April 4, 1998
LEXINGTON, Kty. – The Kentucky football team wrapped up its first week of 1998 spring practice with a one-hour, 15-minute scrimmage Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Stadium.
The first-team offense, under the direction of quarterback Tim Couch, tallied one touchdown and one field goal in four possessions against the first-team defense. Couch completed 9 of 15 passes for 137 yards and one TD, a 23-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Craig Yeast. Fullback Derek Homer gained 40 yards on six carries.
Backup quarterback Matt Mumme, guiding a mix of first- and second-team offensive players, completed 6 of 11 passes for 89 yards in three possessions against the first-team defense. Mumme led two drives into scoring territory, but one was stopped by a fumble and the other was lost on downs. All totaled, the first-team defense allowed only 10 points on seven possessions and accounted for six quarterback sacks.
Quarterback Dusty Bonner fared well when the second-team offense battled the second-team defense. Bonner completed 8 of 13 passes for 222 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 80 and 29 yards to wide receiver Merritt Crowe. Wide receiver Garry Davis also had a good day with four catches for 141 yards. Freshman fullback Mike Kamphake, who enrolled at UK in January, rushed for 38 yards on 11 carries in his first scrimmage action as a Wildcat. The defensive highlight for the second team was an interception by strong safety Kenneth Grant, thrown by quarterback Corry Doyle on the final play of the scrimmage.
“So far, spring practice has been more enjoyable (than last year),” Coach Hal Mumme said. “The players know more about what to expect and what is going on. The emphasis this year has been more about individual development because they players know the system.”
Asked about the performance of his son Matt as the backup quarterback, the coach replied, “I was pleased with Matt. He and Tim (Couch) went against our No. 1 defense and I feel he can make some positive plays for us.”
Mumme also praised the progress of four reserve offensive linemen, Omar Smith, Matt Brown, Nolan DeVaughn, and Josh Parrish, as well as the running of Mike Kamphake.
“I’ve been pleased with Mike,” Mumme said. “He still has some polishing to do and is learning his assignments, but when he executes (the proper assignment) he does very well.”
Kentucky has four more practices scheduled in the coming week. The Wildcats have two-hour workouts scheduled at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Nutter Training Center. The team’s second scrimmage is slated for Saturday, April 11, at 11 a.m. at Commonwealth Stadium. The Blue-White Spring Game completes spring practice on Saturday, April 25.
Coaching Clinic Attracts Record Crowd: The annual UK Football Coaching Clinic was completed Saturday with a record crowd of approximately 410 visiting coaches. Obviously, the enthusiasm generated by “Air Raid ’97” played a major role as this year’s attendance more than doubled last year’s mark of 187 clinic attendees. The previous record for clinic attendance was approximately 315 in the spring of 1994 following the Wildcats’ trip to the Peach Bowl.
Wildcats coaches who spoke to the visiting coaches included head coach Hal Mumme, cornerbacks coach Tim Keane, and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Guy Morriss. In addition, four visiting coaches were on the clinic agenda: Dudley Hilton, head coach of Bourbon County, the 1997 Kentucky Class AA state champion; Milt Miller, head coach at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., a perennial power in the Georgia Class AAAA ranks; D. W. Rutledge, winner of four state championships as head coach at Judson High School in Converse, Texas; and Chuck Servino, head coach at Louisville’s Trinity High School, 1997 Class AAAA state finalist.
