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UK Football: Kentucky vs. Louisiana-Monroe Breakdown

Ken Howlett — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:41:30 -0000

Kentucky enters tonight's 7:00 EST home tilt with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks looking to push their record over the .500 mark for the first time in a month. Coming off an inspiring 21-14 come-from-behind road victory at Auburn last weekend, UK (3-3, 1-3) figures to have confidence and momentum on their side. The Warhawks, though, aren't exactly Miami (OH). They enter tonight's Commonwealth Stadium contest at 4-2, and a league-leading 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference.

With UK heading into a stretch of four straight games they should be favored (the 'Cats are favored tonight by 14 points), it's obviously important that the 'Cats continue to maintain focus, but for those battling the demons of complacency, a come-to-Jesus talk with a Wildcat possessing a long memory will result in a history lesson on UK's 42-40 near disastrous defeat to this same Warhawk team in 2006. Yeah, that team: Andre Woodson', Keenan Burton, Wesley Woodyard, Rafael Little, etc, etc. So, taking lightly this Sun Belt Conference member will very likely translate into a game similar to last season's nerve-rattling win over Middle Tennessee ... yet another Sun Belt Conference member.

Over the last three season's, Charlie Weatherbie, the Warhawks veteran coach, has competed very nicely with ULM's SEC opponents -- In 2007 ULM beat Alabama 21-14 (temporarily causing the state to enter into a period of mourning). And to go along with the near win at UK in 2006, last year ULM lost only 28-27 at Arkansas.

In ULM's offense, Kentucky will encounter an attack based on the spread-option ... with a twist; ULM presents the offense with lots of misdirection and motion. Rich Brooks had this to say about the unusual Warhawk offense:

"Offensively they totally mess with your mind. They false key. The pull linemen and run the ball away from where they're pulling them to. All your principles that you teach on defense are out the window in a game like this."

Adding additional question marks to the UK's defensive decision-makers is the absence of ULM starting quarterback Trey Revell. Revell injured his thumb in ULM's 16-10 victory against Arkansas State 11 days ago. He'll be replaced by redshirt freshman Cody Wells.

So without further time-wasting, here is the Warhawk team that UK must put away early:

Warhawk Offensive Personnel

Cody Wells: 6'0", 190 lb redshirt freshman quarterback -- Wells has played in only two games this season, completing seven of 13 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. After replacing Revell in the Warhawks' game versus Arkansas State, Wells was 5-9 for 67 yards.

In the first five-and-half games of 2009, Revell orchestrated the ULM offense by throwing for 1,124 and eight touchdowns on 81-140 passing (57.9%). He's also proved to be an exceptionally talented runner, rushing 50 times for 194 yards (3.9 yards per carry), and three touchdowns. Wells played well in his relief effort last week, so he comes into Commonwealth with some confidence. He's highly mobile, which fits nicely into the offensive schemes the Warhawks employ.

Frank Goodin: 5'9", 203 lb junior running back -- The Warhawks top ball-carrier, Goodin has rushed 110 times of 558 yards (5.1 ypc), and nine touchdowns. He's also caught six passes for 48 yards (8.0 yards per reception).

Versus Florida International earlier in the year, Goodin ran 19 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns. He's a dangerous runner, possessing both speed and power.

Rodney Lovett: 5'9", 200 lb junior running back -- Lovett has carried the ball 38 times for 147 yards (3.9 ypc), and one touchdown.

Last season against Arkansas Lovett rushed 17 times for 66 yards.

Darrell McNeal: 6'0", 220 lb senior wide receiver -- McNeal has made 24 catches for 360 yards (15.0 yards per reception) and four touchdowns. He also returns punts for the Warhawks; 14 returns for 52 yards (3.7 yards per return).

McNeal has accumulated over 1,600 receiving yards in his career, and he will at times be called upon to take the direct snap out of the "Wildcat" formation. He recorded four rushing touchdowns last season out of the "Wildcat," but has yet to score on the ground this season. Earlier in the year versus Florida International, McNeal made six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

LaGregory Sapp: 6'3", 209 lb fifth-year senior wide receiver -- Sapp has 18 catches for 336 yards (18.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

The deep threat receiver made seven catches for 96 yards earlier this year in a game versus Florida Atlantic.

Luther Ambrose: 5'10", 175 lb sophomore wide receiver -- A triple-threat in every sense of the term, Ambrose has make 14 catches, good for 207 yards (14.8 ypr) and one touchdown, to go along with 13 carries for 121 yards (9.3 ypc) and another touchdown. Not satisfied with double-duty, Ambrose also returns kick-offs; 19 returns for 425 yards (22.4 yards per return).

In ULM's first game of the year versus then-No. 2 Texas, Ambrose recorded 207 all-purpose yards (receptions, rushes, returns). Ambrose is another weapon utilized in an unorthodox manner; UK must be ready for him to receive the ball both through the air and on the ground.

Alvin Jordan: 6'2", 253 lb junior tight end -- Jordan has made 13 catches for 100 yards (7.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

Warhawk Defensive Personnel

Cardia Jackson: 6'2", 230 lb senior linebacker -- The Warhawks leading tackler with 52 on the year (34 solo), the First Team All-Sun Belt Conference member is regarded as ULM's defensive stalwart. He's also recorded two tackles for loss, and two pass breakups.

In 2008, Jackson averaged 10.6 tackles per game, racking up 18 against Ole Miss. In 2006 versus UK, he made nine tackles.

Aaron Morgan: 6'4", 235 lb senior defensive end -- The Second Team All-Sun Belt performer has made 30 tackles (25 solo) with a team-leading 9.0 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He's also had six quarterback hurries.

This season, Morgan has two, two sack games, versus Arizona State and Texas Southern.

Darius Prelow: 6'1", 205 lb sophomore defensive back -- Prelow has made 38 tackles (31 solo), one tackle for loss, and seven pass breakups.

Josh Thomas: 6'2", 228 lb senior cornerback -- Thomas has 38 tackles (30 solo), two tackles for loss, two sacks and three pass breakups.

Thomas, who has started 30 straight games in his college career, recorded a season-high six tackles versus UK in 2006.

Troy Evans: 6'2", 252 lb sophomore defensive end -- Evans in 2009 has made 16 tackles (10 solo), four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and three quarterback hurries.

Evans is the reigning SBC Player of the Week after forcing two fumbles late in ULM's 16-10 victory over Arkansas State 11 days ago.

Grant Clayton: 5'7", 160 lb freshman kicker -- Clayton, who handles the kick-off duties, has kicked-off 32 times, recording only one touchback, but opponents are averaging only 20.5 yards per return.

Warhawk Vitals

Louisiana-Monroe boasts the 12th ranked rush defense in the nation, allowing only 93.3 yards rushing per game ... Last week versus Arkansas State, ULM held ASU to a .9 yards per carry average ... In a 38-14 loss to Arizona State, the Warhawks held the Sun Devils to only 3.1 yards per carry ... ULM is a plus 2 on the season in turnover margin, but were a minus 3 in their loss to Arizona State ... ULM beat Texas Southern 58-0 in the seasons second game ... The Warhawks average 30.7 points per game, but give up 27.8 points ... ULM has more than doubled their opponents rush yards; 1,167 (4.6 ypc) to 560 (2.8 ypc) ... ULM converts 42% of their third down opportunities, but their opponents convert 43% ... In red zone chances, ULM has scored 83% of the time (24-29), but their opponents have scored 91% of the time (20-22) ... The Warhawks have also given up a high number of touchdowns in the red zone, 17 of 22 (77%) ... ULM is off to their best start since 1993 ... ULM quarterbacks have been sacked only five times all year ... The Warhawks have recorded a healthy 34 pass breakups.

Charlie Weatherbie

In his seventh year at Louisiana-Monroe, Weatherbie (29-44) has done what he's done twice before: Turn around a moribund football program -- As coach at Utah State, he took the Aggies to their first bowl game in 15 years. In his first season as head coach at Navy, Weatherbie went 9-3 with an Aloha Bowl win. This, coming on the heels of 15 straight losing season for the Midshipmen. He's also the first coach in Navy history to record back-to-back winning seasons --Weatherbie took over a ULM program in 1993 coming off a one win season, and in 2005 won the Sun Belt Conference championship, the Warhawks' first conference title since 1992.

Weatherby will be a formidable adversary for Rich Brooks tonight, and with the uncertainty surrounding the ULM quarterback situation, look for some out-of-the-box strategy from the cagey veteran coach.

Derrick Locke

Kentucky's top running threat is expected to play tonight. Locke, coming off an MCL strain suffered last week at Auburn, practiced lightly this week. Alfonso Smith, coming off a thumb, injury appears to be near 100%. UK will need both backs healthy in their effort to quash any confidence surges from the visiting Warhawks.

Ideally, Locke will rest in the second half of tonight's game, with Smith and Moncell Allen taking over the ball-carrying duties.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Defensively, UK must "stay home," and stay true to their assignments. ULM will use a variety of offensive sets, mixing in the spread-option with the "Wildcat." But, UK has the better athletes, and if the 'Cats attack and wrap-up the way they did last week, holding the Warhawks well below their season scoring average should be an attainable goal.

Offensively, it's the immovable object (ULM rush D) against a surging 'Cat ground attack. After posting the highest team rush total (282 yards) since Bill Curry was calling the plays, UK looks to continue its ground dominance, utilizing Randall Cobb out of the "Wildcat." But, with freshman quarterback Morgan Newton once again earning the start, look for UK to open up the passing game against a Warhawk team that allows 262.5 yards passing per game.

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky 34 ULM 17

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

The Last Time No. 1 Visited Commonwealth Stadium ...

Ken Howlett — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:44:33 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Beating Florida will get more than a yell out of UK coach Rich Brooks.

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... the LSU Tigers limped back to Baton Rouge with an "L" in the column that counts. Oh, how sweet it would be to witness (Saturday) a replay of UK's epic performance against Les Miles' national championship squad. Not because I despise Gator quarterback (and choir boy) Tim Tebow, or his sometimes pompous head coach Urban "What Were His Parents Thinking?" Meyer, rather, losing to the Gators has become an unfortunate rite of passage for UK fans under the age of, well, any age actually, and it's time it stopped.

Since 1986, the last time UK beat Florida, the Gators have out-shined the 'Cats by a cumulative score of 927 - 412 -- Average score: Florida - 42, UK - 19. That's embarrassing, or at least it should be. And making matters more despicable, the futility Kentucky has suffered goes back even further, for before UK's 10 - 3 victory in '86, one has to go back to 1979 to find another good guy win, this one a 31 - 3 Wildcat victory. So, if one is slow on the uptake, what that means is UK is 2 - 28 against Florida in their last 30 meetings. Hopefully, UK is exhausted from being the nail ... it's now time for Kentucky to be the heavy hitter (apologies to Darryl Isaacs).

Couple the fact that Florida is coming off an uninspiring 23 - 13 win over the Tennessee Vols in The Swamp last Saturday, with the Gators' death-dive defeats of Sun Belt power Troy (56 - 6) and Big South bully Charleston Southern (62 - 3), question marks abound where exclamation points are usually found. In other words, no one knows yet how good the Gators are, or can be.

Not helping the Gator cause against the Vols, along with several players exhibiting flu-like symptoms, was the absence of wide receiver Deonte Thompson to a hamstring injury (he's supposed to play Saturday), a loss which further exposed the gaping hole left by the graduation of pass catcher/running back (and 'Cat killer) Percy Harvin and wide-out Louis Murphy -- Evidence: Tight end Aaron Hernandez was Florida's top receiver on Saturday, with four catches for 26 yards. Yeah, you read that right, four catches for 26 yards. Uber-defensive back Eric Berry and his fellow Vol secondary members, along the youthful Gator receivng corps, limited Tebow to only 14 - 19 passing, for 115 yards (Tebow's longest pass went for only 18 yards) and an interception. Tebow's performance broke a string of 30 straight games in which the former Heisman Trophy winner has thrown a touchdown pass.

Holy Spurrier, has the Gators offense become a one-dimensional ground attack? If Saturday's contest is any indication, they might have become just that, at least for now -- Out of 63 offensive plays, Florida ran the ball 44 times for 208 yards (4.7 yards per carry). Of course, leading the ground charge was Tebow with 76 yards on 24 carries (3.2 ypc), followed by 5'9" running back Chris Rainey, with 64 yards on only nine carries (7.1 ypc). The old adage long held by Woody Hayes, seems to hold true here -- Why throw the ball, when you can run? Why indeed?

So, is it possible the 'Cats could stack the box with eight or even nine players in an effort to bring a halt to the Gator ground game? Or is that game-plan a recipe for a disastrous night for UK defensive backs Trevard Lindley, Paul Warford, and Winston Guy; the three players I would want covering the Florida receivers if UK goes with an eight man front. We'll probably never know the answer to my question, though, because I don't expect head coach Rich Brooks or defensive coordinator Steve Brown to venture that far outside of the box (and probably rightly so).

Whatever UK's defensive game-plan might be, a concerted effort must be made to contain Tebow. He's their Peyton Manning and Tom Brady all wrapped-up in one rather large 6'3", 245 lb package. And the last time he visited Lexington he threw for a personal-best four touchdowns, on 18 of 26 passing (256 yards), in Florida's 45 - 37 win.

"Contain Tebow, yeah right." I know that's what you're thinking, sitting there drinking your breakfast drink of choice. But my friends, that's how the 'Cats beat Florida -- DeQuin Evans, Corey Peters, Micah Johnson, Sam Maxwell, Collins Ukwu and crew must not only pressure Tebow, no, pressure only brings out the best in him, instead, they must terrorize Tebow with pancake hits, and brain-rattling sacks. Force him out of his comfort zone, and then make him pay the price for traveling into our back yard, and trying to push us around. Be men, do what men do: Beat the be-jeezus out of each other.

You see, Tebow is a winner. Probably always has been, probably always will be, but winners don't win all the time. Sometimes they lose, but they don't lose of their own volition, they need some help. And UK's defense must be the unit to provide the impetus for his defeat, via their persistent smash-mouth mentality, and aggressive pursuit of the enemy. There should be no letting-up in UK's determination -- If Tebow's nose is bloodied, bloody his mouth. If his mouth is bleeding, keep attacking until his teeth fall out. Don't stop ... ever. He's the enemy, and he prances onto our turf with the mindset of beating Kentucky for the fourth straight time. This time he should be vanquished, thankful he doesn't have to visit again.

Anything less is unacceptable. This team, this school, has embarrassed UK for far too long -- 63 - 6, 73 - 17, 65 - 0, 55 - 28. It's time the Gators paid. And who better to pay the piper, than the "Golden Boy" himself?

Now, for those who are at this moment exclaiming, "Howlett wants UK to play dirty Saturday!" Don't. One of the great things about football is one can inflict great pain and punishment while following the rules of the game. Just ask Dave Ragone, circa September 1, 2002.

I feel confident in saying, we're in the midst of a sea-change in the Kentucky football program. We've seen improvement in the type of player now coming to Kentucky; we've seen improvement in UK's won-loss record; we've seen three straight bowl wins for the first time in the program's history; and we've seen victories, when losses were expected. UK has bounced back from the throes of probation, bounced back to be better than they've ever been: 25 - 16 over the last three years. But now, ripe is the fruit, ready to be picked. The next step in the evolution of Kentucky football is upon us, and that step has an orange and blue hue.

Not since 1984 ... No. 1 in the country ... Too good to be true quarterback ... A coach easy to hate ... At home -- The set-up is perfectly pristine for Kentucky to execute the heist. For this game can be stolen, but it will take a single-minded determination. A determination to destroy the enemy, and take what is ours. And if any of you guys (players) are bored enough to be reading my work; If you can't summon the strength and will to do it for yourselves, do it for Marty Moore, Pookie Jones, Billy Jack Haskins, Tim Couch, Craig Yeast, Rafael Little, Artose Pinner, Jared Lorenzen, Wesley Woodyard, Marlon McCree, Myron Pryor, Andre' Woodson, Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson, Dicky Lyons, and all the other Wildcat players unfortunate enough to be on a team not quite good enough to beat the bad guys. Okay, now back to studying game film.

My Best Prognostication

If the 'Cats keep 'em under 30 points, they have a chance to send No.1 back to the sunshine as a nice, matching, handbag/shoes combo Paris Hilton would be proud of.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, beat the Gators!

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!

UK Football: The Secondary

Ken Howlett — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:20:41 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

Happy to have Lindley back.

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The return of all-world cornerback Trevard Lindley to the Kentucky defensive secondary ranks as perhaps the top football story of 2009 for UK football backers. When it was announced in the spring that Lindley was going to test the NFL draft waters, my thought was, "Well, he's gone." Well, wrong. And thankfully so.

Not in the recent annals of UK football history has a player been so decorated, so respected at his position, as Trevard Lindley. Since his freshmen year, when he was named a freshman All-America, Lindley's performance on the field has garnered enough awards and accolades to make Tim Tebow blush. But, Lindley's UK legacy doesn't end there, though -- He has the great distinction of being the only current Wildcat who has started every game since the death of "Old UK" back in ...

... 2006: Andre' Woodson emerged from the shadows of Shane Boyd, as a steely-eyed dart throwing machine, resulting in UK winning eight games for the first time since winning nine in 1984. Starting at cornerback, Trevard Lindley.
In 2007, UK once again led by Andre Woodson, won eight contests, also winning their second straight bowl game, a feat not accomplished in Lexington since the 1950-1951 seasons. Starting at cornerback, Trevard Lindley.
And in 2008, after Woodson, Keenan Burton, Stevie Johnson, Jacob Tamme, and Rafael Little all had departed for the pro ranks, UK still found a way to win seven games, and a program first, third straight bowl victory. And they did it with a lot of bad luck (a mountain of major injuries), a little defense, some good luck (Arkansas), and Trevard Lindley at cornerback.

He's one of the few common threads connecting the previous three UK teams; now he's the only regular contributor to the '06 team still pounding the turf at Commonwealth. He's made Kentucky better, not only with his great skill level, but Lindley has proved to be a supernova when UK has needed to shine the brightest:

In '06, Lindley's freshman year, he intercepted Georgia's Matt Stafford inside the final minute sealing UK's first victory over the Dogs since 1996.
Also in '06, against Clemson in the Music City Bowl, Lindley had an interception and fumble recovery in the 'Cats first bowl victory since 1984.
In '07 versus U of L, on the first play of the game (how sweet), he intercepted a Brian Bohm pass and returned it 33-yards, setting up a UK touchdown. He set the tone for the 'Cats that day, a day UK upset the ninth-rated Cards.
Also in '07, in a thrilling game against Arkansas, Lindley sparked a UK comeback with a 66-yard fumble return for a touchdown. It was the week after the U of L win, and fans were wanting affirmation. And affirmation they received.
And again in '07, versus LSU, in perhaps the most monumental display of drawing a bead on the quarterback's read in the history of college football, Lindley intercepted an LSU pass which set up the game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter.
Not satisfied, Lindley again in 2007 versus Tennessee, intercepted a pass late in the game, sending the epic contest into its first overtime.
In the 2007 Music City Bowl, for the second year in a row, Lindley shone bright in the Nashville sky: He caused a fumble, and recorded three pass break-ups.
Last season against Louisville, for the second year in a row, Lindley played "hugemongous" (a common theme?): He intercepted a Hunter Cantwell pass, and returned it 24 yards to the U of L two-yard line, in yet another UK victory over the evil Cards.

Considering Lindley's consistently excellent play, it is no shock that this season Trevard Lindley's name appears on every ballot except U. S. Senate: Chuck Bednarik Award (nations best defensive player), Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nations best defensive player), and the Jim Thorpe Award (nations best defensive back). He was voted preseason First Team All-SEC, and preseason Second Team All-America. Not one to rest on his laurels, in 2009 Lindley will be expected to ...

.. lead UK's mixture of experience and youth in the Wildcat secondary. It's a talented group of players, but Big Blue lost some good ones to graduation -- Safety Marcus McClinton (50 tackles, four interceptions, four pass deflections, and a ton of experience), cornerback David Jones (34 tackles, one interception, five pass break-ups and six deflections), cornerback Robbie McAtee (33 tackles, one sack, one interception, three pass break-ups, and four pass deflections, he also recovered an SEC-best three fumbles), and utility-man Shomari Moore (28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, three pass break-ups, four pass deflections).

That's 145 tackles, 11 pass deflections and break-ups, and three interceptions, but most importantly, over 100 games of combined experience. Can Kentucky upgrade their pass defense after losing so much? Here are the guys who will determine the answer to that question:

The Starters

Trevard Lindley -- 6'0", 179 lb senior cornerback: For his career Lindley has accounted for 158 tackles (116 solo tackles), 3.5-tackles for loss, and nine interceptions. In 2008, Lindley led the SEC in Passes Defended with 11 pass break-ups, and four interceptions. He also recorded 39 tackles, and 15 pass deflections. He was voted UK's Team MVP by the players in 2008.

Let's keep this one simple, stupid: Possibly the best cover-corner in UK history.

Paul Warford -- 5'10", 200 lb junior cornerback: Warford redshirted the '08 season after being declared academically ineligible. But, after taking care of business in the classroom in '08, Warford has returned to the field without skipping a beat. In his last season of action (2007), Warford was second on the team with nine pass break-ups, and posted a career-high seven tackles versus LSU, a game in which he broke his collarbone late in the contest. He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.

Warford is moving up from his safety position to give UK some experience at the cornerback spot opposite Lindley. He is a physical player who likes to hit, and does a great job in run defense-support.

Calvin Harrison -- 6'1", 211 lb senior strong safety: Harrison has played behind the departed Marcus McClinton for the last three years. He has played in 35 games, with six starts to his credit. Harrison has recorded 80 career tackles. In '08, he posted 32 tackles, and one tackle for loss. In a huge Liberty Bowl game, he had five tackles and two pass break-ups. He started and performed well against Tennessee and Alabama last season.

Harrison provides invaluable experience to UK's secondary. He, along with Lindley and Warford, allow UK to boast one of the most experienced, accomplished pass defenses in the SEC.

Winston Guy -- 6'1", 208 sophomore free safety: The Lexington Catholic product played in 13 games as a true freshman last year. He performed mainly with the special teams unit, taking over the kick return duties after Derrick Locke was injured. He responded with 10 returns for 291 yards (29.1 average), and also set a Kentucky record for longest return without scoring a touchdown, with his 96-yard kick return versus Georgia. From the free safety spot he recorded 11 tackles. He was rated a top-30 safety prospect in the nation by Rivals, and the No. 12 safety in the nation by Scout coming out of high school.

Guy brings incredible speed (4.35 40-yard dash), and refined anticipation skills to UK's secondary. He is a star-in-waiting, and a quarterback nightmare beginning September 5.

The Backups

Martavious Neloms -- 6'1", 180 lb true freshman cornerback: The Tennessee native will be backing-up Lindley. He was First Team All-State in Class 4A, and only began playing football his junior year at Fairley High School in Memphis. Despite that, he was rated the No. 30 prospect in in Tennessee by Rivals.

The fact that Neloms has played organized football for only four years, yet has accomplished what he has, is truly astounding. The ceiling is obviously very high for Neloms, and so far he's not given anyone any reasons to doubt his ever-improving ability.

Randall Burden -- 6'0", 270 lb sophomore cornerback: The LaGrange, Georgia native will be backing-up Paul Warford, and may also see the field as the fifth secondary member in UK's nickel package. He had a very strong spring, which followed a solid performance in the Liberty Bowl (two pass break-ups, and one tackle). In '08 Burden appeared in 12 games, contributing four tackles.

The coaches say Burden gets better every day. His attitude, work ethic, and talent will ensure he sees plenty of reps in '09.

Matt Lentz -- 6'3", 218 lb sophomore strong safety: The former quarterback will back-up Calvin Harrison. In '08, Lentz played in 13 games, starting five. He produced 24 tackles, and an interception versus Louisville. He recorded a career-high seven tackles versus Arkansas. He runs a 4.55 40-yard dash.

Lentz performed exceptionally well last year, especially considering the radical position switch he endured. He brings a combination of size and speed to UK's secondary, and like Burden, he'll see a lot of game-action in '09.

Taiedo Smith -- 6'0", 185 lb sophomore free safety: Smith will back-up Winston Guy. He began last season playing cornerback, but in an effort to get him on the field the coaches moved him to free safety. He played seven games, earning the start against Georgia. He had three tackles and a pass break-up in the win over Mississippi State.

Another young, talented performer, Smith will share back-up duties to Guy with Ashton Cobb (see below).

Ashton Cobb -- 6'0", 215 lb senior free safety: In '08 Cobb played in 11 games, with six starts. He recorded 37 tackles, and scored on a 28-yard fumble return versus Louisville. He also recovered a fumble versus Arkansas, and had a career high six tackles against both Georgia and Tennessee. In 2007, Cobb executed 42 tackles (second among UK's defensive backs). He's one of the strongest Wildcats pound-for-pound, bench pressing 370 lbs, and squatting 465 lbs. Yikes!

Cobb has taken a small step back. Most expected him to start at the free safety spot after last season, but Winston Guy stole his position. Cobb though, will see "starter's minutes," and will be featured in UK's nickel package at times.

Supplying depth to UK's secondary will be junior cornerback Daryl Faulkner, redshirt freshman cornerback Cartier Rice, sophomore cornerback Anthony Mosley, and sophomore strong safety Greg Wilson.

CliffsNotes Analysis

The question was, "Can Kentucky upgrade their defense after losing so much?" You've met the players, now meet the 2008 stats -- UK recorded 12 interceptions last season, good for seventh in the SEC. They had 45 pass break-ups and 57 pass deflections, both good numbers, but they allowed 193.2 yards passing per game (ninth in the SEC), and 18 passing touchdowns (only Auburn and Arkansas allowed more). Overall, UK was ninth in in the SEC in overall Pass Defense, and eighth in the SEC in passing yards allowed with 2,511.

Not great numbers, but they are an improvement over UK's previous, all-too regular occupation of the SEC basement, in the area of defensive play. But, there still exists much room for bettering the overall defensive performance, and this season the UK coaching staff will be looking to take another step forward. With Lindley, Warford, and Harrison leading a group of otherwise youthful, but talented performers, Kentucky has an opportunity to leap into the upper-echelon of SEC defensive teams (top-5 or better). Giving UK the upper-hand in many cases this season will be the relative youth of SEC quarterbacks; other than Tebow, Jevan Snead (Ole Miss), Stephen Garcia (South Carolina), and Jonathan Crompton (Tennessee), the SEC is littered with untested signal-callers.

I look for Trevard Lindley to end his UK career with a record-setting season. His job will be made easier by the fact that he's surrounded by talented, experienced teammates, which will force quarterbacks to have to make unpleasant decisions. Resulting in the real possibility of having no recourse but to force the ball into their best receivers hands. But, Lindley will be stalking ...

For other positional breakdowns: Setting a New Standard The Linebackers The Defensive Line

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to my mom, Linda. She turned 29 again yesterday!!

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Kentucky Football: Rich Brooks Has a Book Coming Out This Week

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:00:11 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

Brooks is all smiles at SEC media days, even as they voted Kentucky last in the conference. Nothing to see here. Move along ...

Browse more photos »

As most of you know, Tom Leach has a new book coming out about Rich Brooks this week. The title is, Rich Tradition -- how Rich Brooks revived the football fortunes of the Kentucky Wildcats, and you can order your copy at this link if you are interested.

There is really no doubt that Rich Brooks has helped turn the Kentucky football program around. Back in the early 2000's Kentucky was arguably the weakest team in the SEC. Attendance to games was down, the choice of Brooks was quite unpopular, and his first two and a half years at Kentucky looked really ugly. Calls for Brooks' replacement were everywhere. But then suddenly, things turned around, and UK football has been on an upward trajectory ever since.

Tom Leach, of course, is a good friend of this blog, and he knows that we periodically have Dicky Lyons Jr posting his comments here. In honor of that, Tom thoughtfully provided us with this excerpt from the book as it relates to Dicky:

--- Begin Excerpt ---

Lyons says he sensed his teammates' confidence was shaken after that LSU game, so he wanted to challenge them.

"That’s why I went and made those statements, just trying to get the team fired up and it got coach Brooks fired up, and I think the whole team rallied around that game. I think that, you could put that whole turnaround on that week alone," he said. "I think that’s when we really found a spark as a team and with our coach."

Brooks was furious. With so much on the line, the last thing he needed was one of his players giving the opponent some bulletin board material to use as motivation.

"He didn’t guarantee a win. What he said was that he wants to go down and beat Mississippi State like LSU beat us. He wants to beat them bad, beat them up physically and that is what we are going to do. I don’t remember the word 'guarantee'—it might have been in there—but I have always been a believer in not putting the cart before the horse, if you will. And you give the opponent the respect you should going up to a game and after a game, and also, (brash talkers are) putting their teammates in a bad situation by running their mouth," Brooks said.

Brooks made Lyons off-limits to the media for the rest of the week and he ordered him to do extra running after practice. A reporter friend of mine wondered if Brooks was perhaps using Lyons as a way to test his team's unity, but Brooks insists that this was not on his mind. He says his anger was genuine because he saw it was Lyons disrespecting an opponent. Nevertheless, the team did rally around Lyons, with some of his teammates joining him for the extra running drills, and the coach noticed.

"That’s just me being me. Like Dicky being Dicky, that’s just me, being me. I am never going to tolerate that. I guess I am an old-fashioned guy. I think some of the new age antics in athletics are uncalled for and I think that is one of the things that are uncalled for. (But) I liked that," Brooks said of the support Lyons got. "I thought that was a positive thing that there were some players that did the extra running and not leave Dicky hanging by himself."

"I think that’s what was needed," teammate Keenan Burton said of Lyons' proclamation. "You know, sometimes you do negative things, but those negative things kind of help you build your identity and coach Brooks gave us opportunity to build our own identity."

--- End Excerrpt ---