John Clay’s Sidelines

A'dia Mathies (H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Jennifer Smith of the Herald-Leader writes that UK’s Amber Smith has shed her brace for a faster pace.
• Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes that UK is a comfortable fit for the state’s Miss Basketball.
• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader reports on UK cornerback Randall Burden’s search for his swagger.
• Jerry Tipton’s clarification concerning Patrick Patterson’s new truck, something that got blown way out proportion on Thursday.
• Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal reports that UK spent $185,000 more on Big Blue Madness than the year before.
• Chris Low of ESPN puts Micah Johnson as the fifth scariest player in the SEC.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger talks to Tywanna Patterson about the supposed truck-gate.
• Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches previews the UK women’s basketball team.
• Nick Craddock of the Kentucky Kernel writes on the hope for a curling club.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Women’s hoops and UK-Mississippi St grid’

(H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes that Kentucky’s fast start helped put away ULM 36-13.
• Chip has the report on Micah Johnson’s strained MCL.
• Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes that UK quarterback plan is working, but needs work.
• My column saying that UK is starting to show a little wear and tear.
• Herald-Leader slide show from the UK-ULM game.
• Jerry Tipton writes that John Calipari and fans look beyond vacated games.
• Andy Mead of the Herald-Leader writes about the possible Wildcat Coal Lodge.
• Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal writes that Randall Cobb is Mr. Do-It-All for the Cats.
• Brett Dawson of the C-J writes that UK was good early, good enough late.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger reports that Joker Phillips was not happy with UK’s play.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cats, Cobb, coal and a cadre of other links’

Chris Low

ESPN blogger Chris Low is doing a mid-season review of all 12 SEC schools. He just checked in with his Kentucky review. Randall Cobb is his UK offensive MVP. No surprise there. Micah Johnson is his defensive MVP.

An excerpt:

Just when you thought Kentucky might be toast, the Wildcats (3-3, 1-3) come back swinging and pull off their biggest win of the season. Their 21-14 win at Auburn last week is just what they needed for a little momentum heading into the second half of the season. Rich Brooks and his staff have done a bang-up job of keeping this team together despite several key injuries and a three-game losing streak.

If you get and up-close and personal look at Micah Johnson, you may notice that he has numerals cut into each side of his head — or at least the hair on his head.

(H-L photo/John Clay)

(H-L photo/John Clay)

As you see here, Micah has the numerals 931 cut into the left side of his head. And, Micah has the numerals 703 cut into the right side of his head.

I asked him the significance of the numerals, and the senior linebacker said that 931 is the area code in which the Johnsons lived when his family was in Ft. Campbell. Actually, the family lived on the Tennessee side, in Clarksville, Tenn. The 703 is the area code for Alexandria, Virginia where the Johnsons resided before moving to Ft. Campbell.

So even though the senior linebacker, who was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his 14-tackle performance at Auburn hopes to move on to the next level next season, he doesn’t forget the folks back home.

(H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

Let’s break it down to three highlights from the Rich Brooks’ press conference today:

• 1. Derrick Locke is doubtful for Saturday’s game with Louisiana-Monroe because of a nagging knee problem. In fact, Brooks said the running back, coming off a 126-yard game, is probably out. Locke has a slight tear of the MCL that will take three or four days to “calm down” said Brooks. That means Alfonso Smith and Moncel Allen are likely to share the load. True freshman running back Donald Russell will also get some playing time.

• 2. Brooks said Morgan Newton will most likely make his second start. Brooks admitted that wasn’t fair to Will Fidler,  but the coach likes the idea of bringing in Fidler off the bench if things aren’t going well. That worked Saturday at Auburn, when Fidler, the junior, engineered those two fourth-quarter scoring drives.

• 3. Last Saturday’s game may have been one of the better ones in UK linebacker history. Micah Johnson was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week, thanks to his 14 tackles. But Danny Trevathan could have received the honor, as well. Trevathan was credited with 14 tackles, as well, by the Auburn stat crew. Trevathan has been leaving the field when UK goes to an extra defensive back, but the Cats played a more conventional defense Saturday, leaving Trevathan on the field.

UK linebacker Micah Johnson talks about the Louisville offense.

Micah Johnson talks to the media. (Photo by John Clay)

Bonus note: UK’s Sept 26 game with Florida has been picked up by ESPN2 and will start at 6 p.m.

Five things that stuck out from the UK football press luncheon earlier today:

• 1. Asked about changes in the Louisville offense, UK coach Rich Brooks remarked on the Cardinals’ use of a “moving pocket” during U of L’s less-than-stellar 30-10 win over a putrid Indiana State on Sept. 5. (Indiana State lost 31-0 to Eastern Illinois this past Saturday.) In other words, U of L quarterback Justin Burke executed quite a few roll-out passes in the Louisville win. The idea there is to avoid the rush, a smart tactic considering the inexperience of the Louisville offensive line. The strategy works if Burke can throw the ball on the run. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s pass rush was nothing to write home about in the Cats’ 42-0 win over Miami on the same day. A moving pocket might make it tougher for the home team to pressure the Louisville quarterback.

• 2. Brooks’ voice climbed an octave or two when talking about Kentucky’s kickoff coverage. “Did you see the Georgia-South Carolina game on Saturday?” he asked. That SEC tilt was filled with long kickoff returns. The past few years, Kentucky had Tim Masthay booming the ball into the end zone. No more. Brooks said UK’s kickoff coverage was good against Miami, but the competition will be much better this Saturday.

• 3. I asked Brooks if he had to go back and look at Utah State tape, what with former USU coach Brent Guy now serving as Louisville’s defensive coordinator. Yes, the Cats did eyeball Utah State tape. But Brooks said he thought the Indiana State tape would be more helpful because, though Louisville probably didn’t want to show too much, it included the current personnel groupings.

• 4. Wide receiver Kyrus Lanxter could miss Saturday’s game with a hamstring pull. It shows the upgrade in receiver at UK that Lanxter’s absence would not be too big a blow.

• 5. Micah Johnson pointed out that if Kentucky wins Saturday, he will have gone 3-1 against U of L. Compare that to the 2006 senior class, which was 0-4 against the Cards.