#8/13 KENTUCKY WILDCATS (6-1, 2-1 SEC)
vs. #14/14 FLORIDA GATORS (4-2, 2-2 SEC)
Saturday, Oct. 20 – 3:30 p.m. EDT
Lexington, Ky. – Commonwealth Stadium at C.M. Newton Field (67,606)
TV: CBS (Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Tracy Wolfson)
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Coming off an historic upset of No. 1 LSU, the Kentucky football team plays host to Florida, the defending national champion, on Saturday. The game, which is slated to commence at 3:30 p.m., will be televised nationally by CBS and broadcast nationally on the Westwood One Radio Network.
The Wildcats have won a Commonwealth Stadium-record eight consecutive home games and are a perfect 5-0 inside the friendly confines this season. Since falling to LSU in Baton Rouge midway through last season, the Cats are 11-2 spanning both seasons.
By picking up its sixth win of the season on Saturday, the Wildcats become bowl eligible in back-to back seasons for the first time since the 1998-99 campaigns. Kentucky has now won six of its last seven games that have been decided by 10 or fewer points and are 4-1 this season when trailing at halftime.
Florida comes into the game after an open date last week. The Gators have a rare two-game losing streak after close losses to Auburn and LSU in consecutive weeks.
QUICK NOTES
Kentucky?s 6-1 start is its best since the 1977 squad began at 6-1. UK is bowl eligible for the second consecutive season. The Cats are one of three teams in the SEC that are already bowl eligible (LSU and South Carolina are the others). Kentucky is in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings for the first time in school history. The Wildcats are at No. 7 for the first standings of the 2007 season, as released on Sunday. Including last season, Kentucky has won 11 of its last 13 games. That is the best 13-game stretch since the Wildcats went 12-1 during the 1976-77 seasons. Kentucky has won a stadium-record eight in a row at Commonwealth Stadium, which was opened in 1973. The Cats are 5-0 at home this season. The Wildcats are looking for their first win over Florida since 1986 (10-3 in Lexington). Kentucky?s offense ranks seventh in the nation and leads the SEC in scoring offense, averaging 42.7 points per game. UK has scored at least 40 points in six of seven games this season. The Wildcats? 43 points scored against No. 1 LSU marked the most points UK had scored against an LSU team in school history and the most points allowed by the Tigers this season. The 43 points also were the fourth-highest points scored in a defeat of a top-ranked team in AP poll history. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard leads the SEC and currently ranks tied for 16th nationally in tackles, averaging 10.9 per game. He is the only SEC player to average double-figure tackles this season. Defensive end Jeremy Jarmon ranks second in the SEC and is tied for 16th nationally in sacks with 6.5 on the year. The sophomore has recorded at least one sack in seven of the last nine games. Quarterback Andr? Woodson has thrown for 7,437 career yards, joining Jared Lorenzen and Tim Couch as the only quarterbacks in Kentucky history to throw for 7,000 yards in a career. He also has totaled 7,055 offensive yards, again joining Lorenzen and Couch above the 7,000-yard mark. The Wildcats are 34-of-36 in the red-zone this season, including 7-of-7 vs. LSU. Kentucky has made the most of its third-down opportunities this season, as the Wildcats rank seventh in the nation in third-down conversions. UK has made 50 percent of its third-down chances so far this season. UK ranks in the top three of 11 SEC statistical categories, leading the league in scoring offense (42.7), total offense (460.0), first downs (183) and kickoff coverage (44.1 net yards). UK?s rushing offense has made drastic improvements from last season. UK currently has 16 rushing TDs. UK charted just 12 rushing TDs in all of the 2006 season. UK also ranked 11th in the league in rushing last season, averaging 98.6 yards per game. After seven games this season, the Wildcats rank fourth in the SEC and 23rd nationally in rushing offense, averaging 200 yards per game. Kentucky ranks third in the league in turnover margin at +0.43. The Wildcats have recovered six fumbles and picked off 10 passes this season. UK had won or tied the turnover margin in 11 of the last 12 games. UK is 3-0 this season when winning the turnover battle.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – OCT. 15
Head Coach Rich Brooks
Opening Statement?
?Well, there?s good news and bad news on the injury front. Paul Warford?s fracture (collarbone) has been confirmed and he definitely will miss the next two weeks, and then we?ll have to see how he feels after the bye week. Rafael Little, who we thought was getting better, got a little calcium on that thigh and will be out indefinitely. I?m sure in the next two weeks we?ll see how that responds, after the bye week probably. Ricky Lumpkin will try to practice this week and we?ll see how he progresses. So far he?s done pretty well without any major setbacks. Tony Dixon will practice tomorrow and basically Marcus McClinton and Johnny Williams will also be back practicing tomorrow. So we get some people back and we hope that we don?t get them back and then lose some. That?s kind of what happens at this time of year, but the good news is that we?ve had people step up in every situation so far and respond when somebody?s been injured. The depth has proven to be necessary and better than it?s been since I?ve been here, and that?s a huge thing. Looking at the upcoming Florida game, obviously this is going to be another major test. Now Florida has done some things that have obviously given us problems defensively in the past and that is a major concern. With (Tim) Tebow running the option and the zone running game, as well as being an outstanding thrower to a very talented group of receivers, we obviously have our work cut out for us on that side of the ball. Defensively I thought that, coming into this season, you weren?t quite sure because Florida had to replace nine defensive starters, but they?ve stepped up and played outstanding defense. You look at some of the games they?ve played, especially what they did to Tennessee on both sides of the ball, it?s scary. LSU on the road, they had them down 10 going into the fourth quarter, and to do that on the road is very special. Their defensive personnel, although they haven?t gotten a lot of starts under their belts, is a very talented group and has a lot of guys with size and speed. It?s just another typical, very difficult SEC game against a team that we haven?t beaten in a long time. These players weren?t born the last time we beat them, so hopefully they don?t know too much about that streak.?
On who will start at tailback with the injury to Rafael Little?
?Probably Tony (Dixon). He?s our most experienced guy and does a good job picking up the blitzes and blocking and all of that. I think we?ll probably rotate, if they?re all 100 percent, all of those guys (Dixon, Derrick Locke, Alfonso Smith) in there. I think we?ll want to keep all of them fresh, rather than have one carry the load.?
On quarterback Andre’ Woodson?s ribs after a hit he took in the game Saturday?
?He?s fine. He was out there throwing the ball yesterday and running around. With today off, I?m sure by tomorrow he?ll be in pretty good shape.?
On the team?s reputation as a physical football team?
?I think it?s very important because you can?t win in this league without being physical. You need speed, you need playmakers, but it?s still a by-and-large defensive league. How about the Auburn and Arkansas game being 9-7? How often do you see that anymore? If you?re not physical, you?re going to get whipped. If you back down when it gets tough and physical, you don?t have any chance. The most pleasing thing to me is the defensive performance in our last game against the run. They had a lot of rushing yards, but they only had 21 rushing yards in the fourth quarter, when LSU wanted to control the ball, keep us off the field and put the game away. We became more physical as the game wore on and that?s critically important that you do that.?
On the play of the offensive line?
?Just about every week, you?ve got a different challenge in this league and I hope that we respond like we have been responding this year. This might be a time where I give a little credit to a great group of coaches. With what Jimmy Heggins has done with a relatively inexperienced offensive line is remarkable. We talked about it in the preseason that it could be our best offensive line since I?ve been here, and it?s starting to turn out to be that way. Jimmy?s done a very good job coaching them. You can go right down the line on our coaches with what?s happening. Coach Brinson, Coach Lockwood have done a really good job at their positions. Steve Brown and Joker Phillips, Randy Sanders all have been remarkable. Coach Ortmayer has had more patience with the kicker than I was having with the kicker. All of them have done a great, great job at bringing this team to the level that we?re currently enjoying. I don?t think there?s any question this is the best staff I?ve had since I?ve been here.?
On Florida?s quarterback Tim Tebow?s ability to throw the ball?
?He is better than I thought he would be at throwing the football. After last year, you knew what a force he was running the ball, and you questioned it a little bit because you didn?t get to see that much. He?s the whole package; I mean he can flat throw it.?
On what may have surprised him in the game against LSU?
?I was very impressed with how Andr? managed the game. There were several times when they brought more guys than we blocked, and he just threw the ball away. He threw two interceptions, one of which occurred when he was hit and the ball just kind of fluttered out there. The other one, the defensive back just made a phenomenal play, breaking back and actually beating Keenan (Burton) to the ball. The way he managed the game and kept his poise in the fourth quarter and overtime was probably the most impressive thing to me.?
On the effect the LSU win may have on recruiting?
?I think it?s a process, like I?ve always said. It?s a lot more obvious that we?ve got something pretty good to sell right now and that players are seeing that and understanding that. It doesn?t necessarily mean that you?re going to get all the ones you want, but even the big boys don?t get everyone they want. We?ll just take them as they come and see how it all plays out.?
On the Heisman resume? for Andre’ Woodson?
?I think that he belongs in that conversation more than some of the other people that are currently in that conversation because he?s doing more at a place that is tradition-starved for that kind of success that he?s having. He has to do more than most of the people that are surrounded by players and teams that have been successful each year, and that have people in that discussion every year. He has to do more and has done more than most of those people that are in that conversation.?
On Florida?s offense and the way they use Tebow?
?Well looking at the games leading up to the LSU game, how many different times did Tebow carry the ball? My goodness. He looked like a combination between quarterback, fullback and a tailback.?
Kentucky Players
#18 Jacob Tamme, TE
On being in a position for a bowl game and being in the BCS standings ?
?This is what we?re playing for. We?ve believed that we could do it for a long time, honestly none of that stuff matters right now. It?s great for the program to get recognition, but like you saw with the South Carolina game, we took a step back. What matters is where you?re at in the BCS at the end of the year.?
On if beating LSU is it bigger than beating Louisville?
?Louisville was special for its own reasons. LSU is No. 1 in the country so that?s something to have for the rest of your life. At this point we just have to get big wins.?
#56 Braxton Kelley, LB
On ESPN College GameDay coming to town?
?It?s good to know that we are getting some respect and our fans will enjoy it.?
On having struggles in the past against a running quarterback ?
?We?re going to keep doing what we?ve been doing. We?ve had bad games against running quarterbacks but as long as we play physical we can (do well).?
On how it felt beating the No. 1 team in the nation?
?It felt excellent, but like coach has always said, numbers don?t mean anything. Being the No. 1 ranked team is not going to win you a game.
On what makes Florida QB Tim Tebow so unique?
?He?s big, strong runner and can throw the ball. I?ve heard he?s one of the strongest guys on the team.?
#99 Jeremy Jarmon, DE
On seeing the rankings your first thought was?
?That people are starting to notice but we?re still not getting the respect, I think it will open more people?s eyes if we can get a victory on Saturday.?
On the team believing it could have a good season?
?We are a tight knit group, we work hard. I?m a realist, I know when I?m playing with guys that are great football players and we have a lot of them on our football team. Going through off-season and the spring we knew that we were a great football team and Coach Brooks did too. He made sure we believed in ourselves.?
#76 Justin Jeffries, OT
On what will you have to do to have the same performance as you did against LSU this week against Florida?
?We need to have the same preparation, same mindset as we did against LSU — that Andr? can?t get sacked and give them negative plays.?
On what kinds of things are making the guys so successful?
?Coach is doing a great job with play calling and Andr? getting out of bad situations.?
On if he’s ever been part of anything like Saturday night…
?It was unreal. It felt like a dream. I don?t think it?s set in yet, probably not until after the season.?
On the mood in the locker room for the next five games…
?Preparation, and that?s what are coaches are preaching also.?
#13 Steve Johnson, WR
On what it was like when he opened his eyes Sunday morning?
?I was hurting but it feels really good to come out with a win.?
On what the new BCS ranking means…
?It?s good for the city, program and all the fans. Anything can happen. We want to be in the polls at the end of the season.?
