A Sea Of Blue

Kentucky 37 EKU 12: After-Action Report

2009-11-07T23:54:02Z

Kentucky's Morgan Newton made strides in UK's 37-12 victory over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.

The Kentucky football Wildcats (5-4, 1-4 SEC) proved to be resilient in today's 37-12 victory over their Richmond neighbors, the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (5-4, 5-3 OVC). With Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks deciding just before the game that UK's man-on-a-mission, Randall Cobb, would sit this one out due to a thumb injury, rookie quarterback Morgan Newton put together his best effort to date. Greatly aiding Newton in his quest for consistency were a group of formally inconsistent receivers -- Led by Chris Matthews' seven catches, eight different 'Cats caught passes today. And with star running back Derrick Locke sidelined with a bum knee, Kentucky's back-up runners plowed through the Colonel defense to the tune of 5.3 yards per carry.

I do want to add a hardy congratulations to the EKU Colonels. They represented their school well today with tough, clean play. I wish them well for the remainder of their season.

For a more detailed look at the points of interest for UK partisans, join me after the jump:

As noted, UK quarterback Morgan Newton played a solid, some might say, excellent game today. Newton was 20-29 through the air for 187 yards, and threw his first two passing touchdowns as a Wildcat. Coach Brooks had this to say about UK's star-in-early-development:

"Newton has improved a tremendous amount each week in practice. Eastern is not an SEC defense, but he showed he has the ability to read through his progressions, and protect the football."

Newton, instead of locking onto his hot read, scanned the field for his open receiver, which paid huge dividends with his 16-yard touchdown pass to under-used (and second option) tight end Maurice Grinter. All day Newton read his routes much more effectively than he has all year -- That's called progress.
Chris Matthews, who is still adjusting to the speed and intensity of major college football, replaced Cobb with aplomb this afternoon, nabbing seven passes for 56 yards (8.0 yards per reception) and one touchdown -- A touchdown where Matthews made a serious play for the ball. There is simply no excuse, other than inexperience, for Matthews to not excel at the SEC-level. He has the size, and physical attributes to be a go-to receiver, and hopefully today he took a positive step toward that end.
North Hardin alum LaRod King showed he just may be ready to make a difference in UK's offense. The freshman receiver caught four passes for 41 yards (10.3 ypr). He has played well when asked, I say he should be asked more often.
The magical disappearing/reappearing act of receiver Gene McCaskill made a timely breakthrough today with four catches for 33 yards (8.3 ypr).
Filling in admirably for Derrick Locke, capable running backs Moncell Allen and Alfonso Smith ran a combined 26 times for 122 yards (4.7 yards per carry). Each back recorded a touchdown.
Causing Commonwealth to buzz with excitement in the fourth quarter was the electric play of freshman running back Donald Russell -- Russell caught the Colonels napping with his 79-yard touchdown scamper (the longest UK rushing touchdown since 1998). Most impressive to coach Brooks, though, was Russell's 13-yard gain later in the fourth quarter, in which the talented tail back displayed a real ability to change directions while running at full speed. Russell is a down-hill runner with power. A dangerous combination for future UK opponents.
Linebacker Sam Maxwell continued his great play with yet another interception (which set-up the Newton to Matthews touchdown toss). That makes a team-leading four picks for Maxwell on the season. I sense an All-SEC nod for the senior LB.
Sophomore defensive back Cartier Rice also posted an INT today, picking off a Colonel hail Mary.
Junior defensive end DeQuin Evans led the 'Cats with 3.0 tackles for loss. The JUCO transfer continues to improve.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back Taiedo Smith led the team with 6.0 tackles.
UK's heralded offensive line held strong today, giving Newton time to throw, and opening holes for the running backs.
After being bullied last week by Mississippi State, Kentucky's defensive line recovered nicely this afternoon. They pressured EKU quarterback T.J. Pryor into only 9-28 passing for 137 yards. The Colonels gained 127 yards on the ground, but rushed 32 times (4.0 yards per carry) to attain that number.
Overall, EKU gained only 264 total yards on 14 first downs, compared to UK's 27 first downs and 444 total yards. Even considering the talent difference, those are numbers most UK fans should be happy with.
Kentucky was 9-17 on their third down conversions, while EKU was only 6-15. Those stats are as they should be -- A big, Big Blue advantage.
UK's special teams continue to hand out head-aches like Halloween candy -- A missed field goal (which was tipped), and a Colonel score on a fake field goal.
Kentucky set a school record today for most consecutive non-conference wins with 18.

After an understandably slow start , the 'Cats, behind the play of Morgan Newton, put away the Colonels with 30 points in the final three quarters (as they should have). Now, the goal is to get healthy. Vanderbilt on the road is UK's next test, and UK's next must-win.

Injuries coming out of today's contest look like this -- Tight end T. C. Drake has a serious groin injury; Linebacker Sam Maxwell has a thumb injury (x-rays negative); Cornerback Trevard Lindley "tweaked" an ankle late in the first half. Brooks theorized Lindley may have tore some scar tissue; we'll know more tomorrow.

The word from Rich Brooks on Cobb and Locke -- Locke should be ready to practice on Tuesday, making him likely to play next week versus Vandy. Cobb's thumb injury (he's in a cast), along with the fact that he's considerably bruised-up, portends a Cobb-watch for 'Cat fans in the upcoming week.

Mike Hartline update -- Hartline participated in practice last week (in limited duty), and coach Brooks will be looking this week at Hartline's maneuverability within the pocket. The junior signal-caller may see action next week at Vandy.

Newest Wildcat Fan

My wife Jennifer gave birth Monday to Carly Nicole, our third girl. All are doing well!

Thanks for reading and Go 'Cats!

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels -- Open Game Thread

2009-11-07T18:00:35Z

This is the official A Sea of Blue Open Game Thread for the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels at the University of Kentucky Wildcats. Game particulars are as follows, courtesy of UUKAthletics.com:

Date and Location: Saturday, November 7, 2009 Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, Ky.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: Live on WKYT and WYMT; delayed on BBSN
Radio: BBSN
Online Audio
Live Stats

Eastern Kentucky Information
5-3, 5-2 OVC
Schedule/Results
Roster
Statistics
Head Coach Dean Hood
Football Home
Media Guide

First of all, a quick note: I will be at Churchill Downs today enjoying the Breeder's Cup simulcast. I expect to be able to watch some of the game, and comment from time to time via the iPhone, but the post-game comment may be late (it depends upon whether or not Ken has time to put up post-game commentary).

More after the jump.

Here is a comparison I have cobbled together:

Team Statistics	Kentucky	Opponents	EKU	Opponents
Scoring: Points/Game	25.9	24.0	22.1	18.1
Scoring: Games - Points	8 - 207	8 - 192	8 – 177	8 – 145
First Downs: Total	153	150	146	135
First Downs: Rushing - Passing - By Penalty	86 - 59 - 8	77 - 64 - 9	63 – 74 – 9	49 – 74 – 12
Rushing: Yards / Attempt	4.55	4.91	3.3	3
Rushing: Attempts - Yards - TD	328 - 1493 - 16	319 - 1567 - 11	315 – 1030 – 16	287 – 854 – 8
Passing: Rating	105.23	112.61	130.4	115.1
Passing: Yards	1176	1392	1801	1612
Passing: Attempts - Completions - Interceptions - TD	208 - 115 - 9 - 7	216 - 110 - 10 - 11	226 – 139 – 6 – 5	241 – 137 – 14 – 10
Total Offense: Yards / Play	5.0	5.5	5.2	4.7
Total Offense: Plays - Yards	536 - 2669	535 - 2959	541 – 2831	258 – 2466
Punt Returns: Yards / Return	15.41	7.00	8.3	2.1
Punt Returns: Returns - Yards - TD	17 - 262 - 1	7 - 49 - 1
Kickoff Returns: Yards / Return	23.71	22.36	22.9	18
Kickoff Returns: Returns - Yards - TD	35 - 830 - 1	36 - 805 - 0
Punting: Yards / Punt	38.79	37.61
Punting: Punts - Yards	39 - 1513	41 - 1542
Interceptions: Returns - Yards - TD	10 - 177 - 2	9 - 64 - 0	14 – 141 – 2
Fumbles: Number - Lost	11 - 6	8 - 3
Penalties: Number - Yards	39 - 353	48 - 384
Time of Possession / Game	29:43.88	30:15.38
3rd Down Conversions: Conversion %	38.79%	40.68%	41.7	35.6
3rd Down Conversions: Attempts - Conversions	116 - 45	118 - 48
4th Down Conversions: Conversion %	75%	50%
4th Down Conversions: Attempts - Conversions	16 - 12	14 - 7
Red Zone: Success %	82.14%	74.19%	71	73.7
Red Zone: Attempts - Scores	28 - 23	31 - 23
Field Goals: Success %	66.7%	66.7%	46
Field Goals: Attempts - Made	9 - 6	9 - 6	6 – 13
PAT Kicking: Success %	96.2%	96%
PAT Kicking: Attempts - Made	26 - 25	25 - 24
2-Point Conversions: Success %	0%	-

The bottom line here is that EKU is a strong defensive team it their division, but not a very good offensive one. For UK, this will be a good test for the offense, but if the defense comes to play, EKU should have great difficulty scoring.

What I hope to see today:

A good game plan on both sides of the ball.
Solid quarterback play.
A good defensive line push on all plays.
Better special teams play.
Attention to detail, especially on special teams

Go, 'Cats!

Kentucky 117, Clarion 52 -- Postmortem

2009-11-07T06:20:53Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Patrick Patterson was a bit more present this game than versus Campbellsville.

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Thanks to the Clarion Golden Eagles for coming into Rupp Arena and giving a game effort against the Wildcats. John Calipari's alma mater came in and gave a good account of themselves versus a vastly superior team, and did both the school and our coach proud with their relentless effort.

Examine the score.

Kentucky has played many exhibition games over the years. The last time Kentucky scored over 110 points was just last year, versus Missouri-St. Louis, 111-53. Two games later, Kentucky allowed 111 points in a loss to VMI.

I mention this only to focus the mind of the Big Blue Nation. This victory, and the size of it, is as ephemeral and meaningless as the pixels on your screen. Well, maybe the pixels mean a bit more.

No matter what, this was a much more impressive game than versus Campbellsville. The Wildcats played with more skill, more cohesion, and an equivalent level of intensity and determination. When big guys like DeMarcus Cousins start taking charges, that is motivation and determination. Kentucky has quite possibly taken more charges in two exhibition games this year than they did in the first four games last year. Maybe that is a comment on the disparity of the skill level. Maybe it is a comment on the determination of the team.

My observations follow the jump.

John Wall was all that he was supposed to be, particularly defensively.
DeMarcus Cousins gets better with every game. I wonder how long this will continue.
Darius Miller did not seem all that great, except when you look at his line -- 11 points, 7 assists, 1 turnover.
Speaking of turnovers, they were not a problem versus the Golden Eagles.
Patrick Patterson had two beautiful three-point shots. He could have done a bit more, but 14 points and 6 rebounds is not too bad.
Ramon Harris had a strong game, with 11 points and 7 rebounds.
Darnell Dodson did not dominate this game, but he did play pretty well.
UK shot 50% from 3. That is way, way better than they need to shoot to be successful.
Once again, the 'Cats held their opponent under 30% shooting. That will win every time.
All this with Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton on the bench.

This game didn't mean much, overall, but the coaching staff had to love the improved effort and better execution all around. I must admit, the DDM as currently executed does not look all that different from a regular motion offense, but I also realize that the players have not come anywhere near perfecting the system yet. The thought that it will only get better and better as familiarity with it grows is ... encouraging, to say the very least.

Defensively, I thought Kentucky was really good tonight. Yes, they were playing a markedly inferior opponent, but even considering that, the 'Cats did a good job of fearlessly drawing charges and moving their feet. The effort was there defensively in a game where it didn't have to be for the 'Cats to win.

In the end, this game doesn't tell us much, but it does tell us that the 'Cats have improved over their last effort, which is really the best we could hope out of an exhibition. The score doesn't mean much to me, but the improvement means a lot.

Kentucky vs. Clarion -- Analysis and Open Game Thread

2009-11-06T23:14:37Z

Since SB Nation doesn't provide a special open game thread for exhibition games, it's just more convenient for me to combine all that into one.

Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats face off against the Clarion Golden Eagles, John Calipari's alma mater. The particulars of tonights game are as follows, courtesy of UKAthletics.com:

Time & Place: Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.
Gametracker .
Live audio
Subscribers on Extreme Access (delayed per SEC rules)

Cable TV: FSN-South: 7:00 p.m. ET (Live)
Footprint includes the states of Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Broadcast TV/BBSN

Market	Station	Time (all times local)
Bowling Green	WBKO-CW	9:00 p.m. (delayed)
Evansville	WTVW-TV	10:00 p.m. (delayed)
Hazard	WYMT-TV	11:35 p.m. (delayed)
Huntington, W.Va.	WSAZ-My qZ	11:30 p.m. (delayed)
Hopkinsville	WKAG-TV	10:00 p.m. (delayed)
Lexington	WKYT-TV	11:35 p.m. (delayed)
Louisville	WMYO-TV	11:00 p.m. (delayed)
Paducah, Ky./Cape Girardeau, Mo.	WDKA-TV	9:00 p.m. (delayed)

The Clarion Golden Eagles:

Head Coach: Ron Righter
Overall Record: 365-250 (.593)/24th season
Clarion Record: 341-226 (.601)/22nd season
PSAC-West Titles: 3 (1997, 2000, 2005)
PSAC Titles: 1 (2001)
NCAA D-II Playoff appearances: 1 (2001)
Home arena: Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium (Dedicated in 1968) Capacity: 4,000
NCAA Division II Playoff appearances: 2 (1981, 2001)
NCAA Division II Playoff record: 1-2
NAIA National Playoff appearances: 3 (1952, 1977, 1980)
NAIA National Playoff record: 3-3
PSAC-West Titles: 12 (first; 1971; last 2005)
PSAC Titles: 1 (2001)
Record since 1971: 644-403 (.615)
Picked to finish 7th in 8 team Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division
Should have athletic team in 2009-10 that could be 11 deep
Team wants to run the floor
Team wants to be aggressive on both sides of the court with pressure defense and transition offense.

 RECORD:                OVERALL      HOME        AWAY       NEUTRAL

 ALL GAMES...........   (11-16)     (8-7)       (2-9)       (1-0)

 CONFERENCE..........   (2-12)      (2-5)       (0-7)       (0-0)

 NON-CONFERENCE......   (9-4)       (6-2)       (2-2)       (1-0)

NO	NAME	POS	HT/WT	YR	Hometown/High School	Status	Remarks
00	Patrick Parker	G	6-2/170	FR	Jamaica, N.Y./Hillcrest	Prim. Reserve
1	Lloyd Harrison	G	6-1/195	JR	Detroit, Mi./Southwestern	Starter	Juco transfer, 26.3 PPG, 6 RPG
2	Mike Nealis	C	6-8/230	SO	Drexel Hill/Episcopal Adademy	Prim. Reserve
3	Brandyn Mungo	G/F	6-6/185	FR	Westland, Mi./Renaissance	Prim. Reserve
5	Jordan Lessane	G	5-9/160	FR	Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mount Vernon	Reserve
10	David Colbert	G/F	6-5/205	FR	Youngstown, Oh./Christian	Reserve
12	Greg Parker	G	6-3/195	SR	Chester/Cardinal O'Hara	Reserve
15	Shameel Carty	G/F	6-3/185	JR	Queens, NY/Holy Cross	Starter	9.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG
22	Jamar Harrison	G	6-3/180	JR	Washington, D.C./Dunbar	Starter	Juco transfer, 17 PPG, 6 RPG
31	Mike Sherry	G	6-1/185	JR	Pittsburgh/Chartiers Valley	Starter	10.6 ppg, 64 assists, 56 3-pointers
32	Paul McQueen	F	6-5/225	SO	Garfield Heights, Oh./Garfield Heights	Starter	4.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG
35	Denzil Dennison	F	6-2/190	FR	Ruther Glen, Va./Caroline	Reserve
44	Julius Berry	F	6-7/215	JR	Wilmington, N.C./Waterloo East	Prim. Reserve

Analysis:

This is a relatively small team, but they have more size and relatively more athleticism than Campbellsville. They will want to try to play "small ball" at a high pace in order to use their speed and quickness, and are likely to substitute liberally. There are a lot of unknowns on Clarion because several of their best players are JUCO transfers, and it's hard to tell how they will compete at this level.

Clarion will be a scrappy, quick team that will force UK's bigger players to focus in order to defend them out on the floor, as Calipari wants them to do. They will have a very difficult time with Kentucky in transition if they don't hit their shots, and since the Golden Eagles like to run on offense, you can expect an up and down game which will favor Kentucky's considerable talent advantage.

Defensively, Clarion is likely to have to go to the zone early and often to minimize the impact of the DDM offense. Even though the 'Cats have not assimilated the DDM yet, John Wall by himself will make it very difficult on the Golden Eagles if they try to play man-to-man. Look for the Wildcats to drive the ball to the rim a lot more in this game as they try do do what Coach Cal is trying to teach them.

I expect a big game tonight from Wall, Patterson and Cousins. I have a feeling they are tired of Darnell Dodson stealing all the headlines, but Dodson is likely to continue to shoot when he gets the chance. I would like to see a much better rebounding effort out of Kentucky tonight, and as fast as the Golden Eagles play, that should happen.

Go, 'Cats.

Is Your Team the Kentucky Wildcats? No? Then You Are Irrelevant

2009-11-06T14:41:37Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Who is this man?

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All the media cares about is Kentucky this season. Well, that's the message for the last couple of days, anyway.

According to this piece over at SI.com, Kansas may be #1 in the rankings, but UK is #1 in the minds of college basketball watchers:

Yes, Kansas was the runaway No. 1 choice in the preseason Top 25. And sure, the Jayhawks had two players on the preseason All-America team.

But it's Kentucky that's generating all the buzz. With one of college basketball's storied programs now being run by John Calipari, what else are people going to talk about?

Aside from the obvious schadenfreude toward the Jayhawks that many UK fans will feel (especially since UK has lost its past three meetings with the Jayhawks), the media narrative this season seems to be focused squarely on Lexington.

The interest seems to be multi-dimensional -- yes, the media see UK's fanstastic freshman class which includes at least two and possibly three sure-fire lottery picks (DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe) in the next year or three, not to mention Patrick Patterson, but they also seem fascinated by the cult of personality that is developing around John Calipari with his near-million Twitter followers and hundreds of thousands of Facebook devotees.

As if that weren't enough, some of the media feel like they are watching a slow-speed train wreck with a coach known for having his teams forfeit wins now coaching at a school formerly known for rule-breaking and general acts of poor NCAA citizenship. Add to that Calipari's remarkable personal and social media strategy, his new book, Bounce Back, and his absolutely ubiquitous nature on sports shows, interviews and public appearances combined with Kentucky's storied history, and it's easy to see why the sports media is drawn to Bluegrass like David Letterman to a pretty production staffer.

As a long-time fan of Kentucky basketball, it is amazing to me watch the current media fascination with a team that was an absolute non-entity for the last four years except as a cautionary tale. First it was all about how Tubby Smith's team was struggling and how unhappy the fans were, then there was the whole Billy Gillispie fiasco that turned out to be all about offering scholarships to middle schoolers, angering the NABC over that and his moving of the date of Big Blue Madness, making rude comments to female reporters during halftime interviews and winning fewer and fewer basketball games.

For a Kentucky fan, the kind of attention UK is getting now, even including all the negative stuff about Calipari's past, is far preferable to the recent near-half-decade of relative anonymity. The contrarian media view of Kentucky and Calipari is that the marriage is like mixing liquid hydrogen and oxygen -- you might get rocket fuel, but you might also get a big, flaming bang. For the record, it seems to be the "bang" that many hope to see.

If that first article provides a bit of delectatio morosa to Kentucky fans, so does this one, which features UK's former favorite Italian-American, Louisville Cardinal's coach Rick Pitino:

When you're the coach at Kentucky, Pitino says, you're with 100 percent of your friends. When you're the coach at Louisville, you're with 52 percent of your friends and 48 percent of your enemies.

Cue the rimshot.

It gets a good laugh more often than not, regardless of the audience for the only coach to lead both schools to a Final Four.

Yet these days, Louisville's advantage in the state's largest city is more tenuous than ever, and the inroads the Cardinals have made in the Bluegrass during Pitino's watch are in danger of being erased.

If it is true that the Cardinals have been "making inroads" in recent years, then yes, I would say those inroads have largely been replaced with "See Blue" signs and lines of reporters wanting to talk basketball with Caliparia and Karen Sypher with Pitino. It is the kind of monumental reversal of fortune that you literally couldn't make up -- a true case of life being far, far stranger than most people's most fevered imagination.

How long will this continue? Well, UK is guaranteed to lead the basketball and sports headlines all winter long, either by doing what they are expected to do, or falling short of expectations. Either way, the 'Cats will be on SportsCenter a lot this year -- more than Kansas, or Louisville, or just about any other team you can name. And if the Wildcats do make it to Indianapolis, it's hard to fathom the media frenzy that will surround them.

Imagine the story lines: "A coach with two vacated Final Fours reaches the Final Four in his first season at Kentucky. How long will this one last?" Or perhaps, "Can Calipari finally win the championship that eluded him in Memphis and at UMass?" This stuff doesn't really even require an imagination -- the stories literally write themselves, which makes the whole situation attractive to the point of absurdity.

So Kentucky fans, welcome back to the big time. You are about to dominate the news for the next six months, and possibly beyond, after four years of wandering in the desert of inferiority an unworthiness. Now we can sate ourselves on the nectar of attention, for good or ill.

This season may go great, or it may go badly for the Kentucky Wildcats. But one thing UK won't be this season is unnoticed.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- The Gates of Delirium

2009-11-05T15:15:56Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Coach looks a bit excited here. Robic, not so much.

Browse more photos »

The flu bug has assailed the football Wildcats, and the prospect of watching John Wall finally lead the basketball Wildcats into battle has me delirious with both pleasure and pain. It drives me crazy when so many players are hit with injury and illness all at once, and I suppose I should be thankful that we are not going into the Vanderbilt game this weekend. But at the same time, it drives me nuts that we seem to wind up in this same situation every year at this time. Maybe it's everybody, but it just doesn't seem that way.

Moving on to basketball, UK welcomes John Calipari's alma mater, Clarion University, into Rupp Arena tomorrow night. We'll have much more on that in due course, but I highly recommend this Jerry Tipton article (even to the anti-Tipton crowd), which has lots of great background on Calipari's time at Clarion, and how it helped shape him into what he is today.

I am a big fan of coaches playing their alma maters, particularly when they are small schools like Clarion. It may not continue for Calipari, though, but I have to admit, I do like the practice.

Speaking of practice, how is that Dribble Drive Motion offense working out for the 'Cats? About like Calipari predicted it would early on -- balls flying everywhere but in the basket, turnovers, etc. It will get better, and when it does, this team will be really dangerous.

And now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

Red-hot rivalry ready to burn across the Kentucky bluegrass | Sports News Images and Videos
Up the road in Louisville, some are immune to the Kentucky hype.

"They had the same buzz two years ago," Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich says. "Remember when they were recruiting eighth-graders?"

Oh, Tommy Turtleneck with the jab -- on that's probably going to come back and land squarely on his own jaw.
Vitale: Could Self, Calipari square off for title once again? | Sports News Images and Videos
1. There is the Rick Pitino soap opera down in Louisville. Pitino became the victim of an alleged extortion plot by Karen Syphers, who now faces criminal charges.

Uh, it's Sypher, Dick, not "Syphers."
High expectations follow Wall to UK | The Kentucky Kernel
"John is very good," freshman forward DeMarcus Cousins said. "Everything you hear, everything on paper is true. He is good, he’s not overrated at all. Everything is good."
Lindley Continues to Progress
Three key players returned to practice on Wednesday, offensive guard Christian Johnson, linebacker Micah Johnson and tailback Alfonso Smith, after missing Tuesday’s practice because of illness. However, eight other Wildcats who missed Tuesday because of new injuries or illnesses also did not participate on Wednesday.

I have no idea what we'll see on Saturday.
SEC preview: Cleared to play, Kentucky to fly off with Wall - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
My affection for John Wall is well-documented, and I'm glad the NCAA cleared him last week if only because I'm eager to watch the freshman point guard play college basketball. Can't wait. But I must tell you I was struck by the insanity of the system as I sat in the press box at Boone Pickens Stadium late Saturday and watched Oklahoma State play football without star receiver Dez Bryant.

I'm not sure what Parrish is exercised about here. Dez Bryant lied, deliberately. That's wrong, and as it turns out, the lie is explicitly a violation of NCAA by-laws. Lying is bad. Parrish shouldn't be excusing it. On the other hand, I think declaring Bryant permanently ineligible is way over the top. Hopefully, the appeal will find a more fitting punishment.

UK Football News

Newton finding his way as UK's starter | KentuckySports.com
Wildcats’ King trying to hold on as WR | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
"He ran the wrong route, but he made a play," said Joker Phillips, UK's offensive head coach and wide receivers coach. "And if you run the wrong route, you'd better make a play."

Ran the wrong route. Seems to be the story of our wide receiver's lives.
Kentucky Sports Radio " The Colonels Are Coming! The Colonels Are Coming!

Other UK Sports News

None today

NCAA Sports News

Three years later, NBA and NCAA Basketball benefit from age limit
In defense of the age limit. We have seen precious little of this.
Before They Were Coaches: Part I (SEC) – LostLettermen.com
This is pretty cool. You should read it.
Don't Bet On It!: Around the SEC - Dawg Sports
Gillispie watches Doc's team practice
I guess Billy is done with Kentucky now.
Louisville basketball starts strong, then handles Bellarmine 88-65 | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Vanderbilt Sports Line: Gary Parrish Thinks We're Going to Do Worse Than Kentucky and Tennessee......and Florida...and South Carolina
Ever the Vanderbilt fan, I'm not going to definitively state where we'll end up due to my fear of jinxing the most anticipated season in my fairly limited Vanderbilt basketball memory. But I will say that I think we'll end up better than 5th. Florida and South Carolina are like the majority of first dates. They looked great upon first sight, but then you actually sit there and look at them and you realize they're incredibly flawed. That's not saying Vanderbilt isn't, we've got a few weaknesses (defense). But I think I'm justified in saying that our weaknesses are less glaring than theirs.

I think that Vanderbilt is likely to finish better than fifth. In fact, I think they are more likely to finish third than fifth.

Other News of Interest

Well, that’s, interesting … " The HoopScribe's Blog
ESPN.com is reporting that women’s basketball pioneer Nancy Lieberman will be the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks’ D-League affiliate team in Frisco, Texas.

As my dad says, "How's about them apples?"
ESPN wants to bid for March Madness? - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com
ESPN says it’d be open in bidding for the rights to March Madness if the NCAA opts out of its 11-year, $6 billion contract with CBS this July.

I think Mike is right -- economically, it makes no sense.
John Clay: Europe suddenly an appealing path - John Clay - Kentucky.com
Brandon Jennings' early NBA start — averaging 22 points and 5.3 rebounds through Milwaukee's first three games — will prompt more prep superstars to spend a year overseas, rather than in college, before becoming eligible for the NBA.

Maybe. The question is, will it be enough to matter?
Bluegrass State Basketball has some interesting stuff today.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Duke guard Smith slapped with two-game suspension - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
Duke guard Nolan Smith will sit out two games because he played in an unsanctioned summer league.

A Duke player? Running afoul of the rules? Oh, my, I'm shocked... Shocked! -- but only at the fact it was even reported.

Overlooking Eastern -- Can UK Win Two More SEC Games?

2009-11-05T00:06:48Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Rich Brooks thinks all this negativity is bulls***.

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I'm going to do something here, for the sake of discussion, that the team cannot afford to do -- assume a win versus Eastern Kentucky. If that assumption is wrong, the rest of this discussion is still relevant, and would become urgent. So let's do the uncharacteristic, just for the sake of conversation.

The quick answer to my lede is, "No." No because UK has to play perennial powerhouse Georgia on the road. No because Tennessee looks like it is rising, having played Alabama and Florida tough, beaten Georgia and South Carolina. No because Vanderbilt may be finding answers to season-long questions. No because, well, UK fans are all down in the mouth about the lousy, confusing performance against Mississippi State that took away any momentum that may have been building up in the program to that point. No, because UK is...well, UK.

But I refuse to accept that. This team has, as is usual this time of year, been riddled with damaging injuries including its only All-American candidate, Trevard Lindley, who has been out for a month. The starting QB, Mike Hartline is down and most likely out for the year, being replaced by true freshman Morgan Newton. Derrick Locke is likely out this week, and Micah Johnson is far from 100% and may also sit. Offensive lineman Jake Lanefsky is lost for the season. Kentucky is banged up big time.

In spite of all that, this team has shown a lot of potential this season, and the biggest problem has been continuity from game to game. Part of that has to do with the quarterback situation, but Lindley's absence has also been a big factor, especially when it comes to confidence in the defensive secondary. But despite all that, the Wildcats have not been out of any games this year except Florida, and have proven that they can play very clean and efficient football. That portends well for the rest of the season.

Kentucky must go down to Nashville to face Vanderbilt, and whether they go at 5-4 or 4-5, Vanderbilt looks to be a must-win. Vanderbilt has been vulnerable this year, and this weekend they have to go down to the Swamp to face Florida. Like Kentucky, Vanderbilt is getting banged up, as they have not had a bye week since the very first week of the season, and won't get one until the season is over. That's even uglier than UK's situation, which had the bye after its very first game.

Georgia is vulnerable. T. Kyle King of Dawg Sports explains, in numerous posts (all of which you should read, because he is one of the most knowledgeable football fans in the SEC) why the Dawgs have struggled so this season. In my opinion, Georiga and Auburn are virtually two sides of a coin with no tails on it -- they are the same (forgive me, Kyle, I am aware of your Auburn loathing). If UK can defeat Auburn on the Plains, they most certainly can do the same to Georgia between the hedges. It will be difficult, and require Phillips, Brown and Brooks to call a proper game (unlike the recent abortion vs. MSU), but Georgia is a game that we can, and arguably should, find a way to win.

Finally, Tennessee. Tennessee has had some good defensive games and is near the top of the league in defense, but they are only middle of the pack in offense. Now, if UK is going to let Montario Hardesty run amok on us like Antonio Dixon did, then we have no reason for optimism. But if Lindley and Johnson are back at or near 100% for that game, and we are other wise reasonably healthy, we have a shot at the Vols. Tennessee is very inconsistent this year, and is fully capable of throwing in a clunker. UK is also capable (although we have yet to see it at home) of playing really good football. I don't think this game is any less winnable than at Georgia.

So could UK win out? Well, yeah, I guess so, but I think beating UGA and UT back-to-back, even if Kentucky somehow manages to remain healthy, seems like a long shot. But I don't think beating Vanderbilt and one other SEC foe left on our schedule is all that improbable.

So I suggest we stop nay-saying, and get behind this football team. They deserve it, and they desperately want to earn the trust and respect of UK fans. A big part of that requires the fans to let go of the past and embracing a new way of thinking -- we demand the team have a winning attitude, yet too many UK fans refuse to have one as though it makes some kind of sense to demand an attitude of the team they are unwilling to embrace themselves. We ask these young men to put themselves out there on the line every weekend. Shouldn't we at least be willing to risk disappointment by staying positive?

Think of it this way -- unlike the players, at least you don't have to worry about getting your eye gouged out, and that should be worth something.

SEC Power Poll Ballot -- Week 9

2009-11-04T18:19:23Z

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

Kickin' them Bulldogs around is fun, coach!

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As we all know, and have said over and over, Kentucky took a big step back on Saturday versus Mississippi State, the second time in three years that the Bulldogs have come into Commonwealth Stadium and left with a Wildcat scalp.

Naturally, that did not help Kentucky in the Power Poll ballot, but some other teams' poor performance did (or in the case of Vanderbilt, lack of sustained performance). The top spot keeps flip-flopping back and forth between Florida and Alabama, and Florida's abuse of the Bulldogs in the World's Largest Cocktail Party makes it hard not to put them in the top spot, even if the Elephants did not play last week.

South Carolina also benefits from the failure of other teams recently even though they were bitten in the hind parts by Ol' Smoky, and Auburn returns to the top half of my ballot with an impressive win over the Ole Miss Rebels on the Plains. All in all, the entire thing is a mess south of the top three teams, and there is very little separating 4-7 and 8-11 as discrete subgroups. Vanderbilt is clearly the weakest team, and Florida or Alabama clearly the best with LSU remaining in the conversation. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess.

The aggregated results from all voters are at Team Speed Kills, as always. My ballot follows the jump.

My ballot:

Team	cWL	W-L	bWL	SoS	This week	MoV	PF-PA	Next opponent	Polls	Remarks
Florida	6-0	8-0	6-0	47.11	Vanderbilt	25.0	288-88	at South Carolina	1,[1!]	Tebow took away the Dawgs bone, and sent them home from Jacksonville without any supper.
Alabama	5-0	8-0	6-0	48.51	LSU	20.4	254-91	at Mississippi State	3,(3)	Open date, drop a spot.
LSU	4-1	7-1	5-1	45.68	at Alabama	14.3	211-97	Louisiana Tech	9,9	Beat up on Tulane, but next week they get to pick on a pachyderm their own size.
South Carolina	3-3	6-3	4-3	41.80	at Arkansas	2.9	197-171	Florida	37,31,35	Okay, so they got ambushed on Rocky top. But the Gamecocks have to go somewhere, and I can't see them behind Auburn yet.
Auburn	3-3	6-3	4-3	48.37	Furman	5.8	287-235	at Georgia	28,29	Big win by the Plainsmen over a fading Rebel squad.
Tennessee	2-3	4-4	2-4	50.72	Memphis	11.4	233-142	at Mississippi	35,37,32	Had some Palmetto State pullet for dinner, and now they get a weak CUSA squad.
Arkansas	1-4	4-4	2-4	49.93	South Carolina	8.5	287-219	Troy	45	This team can score, but can they stop an SEC team from crushing their defense?
Georgia	3-3	4-4	4-4	52.09	Tennessee Tech	-3.6	206-235	Auburn		After the debacle at the Cocktail Party, the Dawgs are in a bad way. Is it possible that they could wind up with a losing conference record?
Kentucky	1-4	4-4	2-4	53.92	Eastern Kentucky	1.9	207-192	at Vanderbilt		Kentucky has no excuse – You have to hold serve in the SEC against similar foes. Kentucky must now work hard for a Pizza bowl bid.
Mississippi State	2-3	4-5	2-4	54.96	open	2.3	242-221	Alabama		Anthony Dixon trod the Wildcats into the grass beneath his cleated feet.
Mississippi	2-3	5-3	2-3	41.77	Northern Arizona	12.9	231-128	Tennessee	41	It's a long way down from where the Rebels were back in September to where they are now.
Vanderbilt	0-5	2-7	0-6	41.33	at Florida	-3.8	164-198	Kentucky		For a half, I thought the 'Dores were going to deliver a shocker. But alas, the Yellowjackets insisted on playing that pesky second half.

So there you have it. Some might quibble with my placement of a few teams here, and I am not at all sanguine about many of them, but I really don't care that much. Most of the teams in the SEC this year could as easily wind up in the bottom third as the middle.

Your comments are welcome and encouraged.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Blog Refresh Edition

2009-11-03T14:56:06Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

John Wall will be out there on the floor on Friday.

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SB Nation has performed what they are calling a "visual refresh" of the blogs, and I hope you love it as much as I do. To me, the the site looks much cleaner and more readable. Great job by the code magicians at SBN.

Now, to business. The game last night drew pretty predictable commentary from around the Big Blue Nation, mostly expecting the ugly, disjointed nature of the game while marveling at the talent and athleticism. I think that's the best way to look at it, and I'm sure Coach Calipari learned a lot about his team last night. We will learn even more on Friday when John Wall gets to suit up and take the floor for the first time versus outside competition.

At the end of the day, I was not unhappy with what I saw. I expected this game to be ugly, and it did not disappoint. But I loved the way the team tried to play together, and the effort on defense was really quite remarkable, with a number of players hitting the floor hard trying to draw charges, and getting floor burns chasing after loose balls. You have to really admire all that effort, and even if the execution was sloppy, it was really good to see how hard the team played.

Now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

[SLIDESHOW] UK wins turnover plagued game against Campbellsville | The Kentucky Kernel
"I was really happy for Perry Stevenson," Calipari said. "Instead of pouting or anything, he just goes in and now he earns his space. Now all of a sudden he gets in that rotation."

That's what I like to see also, and Perry did a very good job in limited minutes. My guess is that if he keeps it up, he'll earn more.
Danny Jett's Inner Circle: An Exhibition In Ugly Basketball
Ugly, indeed.
Calipari: Bledsoe and Wall are better together | Vaught's Views
I agree, I think that together, they are pretty much unstoppable.
We can't judge UK by exhibition, but we can try | KentuckySports.com
The dribble-drive motion offense is very much a work in progress (which it should be in November of the first year it's being run).

Too many guys driving with no intention of actually getting to the basket was the verdict of John Calipari.

I think that's right. Not Perry Stevenson, though. He drove with bad intentions. We need more of that.
Calipari's first win an eye-opener | KentuckySports.com
Patrick Patterson, who left last week's Blue-White Game happy with his contributions from the perimeter, struggled. He made two of seven shots. Both baskets were dunks. He had no assists and six turnovers.

Tipton haters, shut your eyes, or you might turn to stone. I suppose that if Patterson is going to have bad games, now is the best time for that to happen. I'd be surprised if it happens again anytime soon.
Column: A long way to go, but Cats’ potential is there | The Kentucky Kernel
If DeMarcus Cousins scores, rebounds and downright terrifies opponents the way he did against Campbellsville, things might get scary. Cousins had 11 points and six rebounds. He scared the small Tiger team inside, even more so than his impressive four blocks may suggest.

People don't scare so easy in the SEC, though.
Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Calipari era officially underway as UK rolls over Campbellsville University 74-38
All in all, I think this is exactly what Calipari expected when he warned us that UK had a lot of work to do. The big thing to look for is how improved UK is when Wall settles into the lineup in the next exhibition game.

I think that's right.
Tom Leach - Kentucky Football, Kentucky Basketball, UK Football, UK Basketball
Lots of good stuff from last night's game.
UK handles Campbellsville 74-38 | straitpinkie.com
Any illusions that Kentucky fans had about this team instantly jelling together, instantly learning the dribble drive, and instantly living up to their potential had a bit of a reality check in tonight’s second half against Campbellsville.

So true.

UK Football News

Newton's progress comes at Fidler's expense " Evansville Courier & Press
Fidler, who said he was expecting to take some snaps in the first half, was obviously disappointed to not get on the field. "I want to do whatever they need me to do to help us win," he said.

Fidler finds himself in an awkward position. He is rooting for Newton to play well not only for the good of the team but for the good of Newton himself. But it seems now the only way Fidler will get the chance to play is if Newton doesn't play well.

What a tough spot for Fidler. Unfortunately, next year it will only get worse. Well, that's how you get better at anything -- the cream must be allowed to rise to the top.
Rich Brooks Answers Questions about MSU Loss
"A week ago people thought we could win out," Brooks said. "Now they don't think we can even win another game."

Heh. How true.
UK Football Fan: SEC Bowl/Standings projections
The Pizza Bowl looks likely, unless we spring an upset. But we have to win at least one more SEC game for that to be a reality.
Cats prepare for EKU, try to salvage season | KentuckySports.com
It's not just the fact that Kentucky lost, it's the way they lost that really took away a lot of steam: 348 rushing yards allowed, three turnovers and a passing game that generated just 119 yards. The message boards and radio shows that were once buzzing about the Outback and Chick-Fil-A bowls are now playing the blame game, and the players say they can't get caught up in that.
Brooks asks players to help motivate | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
"Where some of our leaders in the past were vocal, our leaders are quiet and try to lead by example on this team," Brooks said. "Sometimes they don’t feel particularly comfortable in voicing an opinion in practice or in a meeting, where in the past some of our players did do that."

"Quiet" leadership rarely works.
Locke questionable to doubtful for EKU
AAARRGGHH! Locke just isn't very durable.

Other UK Sports News

Report: Top-50 player commits to UK women | KentuckySports.com
Finally. Man, it has been a struggle to get women's basketball back into contention in the SEC, but this type of player might just get it done.
No. 12 UK Turns in Complete Team Effort to Sweep Ole Miss - KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

NCAA Sports News

Dan Wolken: Recruiting rules changing "
The NCAA is also going to shut the door on "package deals," which Memphis certainly engaged in under John Calipari. He hired Milt Wagner as director of basketball operations in 2000, which ultimately yielded a commitment from his son, Dajuan Wagner. Several months after Tyreke Evans signed with Memphis in 2008, his personal trainer from Philadelphia, Lamont Peterson, was hired to an administrative position.

I am very glad to see this go away. Calipari was not the only coach to do this by any means, but I'm glad to see it off limits.
You obligatory SEC Primer - Searching for Billy Edelin
A big step backward for Michigan, Rodriguez - College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com
Man. I hate to see this. I actually like Michigan football (in a semi-interested sort of way), and now they are looking very much like they are going through the same kind of decline that UK went through post Smith.

Rich Rodriguez probably (not certainly) gets one more season to get it right. After that, the former hot property from West Virginia might well follow Coach Gillispie into the depths of anonymity.
Rush The Court " 2009-10 Conference Primers: #5 – SEC
Rush The Court predicts the SEC for 2009-10, and tournament seeds as well. I don't think Florida will be NIT bound, though.

Other News of Interest

Celtics, Rondo agree on 5-year, $55M extension - NBA News - FOX Sports on MSN
Wow. What does that work out to, about $120,000 per game? Good for him.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Are Gators contenders? - College sports - BradentonHerald.com
Florida followed consecutive national championships with back-to-back NIT appearances, hardly the way coach Billy Donovan wanted to build off those title runs.

The drop-off humbled Donovan and made the Gators hungry to return to the NCAA Tournament. Getting back there could be a challenge, though.

Heh. I feel the need. The need for ... schadenfreude. Via Walter's Wildcat World

Kentucky 74, Campbellsville 38 -- Postmortem

2009-11-03T02:52:35Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

We saw far too little of this from Patrick Patterson tonight.

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First of all, thanks to Campbellsville University for coming into Rupp Arena and fearlessly taking on the much bigger and more athletic Wildcats. The Tigers were full of hustle, effort, and teamwork, and they helped contribute to forcing the Wildcats into 23 turnovers and making them look quite a bit less impressive than their press clippings have been.

Well, John Calipari said it would look ugly early, and he was not kidding. This was as ugly as the north end of a south-bound camel, and take it from a guy who has seen that far closer than anyone would want to, that's ugly. No ice cream there, and no ice cream here tonight.

But.

This is a big, big "but." This is a euphoric "but" rather than a damning one. This team was more fun to watch at its worst than last year's team was at it's best, excepting Meeks' lights-out performance at Tennessee. This was an ugly game, but it was incredibly beautiful in that this was clearly the kind of team that can crush people into the dust when they finally figure it out. It is a thing of beauty to see a team that clearly has no clue still recognize that they are so superior to the other team that it really doesn't matter what the other team does.

Ugly, yes, but like a nasty, hairy caterpillar that you know will turn into a beautiful butterfly. More thoughts after the jump.

Kentucky only managed a 10-rebound advantage against a much shorter team. That's a real problem that needs attention.
UK really looked out of shape at times to compete in this style. No surprise, at this point.
3-14 from three. Well, we knew this was going to be a problem.
50% from the field against this team is not satisfactory.
Eric Bledsoe is a lot better than I expected. He is not far behind Wall. I do hope is ankle is okay.
Patrick Patterson was very quiet, and I have no idea why. This is a guard-oriented offense, but 4 points and 5 rebounds? What the heck?
Maybe it was because he came in late, but Perry Stevenson just went nuts. 11 points and 2 rebounds in six minutes? That's off-the-charts efficiency.
Darnell Dodson took a few too many shots for my taste. He's good, but I thought he put up some pretty questionable shots. But I did love his energy on defense.
Darius Miller was great on defense, but he must involve himself more in the offense.
Seven rebounds for Daniel Orton. I liked his game, I wish he had gotten in better offensive position.
Jon Hood did okay, but I expected a bit more.
No DeAndre Liggins. Could he be in the doghouse already?
You would have thought that Josh Harrellson would have been more of a factor against such a small team.
Ramon Harris? What can I say, he did what he always does -- maximum effort and doing the little things.
DeMarcus Cousins can be so much better than he is, and he is already pretty good.
Turnovers are going to plague us in the early season. I just hope we get them under control before they start costing us games.

Bottom line, as ugly and ungainly as this game was, the display of raw talent was amazing, and the speed of the game, when it wasn't weirdly frenetic, was a sight for sore eyes. This team will have a lot of film to study in this game, but I loved they way they stood in and took charges, and played defense in the first half. In the second half, the defense kind of stank, but I think that was more due to conditioning issues that will quickly get corrected.

Kentucky vs. Campbellsville -- Pre-game Analysis & Open Game Thread

2009-11-02T21:56:07Z

More photos » by Garry Jones - AP

Pre-season All-American, Patrick Patterson. That sounds really sweet to me.

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Forgive me for running a little behind today. Monday's can be like that.

So tonight, we begin basketball in earnest with an exhibition game against Campbellsville in Rupp Arena at 7:00 PM. The game will be carried on Fox Sports South, so check your local listings for availability. This post will also serve as the official Open Game Thread for the game.

Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats take on the NAIA Campbellsville Tigers in exhibition basketball action at Rupp Arena. This will be the first time the Tigers have played the University of Kentucky. Campbellsville was in a rebuilding year last year in the Mid-South conference, winning only 2 conference games and having an overall record of 10-19.

Tonight will mark John Calipari's debut as coach in a game where they play by the rules and keep score, so that's significant. We will be able to see how he will comport himself on the sidelines, how he will coach the kids, and how the young players will respond to him. That will be very much worth watching.

Another thing we will see is the UK team without John Wall, likely for one of the very few times this season. There has been some talk about who will play and who will not, but Chris Diggs gives us more detail:

Here's the announced starting line-up as of now.

Eric Bledsoe - Fr.
Darius Miller - So.
Darnell Dodson - So.
Patrick Patterson - Jr.
Demarcus Cousins - Fr.

Back-ups (First f0ur in no particular order)

Jon Hood - Fr.
Josh Harrellson - So.
Daniel Orton - Fr.
Ramon Harris - Sr.

Who we don't see in this is interesting -- no Perry Stevenson and no DeAndre Liggins. Oh, I'm sure they will both play, but not being on his announced list kind of says something to me, even though I may be reading tea leaves that say nothing.

And, in an interesting John Wall development, apparently addressing questions about Wall missing one exhibition and one regular season game, we have this:

Calipari said that "they" told him what games Wall would miss. The UK coach did not identify who "they" were.

Were "they" the NCAA staff? UK's athletic administration? A fan poll on CoachCal.com?

Apparently, Calipari doesn't even know who "they" are, or if he does, he's not telling. Maybe it's "the Visitors." I blame Jerry Tipton -- I think he knows "them" and is just having a bit of sport with us for ragging on him so hard lately.

Unfortunately, there is not much in the way of statistics available for Campbellsville, so I can't tell you much about their players, who leads the team, or anything else. But I can give you their roster from the school website, which you can find after the jump.

2009-10 Men's Basketball Roster for Cambpellsville

#	Name	Cl.	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown
	Demetric Ray*	SO	G	5-10	180	Bowling Green, KY
1	T.J. Bishop	SR	G	5-10	175	Boynton Beach, FL
2	Caleb Harris	JR	G	5-11	175	Chicago, IL
3	Shawn Savage	JR	G	5-10	170	Bowling Green, KY
4	Adrian Whelan	JR	G	5-10	170	Brandenburg, KY
13	Jermaine Carter	JR	G	5-11	185	Seaside, CA
15	Jordan Benock	SR	F	6-2	185	Battletown, KY
21	Justin Vitatoe	SO	F	6-4	190	Albany, KY
22	Joe Robinson	JR	F	6-4	200	Little Rock, AR
23	Leon Hart	JR	F	6-5	215	Hayward, CA
24	Sasha Mirosavljev*	JR	F	6-5	205	Sivac, Serbia
30	Brett Crittenden	JR	F	6-4	190	Tribune, KS
31	David Mann*	FR	F	6-4	175	Cincinnati, OH
32	Jake Gill	JR	F	6-4	245	Louisville, KY
33	Paulius Grikenas*	JR	C	6-8	225	Kaunas, Lithuania
40	Jonas Bohm	SO	C	6-9	235	Berlin, Germany
44	Nestor Colmenares	SR	F	6-8	235	Caracas, Venezuela
Keith Adkins - Head Coach
Bryan Milburn - Assistant Coach
Jeremy Monceaux - Assistant Coach
Justin Watson - Assistant Coach

To be honest, that's about all I know. But it should be good fun.

Mississippi State in the Rearview Mirror

2009-11-01T16:44:21Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Thank goodness we won't be seeing Anthony Dixon again.

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Well, I know we have some pretty unhappy Wildcat football fans around the Commonwealth today, and your humble correspondent is one of them. I truly hate to see UK drop homecoming games to opponents that they should beat (note: that is not a knock against Mississippi St.'s terrific effort yesterday, they were plenty good enough to beat us sight unseen), if only due to home field advantage, but it is what it is. We win one on the Plains, and we drop one to the Dawgs. That's football in the SEC.

So were do we go from here? Well, I think our two coordinators need to do some serious soul-searching about their respective theories of football, and learn to make better in-game adjustments. The coaching staff is an important part of any football team, and in yesterday's game, I think they really let the team down. I could go on and on about this, but I won't, both out of respect to the team and to the fine job that Brooks & Co. have done and continue to do. This just wasn't their finest hour. It happens to us all.

From looking backward to looking forward, we have a much-inferior opponent in Eastern Kentucky University coming in to Commonwealth Stadium next week. With that said, and UK coming off this bitter defeat, I expect the Wildcats to play true to their name versus the Colonels. We'll have more on that later in the week.

But if UK cannot beat Eastern, the rest of this season means little, so I will do the uncharacteristic and look past EKU to Vanderbilt. Vandy just lost what was mostly a pretty competitive game to top 15 Georgia Tech. That game is make-or-break for Kentucky, as the last two games of the season bring us in front of Georgia between the hedges, and hosting a resurgent Tennessee team that crushed South Carolina on Rocky Top yesterday. Not exactly the kind of games, given last night's performance, that inspire confidence.

Let's complete our look behind us with today's news about the game.

Kentucky postgame notes | Vaught's Views
Cobb questions UK’s emotion, effort | Vaught's Views
Well, I suppose he can't criticize the coaching like we can. And if this team is whipped physically now, our prospects of more than one more win are significantly diminished. This is a tough stretch, but the 'Cats are teetering on the brink of disaster mentally. The coaching staff too, it seems. Time to man up.
Kentucky Sports Radio " Blog Archive " Thirty Thousand UK Offensive Coordinators Agree: Moar Cobb Please
Fake Gimel has a look back at the game.
" Post-game thoughts on loss to Mississippi State John Clay’s Sidelines
John Clay has some very cogent thoughts about yesterday's game. I can't find much to disagree with.
Cats don't go to Cobb in key situation | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
In defending the decision not to insert Cobb at quarterback in the fourth quarter, Phillips noted that Newton scored UK's second touchdown of the night on an 11-yard run in the second quarter.

"He's the same kind of guy (as Cobb), just a little more beef," Phillips said.

Oh, puuleaaze. Phillips, there is no excuse for that decision. It was brain-dead. Just own up to it, and have done. Good grief.

Sorry for all the criticism, and I understand that things that look dumb in retrospect sometimes seem like a good idea at the time. All I ask is for people not to defend the indefensible. We all make errors in judgment, it happens. But don't defend errors, admit them, learn from them and move on. Not getting Cobb, the 5th best player in the SEC in all-purpose yards and the guy who led us to victory at Auburn, the ball even once in the fourth quarter barring injury cannot be rationally defended. Period.
Wildcats get run over | KentuckySports.com
"You've got to give him credit; he ended up being a lot better than we thought," UK defensive coordinator Steve Brown said. "He's a daggone-good back. For someone to be able to rush for that many yards, we've got to take a close look at what we're doing schematically and personnel-wise."

Sigh. Ya think?
MSU running game whistling Dixon | KentuckySports.com
The offense Mullen called for Meyer at Florida was built on misdirection. On Saturday night, Mississippi State ran counter plays with Dixon repeatedly.

Kentucky couldn't stop it.

"All day. All day. It was unbelievable," Brown said of MSU's success with the counter play. "We didn't do a good job of making it bounce east and west. It seemed like it was always going downhill on us."

Hey, Brown, here's a hint -- try the 4-3 next time -- you know, the defense that served us so well all year?
UK's 'Wildcat' was on endangered list | KentuckySports.com
"We're in a position where because the Wildcat had been successful, and it wasn't successful tonight, so we decided not to use it," said UK Coach Rich Brooks. "When we don't use it, we open ourselves up to be second-guessed on it. And I can second-guess myself on it as well."

AAARRGGHH! Second guess my gluteus maximus -- let Cobb throw the dang ball out of the Wildcat and it will work fine. Here's a hint, coach -- the only thing that makes UK's Wildcat such a threat is Cobb's ability to throw!
Two Steps Back, Kentucky falls 31-24 " Ninety Percent Scar Tissue- Ramblings of a Cubs fan
Pretty much hits the nail on the head, if you ask me.

Kentucky 24, Mississippi State 31 -- After Action Report

2009-11-01T02:42:16Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Dan Mullen, thinking. Why is Rich Brooks & Co. not here? Well, uh ...

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First things first. Congratulations to Mississippi State for an outstanding game. They were determined, they were strong, and generally, they were just better than Kentucky. Anthony Dixon was just too much for us, and Kentucky's defense never could figure out how to contain him. Not only that, MSU made big plays on the downfield passing game, something that they have rarely been able to do in SEC play.

Give a lot of credit to the MSU offensive line, which dominated Kentucky's d-line all night long. Kentucky was never able to get good penetration, and it was almost like UK was playing seven down linemen instead of six, partially because of the inexplicable decision by Steve Brown to go with the nickel package all night against a team that is not exactly strong in the passing game.

I could rant and rave about this game all night, but in the end, it boiled down to game plans -- MSU had a far superior game plan on both sides of the ball, and UK was unprepared and unable to adjust. It was essentially a case of two equally talented teams, only one had better coaching. Tonight, that team was not Kentucky.

My observations follow the jump.

Morgan Newton did the best he could. He is a case study in why you don't succeed in the SEC with a freshman QB. It isn't that he was bad, he wasn't, and in some cases, he was downright great. But the little things -- the unwanted timeouts, the poor decisions, the really bad decision that forced the interception -- those things are the kind of things more experienced quarterbacks don't do often. Morgan was great -- except when he wasn't, and that was more often than not.
Too little Randall Cobb in the Wildcat. It is not rocket science to know that Cobb prefers to run, but Phillips insisted on calling running plays from the Wildcat instead of the passes that MSU was not ready for. It was something so obvious even a guy who last played organized football at QB 38 years ago could see it.
Kentucky's offense was as predictable as the sunrise. So was MSU's, but for some reason, UK couldn't figure it out. Example -- on the long MSU pass play for a touchdown, I looked over to my wife and said, "They will take a shot downfield on this play, just watch." Oh, to be wrong...
Derrick Locke continues to impress despite his fragility.
Our defensive line was pushed around from the first snap to the last.
Our offensive line was adequate, but little more, and we did a poor job picking up the blitz.
How do you have a player like Randall Cobb and fail to get him the football even once on the final drive of the game? I'm just askin'...
When it counted, T.C. Drake dropped a football that anybody could have caught.
Anybody but me missing Mike Hartline?
Injuries were a big factor in this. Micah was a shadow of his former self, and Trevard Lindley would have spared us the nickel package on most downs.

This was a loss that we will regret. Big time. UK may still make a bowl, but it will likely be nearby, and minor. I am extremely disappointed in both the team and the coaching staff, the latter in particular. They had been doing so well, and then this.

Well, I guess we should recognize that every team throws in a clunker now and then, and that includes the coaching staff. This wasn't exactly a clunker, I guess, but it sure was one of those games that you have to search to find excuses for. Make no mistake -- UK lost this game primarily because they were outcoached and outplayed by a team of similar talent, at home, where we should win against such teams.

On the bright side, think of all the tape that Brooks will have to show to illustrate what not to do. The problem is, he will be showing most of it to his coaching staff.

Mississippi State @ Kentucky -- Open Game Thread

2009-10-31T22:45:14Z

This is the official A Sea of Blue Open Game Thread for the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kentucky Wildcats football game. The particulars are as follows, via UKAthletics.com:

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State
Saturday, October 31, 2009, Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Ky.
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports Network
· Radio: BBSN
· Online Audio
· Live Stats

More following the jump.

Below you have the stats comparison:

Team Statistics	Kentucky	Opponents	Mississippi State	Opponents
Scoring: Points/Game	26.1	23.0	26.4	24.6
Scoring: Games - Points	7 - 183	7 - 161	8 - 211	8 - 197
First Downs: Total	134	130	156	146
First Downs: Rushing - Passing - By Penalty	75 - 52 - 7	64 - 58 - 8	86 - 62 - 8	65 - 73 - 8
Rushing: Yards / Attempt	4.66	4.45	4.45	3.74
Rushing: Attempts - Yards - TD	280 - 1304 - 13	274 - 1219 - 8	357 - 1589 - 13	304 - 1138 - 12
Passing: Rating	105.76	111.42	112.65	119.47
Passing: Yards	1057	1247	1329	1721
Passing: Attempts - Completions - Interceptions - TD	189 - 104 - 8 - 7	199 - 100 - 8 - 10	201 - 117 - 11 - 6	231 - 127 - 11 - 8
Total Offense: Yards / Play	5.0	5.2	5.2	5.3
Total Offense: Plays - Yards	469 - 2361	473 - 2466	558 - 2918	535 - 2859
Punt Returns: Yards / Return	13.40	7.00	10.45	12.33
Punt Returns: Returns - Yards - TD	15 - 201 - 1	7 - 49 - 1	11 - 115 - 1	9 - 111 - 1
Kickoff Returns: Yards / Return	23.00	22.84	24.67	20.87
Kickoff Returns: Returns - Yards - TD	29 - 667 - 1	32 - 731 - 0	39 - 962 - 1	39 - 814 - 0
Punting: Yards / Punt	38.37	37.57	38.86	38.77
Punting: Punts - Yards	35 - 1343	37 - 1390	35 - 1360	44 - 1706
Interceptions: Returns - Yards - TD	8 - 169 - 2	8 - 64 - 0	11 - 310 - 4	11 - 111 - 3
Fumbles: Number - Lost	9 - 4	6 - 3	16 - 10	19 - 5
Penalties: Number - Yards	37 - 333	44 - 349	52 - 410	53 - 423
Time of Possession / Game	29:33.71	30:25.43	31:47.88	28:10.88
3rd Down Conversions: Conversion %	38.24%	43.12%	34.51%	33.64%
3rd Down Conversions: Attempts - Conversions	102 - 39	109 - 47	113 - 39	107 - 36
4th Down Conversions: Conversion %	76.92%	50%	60%	41.67%
4th Down Conversions: Attempts - Conversions	13 - 10	12 - 6	15 - 9	12 - 5
Red Zone: Success %	86.36%	73.08%	78.57%	79.31%
Red Zone: Attempts - Scores	22 - 19	26 - 19	28 - 22	29 - 23
Field Goals: Success %	62.5%	62.5%	75%	72.7%
Field Goals: Attempts - Made	8 - 5	8 - 5	16 - 12	11 - 8
PAT Kicking: Success %	95.7%	95.2%	100%	92%
PAT Kicking: Attempts - Made	23 - 22	21 - 20	23 - 23	25 - 23
2-Point Conversions: Success %	0%	-	0%	-
2-Point Conversions: Attempts - Made	1 - 0	0 - 0	2 - 0	0 - 0

Kentucky and MSU are very evenly matched. The biggest advantage Kentucky has for this game is home field advantage, and the biggest disadvantage UK has to overcome are injuries to stars Micah Johnson and Trevard Lindley. UK's offense should benefit greatly by the return of Derrick Locke, and this will be the third game that true freshman QB Morgan Newton has under his belt, and I expect we will begin seeing some improvement pretty soon in that area. Micah Johnson's injury figures to be particularly problematic with stud Anthony Dixon at running back.

I do expect a very tough game, and I expect to see a lot of Randall Cobb in the Wildcat today. Mississippi State is much like Auburn in the running game, except they don't use as many trick plays. Tyson Lee is a dangerous threat with his feet, but not so much with his arm, at least so far. But MSU is very tough on defense, particularly in the run, although Florida was able to gain almost 250 yards on them last weekend.

This is a big game for both teams, and I expect a battle.

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State: Breaking Down the Bulldogs

2009-10-31T11:05:20Z

With Kentucky sitting at 4-3 (1-3 in the SEC) and dates with Eastern Kentucky and Vanderbilt to follow, tonight's 7:00 p.m. EST game at Commonwealth Stadium versus the Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3) carries with it tremendous ramifications. A UK win will put the 'Cats clearly in the drivers seat to gain at least seven victories, which should translate into an upgraded bowl game (hopefully one not played in the state of Tennessee). Lose, and UK will be faced with having to beat Georgia on the road or Tennessee at home, in order to attain the magical seventh victory.

New Mississippi State head coach (and former Florida offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach) Dan Mullen has breathed much-needed oxygen back into the lungs of the Bulldog football program with an exciting brand of offense (he employs a spread-option look), and a defense that can most aptly be described as a work in progress. And after averaging only 15.2 points per game and 274.9 yards of offense in Sylvester Croom's swan song at State last season, Mullen has rewritten the playbook in 2009 to the tune of 100 more yards of offense per contest, and just over 11 more points per game.

For a closer look at what promises to be a nip-and tuck affair, and an examination of how the two contestants stand within the SEC, as well as a complete breakdown of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, join me after the jump:

Statistical Comparison -- UK vs. MSU (SEC rank in parenthesis)

UK MSU

Points Per Game -- 26.1 (9) 26.4 (8)

Scoring Defense -- 23.0 (8) 24.6 (9)

Total Offense -- 337.3 (9) 371.1 (7)

Total Defense -- 352.3 (8) 357.4 (9)

Rush Offense -- 186.3 (5) 203.1 (5)

Rush Defense -- 174.1 (12) 142.2 (7)

Pass Offense -- 151.0 (11) 168.0 (10)

Pass Defense -- 178.1 (8) 215.1 (10)

Kick Return Avg. -- 23.0 (7) 24.7 (4)

Punt Return Avg. -- 13.4 (3) 10.5 (5)

Interceptions -- 8 (7) 11 (2) Four returned for a touchdown

Punt Avg. -- 35.3 (6) 34.0 (9)

Kickoff Coverage -- 40.8 (7) 41.5 (6) Net Averages

Sacks By -- 12 (10) 13 (9)

Sacks Against -- 7 (2) 12 (7)

3rd Down Conversion -- 8.2% (9) 33.9 (10)

Opp. 3rd Down Conv. -- 43.1 (12) 33.6 (7)

Turnover Margin -- --1 (t7) -- 5 (10)

Red Zone Score% -- 86.4 (7) 78.6 (10)

Red Zone TD% -- 72.7 (2) 46.4 (9)

Red Zone Def/Scores -- 73.1% (4) 82.1% (8)

UK/MSU Players in SEC Top 10

Rush Yards Per Game -- MSU RB Anthony Dixon is 3rd -- 107.7; UK RB Derrick Locke is 5th -- 70.7.

All-Purpose Yards Per Game -- UK's Locke is 3rd -- 144.0; MSU WR Leon Berry is 8th -- 121.8; MSU's Dixon is 9th --112.1.

Touchdowns Scored -- UK ATH. Randall Cobb is 2nd -- 9; MSU's Dixon is 3rd -- 7.

Points Per Game -- UK's Cobb is 5th -- 7.7.

Reception Yards Per Game -- UK's Cobb is t6th -- 4.0.

Passing Yards Per Game -- MSU QB Tyson Lee is 10th -- 140.8.

Kick-Off Return Avg. -- MSU's Berry is 5th -- 26.3.

Punt Return Avg. -- UK's Cobb is 2nd -- 13.6.

Tackles Per Game -- UK LB Micah Johnson is t8th -- 7.9; MSU LB Jamar Chaney is 10th -- 7.2.

Tackles For Loss -- UK DL Corey Peters is t5th -- 7.5; MSU DL Pernell McPhee is t5th -- 7.5.

Sacks -- UK's Peters is t7th -- 4.0.

Interceptions -- MSU DB Jonathan Banks is 1st -- 4; MSU DB Corey Bloomfield is t4th -- 3; UK DB Calvin Harrison and LB Sam Maxwell are t8th -- 2.

Passes Defended -- UK's Maxwell is 2nd -- 9 (7 breakups and two interceptions); UK DB Randall Burden is 5th -- 8 (seven pass breakups and one interception).

Meet the Offensive Dogs

Tyson Lee -- 5'10", 200 lb senior quarterback: The diminutive signal-caller has thrown for 1,126 yards on 102-172 passing (59.3%). Lee has thrown only three touchdown passes, and has nine interceptions. He's also carried the ball 54 times for 163 yards, and two touchdowns -- Last season versus UK, Lee threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns (one interception) on 26 of 42 passing.

Lee threw three picks in Mississippi State's 29-19 loss to Florida last weekend. For his career, in 16 starts, Lee has thrown 14 interceptions and 10 touchdowns. He performed very well against a good Georgia Tech team, though, going 20-30 for 278 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Against Houston, Lee ran for 68 yards on 12 carries (5.7 yards per carry). Lee is highly mobile and is willing to take risks, whether it be with his arm or his legs.

Chris Relf -- 6'3", 235 lb sophomore quarterback: On the year Relf has completed 15 of 26 passes (57.7) for 213 yards. He's tossed three touchdown passes and two interceptions. He has also rushed 41 times for 232 yards (5.7 ypc), and one touchdown.

Relf, coming off an injury, has missed MSU's last two games. He will probably see some playing time tonight, though, if only as a change-of-pace for the Bulldog offense. As with Lee, Relf is adept at scampering away from pressure, and/or running the option game with aplomb.

Anthony Dixon -- 6'1", 235 lb senior running back: Dixon has rushed for 749 yards on 149 carries (5.0 ypc), and seven touchdowns. He's also caught seven passes for 36 yards (5.1 yards per reception).

Dixon, the No. 1 rusher in Mississippi State history, has run for 3,352 yards in his career, and 37 touchdowns. He also ranks 15th in SEC history in rushing yards. He's run for over 100 yards five times this season, with a season-high 135 yards (and two touchdowns) against Middle Tennessee State. Dixon nearly matched that output versus Houston, with 134 yards and another two touchdowns -- Last year against UK, Dixon rushed 15 times for 48 yards (3.2 ypc): In '07 versus Kentucky, he ran for 75 yards on 25 carries (3.0 ypc).

Dixon is a powerful, yet very quick running back. He can run through the middle, or, he'll beat you to the edges with his 4.5 - 40 speed. With UK giving up 174 ground yards per game, Dixon poses the biggest threat to 'Cat fans having a hauntingly good Halloween. If UK's middle linebacker Micah Johnson can't go this evening, backup Ronnie Sneed will have his hands full ... hopefully full of Dixon's jersey.

Christian Ducre' -- 6'0", 200 lb senior running back: This season Ducre' has rushed 42 times for 254 yards (6.0 ypc), and one touchdown. He's also caught eight passes for 124 yards (15.5 ypr), and one touchdown -- Versus UK in 2007, Ducre' had a huge day, running for 119 yards on only 19 carries (6.3 ypc).

Arnil Stallworth -- 5'9", 205 lb senior running back: Stallworth has rushed 23 times for 92 yards (4.0 ypc), and caught eight passes for 112 yards (14.0 ypr) -- Versus Kentucky last year, Stallworth caught eight passes of 71 yards (8.9 ypr).

For his career, Stallworth has rushed the ball 81 times and caught 55 passes. A poor man's Rafael Little, he has amassed 550 receiving yards to 300 rushing yards. Obviously he's versatile, and UK's defense, especially LB's Sam Maxwell and Danny Trevathan, must know where Stallworth is on every play.

Robert Elliott -- 6'0", 210 lb sophomore running back: Elliott has run for 110 yards on 31 carries (3.5 ypc), and one touchdown.

Coming out of high school, Elliott was the No. 8 rated running back in the country by Scout.

Chad Bumphis -- 5'10", 195 lb freshman wide receiver: Bumphis, MSU's leading receiver as a true freshman, has caught 24 passes for 270 yards (11.2 ypr), and three touchdowns. He has also returned five kick-offs for a 25.4 yard per return average.

Bumphis was rated the No. 16 wide receiver prospect in the nation last year by Rivals, and the No. 109 ranked prospect overall. He was heavily recruited (including by UK) by such powers as Alabama, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. For his career at Tupelo High School in Mississippi, he had 2,034 receiving yards, 1,348 rushing yards, and 568 passing yards.

Since a six catch, 123 yard (one touchdown) performance against Georgia Tech earlier in the year (three game ago), Bumphis has made only eight catches for 78 yards.

Leon Berry -- 6'0", 195 lb junior wide receiver: The JUCO transfer has played quite well in his first year with the Dogs, making 14 catches for 170 yards (12.1 ypr). He also serves as MSU's primary punt and kick returner: Eight punts returned for 67 yards (8.4 ypr), and 28 kick-offs returned for a 26.3 yard average (one touchdown).

Berry, a Second Team JUCO All-America, caught 59 passes for 1,003 yards and nine touchdowns for East Mississippi Community College last season.

Brandon McCrae -- 6'4", 205 lb senior wide receiver: The Morehead State transfer has snagged 11 passes for 97 yards (8.8 ypr).

As a freshman at Morehead, McCrae led the team in receiving with 28 receptions for 361 yards (12.9 ypr) and one touchdown.

O'Neal Wilder -- 6'5", 215 lb redshirt freshman wide receiver: Wilder has caught 10 passes for 140 yards (14.0 ypr).

Coming out of high school, Wilder ran a 4.5 - 40, and ran a state (MS) best 48.3 in the 400 meters.

Marcus Green -- 6'1", 235 lb sophomore tight end: Green has made 21 catches or 258 yards (12.3 ypr) and two touchdowns.

Meet the Defensive Dogs

Jamar Chaney -- 6'1", 240 lb senior linebacker: Chaney is MSU's leading tackler with 58 (24 solo), to go along with 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, and two quarterback hurries -- Against UK in '07, Chaney, playing on a bum ankle, recorded three tackles; Versus Kentucky in '06, he made six tackles.

Released from his scholarship by Georgia prior to his freshman season, Chaney has made the most out of the change: For his career he's made 256 tackles, with 14.0 tackles for loss. He missed all but one game of the 2008 season because of a broken leg.

K. J. Wright -- 6'4", 215 lb junior linebacker: Wright has executed 55 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks -- Last season versus UK, Wright recorded seven tackles.

Pernell McPhee -- 6'4", 275 lb junior defensive lineman: McPhee leads the Bulldogs with 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and five quarterback hurries. The JUCO transfer from Itawamba (MS) CC, has recorded 33 tackles (21 solo).

Another major junior college talent, McPhee was heavily recruited by Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan and West Virginia. In his two-year JUCO career, he sacked the quarterback 33 times.

Chris White -- 6'3", 245 lb junior linebacker: Yet another JUCO transfer, White leads the team with 29 solo tackles (48 overall). He also has 3.5 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup.

White was First Team JUCO All-America last season out of Mississippi Gulf Coast CC. In his two years on the JC circuit, he recorded 204 tackles, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries (two returned for TD's).

Jonathan Banks -- 6'2", 170 lb freshman defensive back: Another true freshman contributor, Banks leads the SEC with four interceptions, with two "pick-sixes." He's made 16 tackles (11 solo).

Banks was considered the No. 63 "athlete" prospect out of high school by Rivals, and the No. 69 safety by Scout. He runs a 4.6 - 40.

Corey Bloomfield -- 5'10", 170 lb redshirt freshman defensive back: Bloomfield has made 13 tackles (9 solo), and picked-off three passes. He also has one pass breakup.

Bloomfield has some hops -- 34.1 inch vertical -- and some speed -- 4.5 - 40. He was rated the No. 56 cornerback prospect out of high school by ESPN.com.

Dog Biscuits

Florida ran for 249 yards against MSU last week ... Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was 12-22 with two interceptions ... Auburn's Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb rushed 36 times for 271 yards (7.5 ypc) against the Dogs in Auburn's 49-24 win versus State ... MSU held Auburn quarterback Chris Todd to only 10-23 for 186 yards ... Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer (2008 ACC Player of the Year) ran 16 times for 83 yards (5.2 ypc) in a 42-31 Jacket win versus MSU ... Yellow Jacket quarterback Josh Nesbitt threw for 266 yards and one touchdown, on 11-14 passing against the Bulldogs ... Houston Cougar running back Bryce Beall ran 15 times for 94 yards (6.3 ypc) and one touchdown in a 31-24 Cougar victory over State ... Cougar quarterback Casey Keenum threw for 434 yards and four touchdowns on 39-52 passing ... MSU lost to then-No. 7 LSU, then-No. 25 Georgia Tech, No. 1 Florida, and Houston, by an average of 8.0 points per game ... UK is 9-10 against MSU since 1990, but the 'Cats have won three of the last four contests ... MSU head coach Dan Mullen has coached No. 1 NFL pick Alex Smith (Utah), 6th round draft choice Josh Harris (Bowling Green University), former Florida quarterback Chris Leak, and current Gator QB Tim Tebow.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Tonights match-up promises to be a tight one -- Both team run the ball exceptionally well, yet neither defense stops the run with consistency. Both teams struggle with the passing game ... both offensively, and defensively. Both teams have an indispensable running back (Locke and Dixon), and both teams have indispensable hybrid athletes (Cobb, and a combination of Berry, Stallworth, and Bumphis).

Because of the "even-Steven" nature of the two combatants, turnovers and special teams could be the deciding factor in this most important of contests. UK Punter Ryan Tydlacka must (consistently) be on his game tonight, the 'Cat ball carriers must hold the pigskin smartly, and the coverage unit must fill their gaps, or risk costing the 'Cats the victory.

I'm sure coach Mullen has seen the tape of UK's victory over Auburn, and took note of the emasculation of the Tiger offense at the hands of the UK defense. So 'Cat fans, expect some Mullen creativity in an effort to foil the Wildcats' bid to shut down the State offensive attack. UK, as they did so well against Auburn, must "stay home" and fill the lanes, or it could be a long, cold, night of fear in Lexington.

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky 27 Mississippi State 24

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Kentucky and Mississippi State Blogswap with For Whom The Cowbell Tolls

2009-10-30T17:58:54Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Wonder what Coach Brooks has in mind for the Bulldogs tomorrow?

Browse more photos »

Once again, we are fortunate enough to have an SBN Blogger who represents our opponent this weekend. His name is Jeremy Flint, and he is the editor of For Whom The Cowbell Tolls, the Mississippi State blogger for SB Nation.

Of course, tomorrow's game is huge for both the Wildcats and the Bulldogs. The Dawgs, at 3-4, still have a shot at a bowl game this year if they can get past Kentucky, although their road is one heck of a lot tougher than UK's. They have Alabama at home, Arkansas away, and the Egg Bowl (Ole Miss) at home after Kentucky. With a win over UK, they would still have to pull some upsets, but their road is not impossible. Also, MSU gets a bye next week to get healthy, and that may help them further.

For Kentucky, the road to bowl eligibility is much easier, even with a loss to MSU, although it is by no means easy. If UK loses to MSU, Vanderbilt becomes a must-win and Tennessee could be also. For the 'Cats, the easiest way to reach a bowl is to win the next three games.

You can find my answers to Jeremy's questions here. My questions and Jeremy's answers follow after the jump.

First of all, kind of an obvious question: What do the Bulldog fans think of Dan Mullen, and now that he has half an SEC season under his belt, how would you gage the measure of support he is receiving?

Dan is getting great support from the Bulldog faithful. He has brought an energy back to the program that was severely lacking under previous coaches and is giving us glimpses of how great our team can really be by how he is able to do so much with a relatively shallow talent pool.

There are some that complain about some things he has done during the games (fake punt against Florida), but overall, the support is definitely positive and he has the program on the right track.
Anthony Dixon is the third leading rusher in the league, and the Mississippi ground game overall is near the top of the league. Kentucky has done a good job against most teams in the ground game with the exception of Florida. How do you see this ground game matchup from an MSU offensive standpoint?

Kentucky is allowing about 174 yards per game on the ground this year (the most in the league. Combine that with the possibility of Micah Johnson either not playing or not being 100% and I like our chances of running the ball Saturday.
Derrick Lock and Randall Cobb are #3 and #5 respectively in the league in all-purpose yards. Where do you see these guys posing the biggest threat to MSU's defense -- through the air, on the ground, or in the return game, and why?

We started the season with a pretty weak secondary. Our corners were slow and our saftey was about a foot shorter than most guys he was covering. They have really stepped up their game play recently and the addition of Jonathan Banks to the safety spot has really sparked the defense. Banks was SEC Freshman of the week after picking off Tebow twice in what was his second SEC game to play in.
What defensive player would UK fans likely not be aware of, but should be? Same question for the offense? Why?

Pernell McPhee will be pressuring the Wildcat offense all night long from the defensive line. McPhee is a 6-4, 275 pound monster that has emerged as one of the best D-linemen in the SEC this year. He had 4 tackles, 1.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks against Florida last week. Your QB will get plenty of him all night long.

Everyone knows about Dixon. He is our workhorse and a big feature on our offense. Two guys that are making an impact this year away from Dixon are Leon Berry and Chad Bumphis. Berry is a JUCO transfer that is playing well at wide receiver and doing an exceptional job as a return man. He has already returned 1 kick-off for a touchdown this year and has over 800 combined return yards.

Bumphis is a true freshman at receiver. He was a highly ranked high school player that was going to Florida until Mullen came to State and he followed. He has tremendous speed and great hands.
What is the biggest single positive difference in Mississippi State under Dan Mullen compared to Sylvester Croom? Same question for the negative.

I think the biggest positive is the fact that our offensive play. We are currently 63rd in total offense, and that is a big change from being 113th or worse under Croom. Also the fact that we have been able to achieve it with pretty much the same players.

I am trying to think of a negative, but can't really find one.
Who wins Saturday and why?

I think it will be a close game. Both teams seems to be pretty evenly matched. I will, of course, give the Bulldogs the edge, but maybe by a field goal.

I want to thank Jeremy for doing the blogswap. It was enjoyable as always.

John Wall Cleared to Play

2009-10-31T03:14:47Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

We'll be seeing a lot of this guy on the court in 2009-2010, just as we figured.

Browse more photos »

As Ken posted earlier, John Wall has been cleared to play this season for UK. He must sit out the first exhibition game and the regular season opener as well as repay $787.58, but after that, it is clear sailing for the #1 ranked recruit out of Word of God Academy in North Carolina.

Reaction follows:

PG John Wall cleared by NCAA to play for Kentucky - ESPN

Kentucky freshman John Wall to be suspended two games by NCAA - Mike DeCourcy - College Basketball - Sporting News

NCAA orders UK guard John Wall to sit 2 games - Sports - Wire - TheSunNews.com

John Wall Certified -- Chris Diggs - UK Fan | The Courier-Journal

Wall cleared to play by NCAA | The Kentucky Kernel

CatsPause.com - NCAA certifies Wall with conditions

Not much for me to add, except that like most of you, I am very pleased.

Clarifying the Tipton Faux Pas

2009-10-30T14:34:46Z

You know, I hate these kerfuffles with mainstream media reporters, particularly with Jerry Tipton. He inspires so much passion (most of it negative) that it can suck all the air out of an otherwise good day, and convert it into napalm-throwing anger.

John Clay of the Herald-Leader was kind enough to email me this morning about the matter. Of course, he did not try to speak for Tipton, nor the paper, but just assured me that Tipton made an error in his characterization of events, and did not intend to describe Patterson driving off in his truck that way, as though he actually saw it happen. His main point was, Tipton had no malicious intent in making that mistake, it was just a misworded sentence that got through.

Tipton has corrected his article on the Herald-Leader website (the sentence now reads "For Patterson, the fun figures to continue when he climbs back into his new black truck."), and according to Larry Vaught, has apologized to the Pattersons, which they have presumably accepted. Tipton's clarification can be found on his blog, for what it's worth, and I find it pretty weak beer.

So what should we make of all this?

For me, I can understand how mistakes can happen in articles like this. Why? Because I make them all the time, and they get pointed out -- sometimes emphatically and with unpleasant additional commentary.

You may ask how I can be so understanding of something so apparently egregious, and my answer is that unless you write stuff for public consumption, you have no idea how easy or frequently these kinds of errors can crop up. What typically happens is that you go back and edit something you have written, and then don't reread the whole thing closely. Suddenly, that sentence you just edited seems to say something completely at odds with what you intended. Sometimes you catch it, and sometimes not. Sometimes it is defensible as misunderstood, and sometimes, not so much.

You may wonder why his editor would not catch it, but really, that's an easy one. Editors depend on reporters to get the facts straight, and a fact like that would not really be subject to checking -- Tipton was apparently describing an event he witnessed, and how could an editor gainsay him in that case? He could have checked with the Pattersons, but Tipton isn't exactly a cub reporter and would be expected to get his facts, especially one written as though he saw it himself, straight.

In the end, I will accept this explanation, although I don't expect it will play very well in the Big Blue Nation. It is said that he who lives in a glass house is unwise to cast stones, and I have made many mistakes that could as easily be called animus instead of carelessness. At the same time, I am most dissatisfied with the fact that Tipton did not explain all this in more detail. It probably wouldn't have mattered to his detractors, but I would have liked to have seen him do it.

For those of you who think Tipton has an agenda, he almost undoubtedly does. He wants to expose facts like Patterson's car to public scrutiny, and have an explanation as to where it came from. The fact that having it out there like that, unexplained, can cause people to draw incorrect conclusions or ask skeptical questions seems not to trouble him at all.

In a way, it is good to have a guy searching for compliance problems -- it keeps UK on their toes and forces them to be especially careful. But it is certainly going to alienate the fans, this one included. I don't like Tipton's style at all, but I have to say that errors happen, and the rule is, never impute to malice that which can be easily explained by incompetence (in this case, carelessness or a tight deadline). Yes, I am aware of charges by many UK fans that Tipton is actually working against UK. I am not satisfied that is so, but I refuse to discount the possibility, and Tipton has done nothing to reassure me in that regard.

In this case, Jerry's writing was careless, not malicious. That's my opinion, for what it's worth. He has apologized to those most directly affected, as he should have. I guess that will have to do.

What's Going On With Jerry Tipton?

2009-10-29T22:47:49Z

Jerry? Is that you?

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I just came across a tweet that directed me to this post on KSR. It's a short post, so I won't quote any of it here, but it essentially states that Patrick Patterson's mother, Tywanna, is suggesting that Jerry Tipton made this up:

For Patterson, the fun figured to continue as he climbed in his new black truck and drove away.

Folks, I am not a Tipton hater. Not at all. But I will say that if what Patrick's mom has said is true (and I have absolutely no reason not to believe her), then Jerry Tipton should be in a whole lot of hot water with his employer, regardless of his reputation and longevity. Reporters can't go making up things to make their story better. That isn't just wrong, it is downright unethical, and I don't know of any journalism outfit worth it's salt that would allow such a thing to occur.

I admit, I am absolutely shocked about this. Jerry Tipton is no hero of mine, but I always thought of him as a straight guy, if a little negative and curmudgeonly. But if he has been making up events and misquoting people, particularly Patrick Patterson's parents, that's where he and I part ways big time.

I understand from this tweet by Jones that something will be in the paper tomorrow about this, and Tipton has put up this blog post, which quite frankly, is as clear as mud to me. So what happened? Did Tipton make up the above comment? Did he just make an honest mistake writing two articles at once and not catch it? Did he mistake some other black truck and some other 6'8" guy for Patrick Patterson, since his mother said he was with her and her husband? Is this all we get? Who the heck is on first?

I can't wait to read about it in the ~~paper~~ pixels tomorrow. I sure hope this is all just some big misunderstanding. Sometimes, things look really bad, but there is an innocent or at least understandable explanation. I sure hope so.

The Big Blue Daily Mail Early Edition -- Talking About the Blue/White Game

2009-10-29T14:10:29Z

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Patrick Patterson showing off his new skills.

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There is a ton of talk today about last night's Blue/White game, and instead of compiling links for everything this morning, I'm just going to focus on that. We'll have the normal BBDM post later.

I think the buzzword for last night's game is "speed," followed closely by "excitement." What Wildcat fan would not have been excited by John Wall's blazing speed, Eric Bledsoe's aggressive drives to the hoop, and seeing Patrick Patterson shoot three pointers like he had been doing it for years?

I think I was most excited to see Patterson show off skills that I wondered if he would be able to develop. Of course, it is early, and there are lots of talented teams out there who will challenge him, but there was no hesitation in Patrick's shot whatsoever. I love that. Coach Calipari seems to insist on it, and it is obvious these guys are really comfortable with Calipari as their coach. Really. Obvious. That's something we haven't seen in at least two years.

The news follows the jump.

State-Journal.com - Staying for a reason
"I met with Patrick, and I MADE him tell me the reasons he wanted to come back before I accepted him back," Calipari recalled. "’You tell me why you want to come back, kid.’ And I was HOPING he’d give me good reasons, I want to tell you. And he told me he wanted to graduate in three years; he’d never played in an NCAA Tournament and he regretted that, and the third thing he said was, ‘I need to play in your style of game if I’m going to be a good pro. Because right now I’m playing under the basket, and I know I’m not good enough to do that at the next level.’

Wow. Now that is what a coach should be telling guys like Patterson. This article is simply a must-read.
Wall shines as status remains unclear - ncaa - SI.com
Wall, considered one of the top high school players in the nation last year, said he's not trying to focus on his eligibility.

"It is what it is, it's just something you've got to deal with,'' he said.

That's exactly right. I think it will work out okay.
What a display of athleticism | KentuckySports.com
So while who knows what exactly is going on with John Wall's eligibility, after viewing UK's Blue-White scrimmage Wednesday night, there is one thing I do know.

This is one athletic basketball team.

Indeed. The athleticism was remarkable.
SEC Media Day: Calipari, Patterson all the rage - College Basketball - Rivals.com
"He’s a god in Kentucky," Patterson said. "They all love him. He’s already in commercials. He’s got the key to the city. He could be Mr. Kentucky."

Governer Cal? It would be a landslide in every county but Jefferson. But I like him where he is.
Calipari, players insist Wall’s issue is no big deal | Vaught's Views
Nice to hear. Interesting that Calipari says that there are 10-15 kids going through something similar. That aught to tell you something about where Kentucky's profile is right now.
Both old, new faces bring optimism to SEC this season - USATODAY.com
"I think this year we'll get in more teams than we've ever gotten in before, at least seven," said Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. "Not only do I look for us to get more teams in the tournament, I look for us to advance because how good the league is going to be and how competitive it's going to be."

For once, I agree with The Sweaty One.
" BBL: Is Adreian Payne headed to Michigan State? John Clay’s Sidelines
John Clay's Big Blue Links.
Cats show their star power | KentuckySports.com
Patrick Patterson drove to Rupp Arena for Wednesday's Blue-White Game in his new Lincoln Mark LT. The black truck was not the only difference for Kentucky's big man.

"I've got a new game to go with my new car," he said. "I'm trying to show the new areas I'm working on."

It was wild seeing Patterson shoot (and make) the three.
EJSIC College Basketball Preview Series: Kentucky | The Elitist Jerks' Sports Information Collective
John Wall was a revelation in a "true" game environment. He cut to the basket and scored at will. He led the break with speed and control. He passed like Magic. He tomahawk jammed like MJ. He fell 3 rebounds short of a triple double to go along with his 25 points. In short… He pooped ice cream all over us all.

EWWW! I feel soiled by this comment. Well, he was pretty good ...
Bledsoe went with the flow | Vaught's Views
Keith Taylor writes for Larry's blog in this post.
Mailbag Time - Is it Acceptable to Hate Kentucky Just Because? - Casual Hoya
It is important to point out, however, this hate is different from Duke hate, which stems from ESPN's nauseating love affair with the program and its long and storied tradition of floor slapping and flopping. Kentucky hate stems from the love affair Wildcats have with themselves. I want Kentucky to fail because I am sick of hearing about them. Immature, yes, but I never claimed to be mature, I mean after all, I may or may not have just written a letter to myself.

A little honest UK hate from the SB Nation Hoya blogger. If my memory serves we still owe Georgetown one. Maybe we'll get lucky this year and have a chance to return an old favor.

Embrace the hate, and laugh at the funnies he cracks. If we are going to be hated because we are in love with ourselves, we might as well act the part. :-)
Tom Leach - Kentucky Football, Kentucky Basketball, UK Football, UK Basketball
Lots of post- Blue/White game interviews and stuff to listen to from the Voice of the Wildcats.

A Sea Of Blue

Kentucky 37 EKU 12: After-Action Report

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels -- Open Game Thread

Kentucky 117, Clarion 52 -- Postmortem

Kentucky vs. Clarion -- Analysis and Open Game Thread

Broadcast TV/BBSN

The Clarion Golden Eagles:

Analysis:

Is Your Team the Kentucky Wildcats? No? Then You Are Irrelevant

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- The Gates of Delirium

Top Stories

UK Basketball News

UK Football News

Other UK Sports News

NCAA Sports News

Other News of Interest

The Daily Schadenfreude

Overlooking Eastern -- Can UK Win Two More SEC Games?

SEC Power Poll Ballot -- Week 9

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Blog Refresh Edition

Top Stories

UK Basketball News

UK Football News

Other UK Sports News

NCAA Sports News

Other News of Interest

The Daily Schadenfreude

Kentucky 74, Campbellsville 38 -- Postmortem

Kentucky vs. Campbellsville -- Pre-game Analysis & Open Game Thread

2009-10 Men's Basketball Roster for Cambpellsville

Mississippi State in the Rearview Mirror

Kentucky 24, Mississippi State 31 -- After Action Report

Mississippi State @ Kentucky -- Open Game Thread

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State: Breaking Down the Bulldogs

Kentucky and Mississippi State Blogswap with For Whom The Cowbell Tolls

John Wall Cleared to Play

Clarifying the Tipton Faux Pas

What's Going On With Jerry Tipton?

The Big Blue Daily Mail Early Edition -- Talking About the Blue/White Game