, ex-WKU quarterback Bailey Zappe is 27 of 36 (75 percent) for 287 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Not bad.
▪ I was probably wrong, edition infinity: I thought Mississippi State Coach Mike Leach would struggle in the SEC. His Bulldogs bring a 5-1 overall record and 2-1 conference mark to Kroger Field on Saturday.
▪ The NBA season begins Tuesday, Oct. 18. Every year at this time, I vow to watch more regular-season NBA. And then I don’t.
