SB Nation - Will Fidler

Big Blue Daily Mail -- A Little Football, a Little Schadenfreude

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:30:55 -0000

Well, who did you think was going to be featured here? Exactly.

The Kentucky vs. Louisiana-Monroe game yesterday will be the main focus of this edition, but we will be throwing in a bit of other good stuff on this beautiful Sunday morning here in the Bluegrass state.

I think it's safe to say that, despite the lopsided 36-13 score, most Wildcat football fans are far less than totally pleased with the play of the 'Cats yesterday, as are the coaches. It seems that in the third quarter, the UK team just decided to take fifteen minutes of football off, and let ULM roll up yardage all over the field and fail to offend anyone but their own fans.

In the end, though, it was a victory that was never really in doubt, and in the end, that's pretty much what everyone would expect. In a way, this is better than a flawless victory, because it gives Brooks & Co. plenty of film to view, and lots of pins to pop any swell-headedness that may have been emerging on the team. And then there is the Micah Johnson injury, which Brooks says isn't major, but it isn't minor, either.

Now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting - Meyer's Mailbag: Duke class could be great
Who would rank higher?

I was wanting to know who would be ranked higher out of high school- Samardo Samuels or Demarcus Cousins?

Read the answer above.
MaryJo Perino " Wall Situation
Don’t you find it interesting that the story that came out yesterday involved both UK’s Wall and Mississippi State’s Renardo Sidney… both battling eligibility questions… yet Sidney was barely touched in the report… and the headline on the front of ESPN.com is ‘SEC Commish: UK vetting star recruit’s eligibility’

This is a good point I hadn't really considered. Sidney, as far as I know, has much more serious questions about where some real money came from, his parents lifestyle, etc.
Danny Jett's Inner Circle: The Immortals: UK's 25 'Legends' # 2
The C-J's Sunday College Basketball Notebook | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
"Derrick and Tyreke took longer to feel this offense," Calipari said. "John right now is probably farther along today than they were. But I'll say this: Those two, when they got it and they felt the offense, they were, one, unleashed, but two, they weren't afraid to make the play. Now, I haven't coached John (enough) to tell you, if we're in a tough game and it's on the road, is he going to go make the play that those two made? I have no idea."

High praise for Wall coming from Calipari.
Clifton at center of Wall investigation - High school - News & Observer
Duke freshman forward Ryan Kelly, a Raleigh native who played at Ravenscroft, was Wall's teammate on the club team for at least three years.

Kelly's mother, Doreen Kelly, said Ryan's amateur eligibility and academic credentials have been approved by the NCAA. She said she hasn't been contacted by the NCAA regarding Ryan's eligibility and doesn't expect to be.

After having read this article, I am even more confused. Why is Kelly in the clear? If Clifton paid for Wall's trip to UK, it was surely with D-One funds. So why is it OK for Kelly to accept D-One funds for playing from an agent, but not Wall? And why is the UK unofficial visit somehow different?

We may never know, but something seems amiss ...
This Week in Review...10 Years Ago
Wall practices with Kentucky in front of students a day after report questions his eligibility - KRCW
Preseason Q&A with FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman - Searching for Billy Edelin
8. Your premature surprise team of the season... Vanderbilt. The Commodores have one of the most underrated coaches in the nation in Kevin Stallings. A.J. Ogilvy gives Vandy a low-post scoring option and now Stallings added a big-time freshman shooter in John Jenkins. Throw in solid senior point guard Jermaine Beal and athletic wing Jeffery Taylor and I think this team can surprise some people in the loaded SEC East.

I like TLT Jeff Goodman's pick here -- I think Vanderbilt will be very, very good.
Star UK Freshman John Wall May Face Suspension from NCAA - SB Nation
Now after bashing Andrew Sharp about the SEC, I must praise him for his fairness to UK. But I must reject the implicit notion that Pat Forde has some kind of a special dislike for Kentucky. It seems that way, but let's be real -- Forde last and longest sportswriting stint was in Kentucky (Louisville) and even if he may harbor Cardinal sympathies and be Rick Pitino's ghost writer, I am highly dubious that he harbors ill will toward UK (although I am willing to be persuaded otherwise).

In all honesty, the ESPN article by Forde and Dana O'Neil (now there is a woman who would be justified in having an axe to grind with UK after the way Gillispie treated her) presents nothing but relevant facts and draws no conclusions. It's headline, as Sharp points out, is a bit misleading.

I also highly doubt that Forde (or O'Neil, for that matter) hates Calipari. Nobody hates Calipari (except, of course, fans of former schools and several rival coaches) -- he's just too hard to dislike. Like all people who write for a living, Forde knows perfectly well that columns critical of Coach Cal will garner millions of hits and blog links, make him look independent of his Kentucky roots, and no matter what the color of his school of preference may be, his favorite color is most likely green.
Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Adreian Payne drops Kansas, plus latest on Lamb and Harris
It does appear that big man Adreian Payne is getting closer to making his decision as he canceled his upcoming visit to Kansas and booted the Jayhawks from his list. Payne is now down to a final four of Kentucky, West Virginia, Arizona, and Michigan State. It appears that the leaders are Kentucky and West Virginia right now and pundits think it could go either way.
Wildcat Coal Lodge? | KentuckySports.com
This is liable to generate quite a bit of snarky comment. Well, whatever.
Former UK player Mark Pope starting a new career at Georgia | Vaught's Views
Awesome. Lots of ex-UK players on coaching staffs around the SEC this year.

UK Football News

With Hartline out, Cats plan to stick with quarterback trio | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
"I think what we're going to see is a continuation of using both (Newton and Fidler) and mixing in the wildcat," Brooks said. "We're just trying to win football games. I wish it were easier and I wish somebody would go out there and say, ‘Hey, I'm going to complete every pass and I'm going to do all the right things,' but it doesn't work that way."

Well, to be fair, this whole three-headed quarterback thing is only two games old, and it has worked okay. Still, with MSU coming in next Saturday, we will need a better performance from it than we got vs ULM.
Big Blue Loyalty: The chase is on | KentuckySports.com
Nice. We do have some pretty loyal football fans for a basketball school.
QB plan is working, but needs work | KentuckySports.com
So far, UK's three-headed quarterback platoon has managed to spit in the eye of pigskin convention.

"We've made some mistakes but we're 2-0 in that situation," said Kentucky tri-quarterback Will Fidler. "So you have to say it is going pretty well."

Well, I would like to see Newton use his legs a bit more, and Fidler, well, not. Cobb should see a few more snaps in the Wildcat than he did last night, in my opinion.

Other UK Sports News

Quigley Qualifies for Quarterfinals at ITA Ohio Valley Regional - KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

NCAA Sports News

Our Top 25 is out -- and now what? - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com
Phew. After 5,500 words, several revisions and agonizing over teams 23, 24 and 25, the 2009-10 college hoops is finally finished. You can read it all here.

I tended to favor experienced teams who returned a lot of their players, with some exceptions
Convinced yet? No. 10 TCU trounces No. 16 BYU - College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com
TCU is a really good team, but looking at their strength of schedule, they will likely be playing Boise State in the "We coulda been a contendah!" bowl. The only team likely to give them a game remaining on their schedule is 6-1 Utah. Right now, their SOS is #52, and it will only go downhill from here.
Auburn continues to struggle with penalties - Sports - Ledger-Enquirer.com
Their penalties Saturday came early and often. The Tigers were lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1 at their 48 on the opening drive. But right tackle Andrew McCain flinched, pushing them back 5 yards and forcing a punt.

Wow. Penalties kill Auburn again.
No. 6 Boise State batters Hawaii, stays perfect - College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com
And will probably stay #6, or even start losing ground. Eventually, that schedule strength will be their bugaboo, as so many times in the past.
Opinion: Iowa's thrilling ride won't end in BCS title game - College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com
If the Hawkeyes keep doing what they're doing, they'll earn Big Ten championship rings and a permanent place in school lore. They might get another spot in history, too — next to Auburn's 2004 team as a perfect, BCS conference squad that didn't get a chance to play for it all.

Interesting, and very probably true.
Florida's win leaves Tebow speechless - SEC - ESPN
And then after the game, which No. 1 Florida hung on and won 29-19 despite repeated woes in the red zone and a determined effort by Dan Mullen's Bulldogs, Tebow declined to talk to the media for the first time in his career.

How very un-Superman-like.
No doubt about it — Baton Rouge, LA
Sparked by an energized offense and a suffocating defense in the first half, the No. 9-ranked Tigers trampled Auburn 31-10 Saturday, expunging whatever remained of the bad taste from a home loss to Florida two weeks earlier.

So much for my theory that Auburn would make a comeback in this game.
Saturday Lessons: October 24 - Team Speed Kills
Positive Thinking and SEC Basketball - SB Nation
Bah. Add likely locks Florida and South Carolina, and you have six. Arkansas has a good shot, that makes seven, and Ole Miss is another very likely dancer. LSU? With Trent Johnson at the helm, you never know. That's easily eight.

Face it guys. The SEC is good. At everything. Except field hockey, rowing, and all those other huge sports that the Ivy League and East Coasters seem so fond of. So if you're going to come at us in basketball this year, you'd better come more correctly than this.
Scheduling Patsies Works (Except When It Doesn't) - SB Nation
Schedule Nazis (just kidding, guys) will love this piece by Spencer Hall (aka Orson Swindle of EDSBS).

Other News of Interest

None today

The Daily Schadenfreude

Duke provides video ammo for its haters - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com
But why the hate? Well, everyone has their reasons. Maybe the players are smug, maybe it’s the fans, maybe it’s because Duke seemingly gets preferential treatment from the refs and the media. But a casual fan may not get it. And maybe you don’t want to explain it to them.

Read the whole thing, click the links, and remember why you hate Duke. As if you need a reminder.
Duke fansite blogs on the "difference between John Wall and Ryan Kelly", challenges anyone to find dirt on Kelly
Paul Jordan takes a bit more time to mock Duke Basketball Report's recent nonsense than I did.

UK Football: Mid-Season Accolades

Ken Howlett — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:14:46 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

Randall Cobb, doing it all.

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With Kentucky coming off a season-saving, come-from-behind 21-14 victory over Auburn on Saturday, we find ourselves at the mid-point of the season. The first six games of the 2009 season have regaled us with many great individual performances, several disappointing developments, and a record about where most (in the preseason), thought it would be. So, in keeping with the positive vibes surrounding UK athletics at the moment, let's honor those players and units that have achieved beyond the expected:

Most Outstanding Offensive Player: Randall Cobb (Sophomore Do-It-All Dynamo) -- The Alcoa, Tennessee native has simply been electric for nearly the entire season. Cobb has ran for 239 yards (7.5 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, as well as being a danger as a receiver; 24 catches for 322 yards (13.4 yards per reception), and another four touchdowns. In an effort to get the ball in his hands as many times as possible, the coaching staff has Cobb returning punts (although I'm not happy about it). He's hasn't broken-off a long one yet, but he's averaging a healthy 8.9 yards per punt return (3rd in the SEC). Cobb is also averaging 129.5 all-purpose yards (rushing, receiving, and returns) per game (5th in the SEC).

Not in recent memory has UK possessed such an extreme talent. Cobb is a threat to score every time he touches the ball, and with his exceptional speed, elusiveness, and explosiveness he has become option No. 1 in the Kentucky offense. Enjoy the "Cobbinator" while we have 'im!

Honorable mention goes to junior running back Derrick Locke. Coming off major knee surgery, there were question marks about his ability to maintain his incredible burst and overall speed, but Locke has posted some very strong numbers this season, rendering the medical questions null and void. Locke has rushed for 459 yards (4.6 ypc) and three touchdowns, and he's once again proving to be a real asset catching the ball out of the backfield with 16 receptions for 128 yards (8.0 ypr). In addition, he's returned 12 kick-offs for 385 yards (32.1 ypr), and a touchdown. Locke leads the SEC in all-purpose yards with 162 yards per game.

Locke does a splendid job of countering Cobb's "escapability" with a power/speed running game. Lucky us, Locke and Cobb have one more season together!

Outstanding Defensive Player: Micah Johnson (Senior LB) -- Johnson was thought to be the defensive leader of this team prior to the season, and he hasn't disappointed. He currently leads the team in tackles with 52 (5th in the SEC), to go along with 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack.

Solidifying himself as the best defensive player of the first half of the season, Johnson came up huge Saturday at Auburn. His 14 tackle effort was the impetus behind him being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Johnson's combination of size, strength, and quickness make him a ball-chasing holy terror, almost impossible to stop one-on-one. And when he locks his highly sensitive radar onto the ball carrier, it's time for the trainer.

Honorable mention goes to junior linebacker Sam Maxwell -- Maxwell has been excellent, especially on passing downs. He's recorded 36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and an incredible five pass breakups, to go along with two interceptions.

Maxwell has shown Micah Johnson-type pursuit ability, and an uncanny knack for being around the ball.

Most Improved Offensive Player: John Conner (Senior fullback) -- Conner has been outstanding since arriving at UK, but I had to find a way to honor his dedication to perfecting the art of blocking. Conner's incredible effectiveness at providing room to run for UK's Locke, Alfonso Smith, Randall Cobb and Moncell Allen, makes him a valuable commodity to coach Rich Brooks. Conner, a 5'11", 240 lb wrecking ball of a fullback deserves much of the credit for the improved performance of the running game in 2009. He consistently clears a wide swath of turf for the ball-carriers, and has proved to be a reliable runner (15 carries for 47 yards) and pass catcher (11 receptions for 89 yards) out of the backfield.

Honorable mention goes to the offensive line -- Left tackle Zipp Duncan, left guard Christian Johnson, center Jorge Gonzalez, right guard Stuart Hines, and right tackle Brad Durham have paved the way for UK's talented ball carriers like a bulldozer clearing powdery snow. The penetration the linemen have gained, has at times, been almost comical ... at least to UK fans. They have collectively cleared a path for the fifth ranked rushing offense in the SEC (186.5 yards per game), and in UK's two most recent contests (versus South Carolina and Auburn), the O-line allowed Kentucky to rush for a combined 487 yards. Additionally, UK ran for 133 yards against an Alabama defense giving up an average of only 63.3 rushing yards per game. On the season, UK's backs have rushed for 1,119 yards (4.5 ypc) and 11 touchdowns, and just as importantly, UK's quarterbacks have been sacked only six times ...

... Saaaalute! To Kentucky's "big-uglies."

Most Improved Defensive Player: Danny Trevathan (Sophomore LB) -- Last season in mostly special teams duties, Trevathan accounted for five tackles and a blocked kick (versus Georgia), but this season the sophomore has made the most of his opportunity while playing alongside Micah Johnson and Sam Maxwell. Trevathan is third on the team with 39 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup. In UK's last outing versus Auburn, Trevathan did his finest MJ impression, recording 14 tackles.

We said in the preseason that this kid could be the next great UK linebacker, and thus far, he's on the fast track.

Pleasant Surprise of the Year (Individual): Lones Seiber (Senior Kicker) -- Seiber came into the season having made less than 60.0% of his field goal attempts for his career, but in '09, he has made 5-8 field goals (62.5%), with one block, and a miss from 49 yards. So, overall he's been much improved from the inconsistent kicker he has been over the last three years. And with all of the criticism he has received (me included), he deserves some kudos.

Pleasant Surprise of the Year (Team): The running game -- Derrick Locke, Alfonso Smith, Randall Cobb, Moncell Allen, John Conner and the offensive line are of course responsible for the incredible, season-saving success of the Kentucky's running game. It has been powerful, elusive, and overly effective ... let's keep it up. (See running game stats above)

Biggest Negative Play of the Year: The failed two-point conversion attempt versus South Carolina -- I don't want to belabor a point that has been beat to death by everyone from myself, to the mainstream media, but if I could ask Rich Brooks and Joker Phillips one question regarding that decision it would be, "Why?" The staff's decision to allow Will Fidler to quarterback on the play didn't cost UK the victory, but it cost the 'Cats the chance to win. I could keep going, but ... well, let's leave the unpleasantness where it belongs. In the past.

Biggest Positive Play of the Year: Randall Cobb's 61-yard scamper (or did he run about 80-yards?) to set up the winning touchdown versus Auburn -- Cobb, in that one play, displayed why he is considered such a dangerous weapon: He broke a long run, he evaded several would-be-tacklers, and he did it with the game on the line. Pressure? Cobb has pressure for breakfast.

Honorable mention goes to Louisville's Trent Guy for his fumble late in the fourth quarter of the UK vs. U of L game. If Guy doesn't put the ball on the turf on his attempted catch of a UK punt, Big Blue's chances of winning diminish exponentially.

Most Outstanding Performance of the Season: The defense in the Auburn game -- Without UK's smothering defense for the entire game, Cobb's 61-yard run would have been for naught. Kentucky's defense held Auburn to 170 fewer yards than the Tigers average on the year, and gave up only a single touchdown. This against a team that averaged nearly 39 points per game.

Thoroughly frustrated is the most appropriate term to describe Auburn quarterback Chris Todd. Coming into the game the Elizabethtown native was the SEC's second leading passer, averaging nearly 227 yards per game, while completing 57.8% of his passes. UK held Todd to 10-24 passing for 80 yards and only his second interception of the year. Kentucky's rush defense was nearly as impressive -- Auburn running back Ben Tate was averaging 6.1 yards per carry coming into the game, but was held to only 4.3 yards per carry. Tate's running mate, Onterio McCaleb, averaged 6.0 yards per carry, but MJ and his Crew held him to only 22 yards on seven carries (3.1 ypc).

Coming into the Auburn game, I wasn't sure UK could keep up with the Tiger's rapid fire offense, how silly of me. Hats off to the D! The Auburn victory belongs to you.

Feel free to condemn, but as always,

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Kentucky Football: Auburn in the Rear View Mirror

Truzenzuzex — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:13:57 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

Kentucky's O-line is a big reason for the success of Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb.

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I know that basketball is back on every Wildcat's mind, but in case you missed it somehow, the Kentucky football team had a pretty big victory on Saturday on the Plains in Auburn, Alabama. That's right, Kentucky did travel down and defeat the Plainsmen on their own field, a feat Kentucky last accomplished in 1961, in Blanton Collier's last year. That has been a while, folks.

So what does this win mean? Well, first I'll tell you what it doesn't mean.

It doesn't mean that we can now demand respect in the SEC -- that's just silliness. Kentucky will get respect in the sense that teams know they cannot take the 'Cats for granted, but that's about it. It was a much bigger deal when we beat #1 LSU a couple of years back, so let's not get all big-headed and start smack-talking Alabama, Florida, Georgia et. al. It was a good win, but before Kentucky earns respect in this league, it will have to find a way to defeat teams like South Carolina, Georgia (in down years like this), and snap the ridiculous winning streaks by Florida and Tennessee. No SEC football team is going to respect a team with 20+ year losing streaks to anybody, m'kay?

It does not mean that we can take teams like Louisiana-Monroe for granted. When (if) we ever get to where we can, you now, actually win more games in the SEC than we lose, perhaps we could be forgiven for doing that. But not now. ULM is fully capable of defeating Kentucky if they don't come to play.

Beating Auburn does not mean that Kentucky has "arrived" anywhere. Auburn is a good team this year, but not a great team and certainly not "good" by Auburn's lofty standards. Yes, we went down and beat them in a year in which they are good, but not scary. They will be scary again, and Kentucky hasn't been scary in a long time. I'm just saying.

Beating Auburn does not mean we have solved our quarterback problem. While Morgan Newton did some good things and did not make many mistakes, there is a reason why Will Fidler got the second-half snaps. Randall Cobb in the Wildcat can be devastating, but until he actually completes a pass from that formation this year, opponents are quickly going to figure out how to defend him, especially teams with deeper defenses than Auburn has right now.

But with all this "reality check" stuff said, here is what the Auburn victory does mean.

It means that Kentucky finally played a fairly complete game, and did not beat themselves. That's a big deal. Kentucky has been really incredible at beating themselves over the years, and this win did not come by dint of a fortunate bounce or a bunch of turnovers. It was earned the way SEC teams earn victories -- in the trenches, by playing good football.

It means that our offensive line has now proven itself against the best defenses in the league, and when they wound up against the weaker defense of Auburn, our o-line dominated them utterly. That's the great, unacknowledged (well, not so much, maybe) secret of UK's success on the Plains -- the strength and experience of the offensive line.

It means that UK has proven three games in a row to have a stout defense. Yes, we can be scored on and we are not likely to ever shut out a first-tier SEC team, but Kentucky's defense is proving game after game to be a strong and resilient group able to prevent the big, quick scores that it allowed versus Florida.

It means that Kentucky is probably better, as a team, this year than last. I think the defense may have actually been a bit better last year, but the offense is substantially better this year than last, and is capable of scoring on any SEC defense multiple times.

It means that Kentucky did not lose their faith in either the system or each other after one embarrassing loss followed by two tough losses in a row. A three-game losing streak did not kill the hopes or faith of this team, nor the fans. That is important. I remember a time when the fans would have largely abandoned the football team after a three-game losing streak, but Kentucky fans have learned that even against superior teams that are likely to beat us, the 'Cats are capable of playing good football and even winning games.

Finally, it is the kind of victory in the kind of place that can influence recruiting in a positive way, particularly if UK finishes out the season strong, and manages three or even four wins in the SEC. It could be a very good thing for future versions of the Wildcats if that happens. I know it is a tough row to hoe, but a bowl game looks very doable for the fourth year in a row, and a better bowl game now looks to be within reach.

Make no mistake, any win against a quality opponent like Auburn is an important win for Kentucky. A couple more, and who knows where it will lead.

Kentucky 21 @ Auburn 14: Postmortem

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:19:17 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

This man (Auburn coach Gene Chizik) is not smiling here, nor is he smiling now.

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I knew we had a shot at this game. I said it early in the year, and I believed it coming in. This UK team, despite it's issues, is a very tough out for any team not named Alabama or Florida in the SEC. That's real. That's the truth.

I want to thank Auburn for their effort. This is a big loss for them, and the rest of the season does them no favors. But they played hard, if imperfectly and with a ton of terribly costly penalties that are usually the province of Kentucky. I'm not going to blow sunshine up their hind parts -- for some reason, the roles were reversed this week and it was the Tigers who shot themselves in the foot. Auburn had a chance to win this game, and they surrendered it with a whimper, rather than a growl. Gene Chizik will have a lot to talk about after this one.

But for the Wildcats, it was a much-needed victory after a very tough four-game stretch that saw them lose their All-American cornerback and starting quarterback to injury, and prompted Rich Brooks to start a true freshman at QB in an SEC road game against a team who has a 15-game winning streak against the Wildcats. I'm going to say it is an understatement to say that the Wildcats had the deck stacked firmly against them.

Let's be honest -- the defense really was the difference in this game. Against the #2 offense in the SEC, Kentucky played about as well as it is possible to play against them defensively. UK denied Chris Todd, a Kentuckian from Elizabethtown, any hope of having a good game. Todd helped out a lot by making pretty much nothing but poor throws, and UK made the Tigers pay by playing solid defense.

I can go on and on and on, but I will settle for bullet points, as usual:

Morgan Newton may not have done that much, but he showed why he was such a highly touted player with his strong arm and powerful body. He is a freshman, and it showed.
Will Fidler gets the game ball, not because of any amazing stuff, but because of the circumstances in which he managed to excel. He showed terrific leadership, and made a huge drive-saving fourth-down play that I will remember a long time.
Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke don't need game balls -- they could win it every game. They do what they do, and frankly, they did it tonight.
How much better is Randall Burden with Paul Warford on the field? Amazing.
Micah Johnson is a creature from another world. He is like the alien in Predator -- indomiatble.
Winston Guy needs a butt-kicking. He hits a guy, but refuses to wrap them up. If I'm Steve Brown, I'm going to go all Coach Boone on his butt. He is way too good to be giving up big plays when he hits hard but fails to finish.
Our D-line has played better, but to their credit, they rarely lost containment. That's why Auburn had very few big plays.
Chris Matthews is getting better every game. He is on the same path as Stevie Johnson, only a little earlier.
Sam Maxwell is a stud. He made so many great form tackles, open field an otherwise, I lost count.
Our special teams made two mistakes, and about five great plays. On balance, I'd say that is pretty good, most games. But both their mistakes resulted in an Auburn TD -- the missed blocking assignment on the field goal, and the pathetic Ryan Tydlacka punt.
The most unspoken great player in SEC history, at least the part I remember, is John Conner. He just de-cleats people when he blocks. I wish he could play for UK forever.
The UK offensive line might be the best in the league. Senior O-line players make one heck of a difference.
Kentucky had one (1) penalty. With a freshman quarterback, or with a long-time backup. That's gobsmacking.

That's enough. Add your observations to the celebration.

Is this a great weekend or what?? Go, 'CATS!

Kentucky at Auburn: Will a Child Lead Us?

Truzenzuzex — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:48:01 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

What the heck happened to all my players???

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The hot topic for the upcoming Auburn game, of course, is who will be under center for the Wildcats? Unidentified sources out of the UK football camp are speaking highly of the true freshman, Morgan Newton, but Rich Brooks is revealing nothing about who will get the starting nod, merely telling anyone who asks that the decision will probably not be officially made until game day, perhaps even just before kickoff. But word on the street has it that the decision has been made, even though no confirmation, official or unofficial, seems to be forthcoming.

Of course, that's the smart thing for any head coach to do. Morgan Newton and Will Fidler bring two radically different skill sets to the game. Newton is young and does not know the UK offense that well, but he has the superior physical skills, including a pair of legs that made him a Parade All-American, but as an athlete, not a quarterback.

Fidler, on the other hand, is primarily a pocket passer, much like Mike Hartline. Fidler is a much better fit for the offense that the Wildcats currently run, but he is no real threat to take off and get yards with his feet. In fact, if it is possible for someone to be less athletic, running wise, than Mike Hartline, it is Will Fidler. Fidler has a strong arm and knows the offense much better, but he is limited, and he was playing behind Hartline for a reason.

In the end, I expect both QB's to get a number of snaps against Auburn unless one clearly separates himself early. Auburn will have to prepare not only for a traditional drop-back passer, but a dual-threat quarterback and Randall Cobb in the bargain. It is an interesting problem for Ted Roof, the Auburn Defensive Coordinator to solve. One thing is for sure -- the 'Cats will look different on Saturday than they have looked all season.

At this point, nobody knows for sure what Brooks is thinking -- will he go with a trimmed-down offensive package and more athleticism, or try to rely on what has worked so far with a different quarterback at the helm? There are merits to both strategies, and odds are that we will see a bit of both, particularly if the starter fails to move the football the first couple of series.

But there are even more questions about this game, not the least of which is how UK's green corners, Randall Burden and Martavious Neloms, will hold up in their second game as starters. The good news is that Paul Warford is improving, but is still questionable for the weekend. Also on the injury ront, offensive guard Jake Lanefski has torn his ACL and will have season-ending surgery, so our depth at guard just took a big hit.

There will be more analysis of this game to come, but from a macro standpoint, this is going to be about the defenses. Can UK's defense, which is currently last in the SEC in run defense, hold Auburn's SEC second-best running game down to a reasonable level? For Auburn, their defense must stop a Kentucky running game which isn't exactly awesome, but has been solid. Auburn is 10th against the run in the SEC, just two spots up from the 'Cats.

Passing-wise, Auburn would seem well-positioned in this game with the second-best passing offense in the league facing the young cornerback tandem that South Carolina exploited to such great effect last weekend. Statistically, about the only place Kentucky looks good against Auburn is special teams.

No matter who is under center on Saturday, Kentucky will need a terrific effort, every bit as good as they played against South Carolina without the mistakes, and all that with a new quarterback under center, to beat the Tigers in their place. It is a very tall order, make no mistake.

SEC Stock Watch

Year2 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:01:02 -0000

BUY

Auburn took a hit after the bad loss to Arkansas, but the Razorbacks were a colossally bad match up for the Tigers. Now that a lot of people are dumping Auburn stock, it's time to get some on the cheap. It's unlikely that Kentucky's backup QB Will Fidler will challenge the secondary to anywhere near the same degree that Ryan Mallett did, and they have a great shot at outscoring LSU in two weeks. If you believe in the Tigers to any degree, you probably won't get a chance to buy them any lower than this.

HOLD

First of all, if you own any Tennessee stock you should sell some now and take some profits. Any time you get this big a jump in one week, you have to shave some off the top and enjoy the spoils.

Now's not the time to get more if you want more though. Tennessee will enjoy the afterglow of their 45-19 win over Georgia throughout this week's bye, and justifiably so. However, there's a chance Georgia won't look so hot on the road this weekend against Vanderbilt, which would take some luster off the win, and then on Monday or so folks will notice that UT has Alabama on the 24th.

Once people are jettisoning UT stock because of the Bama game, be there to snap some up. They have two weeks to prepare while the Tide have to deal with South Carolina this week. Moreover, Alabama runs a pro-style offense and few people in this league are more qualified at stopping pro-style offenses than Monte Kiffin is. I'm not calling for the upset, because I think Alabama's defense will probably win the game, but Tennessee will play them pretty close, and then you'll have another shot to sell some high if you wish.

SELL

Arkansas' stock is really high right now like Tennessee's is after a big win, but the Razorbacks don't have the luxury of a bye week to revel in the victory. They now have to go to the Swamp against the best defense in the country. Unlike the pillow-y soft Auburn secondary, Florida has at least four guys in the regular rotation (Haden, Jenkins, Wright, and Hill, maybe Black) who will play in the NFL.

This weekend's contest could have been a classic trap game for UF after the big road win at LSU, but the way that Arkansas beat Auburn ensures the Hogs will have Florida's full attention. If the Gators win handily, Arkansas' stock will fall some. That's when you get more in advance of a potential win over Ole Miss and a sure blowout over Eastern Michigan.

UK Football & Basketball: The Fairly Obvious Observations + Landon Slone Edition

Ken Howlett — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:25:34 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

"What am I going to do now?"

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University of Kentucky sports are entering the time of year where the hotly anticipated basketball season overlaps with football season, leaving us with much to discuss. So, in an attempt to kill four birds with one stone, here are my four topics of the day:

The Failed Two-Point Conversion

Like most everyone else who roots for UK, I found the decision to utilize Will Fidler at quarterback and Randall Cobb at receiver, for Kentucky's attempted two-point conversion to tie on Saturday, a puzzling one, at best. Although I felt UK lost the game because of dropped touchdown passes (of which there were two) and poor special teams play (with the exception of Lones Seiber), one has no choice but to question why the UK coaching staff opted to have an inexperienced signal-caller under center for the most crucial offensive play of the game. Couple the facts that Fidler had been occupying space on the bench during the Cobb-led drive for six immediately prior to the conversion attempt, with Fidler's lackluster performance in the second half, and it only causes my head to ache even more enthusiastically.

To continue reading, please send $15 to the Couri ... oops, I forgot, A Sea of Blue's opinions are free ... after the jump.

It seems to me that Cobb at quarterback, with the option to run or throw, would have been the most advantageous decision in that spot -- Run a two-tight end set (one a receiver, one a blocker), roll Cobb out, with the option to run, or, pass to Chris Matthews or Gene McCaskill in end zone.

The second best option, in my view, was to call on Derrick Locke, Moncell Allen, or John Conner. All three of those backs have displayed the ability to gain tough yards, and yards are no tougher to gain than on the goal line. In addition, Locke could have been used as a pitch option for Cobb, if a run play were desired.

No, I'm not a coach, and I didn't stay at Holiday Inn Express last night, but Vince Lombardi one not need be, to plainly see the above options as more desirable than having a cold, inexperienced, unsure quarterback with the ball in his hands at the most critical juncture of the game. Partial proof: Chris Matthews was open in the end zone, but Fidler never looked his way.

Allow me to state that I do not hold Fidler responsible for the failure. He was put into a position to fail. That isn't his fault.

UK's Quarterback Quandary

With Mike Hartline sidelined at least four weeks, the quarterback situation in Lexington suddenly becomes fluid. Rich Brooks has stated that Fidler, and freshman Morgan Newton will battle for the starting job, with a high likelihood that both players will see time on The Plains, versus Auburn this weekend. Brooks has also said Randall Cobb might see increased time at QB out of the "Wildcat" formation.

I'm a firm believer that coaches, regardless of sport, are interested in winning. Ergo, for the most part, coaches are going to give game reps to the players most likely to lead the team to victory (there are exceptions, particularly coaches from Texas). Because of this, and the fact that UK football practices are closed, we have no choice but to trust that Brooks, head coach of the offense Joker Phillips, and quarterback coach Randy Sanders, will select the quarterback that gives UK the best chance of winning football games.

Those who espouse that Newton is a better choice than Fidler, or visa versa, are simply whistling in the wind. I don't know, they don't know, the coaches probably don't know at this point, or a starter would have already been named. But, considering Fidler has been in the program for three-plus years, and Newton since only June, one has to think Fidler has a firmer grasp of the offense. But does having a firmer grasp of UK's offense make Fidler the better option? That question, I cannot answer, because there is something to be said for the most gifted player being given the chance, regardless of experience. But, that most important of decisions lies with the UK staff.

Whoever wins out, I know this -- Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke must have the ball in their able hands for a considerable number of snaps. Obviously, both players represent UK's most potent offensive threats, and in the SEC, a team's chances at victory relies heavily on the best players having the ball in their hands a high percentage of the time. In an average game Kentucky will run 65 (or so) offensive plays. At minimum, 40 of those plays should be geared toward Cobb and Locke, with the remaining 25 plays revolving around the other backs and receivers.

Of course there are unforeseen game situations which might dictate play calling, but UK's base offense should be centered on getting the ball to Cobb and Locke in space.

Tempering Expectations, John Calipari Style

I have to laugh every time I read or hear coach Calipari, or anyone else for that matter, attempt to tamp down UK fans' expectations for the upcoming basketball season. The line is usually the same: New coach, new system, new players = struggles, especially early in the season.

All of that might be true, but it doesn't matter. The UK faithful are so "geeked" about the upcoming roundball season, anything short of an outbreak of cat-astrophic injuries will result in stratospheric expectations. Telling UK fans not to expect immediate and long-lasting success this season is akin to telling the starving man not to eat too fast -- UK fans are famished for a legitimate national contender, and at long last that yearning will be fulfilled.

Furthermore, with John Wall being touted by some as the preseason national player of the year, along with the lofty rankings UK is receiving from the preseason prognosticators, throwing cold, or even lukewarm water on UK fans' hopes seems like an exercise of the most futile nature. So, go ahead UK fan, expect great things, I'm right there with you. And remember, coach, no amount of subterfuge, no matter how well meaning, will dissuade the hungry masses from exercising their right to great expectations.

I'll give Calipari and "A" for effort on this one, even if the effort was ineffective

Landon "Rudy" Slone

The movie "Rudy" has always been a favorite of mine. Rudy's courage, conviction, and hustle endeared him not only to his teammates, but two decades later, to the movie-watching American public. His story is one of the underdog winning out in the end, and American's, being underdogs once upon a time ourselves, appreciate dedication even in the face of long odds.

As the tale goes, Rudy Ruettiger, a walk-on football player at Notre Dame, was promised by legendary Irish coach Ara Parseghian a chance to dress for one Notre Dame home football game in Rudy's senior year. This was Parseghian's way of rewarding the nonathletic, yet fiercely competitive Ruettiger for his never-ending, give-up-the-body attitude during practice. Of course, as fate would have it, Parseghian resigned prior to the start of the season, and evidently did not let incoming Irish coach Dan Devine in on his plan to allow Ruettiger to dress for one home game. So, prior to Notre Dame's final home contest, knowing Devine was not going to let Rudy dress, the entire Irish squad offered to give up their spot on the team, in order for Rudy to dress for the game. Devine relents, and allows Ruettiger to dress for the game, a game in which Rudy was lucky enough to play in. Of course, in the end, Rudy the conquerer was carried off the field on his teammate's shoulders, after the final horn.

Former UK walk-on, Landon Slone, is in a similar position. After being told by Billy Gillispie that he would be awarded a scholarship for the '09-'10 season, Gillispie was terminated, and now John Calipari has the opportunity to do the right thing.

I know Calipari has an aversion to walk-ons, a stance I have no real problem with, but this situation begs for special consideration. After all, Slone is not without talent; He scored over 3,000 points in his illustrious career at Paintsville High School, and wanting to play for UK so badly, turned down several scholarship offers. He was a member of the team last season, and by all accounts, played as hard as one would expect a boy from the mountains of Kentucky to play.

Is it Slone's birthright to walk-on at UK? No, it isn't. A love for UK doesn't qualify one to play basketball, or any other sport for Kentucky, but a combination of Slone's A.) talent, B.) desire, and C.) the fact that Calipari (mistakenly) did not clear 10 minutes in his schedule to sit down with the young man months ago, leads me to respectfully request of coach Cal ...

... At minimum, give the kid half-an-hour to convince you that he would be a positive addition to this year's basketball 'Cats. Half-an-hour, that's all. You spent an entire night outside Memorial Coliseum with the Midnight Madness maniacs, why not listen for a few minutes to what Slone has to say?

You might not be aware, coach, but there's just something unspeakably special about a Kentucky kid wearing "Kentucky" across his chest. Even if the player isn't the most talented, and sometimes, because the player isn't the most talented. Simply put, sometimes the Kentucky underdog will inspire those gifted with exceptional ability ... Sometimes the Kentucky underdog will show the diaper dandy what it means to give it his all ... Sometimes the Kentucky underdog, through his love for the University, will stimulate the pampered to fight for victory, instead of settling for defeat ... Sometimes the Kentucky underdog is carried off the field of play on the shoulders of his teammates, to the cheers of those who wish they were him.

Give 'em a chance, coach, he deserves at least that much.

Maple Street Press Wildcat Tip-Off Annual

As Tru reported in an earlier post, the Wildcat Tip-Off preseason basketball magazine can be found, around October 20, at the following retail outlets: Wal Mart, Kroger's, Target, Meijer, CVS Pharmacy, Rite Aid, Walgreen's, Food Lion, Food City, Sam's Club, and the University Bookstore on campus.

The magazine can also be ordered on-line from Maple Street Press.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

In the Rearview Mirror: Kentucky at South Carolina

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:55:55 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

According to reports, Mike Hartline will be out for the season.

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Well, it happens most years to Kentucky, and it has happened again this year -- a major injury to a player will define the season, one way or the other. WHAS11 is reporting that Mike Hartline will be out for the season. Some are suspecting an MCL tear, but I can almost promise you one or both of the cruciate ligaments, the ACL or the PCL, are torn. Knees are not designed to move the way Hartline's moved. The MCL could also be damaged, but unlike the ACL or PCL, the MCL has a blood supply that allows it to heal without surgery, and heal even faster with it.

But this isn't an anatomy lesson, this is football commentary. Losing Hartline, according to Corey Peters, will make some fans happy, but I'm quite certain nobody is happy he was injured. It does not make me happy. Mike Hartline might not have been the kind of quality SEC quarterback a team needs for success in this league, but he was by no means lousy, and he was showing all his doubters, including me, just how good he could be yesterday. Unfortunately, football is among the cruelest of all college sports, and this is another example of just how mercilessly cruel it can be.

With perfect 20/20 hindsight, we can see clearly a number of missed opportunities Kentucky had to either win or put the game into overtime which were blown either by the players or the coaching staff. This loss was, as most are, a team effort, and the entire team lost this football game by making one too many mistakes.

So for the record, let's recount why Kentucky lost this game:

Inability to guard Alshon Jeffery --Gamecocks burn Cats' young corners
"It was a learning experience, and the thing we can build upon is that they were in great position," UK defensive coordinator Steve Brown said. "It's not like they were beat. Now we just have to teach them to look for the ball and have the confidence to try and make a play."

Yeah, Brown's right. It isn't as though the missed an assignment, or fell down, or were ten yards behind. They just didn't make the play, mostly because they did not know where the ball was until it was too late.
The Gamecocks planned to pick on UK's young cornerbacks --Gamecocks get Cats once again - Sports - The Sun News
Kentucky was without both of its starting corners, including All-American candidate Trevard Lindley, because of injuries. Garcia said the plan was to go after their replacements - sophomore Randall Burden and freshman Martavius Neloms, making his first career start. "We've been practicing all week, throwing fade routes and quick slants," Garcia said. "It worked out pretty well."

You have to give South Carolina props for doing exactly the right thing at the right time. The touchdowns to Jeffrey were no accident -- they were practiced.
The fake field goal gone wrong -- Wildcats lose QB, game " Evansville Courier & Press
"That fake field goal was a dumb call by me," Brooks said.

Indeed it was, coach. 'Nuff said.
Despite gashing the Gamecocks defense on the ground and through the air, UK had too many drives stall outside the red zone, and penalties that killed the drives.

Column: Mistakes cause disappointment week in and out for Cats | The Kentucky Kernel
Because that’s what UK always does. They challenge South Carolina and play them close every year. Every year they lose. It’s always something.

But usually, it’s because UK always causes that something. Sure, not having Hartline hurt, but was it the difference in the game? Not when UK showed it could still march down the field and score without him.
Despite the fact Randall Cobb moved Kentucky all the way down the field for their last touchdown, for some reason, Phillips decided he would rather have his second-string quarterback throw the football for the two-point conversion than let Cobb use his amazing, multiple skill set that piled up 229 all purpose yards.

I don't know about you, but I'm calling that a mistake. I'll even call it an inexplicably foolish one.
Two dropped touchdown passes, one by Cobb and one by T.C. Drake. Okay, I'll cop to the argument that the pass to Drake was not that great, and it would have been a really good catch. But it was plenty catchable, and against SEC teams on the road, you have to make those.

The Cobb drop was not really forgivable. It hit him right in the hands, and he just dropped the football. So as well as Cobb played, we see that he is mortal, after all.
Two huge special teams faux pas put South Carolina in scoring position.
The five-yard punt by Tydlacka really hurt us, and at a very bad time. It wound up in the end zone.

There were more, obviously. Corey Peters was out of position on a play that allowed a USC touchdown, several costly penalties, and more.

Despite all this, UK played well enough to win, and showed it could move the ball on almost any defense. It showed that last week versus Alabama also, so I think there is no real doubt that UK can score on almost anyone in this league. What UK has not proved it can do is play a mostly error-free game, and a team like Kentucky simply has to do that, because we are almost always going to suffer from a talent deficit, and even though the talent gap is much less against a team like South Carolina than a team like Alabama or Florida, it is still a factor.

But we can't just look at the bad. Kentucky played perhaps their most complete game of the season on both sides of the ball, despite the loss. The loss of three critical starters was surely a major factor in this game, and in spite of that, but for some inexplicable mistakes, Kentucky still would have likely won this game. If only one of the two dropped passes had been secured and everything else remained the same, the cats would have won.

Defensively, Kentucky did a solid job against the USC running game for three quarters. It's hard to sustain that all game, particularly with all the three-and-outs UK began suffering in the middle of the game, tiring the defense and opening up the run a little bit for the Gamecocks. The UK D-line got really good pressure on Garcia, and sacked him three times. The offensive line opened up holes for Locke, who seemingly couldn't stand up yesterday and tripped over his own feet half a dozen times. Still, he stumbled his way to 155 all-purpose yards. But even that pales compared to Randall Cobb's great game -- 229 all-purpose yards, all but 55 of them coming on the ground.

The loss of Hartline for the year (trust me, it will happen) is a big problem. It places UK pretty much back in the spot we were in last year when Cobb went down with injury -- without our best on offense. Will Fidler may step up and impress, and I am not ruling that out. I am not ruling out Morgan Newton, who seems to be the only other QB ready to take a snap, rising up from his freshman status to lead us to victory should Fidler falter. What I am saying is that history is against the likelihood of either scenario. More likely, UK will simply suffer offensively.

So now, it's on to Auburn Tigers. This game is past, and we must now go down to Jordan-Hare Stadium to face an angry Tiger team that is smarting from an emasculation in Fayetteville this past weekend.

Oh, goody.

South Carolina 28, Kentucky 26 -- Postmortem

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:28:06 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

Another great game by Derrick Locke goes for naught.

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I really don't know what to say. Some years are just like this, and there is really no way to explain it.

Congratulations to South Carolina. They exploited our weaknesses in the secondary due to injury, and managed to get UK to go to their backup quarterback, and UK just didn't have enough to overcome the setbacks. South Carolina did a really good job in the passing game, and even though they made a ton of errors that nearly cost them the game, they were able to overcome adversity and get the win.

For Kentucky, it is just one more in a seemingly endless line of "should have beens," not just against South Carolina but against almost every SEC team not named Vanderbilt. As a fan, I am so far beyond frustrated I thank heaven I have a laid-back psyche, because rabid UK football fans must be ready to commit seppuku in the face of yet another hard-luck loss by Kentucky.

But wasn't all hard luck, now was it? Who can explain Brooks' decision to let his second-string quarterback try to pass for the two-point conversion rather than run Randall Cobb in the Wildcat, the very thing that got them down the field and in a position to tie the game? Who can explain how Hartline, who hasn't been hit a dozen times this year and was having arguably the best game of his life, manages to get a freak knee injury? Who can explain how Kentucky, with a clear shot at Garcia and holding the Gamecocks to get the ball back with three minutes or so left managed to throw three bodies at him -- and miss?

None of it can be explained. It is deja vu all over again, second verse same as the first, been there done that. My explanation is that Steve Spurrier is actually the alien demon Cthulhu made flesh, capable of frightening even Lucifer himself. That, or he's just got Kentucky's number. Either way, the results are the same.

Anyway, here are my observations, for what they are worth:

Overall, very good playcalling, but the three or four bad calls really cost us. The crazy fake punt, not giving Cobb the shot at the 2-point conversion, the inexplicable timeout that cost us a first down.
A five yard punt? Really?
Where the heck was Norwood? I know -- he was being de-cleated by John Conner. Maybe Connor really is The Terminator. Conner is the greatest blocking back I have ever seen on any Kentucky team at any time. Of course, I don't watch that much football, so that doesn't mean one heck of a lot.
Great game by Hartline. He made virtually zero bad decisions. Made a couple of bad throws. A pity we won't be seeing him (most likely) for the rest of this year.
Will Fidler has a good arm, but there is a reason he is the backup. That reason showed.
Randall Cobb. Scary. We need much more Cobb.
Another great game by Derrick Locke. The guy just makes plays.
Injuries killed us, but they are part of football. I still want to bemoan our fate on that, though. Kentucky's football history is star-crossed enough without losing both starting corners and having your freshman backup burned repeatedly for touchdowns. Three of them, to be exact. Do you think that would have happened vs. Lindley? Not likely.
Our lines are playing great football right now, on both sides of the ball. Our secondary couldn't tackle a tackling dummy
What the heck was going on with our kickoff coverage?
We won the turnover battle. Gotta give kudos for that. The forced fumble on Stephen Garcia was a great play. The INT was a stupid play by Garcia, and a good catch by Sam Maxwell.
Lones Siber did another really good job. Maybe the boy has come around.
Big plays cost the 'Cats, big plays that could have been prevented.

Another "moral victory." How nice. Just what I wanted.

On the bright side, Kentucky played reasonably well, and could have won the game, and it wasn't bad coaching or bad execution that cost them. The other team just made more plays, and took advantage of the circumstances that presented themselves. Despite major injury problems, we competed and had a chance to win. I suppose that will have to be enough, since a post-game forfeit by USC seems unlikely.

On to the Plains to meet a pretty mad Auburn team. Sounds like fun to me!

UK Quarterbacks and Receivers: Past, Present, and Future

Ken Howlett — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:08:46 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Hartline to Cobb -- Salad days, indeed.

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Kentucky's impressive 42-0 football victory over Miami on Saturday began to at least answer a couple of "elephant in the room" questions related to the potential success of the 2009 football Wildcats: Will Mike Hartline be better, and will Derrick Locke be as good?

A firm, yet cautious "yes," is how I answer to both. Hartline was obviously more confident, more accurate, and less hesitant than last year, and Locke was the same power+speed machine he was before his knee injury. Both terrific signs for the fortunes of UK football in '09.

And since we haven't delved into either the quarterback or running back positions in our preseason previews thus far, let's take a look at what UK has to offer from those spots in 2009:

The Quarterbacks

Mike Hartline -- 6'6", 206 lb junior: In 2008, Hartline threw for 1,666 yards, completing 172 of 311 passes (51.3%), throwing for nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Ohio native started 9 of UK's 13 games -- Kentucky's first eight games, then after a Randall Cobb injury, the Liberty Bowl. UK has posted a 7-3 mark (including Saturday's win) in Hartline's 10 career starts.

Versus Miami on Saturday, Hartline posted outstanding numbers -- 18-27 passing (66.7% completion rate), 222 yards, and two touchdowns. Just as important, zero turnovers. Clearly, Mike Hartline has played his best two games as a Wildcat, in his last two games: Versus ECU in the Liberty Bowl, he was 19-31 (61.3% completion rate) for 204 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Combined, in his last two games, Hartline has thrown for 426 yards on 37-58 passing (63.8% completion rate), three touchdowns and one pick. Not bad at all. Sure, his seemingly rapid improvement has come against non-SEC opponents, but when judged against what he accomplished last season in the pre-conference schedule, his two most recent games have provided Rich Brooks with far superior results.

A large part of Hartline's improvement has been due to the upgrade he's enjoyed at the receiver spot. With the addition of Chris Matthews to a receiver corps already boasting Randall Cobb, Hartline now has two targets, at least similar in talent, to Andre' Woodson's collection of Mr. GoodHands -- Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson, Dicky Lyons, Jacob Tamme, and Rafael Little. And with the demonstrated ability of tight ends T. C. Drake, Ross Bogue, and Maurice Grinter to catch and run, along with the danger a now-healthy Derrick Locke poses as a pass catcher, Hartline finally has a group of receivers who make the grab, and know what to do next.

Hartline also showed on Saturday that he can pinpoint a pass longer than 10 yards (a concern of many) -- His two fades to Cobb and Matthews in the second quarter were both perfectly thrown, and they were both over 20 yards. Hartline's passes, both long and short, were "zipped" and on-target, with but a few exceptions.

So, what are the possibilities? -- Well, with the addition of Matthews at the receiver spot (as well as the tight ends and the now-experienced backup receivers), combined with Hartline's new found confidence, arm strength, and accuracy, it would not come as a surprise if Hartline were to ultimately make a Bob Beamon-like leap from 11 touchdown passes (in 2008) to the mid-20's or higher this season. That would be HUGE for this Kentucky football team, and could quite possibly result in the 'Cats challenging to win 8-9 (dare I say 10?) games.

Will Fidler -- 6'4", 229 lb junior: The Henderson County alum has played in four career games before this season. He has completed three of four pass attempts, for 26 yards. Fidler's incredible high school career ranks him fourth in Kentucky high school football history with 9,395 yards passing. He threw for 92 touchdowns in his career, 45 of those in his junior season alone.

It was good to see Fidler get some time on the field Saturday. He responded by going 2-3 for 21 yards. If one were ever worried about Fidler's arm strength, worry no more. He was throwin' fastballs! It's always comforting to know that if the starter goes down with an injury, his replacement can throw the ball.

"Wildcat" Randall Cobb -- 5'11", 188 lb sophomore: Last season Cobb threw for 542 yards and two touchdowns on 52-99 passing (52.5% completion rate). He also threw five interceptions. Cobb rushed for 316 yards on 79 carries (4.0 ypc), almost exclusively from the quarterback spot.

On Saturday, Cobb rushed the ball once, scoring the easiest 11 yard touchdown in the history of UK football.

That's about all we saw of the "Wildcat" formation on Saturday (other than a couple of handoffs). So possibilities are what we're left with. And I think we'll find, over the course of the season, the possibilities afforded UK out of the formation will be endless.

I applaud coach Brooks and Joker Phillips for wisely opting not to reveal too much of the "Wildcat" package, especially in a game versus a MAC opponent. Keep in mind, though, the same mantra may be in effect in UK's next outing versus U of L, but as the season rolls along toward relevance, it will be great fun to witness the evolution of UK's newest offensive wrinkle.

Ryan Mossakowski -- 6'4", 208 lb freshman: Coming out of high school in Centennial, Texas, Mossakowski was named an All-America by SuperPreps and PrepStar. For his career (cut short by a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder his senior year) Mossakowski threw for 7,433 yards and 51 touchdowns. He also contributed on the ground with 799 rushing yards and an additional 20 touchdowns (from the quarterback position). Although Mossakowski is considered to have one of the strongest arms among the nation's freshmen signal-callers, his 64.7% completion rate his junior year seems to indicate the young man is quite accurate, also.

Mossakowski is a serious redshirt possibility. Couple his frosh status with his arm injury (which he has recovered from), and "redshirt" quickly comes to mind.

Morgan Newton -- 6'4", 217 lb freshman: Newton, Indiana's 5A Mr. Football, was named an All-America by a litany of publications -- Parade, SuperPrep, The Sporting News, MaxPreps, and ESPN/Rise Magazine. He also picked up Gatorade Indiana Football Player of the Year honors. Newton was rated the No. 6 quarterback prospect by Scout.com. In his storied high school career, Newton threw for 4,284 yards and 37 touchdowns, to go along with 2,617 yards rushing and another 37 touchdowns on the ground. In his senior year alone, Newton accounted for 3,602 yards of total offense, and 48 touchdowns for Carmel High School -- He threw for 1,938 yards (22 touchdowns) and rushed for 1,664 (26 touchdowns). Newton led his team to the 5A championship game two years in a row; winning in his junior year, and losing (late in the game), his senior season.

Coach Brooks has intimated in recent weeks that he is open to the possibility of redshirting both Mossakowski and Newton. Frankly, if Hartline continues to play well, I see no reason for either quarterback to waste a season of eligibility.

The Running Backs

Derrick Locke -- 5'9", 190 lb junior: The Hugo, Oklahoma native has played in 19 games (going into this year); he's rushed for 824 yards on 157 carries (5.2 yards per carry), and six touchdowns. He's also caught 30 passes out of the backfield, good for 281 yards (9.4 yards per reception) and one touchdown. Locke has also been adept at returning kick-offs -- 16 returns for 430 yards (26.9 yards per return) and a touchdown. In 2008, a season cut short by a torn ACL, Locke contributed 303 rushing yards on 63 carries (4.8 ypc), and one touchdown. From the air, Locke caught 23 passes for 195 yards (8.5 ypr) and a touchdown. He also excelled on special teams by returning 11 kick-offs for 314 yards (28.5 ypr), and one electric return for six versus Western Kentucky (Locke is only the fifth Wildcat to return a kick 100 yards for a touchdown).

Versus Miami, Locke rushed eight times for 61 yards (7.6 ypc), and a touchdown, moreover, he convinced me that he hasn't lost any of his power or speed after suffering his knee injury last year. For someone who was reportedly out of shape, Locke sure shook, rattled, and rolled his way through the RedHawk defense. I realize Miami, OH isn't Georgia or Florida, but he looked like the old Derrick and ...

... quite simply, if Derrick's healthy, he's the No. 1 back.

Alfonso Smith -- 6'1", 208 lb senior: Smith, out of Louisville's Waggener High School, has played in 36 career games, rushing for 712 yards on 155 carries (4.6 ypc) and six touchdowns. He's also recorded 29 catches for 322 yards (11.1 ypr) and two touchdowns. The speedy Smith has proved to be a very capable kick return man; he's returned eight kick-offs for 182 yards (22.8 ypr). In 2008, Smith rushed for 313 yards on 74 carries (4.2 ypc) and two touchdowns, he also caught 16 passes for 204 yards (12.8 ypr) and one touchdown. He returned five kick-offs for 114 yards (22.8 ypr). Smith ran for a career long 38 yard run against ECU in the Liberty Bowl.

Against Miami on Saturday, Smith ran for 36 yards on 7 carries (5.1 ypc). He's an extremely talented back, but unseating Locke as the teams best back will be a tall task, probably a bit too tall. But, Smith has proved to be elusive and fast, as well as affective catching the ball out of the backfield. He'll get his share, and if Locke struggles, he'll get more.

Moncell Allen -- 5'7", 225 lb junior: In 25 career games Allen has rushed for 241 yards on 49 carries (4.9 ypc), and one touchdown. He's also caught seven passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. In 2008, Allen played in 12 games, rushing for 202 yards on 38 carries (5.3 ypc) and one touchdown. New Orleans' second favorite son (behind Dicky Lyons, Jr.) also corralled five passes for 39 yards (7.8 ypr) and one touchdown.

"The Turtle" rushed eight times for 57 yards (7.1 ypc) and a touchdown on Saturday. Allen continues to impress, and is seriously challenging for carries.

John Conner -- 5'11", 240 lb senior: Conner has played in 42 career games, carrying 23 times for 89 yards (3.9 ypc). The sure-handed fullback has caught 20 passes for 147 yards (7.3 ypr) and three touchdowns. In 2008, Conner produced 15 carries for 47 yards (3.1 ypc), and snagged 11 passes for 89 yards (8.1 ypr).

Conner's is evidently not recovered from his injury, and did not play Saturday (Maurice Grinter filled-in at the fullback spot). Conner is an important part of the UK offense, both as a blocker, and goal-line ball carrier. He's also pretty handy catching passes out of the backfield. Kentucky needs him healthy.

A. J. Nance -- 5'11", 256 lb senior: Last season (and for his career), Nance has rushed three times for 18 yards (6.0 ypc).

Nance, on Saturday ran the ball once, for four yards. The Knoxville native supplies UK with depth at the fullback spot.

CoShik Williams -- 5'9", 180 lb redshirt freshman: The Hiram, Georgia product had a tremendous spring. A spring in which he showed himself to be a major contender for second on the depth chart at the running back position (remember, Locke was hurt). He affirmed the coach's feelings in the two major scrimmages this fall, where Williams ran for a combined 140 yards on 29 carries, and one touchdown. His only problem being -- Holding on to the football (not a good problem to have as a freshman). In high school, Williams rushed for over 2,600 yards in his junior and senior seasons (combined); this despite him missing four games his senior year. Williams was also a track star, competing in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, as well as the 4x100 and 4x400 relays. He reached the Georgia high school state track meet championships all four years of high school.

Saturday versus Miami, Williams rushed a team-high 10 times for 39 yards (3.9 ypc). He'll get some work this year, more if there are injuries, and he conquers his "droppsies."

Donald Russell -- 5'11", 205 lb true freshman: Russell was named one of the Top 50 running backs in the nation by Rivals.com. His senior year, the Florida native rushed for 893 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a junior he ran for 932 yards and nine touchdowns. He's been clocked at 10.7 in the 100 meters.

Versus Miami, Russell ran seven times for 31 yards (4.3 ypc). He's quick, that's for certain, but Russell and Williams have a log-jam of talent in front of them. Seeing playing time once the SEC slate begins will be difficult, but they do supply much needed depth to the running back position, especially important considering Locke's injury history.

A Plea for Coach Brooks

Those that have read A Sea of Blue on a regular basis for more than a few months, know that I hold Rich Brooks in very high esteem. I think the job he's done at UK is to commended, heck, if I were in charge I would rename the football field "Rich Brooks Field" (that would give him two football fields named after him).

BUT, I do wish that he would reconsider using Randall Cobb as a kick returner. I know Cobb is special with the ball in his hands, but I feel the risk involved far outweighs the benefits. Plus, there are several highly capable return men available-- Defensive back Winston Guy is ridiculously fast and did a fine job late last year returning kicks. Wide out Gene McCaskill is equally fast, and has some return experience. Another receiver, Eric Adeyemi is very fast and dangerous in the open field. Derrick Locke is a great return man, but his knee injury would keep me from allowing him to return kicks.

It honestly scares me to see Cobb settling-in under a kick. The thought of knees buckling, and ankles twisting haunt my optimistic nature. Papa, I won't preach any longer, if you'll only take this matter under advisement.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

SB Nation - Will Fidler

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