Nov. 24, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky football head coach Joker Phillips and the Kentucky football team wished all Wildcat fans a Happy Thanksgiving as they finished up their week of practice on Thursday morning.
Phillips said after practice that true freshman quarterback Maxwell Smith did practice, but he will be a game-time decision on Saturday, while junior quarterback Morgan Newton threw the ball farther and moved around better today than he had the past few weeks.
The UK head coach said he feels good about his team heading into the game on Saturday with Tennessee. Phillips said the team has worked hard this week to try to accomplish its final goal of the season in beating the Volunteers and send the seniors out on a good note.
“I feel good, like I always do,” Phillips said. “Coaches are competitors and our guys are trying to stay positive. What I want to do is stay positive for this bunch and see if we can finish out the last goal that we have been talking about. The seniors have put a lot into this program and I just want to send them out the right way.”
Phillips also announced after practice that senior cornerback Anthony Mosley and senior offensive lineman Jake Lanefksi will be game captains for Saturday’s game.
Game captains are usually chosen on the basis of performance in the previous game. Mosley recorded one tackle and two pass breakups last week at Georgia, while Lanefski filled in nicely at center after Matt Smith was injured in the first half.
Mosley and Lanefski will join permanent game captains Danny Trevathan and Stuart Hines at the pregame coin toss.
Cat Walk at 10:15 a.m.: Fans who wish to participate in the Cat Walk, cheering the Wildcats when they enter Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday, should be at Gate One of the stadium at 10:15 a.m.
Trevathan Nominated for Defensive Performance of the Year: University of Kentucky senior linebacker Danny Trevathan has been nominated for the defensive performance of the year for his 17-tackle, two forced-fumble performance last Saturday against Georgia, Intersport announced Monday.
The Defensive Performance of the Year is part of a four-month competition that lets fans determine which individual performances reign supreme during the 2011 college football season. The winners will be revealed during the two hour All-Star Football Challenge special airing at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 3 on ESPN2. In addition to recognizing the season’s top performances, the All-Star Football Challenge will feature college football’s biggest stars in a live skills challenge. In the 13 year history of the event, 41 first-round NFL draft picks have participated in the All-Star Football Challenge.
From now until the end of bowl season, the two top defensive players of the week will be featured on the All-Star Football Challenge Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AllStarFootball), along with two top individual performers among quarterbacks, receivers and running backs. The top weekly vote-getter will proceed to the finals, which run Jan. 16-22.
Trevathan tied a career high in tackles against Georgia with 17, while forcing two fumbles and earning three tackles for loss. Trevathan has had an incredible year and has proved to be simply too much for many offenses to handle. This was his third game of the season with 17 tackles and his eighth with at least 12.
Five Former Wildcats on NFL Pro Bowl Ballot: Five former University of Kentucky football players, including kickoff returner Randall Cobb, fullback John Conner, wide receiver Steve Johnson, punter Tim Masthay and defensive tackle Corey Peters, are on the National Football League Pro Bowl Ballot.
Fans are encouraged to go to www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot to vote for all five Wildcats and help them reach the Pro Bowl. The annual contest of the AFC and NFC’s best will take place Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
A total of 12 former Wildcats are currently playing in the NFL.
