John Clay's Sidelines

This is UK offensive guard Stuart Hines at today’s football press luncheon.

Luke McDermott

The big news from Joker Phillips’ press luncheon today was that junior walk-on Luke McDermott had come out of nowhere to take the first-string spot at defensive tackle.

So who is Luke McDermott:

• Native of Louisville and product of Louisville Trinity.

• Has played in six games in his UK career — two last season as a sophomore, three as a redshirt freshman in 2008.

• Listed at 6-foot-1, 265, and has gained approximately 30 pounds since his arrival. Joker Phillips said today that when McDermott first arrive, coaches told him to eat until he was full, and then eat some more.

• McDermott was named the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week leading up to the Arkansas win.

• Was redshirted in 2007.

• At Trinity, played for state championship teams his junior and senior years.

• Was a third-team all-state selection by the Courier-Journal his senior season.

• According to UK, Luke’s grandfather, Jack McDermott, played football for the University of Detroit.

Twenty things we learned today at the UK football luncheon in anticipation of Saturday’s game at Louisville:

• Luke McDermott, a junior walk-on, is now first team at defensive tackle, in front of senior Mark Crawford.

• Billy Joe Murphy has beaten out favorite Brad Durham for the starting spot at right tackle.

• Matt Smith has beaten out Jake Lanefski for the starting spot at center.

• Heralded true freshman kicker Joe Mansour did not win the punting job, the placekicking job or the place-kicking job. The earliest we may see him is kicking the balls off.

• Louisville announces that game is a sell-out and claims that Kentucky returned tickets.

• Team feared that backup running back CoShik Williams suffered a high ankle sprain Saturday, but he is good to go for Tuesday’s practice.

• Joker Phillips called Sunday’s workout the team’s best mental practice in awhile, after being severely disappointed with that aspect on Saturday.

• Joker on his first game as a head coach: “I’m sure by Saturday I’ll probably be hugging a toilet somewhere.”

• Joker on new Louisville coaches: “Coaches don’t have the same personnel, but they have the same philosophy. It’s hard to change that philosophy.”

• Phillips says he expects a “blitzarama” from the Louisville defense on Saturday.

Continue reading ‘What we learned at UK football luncheon today’

This is DeQuin Evans at the UK football luncheon earlier today.

Click here for this depth chart in Excel, using Google Docs.

Click here for this depth chart using Excel via Google Docs.

Click here to see this depth chart in Excel via Google Docs.

Senior defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin talks to the media at today’s UK football luncheon. Subject matter, a physical camp and a mysterious Louisville.

Big Blue Links for Monday:

• My column saying UK’s next football game is also the football game.

• Banged-up Cats have one week to prepare, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.

• DeQuin Evans leads a young defensive line, writes Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel.

• Evan Daniels of Scout.com says UK fans should not worry about Michael Gilchrist’s drop in the rankings, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.

• Trevard Lindley’s makes an exhibition interception with the Philadelphia Eagles:

(Hat tip to Kentucky Sports Network.)

Continue reading ‘BBL: “The Game” week is finally here’