Kentucky Football: Faster Than Cobb, UK Rundown

The 2010 Kentucky Wildcats, Quick Preseason notes.

The 2010 version of the Kentucky Wildcats will began a new era for the University’s football team. After a successful tenure by Coach Rich Brooks, the Wildcats move forward under new head man Joker Phillips. Coach Phillips served under Rich Brooks and became the head coach in waiting for the past few seasons. Phillips was the offensive coordinator at UK before becoming the Head Coach, and the first African American to hold the position at UK.  The team has currently not decided on the Quarterback situation, but Coach Phillips has made it known that star athlete and fan favorite Randall Cobb will not be the starter; instead Cobb will have limited plays from the Wildcat package at Quarterback, but for the most part will be at his natural position wide receiver.

The team has some higher expectations this year, and not only from the fans of the program. UK has been picked to finish above Tennessee in the SEC East, and fourth overall. However, some national outlets have placed UK as high as third in the division. Being picked to finish above Tennessee is a first for UK, since the divisions of the SEC East and West were formed.

Things start off with a splash for UK. The first game of the season is against in state rival the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville is also a team that is under a new head coach. Coach Charlie Strong looks to get his tenure off to a fast start, and this game will be nationally televised.  UK is projected as a slight favorite in this game. The other early games leading up to SEC play should be all UK. However, things will grow tough for this group of Wildcats come conference play.  Kentucky opens up with a road game in the swamp against the national power house Florida Gators. Following from there they will face the likes of Auburn and Ole Miss.  This would be a challenging task for any team in America, and especially for a young team such as Kentucky.  The schedule does not get any easier as those teams will be followed up with the Old Ball Coach and his South Carolina Gamecocks. Kentucky has never defeated a Steve Spurrier coached team. Then add the Georgia Bull Dogs to the equation, and one could only imagine the amount of Tums the UK coaching staff will have on hand for this stretch of games. However, the season then takes a turn for the better and ends with four games that this team will probably be favored in.

Mississippi State, Charleston Southern, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee, is the most crucial part of the season for the Kentucky Wildcats.  If Kentucky wants to add to the string of four straight bowl games and improve in the bowl selection, then a clean sweep here will be crucial. Looking at the schedule one can see why there is reason for optimism as well as a reason to feel concerned.

The Quarterback position has been kept under lock and key at Kentucky. However, most around the program believe that senior Mike Hartline will receive the nod, but with a shorter leash than in the past. Last season Hartline went down to injury and freshman sensation Morgan Newton stepped in with mixed results. At times he showed flashes of brilliance and others he looked like the freshman he was. But given the extra year many have raved about the progress he has made in learning the system.  There is a third candidate Ryan Mossakowski. Ryan was red shirted last season, and may serve as the 3^rd quarterback on this team. However, the coaches have bragged about his athletic ability and stated that Ryan will be on the field at other positions, such as wide receiver.  All in all it is clear that the UK staff is looking for more from the quarterback position this season. Coach Phillips stated early in the year, “that it is time for the quarterbacks to win games”.

The offensive and defensive lines will be an area of concern for this team. UK has some talent in both areas, but is a bit under sized when compared to some of the bigger lines in the SEC. Couple this with the inexperience and things could become interesting. However, it is clear that Coach Phillips believes speed can help offset some of the power they will face. UK has put a premium on speed the last several years, and one can see that this approach has collected dividends.   Looking around to the running back the university has one of the best in the SEC. Derrick Locke, has amazing speed when carrying the football. He tested the NFL waters but decided another year in college would be the best move to make. His speed and agility make him a potential highlight at any moment.

All in all this Kentucky team has the potential to have success enjoyed by few Kentucky teams in the past. It is conceivable that UK could make a New Year’s Day bowl this season. UK has been making all the right moves and has made the climb to football respectability, but the next step is the SEC East. To recruit with the best programs means you must start beating some of the best programs.