John Clay’s Sidelines

Because of a poor internet connection courtside, we’re having problems with the Cover it Live format for the liveblog.

If we continue to have problems, we’ll post the game updates in the old format here.

Thanks for your patience.

Photo by Mark Cornelison.

If you missed Billy Gillispie’s live chat on espn.com yesterday, you can find it here.

A highlight:

Nick Moon (Fulton, KY): Coach I haven’t missed a game in years and I’ve noticed this season more so than last you rock back and forth in the chair as opposed to opposed to up being animated. Any reason for the change?

SportsNation Billy Gillispie: I have no idea. That’s not something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about and probably won’t in the future other than this question.

Note to Nick: I’ve wondered the same thing.

Another highlight, well not really a highlight:

kenny newport KY: hey coach… Can i get a preferred walk on LOL i can’t jump or shoot BUT i will hustle like no other PROMISE YOU THANK

SportsNation Billy Gillispie: No.

One more:

Bryan (Louisville): How’s Razor Ramon doing? Will he be practicing soon?

SportsNation Billy Gillispie: He’s making improvments as far as the reports and those kinds of things. Hopefully he’ll be able to make a return at some point. As far as when, I don’ tknow when. When you’re dealing with spinal injuries and concussion, you wnat to make sure those things are taken care of first and then basketball. No one knows how he feels other than Ramon. The doctors and Ramon will decide when and if he’s able to return.

Photo by David Stephenson.

SEC links for Sunday:

• Bryan Mullen of the Tennessean writes that UT coach Phil Fulmer ended his tenure riding high.

• Tennessean columnist David Climer writes that Fulmer went out with class.

• But fellow Tennessean columnist Joe Biddle writes that UT more resembles a soap opera.

• Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist John Adams writes that Kentucky always seems to bring out the best in the Vols.

• Before the game, Adams wrote that UT AD Mike Hamilton is swinging big by hiring Lane Kiffin.

• AJC columnist Mark Bradley writes that Georgia’s loss to Georgia Tech goes back to coaching.

• Birmingham News columnist Kevin Scarbinsky writes that someone, oh yes someone, will pay for Auburn’s crash, but it won’t be Tommy Tuberville.

• Also in the News, Ray Melick writes that the biggest Saturday surprise was a happy Nick Saban.

• In the Tuscaloosa News, Christopher Walsh writes that Alabama’s defense was pure domination.

• Tuscaloosa News columnist Cecil Hurt writes that one is the only number that matters to Bama.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Fulmer’s fond farewell’

First half stats

Notes

• Kentucky killed itself with penalties in the first half, starting with the two flags on one play — one for illegal receiver downfield, lineman Jorge Gonzalez, and late hit after the same play by Matt Roark — that killed a good drive. False starts have also hurt. It didn’t help that Randall Cobb slipped on a play deep in UK territory either.

• UK was flagged seven penalties for 37 yards. Tennessee was called for two penalties for 20 yards.

• Tennessee’s offense has been just as dreadful. This has been more of a field position, don’t-lose-it-game, than anything else.

• The Cats went three-and-out on the last three of their five first-half possessions.

• Tennessee has used Jonathon Crompton, Gerald Jones and Eric Berry to take snaps at quarterback.

• Dixon is UK’s leading rusher with just 18 yards on seven carries. Thanks to the sacks, Cobb has 11 yards on eight carries.

• Tennessee’s Foster has 43 yards on 13 carries.

• Crompton has completed five of seven passes, but for just 38 yards. Cobb is three-for-five for 15 yards. He did not have a pass attempt in the second quarter.

My column from today’s UK-Delaware State game.

From press row at Rupp Arena:

• More after the press conferences.

• Meeks leads all scorers with 22. Miller only other Cat in double figures with 13. Kentucky shot 45.5 percent. DSU shot 31 percent. Final turnover count for the Cats was 12.

• Final: Kentucky 71, Delaware State 42.

• Landon Slone is back in, and Mark Krebs is about to check in. We’re under a minute to play. No Jared Carter.

• Patterson misses a point-blank shot and is now four-of-10 from the floor.

• Cats are shooting 46.8 percent for the game. Darius Miller has 13 points. He and Meeks are the two Cats in double figures. Welcher leads visitors with nine points. Delaware State has made 4-of-21 shots this half.

• Kentucky lead is 63-35 with 4:13 remaining.

• I have to admit, I don’t like that, coach showing up a player like that. Obviously, Galloway didn’t do what an exasperated Gillispie wanted him to do. But how many times do you see a coach, with five minutes remaining, call time to take a kid out, as he’s dribbling the basketball, and then not even talk to his team?

• Galloway was dribbling around, and finally Billy G. takes time out just to pull him out. In fact, team doesn’t even go to the bench. Porter comes in, and play resumes.

• Kevin Galloway makes his first appearance as a Cat at 7:32 mark.

• Kentucky on a 19-2 run for a 59-31 lead with 7:32 remaining in the game. The Hornets went nearly eight minutes without a point. Meeks leads all scorers with 19 points. He is 7-of-11 from the floor, including four-of-six on three-pointers.

• Patterson fast-break jam, off nice outlet pass from Liggins, extends run to 14-0.

Continue reading ‘Liveblog: UK-Delaware State’

Just a terrible first half for Kentucky. Only first down came on Tim Masthay’s 17-yard run on a fake punt. Kentucky ran just 15 plays the first half. Vanderbilt ran 47. Maybe it’s a hangover from the basketball game last night, or the Georgia loss last week, but Rich Brooks’ team is woefully unprepared to play, emotionally and physically. Consider that Vanderbilt had not scored more than 14 points in any of its last five games. Vandy scored 14 in the first quarter, and has 24 here at the half.

UK quarterback Randall Cobb is back to mere mortal status. The true freshman threw a terrible pass that was intercepted by D.J. Moore. He has been off-target on his other passes, and had a couple of drops. UK hasn’t run the ball much, but then the Cats haven’t had the ball much. Cobb is officially 1-of-8 for three yards with one interception.

Vandy’s Chris Nickson has rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries. He’s completed 13 of 21 passes for 143 yards. Jared Hawkins has rushed for 62 yards on nine carries. And D.J. Moore has three receptions for 52 yards and two touchdowns, plus an interception.

For Kentucky, Masthay is leading rusher with 17 yards. E.J. Adams made the only reception, for three yards.

First half stats

From press row at Rupp Arena:

• Halftime: VMI 57, Kentucky 47.

• Cats got it down to nine at 51-42, but now it’s back up to 56-42. The turnover count is a not-so-sweet 16 at 2:01 mark.

• This has been a very fun half, by the way. To watch.

• Kentucky has cut it to 50-40 with 3:46 left in half. UK is on a 15-6 run. Meeks has 19 points. VMI is starting to cool off a bit. But in the spirit of full disclosure, as soon as I typed “The tide is starting to turn a little,” Michael Porter committed another turnover. Seriously. The Cats have committed 15 turnovers in this half.

• Patterson picks up second foul, over-the-back, ticky-tack, with 5:13 and goes back to bench.

• The tide is starting to turn a little. Lead is 12 at 44-32 at 6:45 mark.

• VMI lead is 44-29 with 7:50 left in half. Kentucky has scored four straight points, sort of a minor miracle. Here’s all you need to know: VMI is shooting better from three (7-of-9) than UK is shooting from the foul line (6-10). Patterson shot watch is still one. He hasn’t taken one. Crowd is sort of stunned. UK is promoting this as Big Blue Weekend. This is not the way to start it. But we’ve still got a long way to go.

• VMI up 44-25 with 9:13 left in half as UK is forced to take a timeout when the Cats can’t get the ball in-bounds. Patterson has one rebound and no shots at this point. Josh Harrellson was ineffective. Not his style of play.

• We haven’t played 10 minutes yet and VMI has 40. The Keydets could score 80 by the half.

• Gardner-Who? VMI leads 35-17 with 11:47 to go in half. The red-hot visitors are 10 of 16 from the floor, including six of eight from beyond the new three-point line. Kentucky has committed 10 turnovers. Get this: Patrick Patterson has not taken a shot, and has been brought to the bench twice. Jodie Meeks has 11 of UK’s 17 points. The Cats are 6-of-11 from floor, but there’s the rub. Because of the turnovers, VMI has gotten off five more shots. You don’t want that. Not the way these guys are hitting shots.

• VMI is up 31-14 with 13:30 left in half.

• Tates Creek product Michael Sparks checked in at 15:57 mark.

• Yikes. And this is not a misprint: VMI leads 17-5 with 15:57 left in half. The Cats have committed seven turnovers before the TV timeout. I’ve got Michael Porter with four of those. Hate to be cruel, but Porter was awful in the first four minutes before being replaced by DeAndre Liggins. His teammates haven’t been much better. Meanwhile, the visitors have hit five-of-six shots, including four-of-five three-pointers.

• Cats turn it over three times in first 90 seconds.

• Ah yes, AC/DC. Here we go with intros.

• UK’s starting lineup: Michael Porter, Jodie Meeks, Ramon Harris, Perry Stevenson and Patrick Patterson.