Head Coach Rich Brooks
Opening statement?
?Just a quick injury update. Ricky Lumpkin and Myron Pryor are undergoing MRIs this week. I would say that Lumpkin is doubtful and Myron is questionable. Marcus McClinton and David Jones, unless they have a setback between now and Saturday, I would say that they are probable.?
On the emotions and extra media coverage of the next game against Louisville?
?I?ve been honest with my team forever, I think, so to make them think it?s just another week is silly, because it?s not. This is a huge game. It?s one of the first times that we can be a player on the national scene. Louisville has been on that scene for three or four years now, and rightfully so, they?re an outstanding team. If you?ve looked at the top-25, we?re going to have a lot of these this year, but this one obviously means a little more because it?s an in-state rival. We talked a lot this year about opportunities to do things that Kentucky hasn?t done. One of those things is not beating a ranked opponent in a long time and like I said, we?ll have more than enough chances to do that this year. But yeah, it?s a big game and we?re going to approach it like that.?
On having the talent to compete with Louisville?
?It?s the same message I told the people down at SEC Media Day and have been (saying) all along, that this is clearly the best team I?ve had since I?ve been here.?
On Louisville?s explosive offense thus far this season?
?I think their offense for the last three or four years has been predicated by an outstanding offensive line. They are big, physical and athletic. They allow all the things to happen in their offense. They protect the quarterback extremely well. They push on the running game. They have great skill people. They have one of the best quarterbacks in college football. They have several top-notch receivers and a pair of outstanding tight ends. So they?ve got all the components to have an outstanding offense, now having said that, they?re also extremely well-coached.?
On any differences Louisville may have from former coach Bobby Petrino and new coach Steve Kragthorpe?
?Many of the things they?re doing are the same. I don?t know if they call them the same thing or not. You see a lot of the same routes and a few new things. They?re using the tight ends a little more under Coach Kragthorpe in the first two games than it went under the last couple years under Coach Petrino. But other than that, it?s pretty similar. They?ll show multiple sets, motion and things to try and confuse you to go zone or man. It?s still very similar, just with a few new wrinkles.?
On the importance of the special teams this week?
?Well, field position should play a large part in this game and the kicking game determines field position by a large part. So does the success on third down on offense and defense. We have yet to do much in the return game, which is not a very pleasing thing to me. Louisville is very dangerous in the return game and their punting and placekicking, at this point in the season, look to be more solid than ours. We?ve got to work to get a tie in the kicking game. It no question will be a big factor on the outcome of the game.?
On the importance of the game being in Commonwealth Stadium?
?We?ve had a little better success playing them here than we?ve had playing up there, but I?ve been in a lot of games over a lot of years and I?m not sure that the site makes that much of a difference overall. Certainly last year we looked awestruck or just had a major letdown. We responded, we didn?t give up and we competed, but they were clearly the superior team last year.?
On the importance of pressuring Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm?
?Like I said, their offensive line is outstanding and one thing he does as well as any quarterback in the country is that he doesn?t take sacks. If he doesn?t complete it, he usually throws it away if there?s pressure. He doesn?t get sacked very much. Now I agree that it?s very difficult for a quarterback to throw when there?s a big guy in his face, but the question is how we get somebody there. We would like to do that, but it?s a lot easier said than done.?
On the success of the Kentucky running game in the first two games?
?Well I?m pleased to see us progress, but I?m also cautious of the fact that it was against a very good I-AA team and a good MAC team, but not against a top-national football team. So we have to show, again, whether it?s some improvement on defense or a lot of improvement on defense, or some improvement in the running game or a lot on the running game; we have to show that in big games, and then we can say that we?ve improved dramatically. We have the backs that can do it, but now we have to prove that we can block bigger, stronger and faster defenses.?
On the rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville?
?I know since I?ve been here, you hear about it year-round, which to me classifies a rivalry. It?s just as important in December. It?s just as important in April. It?s just as important in August. And it?s just as important whether it?s the first or third game. So that speaks to a very intense rivalry. There is extreme passion on both sides from the fans; passion bordering hatred. That means it?s a pretty good rivalry.?
On the match-up Andre? Woodson and Brian Brohm?
?You?re going to see two of the best college football quarterbacks in the nation and probably two future NFL quarterbacks that are homegrown. It?s a very significant event when you can have two quarterbacks who, in high school, were only about 35 miles apart. That?s awfully close. To have two players that are on the national scene as prominent as those two, it speaks volumes to high school football in Kentucky.?
On the depth on the defensive line if Ricky Lumpkin and Myron Pryor can?t play?
?Ventrell Jenkins would probably start. He?s been working at defensive end, so we?d have to get him some snaps this week on the inside. Jamil Paris played some good snaps in the game the other night. Travis Day played the best football game he?s played since he?s been here at defensive end last week. So we still are okay, but we don?t have a lot of depth if neither of those two players can play.?
On UK?s improved secondary?
?That will be one of the key things in this game. This may be one of those times where statistics may lie because even though our defense is not totally nationally ranked, our pass defense is in the first two games. It?s going to get a lot bigger test than it maybe has ever gotten. It would be nice to have E.J. Adams healthy, but it is very nice to get Marcus (McClinton) and David Jones back to add some speed, talent and depth to the secondary going into this game, because we?re going to need every healthy body that we can get.?
On the team maybe being too emotional for this game?
?What you worry about is being too tight or too tense and making mistakes because you?re too hyper. You don?t want to make mistakes like dropping balls and things like that because you?re too tense.?
On the differences between this game being the third game as opposed to the opener?
?I know more about my football team now than I would have three weeks ago. I know who?s playing well and who I can trust in a clutch situation.?
Kentucky Players
#19 Keenan Burton, WR
On if the game provides a chance to bring bragging rights back to his hometown of Louisville?
?You really never know. I don?t go home often, so as far as bragging or anything like that, I don?t know. It will be fun just to get the chance to compete against them. We have complete respect for them. You have to respect a team that has beaten you four out of the last five years. They have finished in the top-15 the last two years. There isn?t anything you can do but respect those guys and try to play with them. I think they have mutual respect for us also. I think they are motivated. I know we are motivated. I just think it will come down to who plays better on Saturday.?
On what beating Louisville would mean to his career at Kentucky?
?Winning the next game means everything. But as far as beating Louisville, it is the next step. They are a great team and it will be a great game for us. We just have to give ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter to maybe make that happen. I am pretty sure they are preparing to beat us. It?s going to be a great game.?
On his opinion of the Kentucky and Louisville programs? rise to prominence in recent years?
?I think it is great for the state. For so long Kentucky has been downplayed in the football aspect of the state. I think in Louisville it is the same way. Louisville really deserves respect for the things they have done in the past. Kentucky hasn?t really proven anything yet. We can?t just go off what we did last year. They have done it for consecutive years and they continue on it. They were in the Orange Bowl last year. That?s the kind of progression we are trying to make to get on the same level as those guys. I think it is huge for the state because now there is a chance to cheer for both basketball and football.?
On Louisville?s defense?
?They are very aggressive and very fast. Their defense has played against some good athletes. We just have to prepare for them because they are such a fast defense. They take the ball away from a lot of teams. We just can?t give them the ball.?
On the match-up between Andre Woodson and Brian Brohm?
?They are two great quarterbacks. It has been built up and I think that?s great. In the third game of the season you will get to see, I think, two of the best Heisman candidates in the nation. It is going to be special to watch both of them on the field at the same time.?
#18 Jacob Tamme, TE
On the match-up with Louisville?
?It is a very important game. It means a lot to the people in this state. It means a lot to us and a lot to them. There is a lot of pride leading up to it. Really, there is not a whole lot to be said. What happens on Saturday is what?s going to matter more than what we are talking about right now. I think Louisville has a big fan base up there and we do too. I think that there are Kentucky fans all across the state and we want all of them to be here on Saturday, I know that.?
On if there is a different feeling going into this game as opposed to the previous two?
?We know there is a lot at stake here and it does mean a lot to us. The senior class has not been able to get a victory in this game so far. We know they are going to be ready to continue what they have been doing, and we have to step it up and try to change things. There is a lot to be said for preparing well and bringing our best to the table.?
On Louisville?s defense?
?They have a good defense ? bottom line. They have good players on defense. They have a good defensive coordinator. Last year we didn?t do much offensively and that can?t happen this year. We have to come out to play a better game and be more prepared to play fast. They came out and really got after us last time we played. Like I said, we haven?t gotten them yet and this is another chance to do it. Their defense is going to be ready to play, we know that. We have to match that and find a way to have success.?
On the match-up between Andre Woodson and Brian Brohm?
?Obviously I think it gives the game a little more national hype. I think both of those guys will tell you that?s not really the big deal. Naturally, there may be a couple of more guys on ESPN talking about it. But at the same time, it is about a lot more than that, it is about in-state rivalry game.?
On comparing the two offenses?
?They certainly have an unbelievable offense and they have for the last couple of years. And this year has looked no different, with them putting up some ridiculous numbers. That?s a challenge for us and it?s a challenge for our defense. No matter what happens, on offense we need to be able to go out there every time and move the ball. That?s what we have done since the mid-point of last season and that?s got to continue.?
#91 Corey Peters, DT
On what it means to play this game in Commonwealth Stadium?
?I think it is a very big deal. I know personally coming through the Catwalk and things like that really get us hyped up. Last year, playing in front of their crowd with their offense was a disadvantage. With them playing last Thursday they have already had a couple of extra days on us to prepare, so we need as many advantages as we can get.?
On Louisville?s offense?
?I think their offense is really good. I think it looks as good, if not better, than last year. Last year they were near the top in the nation. We have to get some pressure on Brohm from my perspective. The defensive line has to do the job and get to the quarterback. I think if we do that we will do a lot better.?
On the match-up with Louisville?
?I think you will see both offenses as powerful as they can be. And I think you are going to see both defenses play a lot better than in the first couple games. In the first game you come out and you really don?t know what to expect. You may come out flat. But now that we have the kinks worked out, so to speak, I think that we will come out looser and play better. I think in the first games both offenses played well and the defenses played decent.?
On if this game is more important because he is a native of Louisville?
?I think it has to be more important. I am really excited about it and I am just trying to stay focused right now. It is a big deal because going back home it is for bragging rights and stuff like that.?
#56 Braxton Kelley, LB
On the mood of the team the past couple of days after putting Saturday night behind you?
?It?s up there now. I think were going to come out focused and have good practices this week.?
On the Louisville defense?
?They?re fast and big. It?s going to be a challenge.?
On the difference in the second half on Saturday?s game?
?Coach got us pretty fired up. We came out focused to play (in the second half), didn?t have any breakdowns, knew our assignments, and did what we had to do to get the win.?
On Saturday?s game — is it a bragging rights game for you?
?It can be but I don?t think so. We?re going to come out ready to play.?
On the possibility of winning the game ?
?It would be huge, good for our confidence. We have to come out focused and prepared.?
#76 Justin Jeffries, OT
On being from Louisville, how many of their players do you know?
?I know quite a few, I played with Victor Anderson and played against Earl Heyman I know quite a few of the guys.?
On the hype — do you like it or are you getting tired of it?
?It?s a tough question it helps some times and also hurts. I think if we come out focused and ready anything can happen.?
On how important it is to get the running game going to keep there offence off the field?
?The running game always opens up more than passing game, its going to be really important to get the running game going.?
On how important is this game to you?
?It means a lot. Coach is talking about how we have 12 opportunities to prove ourselves, every game is big for us. It?s Louisville week, so of course this game is hyped up.?
On going into this week?s game, how does it feel different from last year when he was a freshman?
?I feel a little more loose. I have a lot more confidence, I?ve been able to work with the offensive line more.?
