November 9, 1998

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – A sprained thumb will keep Kentucky quarterback TimCouch out of Tuesday’s practice, but the junior should be fine to startSaturday against Vanderbilt, Wildcats coach Hal Mumme said Sunday.

Speaking by teleconference one day after the Wildcats’ 37-35 comeback winover Mississippi State, Mumme said the injury, which happened when Couch hitthe helmet of a blitzing defender while following through on a pass in thefirst quarter, wasn’t serious enough to consider taking him out.

“It wasn’t enough that we ever thought about taking him out of the game,”he said, adding that trainer Jim Madaleno would have made the decision.

“I don’t make that call,” he said. “The trainer’s a doctor – he can makethat call.”

In the second half, Couch rallied the Wildcats (6-3) from an 11-pointdeficit with three touchdown drives.

“We had some bad plays early in the game, not all of them his fault. Ourguys were just a little nervous and they didn’t all execute. Tim didn’t executeall the time either,” Mumme said. “The great thing I love about Tim is athalftime he got in there and realized what he had to do.”

“Tim was just the catalyst” for the Wildcats’ comeback, Mumme said.

Most impressive was Couch’s game-winning touchdown pass to Craig Yeast,which he launched from beyond the Mississippi State 20 as he fell to the groundafter being hit by two defenders.

“I would think that will get shown several times on highlight films,”Mumme said.

Couch finished 35-of-45 for 338 yards and two touchdowns and has passed formore than 300 yards and at least one touchdown in every game this

By TIM WHITMIREAP Sports Writer