Former UK quarterback Ryan Mossakowski threw for443 yards and five touchdowns, plus ran for two more in his junior college debut last night, leading Northwest Mississippi to a 56-55 win over Pearl River.
Mossakowsi, who was signed along with current UK starter Morgan Newton, left the program in late January after his redshirt freshman season with the Cats.
Quarterbacks Ryan Mossakowski for Northwest and Melvin German for PRCC put on a show, each tossing five touchdown passes. Mossakowski also ran for two touchdowns and German ran for one.
. . . The Wildcats rallied, though, on a 15-yard scoring pass from German to Rickey Bradley and a 64-yard pass to Ketrick Wolfe to take a 42-41 lead. Northwest regained the lead with 2:31 to play in the fourth quarter on a 43-yard pass from Mossakowski to Lance Ray, who caught three touchdown passes.
. . . Mossakowski put the Rangers ahead on the first possession of overtime on a 10-yard pass to Darryl Dinkel, and German responded with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Roberts.
Mike Fields of the Herald-Leader reports that ex-UK star receiver Craig Yeast is trying to change the game at Bryan Station High School in Lexington. Yeast takes over a team that lost 10 of 11 games last year.
My Thursday notes column leads with the fact that just four of the top 25 prep basketball prospects in ESPNU’s latest rankings are committed to schools. But it was a note that the Yum Center exhibition game is far from a sell-out that got the attention of John Calipari, apparently. He tweeted that Big Blue Nation has been challenged.
Ryan Mossakowski’s father has confirmed to WKYT that the redshirt freshman quarterback has decided to transfer. This is something of a surprise considering that Mossakowski was expected to compete in spring practice with junior-to-be Morgan Newton for the starting quarterback spot.
The Texas native came to UK with a reputation as being a big-time passer, but his progress was curtailed by shoulder surgery. Still, in talking with UK offensive coordinator Randy Sanders, it was clear that Kentucky liked Mossakowski’s intangibles and quarterback skills. He appeared to be the best pure pocket passer of the quarterback candidates.
Newton has a leg up in experience, however, after making eight starts as a true freshman after Mike Hartline got hurt in 2009. This past season, when Hartline was suspended for the bowl game, Newton started and played the entire game in UK’s 27-10 loss to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Here is redshirt freshman Ryan Mossakowski talking to media after today’s practice. Mossakowski has been bracketed at No. 2 with Morgan Newton behind Mike Hartline.
I’ll admit it. I thought it would be Morgan Newton. I thought Mike Hartline would be UK’s staring quarterback until the competition continued to drag along, and after Saturday’s scrimmage I found myself trying to read between Joker Phillips’ lines. He said he didn’t want a game manager. He said he wanted someone who could win the game. Plus, if Hartline, the senior, had not beaten out Newton, the sophomore, by this time, the hunch was he would go with the younger player.
After practice on Monday, Phillips said it wasn’t really that close. Mike Hartline would be his starter.
The interesting thing, though, was that Phillips did not name Newton the backup. He said Newton and Ryan Mossakowski would be slashed at No. 2. “I know you all think that’s a bailout, but it’s not,” Phillips said, pointing out that the two still needed to compete, and that Mossakowski had made the most improvement of the three during fall camp.
Many UK fans won’t, I know, but you have to feel happy for Hartline. He’s a senior. He wants it. He wants to be the leader. He wants to be really good. He wants to excel at quarterback. He’s never said he wanted to prove his doubters wrong, but he’s human. You know there is a little of that, too.
You also have to feel a bit bad for Newton, who obviously was disappointed. Anyone there interviewing him after practice could see that. (There were about 14 or 15 of us there, and the informal media poll had it 7-6-1 for Hartline, Newton and Mossakowski before the choice was made.) No doubt, Newton wanted to be the starter, maybe even thought he had won the starting job. And yet, as he pointed out, he went from No. 3 to No. 1 in “a snap of a finger” last year.
The interesting news here concerns Mossakowski. The staff likes the redshirt freshman. You can tell. The coaches like his moxy. They like the way he commands the huddle. They like the way his arm has improved coming off shoulder surgery. “He can make the throws,” said Phillips.
Bracketing Mossakowski with Newton at No. 2 shows he will be a factor.
Here is video of Joker talking about the decision.
