John Clay's Sidelines

Saturday’s Kentucky-LSU game includes several coaching ties between the two staffs.

LSU quarterbacks coach Steve Kragthorpe was Louisville’s head coach from 2007-2009. He was 0-3 against Kentucky during that time.

LSU secondary coach Ron Cooper was Louisville’s head coach from 1995-1997. His team beat UK 13-10 in ’95 and 38-14 in ’96. It lost to the Cats 38-24 in ’97 and Cooper was replaced at the end of a 1-10 season by John L. Smith.

UK assistant Greg Nord was an assistant under both Cooper and Kragthorpe at U of L.

UK offensive coordinator Randy Sanders and LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis worked together for 15 years as assistants under Phil Fulmer at Tennessee.

Sanders and Chavis were assistants on the 1996 Tennesee national championship team quarterbacked by Tee Martin, who is now Kentucky’s wide receivers coach.

As for the head coaches, Joker Phillips said he doesn’t know Les Miles well, aside from their dealings in various SEC coaches meetings. Miles was an assistant in the Midwest and the Dallas Cowboys before becoming head coach at Oklahoma State.

“I know he’s done a good job of keeping players in Louisiana,” Phillips said.

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Rumble at Rupp to attract big-name targets, says H-L staff report.
• UK dodgeball has turned into a hit, writes Paul Jones of the Kernel.
• Key stats of UK-LSU, from Herald-Leader.
• Woodson has LSU memories, writes Scott Hotard of The Advocate.
• Miles says Lee and Jefferson can handle it, reports Les East of The Advocate.
• Jefferson addition is lethal, reports Glenn Guilbeau of Shreveport Times.
• LSU wants to avoid 2007 repeat, reports Luke Johnson of Times-Picayune.
• UK still searching for offensive breakout, says my H-L story.
• Phillips has a fond memory of Tiger Stadium, writes H-L’s Mark Story.
• UK coach trying mind games to help team, reports C-J’s Kyle Tucker.
• Matt May of Cats Pause gives a UK-LSU scouting report.
• Cats ready for Death Valley encounter, writes Kernel’s Cody Porter.
• Billy Joe Murphy won’t back down, writes Keith Taylor of Winchester Sun.
• UK fall sports off to a great start, reports Guy Ramsey of Cat Scratches.

SEC links for Friday:

• Brantley must beat Alabama to win fans, writes Mike Bianchi of Orlando Sentinel.
• Ex-Bama coach Perkins helped Weis, reports Tommy Deas of Tuscaloosa News.
• Kirkpatrick sparks Tide secondary, writes Michael Casagrande for Advertiser.
• Muschamp made good first impression, reports Times-Union’s Mike DiRocco.
• Auburn’s Dyer ready for bigger role, writes John Zenor of AP.
• Auburn’s Ford out for the season, reports Ledger-Enquirer’s Andy Bitter.
• South Carolina D-line moving forward, writes Brad Senkiw of Anderson Independent.
• Crowell still looking to take it to the house, reports Chip Towers of AJC.
• Petrino wants players fresh, reports Chris Bahn of Arkansas 360.
• New UT AD says SEC will expand beyond 13, reports Beth Rucker of AP.
• Mr. SEC grades potential SEC partners.
• Tennessee kicker looks ahead, reports Patrick Brown of Times Free Press.

(AP photo)

Though LSU’s expected starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson has been reinstated and could take a few snaps on Saturday, head coach Les Miles says Jarrett Lee will remain as starter.

One reason why: Former Louisville head coach Steve Kragthorpe.

Kragthorpe was hired as LSU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Kragthorpe gave up play-calling duties and the coordinator title. But the man who lost three straight to UK as head coach is heavily involved in developing the game plan and coaching Lee.

He has done a terrific job so far. As the LSU starter in 2008, Lee through six interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. This year, when Lee became the starter after Jefferson was suspended for being involved in a bar fight, the senior has thrown for six touchdowns compare to just one interception. Lee ranks sixth in the SEC with a pass efficiency rating of 145.1.

“(Lee) keeps developing,” Miles told Luke Johnson of the Times-Picayune. “I think the quarterback coaching change helped him. Not to bemoan the coaching, it’s just getting another voice and input, reconciled some of his views on the throwing game.”

Said Lee: “Coach Kragthorpe has been great. In the film room and on the field, he helps us be a smarter quarterback — not to make many mistakes and to keep the ball in our hands.”

Not a lot of news from today’s UK football practice. A couple  of notes:

• Phillips said wide receiver Gene McCaskill, out with a bad back, will not make the trip to Baton Rouge for Saturday’s game.
• Phillips said Josh Clemons (hamstring strain) and Martavius Neloms (concussion) should be able to play Saturday.
• The team again practiced with simulated crowd noise.
• The coach said that mainly he just wants his team, a 30-point underdog, to get better Saturday.

As if Kentucky didn’t have enough to worry about Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge, now LSU’s former starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson is off suspension and eligible for the 12:21 p.m. ET kickoff.

As you might remember, Jefferson was charged with second-degree battery after allegedly kicking a man in the head during a bar fight at Shady’s in Baton Rouge. That charge was reduced to misdemeanor simple battery on Wednesday. Jefferson was re-instated to the team, but coach Les Miles said that Jefferson, a two-year starter, would back up current starter Jarrett Lee.

“(Lee) has been our starter for four weeks, and I told him today he will be our starter going forward,” Miles said. “It would be inappropriate for me not to recognize the position that we’re in now, currently, the things that he has done, and the things that we’ve continued to do with him at quarterback.”

Miles indicated that Jefferson had some hurdles to cross before getting back on the playing field. Still, depending on how things go, it would not be a shock to see him under at some point on Saturday.

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Jefferson’s charges lessened, reports Glenn Guilbeau of Shreveport Times.
• LSU head coach Les Miles is the Mad Hatter, says my H-L feature.
• Glasgow tight end Bowles picks Louisville, reports Mike Field of H-L.
• LSU is on the right side of turnover margin, reports Advocate’s Les East.
• Shepard eager to bounce back for LSU, writes Luke Johnson of Times-Picayune.
• UK soccer falls in league opener, says H-L staff report.
• Joker Phillips deserves more time, writes Rick Bozich of C-J.
• Cats preparing for loud crowd, writes Kyle Tucker of C-J.
• UK’s O-line has reunited, says Ethan Levine of Kentucky Kernel.
• Memorial Coliseum is Tent City, reports Guy Ramsey of Cat Scratches.
• Times announced for NCAA volleyball regional, reports UK Athletics.
• UK women’s soccer 12th in first RPI, reports UK Athletics.

Bill Belichick (AP photo)

Two coaches with pro backgrounds and Bill Belichick connections will go head-to-head when Alabama travels to Florida on Saturday night, 8:00 on CBS.

Bama head coach Nick Saban was Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns before becoming the head coach at Michigan State, then LSU, then the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, then finally back to the college ranks in Tuscaloosa.

Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis was the long-time offensive boss under Belichick at New England before becoming head coach at Notre Dame. He returned to the NFL ranks for one year with the Kansas City Chiefs before agreeing to join first-year head coach Will Muschamp’s staff this year at Florida. That’s the same Muschamp who was a Saban assistant at LSU and then with the Dolphins.

Saban is all about defense. Weis is all about offense. Neither wears a hoodie. But both have Belichick ties that bind.

SEC links for Thursday:

• It’s Nick Saban vs. Charlie Weis, writes Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News.
• Strength vs. strength on Saturday night, reports Gainesville Sun’s Robbie Andreu.
• Problems stall Auburn’s Gus Bus, reports Jay. G. Tate of Montgomery Advertiser.
• Georgia must contend with Mullen’s spread, reports Chip Towers of AJC.
• Dogs’ Jones isn’t defined by moment, says Seth Emerson of Macon Telegraph.
• Arkansas’ offense is not that bad, argues Harry King of the NW Arkansas News.
• Tennessee braces for MAC attack, says Mike Strange of News-Sentinel.
• Vandy will stick with Smith, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• Tough road back for Ole Miss’ Lockett, reports Chris Low of ESPN.
• Missouri coaches talk about SEC, reports David Briggs of Columbia Daily Tribune.

(H-L photo/Charles Bertram)

Click here for photo gallery of Tent City at Memorial Coliseum.

It was a wild scene across the street from Memorial Coliseum last night/this morning as the early-bird of the Big Blue Nation waited for the go-ahead signal to dash across the asphalt and stake out their tent spots for a ticket distribution to an intra-squad basketball scrimmage.

(Yes, we are nuts.)

Alas, after the herd was allowed to cross over to the promised land, the curb jumped up and bit one poor Kentucky fan, who did a near face-plant as his fellow fans – none of whom stopped to play good Samaritan – scurried to lay claim to their squatter’s rights.

Showing his competitive spirit, the fan was able to bounce up and continue on, a lesson he no doubt learned from last year’s team after those early SEC road losses.

Hat tip to Card Chronicle.

Related links:

• The madness before the Madness, fight for the first campsite
• See photos from campout for Big Blue Madness tickets
• Line forms for UK Madness tickets
• Big Blue Madness tickets to be distributed Oct. 1

(H-L photo)

In what started with Rich Brooks’ appearance on the Joe B. and Denny Show, through a weekend drubbing by Florida, a Monday column by yours truly and then a Tuesday interview with the Cats Pause (subscription),  Mitch Barnhart has been a talk-about figure this week.

At issue is whether the UK athletics director is doing enough to help the school’s football program, which put up a losing record last year, culminated by a dreadful bowl performance, and is now off to a 2-2 start, including a home loss to Louisville, this season.

That sparked a poll question: Do you approve of Mitch Barnhart’s handling of the football program?