The first press luncheon of the new Kentucky football season is today. Joker Phillips will be taking the podium at noon. I’ll be providing updates here, and on twitter at @johnclayiv.
- That’s it. Thanks for tuning in.
- On how vital this game might be: “It’s good to go out and play first of all to have video to teach off of. And it’ll be good to see some different schemes that we’re facing. . . . But it will be very, very helpful that on Friday when we start teaching that we teach off a video that we won off of. And play well.”
- Coach Randy Sanders and Greg Nord will be in the box upstairs on Thursday. Nord was on field last year, but will be up top to help offensive line coach Mike Summers. Tee Martin will be down on field talking to quarterbacks. Defensively, Rick Minter will be on field and Steve Brown will be up in the box.
- Joker says he has known WKU coach Willie Taggart since Taggart was a player. “Good guy doing a great job with his program.”
- Talks again about playing “dominant defense” and it’s a huge challenge facing Bobby Rainey.
- Says the thing that Randall Cobb gave team “was his leadership.”
- Says he likes the return schemes this year.
- Said Newton is “night-and-day” with his passing accuracy over last year.
- On Morgan Newton: “I want him to get the dang ball in the end zone.”
- Phillips said of the running backs, “I really like the running backs. Do we have a difference-maker? I’m not sure of that yet.”
- Said playing in LP Field, an NFL stadium, “is big for us.” Said that staff has been trying to hit Nashville hard in recruiting.
- On true freshman D.J. Warren at fullback: “We won’t shy away (from playing him), ” said Phillips, who added that Warren is No. 1 because he deserves to be.
- On fullbacks and tight end looks, “We’ll mix and match,” said Phillips.
- On true freshmen, “I’m looking forward to watching those guys play.”
- Seven true freshmen in the two-deep roster. There’s 12 if you count redshirt freshmen.
- On Morgan Newton: “Some days you don’t recognize him from the bowl game.”
- On facing the WKU defense: “What we’ve seen in (our own) practice, there’s not much more we can do,” said Phillips.
- Going up against a new defensive coordinator for Western Kentucky.
- Joker now talking about Donte Rumph, says he is a “three-technique” SEC defensive lineman which is something “we haven’t had around here in a long time.”
- Asked about run defense going up against WKU’s star running back Bobby Rainey. “Rushing yards demoralize you. You’ve got to stop the run. It’s a slap in the face and last year it was a slap in the face the way they were able to run the ball,” said Phillips.
- Said Donte Rumph has been able to practice and should start against Western Kentucky.
- Mikie Benton will start in place of Taiedo Smith at safety. Smith will make the trip to Nashville.
- Matt Smith did not practice today, so Jake Lanefski will start at center. Smith should play on Thursday.
- Phillips says Kevin Mitchell will probably start in place of Stuart Hines, but Hines will play.
- Joker says it’s an unusual week in that this is Monday but team did a Thursday-type practice today. “We wanted to give our kids a chance to get their legs back,” he said. There will be another Thursday-type practice on Tuesday.
- Joker is now in the Wildcat Den. He should be getting started in a moment.
- With McDermott listed as a starter, new co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter has seven senior starters on defense. The others are linebacker Ronnie Sneed, linebacker Danny Trevathan, cornerback Anthony Mosley, safety Winston Guy, safety Taiedo Smith and cornerback Randall Burden.
- Defensive end Mike Douglas, linebacker Malcolm McDuffin, safety Miles Simpson and cornerback Dale Trimble are redshirt freshmen who are running second-team on defense.
- Luke McDermott, who began last year as a starter, is No. 1 at one defensive tackle spot ahead of Mister Cobble.
- Three players listed at tailbac: (1) Raymond Sanders, (2) Josh Clemons, (3) CoShik Williams.
- Kentucky lists three wide receivers, with two at each position. Matt Roark is ahead of Brian Adams at one spot. Gene McCaskill is ahead of Demarco Robinson at another. La’Rod King is ahead of E.J. Fields at the third spot.
- Four players listed for kickoff returns: Winston Guy, Raymond Sanders, CoShik Williams and true freshman Demarco Robinson. Two players listed for punt returns: Randell Burden and Robinson.
- Alvin Dupree, another true freshman, is No. 2 on UK depth chart at strong-side linebacker behind Ridge Wilson.
- Ashely Lowery, another true freshman, is No. 2 at safety behind Martavious Neloms.
- Darrian Miller, true freshman from Bryan Station High School, is listed No. 2 at left tackle behind Chandler Burden.
- On UK depth chart just released, D.J. Warren is No. 1 fullback; Josh Clemons No. 2 tailback; Demarco Robinson No. 2 at WR. All true frosh.
- Joker Phillips should begin talking to the media around noon.
- We should also be getting an updated depth chart today.
- Thursday’s game with Western Kentucky is scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. EDT.
- It will be televised by ESPNU.
