(AP Photo/James Crisp)
Three points from Rich Brooks press conference:
- 1. The Kentucky head coach won’t forget Friday’s 31-0 first-quarter deficit in quite awhile. He got upset again just talking about it. The problem is that it happened on the heels of the 28-0 first-quarter fiasco last year at Florida. So over two years, Kentucky has trailed the Gators 59-0 after one quarter. Brooks said he thought his program had moved past such embarrassments. It has not. Of course, Florida is the defending national champ and the top-ranked team in the country. But it was the stupid penalties and tentative play that stuck in Brooks’ craw, and for good reason. Having 48 hours to cool down did not appear to make the head coach any cooler.
- 2. Florida is very good. This week’s foe, Alabama, is very good. But Alabama presents a bit of a different problem. Florida was phyiscal. Alabama is even more physical. Nick Saban wants his teams to be tough, hard-nosed clubs that will smash you in the mouth. Yes, the Tide hit three big plays on Saturday. But it loves to grind it out on both sides of the ball. The one good thing about that is, as Brooks said, it’s a bit easier to prepare for a more conventional-style offense. And Kentucky did hang around with Bama last year. Still, the Crimson Tide has superior athletes.
- 3. Trevard Lindley vs. Julio Jones figures to be Saturday’s marquee matchup. Lindley is an All-American corner. Jones is an All-American receiver. Florida didn’t throw at Lindley the way Louisville challenged UK’s senior corner. But then Florida didn’t have to challenge anyone through the air. The Gators ran the ball so well, they didn’t need to go to the air all that much.
Am I the only one who thinks Lindley’s decision to stay another year is not paying off for him? He’s looked tired and overmatched in the Louisville and Florida games. The tackle he threw at Hernandez when he scored his touchdown was half-hearted at best.
The ESPN2 sports commentators put it bluntly: Even though UK went to three consecutive bowls, they have yet to prove themselves a factor in the SEC. A defeat by Alabama will lend credibility to such a statement. Then there is Georgia and Tennessee, because UK did hang around with Tennessee last year.
The best statement about where you are with your football program is-your win/loss record in the SEC!