(H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)
Big Blue Links for Sunday:
- Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes game story of the UK loss to Tennessee: “The tears flowed freely from the eyes of Corey Peters during Kentucky’s Senior Day festivities before the Tennessee game. But those tears paled in comparison the ones Peters shed after the game, as the Wildcats were forced to deal with yet another heartbreaking loss to the Vols.”
- My column saying Big Blue Nation came ready for a celebration that never came: “And for 30 minutes last night at Commonwealth Stadium, it looked for all the world that the UK band would play, the balloons would drop and the Cats could celebrate long into the November night. Then the second half began. And the clock struck orange.“
- Mark Story of H-L writes Randall Cobb was denied, in more ways than one: “From that point, you’d like to think Kentucky would make sure to keep the ball in the hands of its best playmaker. Cobb never touched the ball again on the series.“
- David Climer of the Tennessee says it was Deja Vol for UK: “You could fill up your tank for 20 bucks, thanks to gas that was $1.10 a gallon. A ticket to new movies like Ghostbusters and Terminator cost $2.50. A point of reference for this walk down Memory Lane: The year was 1984. And that’s the last time Kentucky beat Tennessee on the football field. The beatings go on.”
- John Adams of the News-Sentinel writes that for UT, it was all about comebacks: “As Montario Hardesty broke through the heart of the Kentucky defense, the entire Tennessee team wasn’t that far behind.“
- Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that the streak is alive at 25: “But when Montario Hardesty ended the game with a 20-yard touchdown run in the first overtime period, both sides were talking about anything but the longest winning streak in a major college football rivalry. ‘It’s not about the streak at all,’ said UT junior Ben Martin. ‘It’s about each individual win.’”
- Richard Skinner of the Cats Pause writes that Cats blew chance to end woe: “What appeared at halftime as if 24 years of Kentucky football frustration against and domination by Tennessee was just 30 minutes from being over turned into almost 30 minutes of frustration against and domination by Tennessee.”
- Jennifer Smith of the H-L writes on Madison Southern’s Luke Stocker, the UT tight end: “Stocker’s fumble, forced by Kentucky’s Ashton Cobb and picked up by Taylor Wyndham in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, could have spelled the end of the streak.”
- Dave Hooker of the News-Sentinel writes that UK needed a bigger dose of Cobb: “But many were left scratching their heads, wondering why the former Alcoa High School star didn’t have more opportunities behind center. ‘That surprised me a little because Cobb was pretty effective,’ UT linebacker Rico McCoy said. ‘That’s where most of their yards came from. I guess they wanted to switch it up a little. That’s cool. I won’t complain.’”
- Brett Dawson of the C-J reports on Tennessee’s 25th straight series win: “But it was closer – closer, perhaps, than it should have been, given Tennessee’s utter dominance of the second half. The Volunteers had 209 yards in the third and fourth quarters and held UK to 80.“
- Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes on the UT win: “And the Wildcats’ 25th consecutive loss to their biggest Southeastern Conference rival was another excruciating punch to the stomach. Senior tailback Montario Hardesty broke through the middle and sprinted 20 untouched yards to the end zone in overtime, giving the Volunteers a 30-24 win.”
- Kenny Colston of the Kentucky Kernel writes that UK can’t clear the Big Orange hurdle: “Some fans will question the officials, because that’s what they will do. Some will question UK head coach Rich Brooks’ decision to not use sophomore Randall Cobb on third and five, with a chance to score the game-winning touchdown on the line (instead, UK settled for the game-tying field goal after coming up short on that third down).”
- Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes another year, another loss to UT: “‘We laid down the second half and they came out energized,’ said Cobb, who ran for 101 yards and had 186 all-purpose yards. ‘I can’t say for sure what happened.’”
- A Sea of Blue gives its thoughts on the loss: “What we saw tonight is what we have seen for the last four years — a lack of true depth at positions killing us. What killed us tonight was the injury to John Connor, which resulted in Moncell Allen trying to replace him. Moncell did his best, but when it comes to blocking, Connor is the very best in the SEC.”
- Wildcat Blue Blog calls it a snafu: “I will just say it’s a I will just say it’s a bloody shame that we have two of the most dynamic playmakers in the SEC and we have the most predictable playcalling in the conference.”
- KSR says UK got what it deserved: “In reality, the Cats didn’t deserve to win. However fortune played into their hands and they had a chance to make it happen. But the reality is that Kentucky was outplayed in the second half fairly substantially.”
- For Kentucky Sports Network, Ryan Lemond says life goes on: “It’s not like this UK football program will never get to play Tennessee again. Believe it or not, the Vols will be on the schedule again next year.“
