A.J. Rose and UK's other running backs get a B-minus for their play so far from former UK running back Anthony White
During Sunday AM Sports Talk on WLAP we rely on former Kentucky all-SEC running back Anthony White for his football expertise and when he talks, I listen. Hopefully you do as well. White played for both Bill Curry and Hal Mumme, two totally different coaches on and off the field. He’s friends with former players and coaches and knows some current coaches and players.
White thought Kentucky could be good — and I mean really good. He picked Kentucky to go 9-1 against an all-SEC schedule. Instead, UK is 2-4 going into Saturday’s home game against Vanderbilt.
On Sunday, White gave out grades to each position group on the Kentucky football team. No surprise that the overall grades were not that high.
Today I’ll share his thoughts on the running backs, offensive line and tight ends.
Running backs: B-minus.
He praised the backs for following UK’s schemes even if he doesn’t like those schemes.
“I don’t like the blitz pickup, the way they protect outside first, but they do it every time. Pressure comes up the middle,” White said.
He wondered if the protection was set that way to allow quarterback Terry Wilson to get outside to escape pressure, something that has not really worked.
“Also a B-minus because they could break a few more tackles,” White said. “I do not think they are getting the carries they need to get lathered up. Could be a B if they broke a few more tackles.”
Offensive line: C.
This is not the grade anyone would have expected going into the season considering UK was credited with having perhaps the best line in the SEC and one of the best in the nation.
“I don’t think they are deciphering what is going on,” White said.
He said every UK opponent is playing games with defensive alignments in the middle and sometimes UK is picking those schemes up and sometimes it is not, especially in passing situations. He also said because blocks are not always clean it is more important for running backs to break arm tackles that they have not been consistently doing.
” think they could give the quarterback more time (to throw). We have not been doing that and we do not move the line of scrimmage as much as I thought we would,” White said.
Tight ends: C.
“They don’t hurt us. They have dropped a few passes. If you get limited opportunities you have got to make the most of them.” White said. “If they come to you two times and you make two first downs, your numbers go up.
“They block pretty well and they are willing to block. They do what they are asked to do and are pretty consistent. They have not set us back but they have not been as productive as I expected.”
Coming Tuesday: White’s grades at quarterback and receiver.
