Some quick notes from Joker Phillips’ weekly press conference today:
- Phillips said Saturday’s opponent, Ole Miss, is similar statistically to his team. One difference is punt returns. Ole Miss is averaging 27 yards per punt return. Kentucky has 26 punt return yards on the entire season. Phillips said that “we don’t have an eraser on offense and one on special teams, also.” By eraser he means someone who can erase his team’s mistakes with one big play.
Phillips did say that Daylen Hall is healthy after missing Saturday with strep throat. The punt returner should be available Saturday.
- The coach said that he will probably wait at least until Friday and maybe Saturday morning before making a decision on the starting quarterback. The doctors say that Morgan Newton should be fine after suffering shoulder and ankle injuries on Saturday. Maxwell Smith and Newton will share reps this week. Phillips said that Smith needs “to learn to protect himself” as far as calling the right pass protections, etc.
- What is Morgan Newton’s mindset going into this week? It has to be tough for a junior who has been the starter all year to suddenly have to compete for a job. Phillips voiced confidence that it would not be a problem. He pointed to the fact that Newton was helping Smith throughout the game last Saturday.
- Asked about the progress of the defense this year, Phillips said it was hard to judge considering the number of snaps the until has been on the field because of the ineffectiveness of the offense. As for Saturday against Mississippi State, Phillips said that he was disappointed that the defense did not play the pass better. “We covered them, we just didn’t make the play.”
