Joker going streak hunting

Joker going streak hunting

For 'Operation Win' to work, Cats need to break old habits
Mark Story / Herald-Leader Sports Columnist


In his final 3 1/2 seasons on the Kentucky sideline, Rich Brooks was a pretty good streak buster.

Last year, the old coach's final team scored UK's first win over Auburn since 1966 and first victory at Auburn since 1961.

The Cats beat Georgia in Athens for the first time since 1977. UK defeated Louisville for a third straight year for the only time in the modern history of the intrastate rivalry.

Unfortunately for The Long Suffering UK Football Fan, Joker Phillips' first season as Kentucky head man begins with a rich target field of streak-breaking opportunities still available.

Let's take an early look at Operation Win and its odds of scoring historic breakthroughs in 2010.

Blue breakthrough target: Since the renewal of the Kentucky-Louisville football series in 1994, UK has never beaten its archrival four times in a row.

Keep your eyes on: By allowing heavy underdog U of L to hang around deep into last year's game, how much confidence did Kentucky give the Cardinals for this year?

Operation Win chance (on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being a mortal lock to win): 7.

Blue breakthrough target: Kentucky hasn't beaten Florida since 1986 and hasn't won in Gainesville since 1979.

Keep your eyes on: Unlike the past two games against the mighty Gators, can UK at least get through the contest without having a punt blocked?

Operation Win chance: 1.

Blue breakthrough target: UK hasn't beaten Mississippi in Oxford since 1978.

Keep your eyes on: Houston Nutt's teams are better as underdogs. With only 10 starters back from last year's overhyped team, the Rebels will definitely be back in Nutt's favored role: the hunter.

Operation Win chance: 4.

Blue breakthrough target: Since Adam and Eve were sampling apples in the garden, Kentucky has never beaten Auburn twice in a row.

Keep your eyes on: Auburn motivation. UK flat whipped the Tigers in 2009. A team with 15 starters back that some are predicting to start the season 11-0 will come to Lexington looking for payback.

Operation Win chance: 5.

Blue breakthrough target: Steve Spurrier is 17-0 against Kentucky as a head coach. UK has not beaten South Carolina since 1999.

Keep your eyes on: Over the past four seasons, UK has won more games (30) than Spurrier's program (28). When the Head Ball Coach is on the opposing sideline, however, Kentucky seems strung tighter than a tennis racket.

Operation Win chance: 3.

Blue breakthrough target: Kentucky has not beaten Georgia two times in a row since doing it in 1949 and '56.

Keep your eyes on: Georgia outgained Kentucky 487-260 last season but self-destructed with turnovers and lost. The Bulldogs will come to Lexington looking to prove a point in 2010.

Operation Win chance: 4.

Blue breakthrough target: In the granddaddy of negative UK football streaks, Kentucky has not beaten Tennessee since 1984.

Keep your eyes on: UK has had the football on its last offensive possession of the fourth quarter with a chance to end its futility against the Orange three times in the past four years and failed each time. Catching UT with its third coach in three years, can the Cats at last drive a stake through The Streak?

Operation Win chance: 5.

Blue breakthrough target: Kentucky has not had a winning record in Southeastern Conference games since going 6-0 in 1977.

Keep your eyes on: Based solely on the schedule, UK ought to have a very viable opportunity to go to the plus side in league contests.

If Kentucky can beat in Commonwealth Stadium three teams — Auburn, Vanderbilt and Georgia — it beat on the road last year, then all the Cats would need to get to five SEC victories would be two wins from among games against South Carolina and at Mississippi, Mississippi State and Tennessee.

On the down side, I don't have a good feeling about Kentucky's defense and fear UK's three-headed quarterback competition is a recipe for continuous controversy.

Operation Win chance: 3.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/06/20/1314551/fan-fare-joker-going-streak-hunting.html#ixzz0rUc6Ficp

I'd be happy if the only game they win is against Tennersee. Beat them, Damn it!