Update: Phillips says “Still a long way to go” in quarterback race.
The news this morning from our own Chip Cosby that the wiry Mike Hartline has assumed a slight — emphasis on slight – lead over Curtis Pulley in the UK quarterback race, according to offensive coordinator Joker Phillips, isn’t all that astonishing.
After all, Pulley has already shown that summer isn’t his favorite season. He was the QB leader coming out of spring practice a couple of years ago, only to fumble away the job in the summer. The rest was history. Andre Woodson’s history.
And there was nothing in the story to say that Pulley still won’t wind up being the starter behind center when UK opens the season at Louisville.
BUT, if Pulley can’t close the gap before fall practice starts next month, or in the early part of training camp, here’s a prediction: Pulley will still be on the field. He’ll be catching passes instead of throwing them.
The former Hopkinsville star is too good an athlete not to be among UK’s first 22 or so. He played some effective wide out as a freshman two years ago. He has decent hands and terrific speed. He’s entirely capable of turning that 5-yard screen pass into a home run.
That doesn’t mean that Pulley couldn’t still see time at quarterback, even if Hartline wins the starting job. But if Will Fidler shows a strong and healthy arm in training camp, moving Pulley outside to receiver makes even more sense.
We’ll see if Joker is trying to light a fire under Pulley. Clearly, this kid just doesn’t get what it takes to be a quarterback in the SEC. It takes more than talent and he’s about find that out.
If Pulley is not the clear-cut leader after, say, a week of fall camp, it seems it would benefit him and the team to move him to wide receiver while still maybe doing spot duty at q-back. As you point out, it keeps a tremendous athlete on the field and, let’s face it, if he’s having difficulty winning a staring q-back job in college, that certainly does not bode well for his NFL chances at that position.
Should be interesting, will Joker’s very pointed comments light a fire under Pulley for the rest of the summer? Or is he just pointing out the facts, that Hartline is more the hard-worker, dependable, leader that you want as your starting QB?
Not too sure the coaches would move Pulley to wideout fulltime, that would leave Hartline’s backups as Will Fidler and after that a true freshmen (Mason or Roarke).
I don’t think Pulley would be moved to wide out full-time. I think he could still play some quarterback, as he did his freshman year behind Woodson.
What about Pulley as our version of Florida’s Percy Harvin?
I don’t think Curtis has the skill set of a Percy Harvin. Curtis is a great athlete, but his speed is more straightaway….he doesnt have great change of direction or shiftiness. Plus keep in mind Harvin is a little 6 foot scatback, Curtis is every bit of 6’4 – he blocked several placekicks his freshman year.
The thing about lighting a fire under Pulley definitely went through my mind when i read that but at the same time do you really want a starting QB at an SEC school who should be the 1st one to the practice field and the last one to leave but instead is acting like Alan Iverson (practice!! were talking about Pratice!!!). I’m 27 so im not talking about back in my time kinda crap but Seriously this kid has so much ability and the opportunity to be the guy that took UK from the mid-level turnaround bowl seasons to establish them as an elite program, the HOMEGROWN KID who took UK from the mid-level turnaround bowl seasons to establish them as an elite program. I just don’t understand why you would need any more motivation than that. I could understand the “i can come in and play hard in the fall and not worry about the spring and summer and still be the starter mentality” 2 years ago when pulley was just a sophomore and a year or so off Mr Football honors. But C’mon you’ve seen what can happen so buckle down. Like I said at first I thought Joker was lighting a fire but I don’t think it would have been in the paper if it was still wishy washy. That might just cause the kid to give up if there was still time to get it right especially since people back home are obviously reading this and calling I’m sure to ask Curtis what the deal is…No i think this was a statement designed to give Hartline the vote of confidence at QB but also remind Pulley that he had better be ready and not pout because if Mike goes down or as thin as they are with EXPERIENCED receicevers (Dicky and Demoreo are it i believe) this kid is TOO good as Clay said here to be buried on the bench keeping stats.
I suspect Joker’s comments were meant to light a fire under Pulley and don’t mean much.
That said, if the two are indeed roughly equal, wouldn’t it make the most sense to start Hartline and line Pulley up at receiver?
Assuming Pulley wouldn’t sulk and would warm to the role, this would give us two good starting wideouts to go along with a serviceable QB.