John Clay’s Sidelines

I’ll be liveblogging from the Rich Brooks press luncheon today. He usually hits the podium around 12:10. Because the wireless signal is a little iffy in Wildcat Den, I’ll stick to the old-school liveblog today.

• That’s the end of the press conference.

• “I think if you saw the discipline what we played on Saturday, the coaches did a really good job on that. . . . The lack of penalties, the lack of major breakdowns of coverage . . . thought they did an outstanding job. . . . ON offense, we didn’t have the procedure penalties, the block in the back, and the personal fouls to overcome which would have been difficult for us because we weren’t throwing the ball well.”

• Said the defense did a good job of reading its keys against Auburn’s misdirection on Saturday. “That’s probably our most complete defensive game against a difficult offense.”

• Says Trevard Lindley has “a legitimate chance” to return against Mississippi State.

• Says Corey Peters has “been outstanding all year,” and Ricky Lumpkin may have played his best game Saturday.

• Brooks says that yes, you have to be concerned about keeping Cobb and Locke healthy. “We need to have the balls in their hands,” but can’t just give them practice off.

• Says Russell would be the third back behind Smith and Allen if Locke can’t go on Saturday.

• Says of Locke’s knee has had some tearing, significant enough that it should settle down in “three or four days.” says don’t want to put “him out there if he’s dragging that leg because it makes him an easy target.”

• If Locke can’t play, says that Smith’s thumb is still not healed, “but it should be better this coming Saturday. He’ll have to be a bigger factor, as well as Moncel, and possibly our other backs.”

• Says Monroe plays a three-man front on defense, and does a “whole bunch of stunting and twisting. . . . This will be a major challenge for our offensive line.”

• Says Louisiana-Monroe runs a lot of misdirection, like Auburn. “They’re a team that runs a lot of that read option,” said Brooks.

• On the offensive line, “The performance so far is clearly better than any offensive line I’ve had since I’ve been here. . . . Having said that, the old theory about mushrooms? You keep them in the dark and feed them stuff. Usually when you start praising the 0-line, for some reason in my past experience they don’t play as well. . . . I just have to hope they understand how they got where they are.”

• On Danny Trevathan, “This was Danny’s biggest chance to show because we were in conventional defense most of the time. . . . That gave Danny a greater opportunity to record some stats.” In other games, had only played a third of the snaps. “In this game, he was spectacular. . . . We have never had a linebacker as fast. Wesley (Woodyard) was as close to being as fast, but he wasn’t as big as Danny is.”

• “We have to start throwinig the football better.”

• Says about who he will start at quarterback, “I’m not sure, and I’m being truthful now. It’ll probably be Morgan Newton. That’s probably not fair to Will. But I kind of think that if things aren’t going well, it’s better to bring in an experienced hand than inexperienced hand off the bench.”

• Said he thought they’d get 20-25 plays from Paul Warford, until he was “100 percent because Neloms was sick. And he was 100 percent.” Compliments the game Warford played, “That was very close to Paul’s best football game.”

• “The old attitude that is so hard to shake, that you can’t get it done, is no longer prevalent on this football team.”

• “If you look over the past three or four years, we’ve won more close games than we’ve lost.”

• On Fidler, “He’s one of the toughest guys on our team. He’s never afraid to pull the ball down.”

• “I couldn’t be proud of Will Fidler if he were my own son. It hasn’t gone his way, so to speak. But he’s come out every day and competes and works to get it done. . . . Last week was the ultimate slap in the face for him when we elected to start the freshman quarterback and he handled it well.”

• Asked if Cobb reminds him of anyone he’s had, “That’s a hard one . . . Not with one exuberance, smile . . . This guy is the whole package.”

• On Cobb, “He is just a spectacular, competitive playmaker.”

• “I thought Will came in and settled things down.”

• Said he thought Morgan Newton did really well early on, but then as game went on the freshman started making mistakes. Mentions a missed handoff, and not getting a receiver to go in motion, etc.

• “I didn’t want to have the young guy take the first snap. So he took the second. That was brilliant strategy.” Remember, Cobb took first snap in Wildcat. Then Newton took second snap.

• Brooks said he has refreshed the team’s memory of Louisiana-Monroe and “I will continue to do so.”

• Chris Cross, as usual, asks the first question. Asks about no penalties and no turnovers. “I know they’re have been some (in my career), but not many,” answered the coach.

• Reminds media that UK had to make a tackle on a two-point conversion to beat Louisiana-Monroe 42-40 in 2006.

• Brooks remarks that last week was gray and rainy, then Sunday the sun was out and “vibrant colors on the trees. It’s amazing what a win will do for you.”

• Brooks says Derrick Locke is doubtful for this game.

• Brooks says Taiedo Smith is sick, and Martavius Neloms didn’t play Saturday after taking ill on Friday. Says Trevard Lindley is out for this Saturday.

• Micah Johnson was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his 14-practice game at Auburn.

• The Mississippi State game will be televised by FSN and will start at 7 p.m. That’s on the 31st.

• We’re running a little ahead of schedule. Brooks has just arrived.

• Craig Skinner, the coach of the eighth-ranked UK volleyball team is at the podium now talking about UK’s upcoming match with visiting Tennessee on Wednesday.

• I’m here at Wildcat Den where they have brought in the players. I’ll have video from them later in the day.

• Coach Brooks will take questions sometime around 12:10 to 12:15.