August 24, 1998
LEXINGTON, Ky.-With nine starters back on offense, the Wildcats seek to re-light the aerial fireworks that led to a No. 6 national ranking in total offense a year ago. Defensively, UK is reloading a scrappy bunch of veterans that is small in numbers – but big in heart – and reinforcing with a talented, athletic set of freshman defenders.
Following a 1997 season that included stirring victories, a barrage of yards and points, and the unbridled enthusiasm of attendance records built and goalposts torn down, football fever is burning in the Bluegrass.
Now in his second season at UK, Coach Hal Mumme plans to fan the flames with the strength of 45 returning lettermen, including 14 starters and the starting kicker and punter.
A year ago, Mumme handed the controls of his passing offense to quarterback Tim Couch. Couch responded by completing 363 of 547 passes (66.4 percent) for 3,884 yards, leading the nation in all four categories. Couch also passed for 37 touchdowns, second best in the country, and is a preseason All-American as he returns for his junior season.
One of the strengths of Couch’s passing game is the number of suitable targets. Heading the list is senior wide receiver Craig Yeast, who set school records last season by catching 73 passes for 873 yards and 10 touchdowns. Wide receivers Kevin Coleman, Lance Mickelsen, and Jimmy Robinson each caught at least 31 passes a year ago. Joining the receiving rotation are wideouts Quentin McCord and Garry Davis. Also watch for tight end Jimmy Haley, who hopes to be at full speed after missing much of last season with a foot injury.
Sophomore Derek Homer is expected to lead the UK ground game from the fullback position. He gained 502 yards last season and averaged 5.7 yards per carry. At halfback, Anthony White is a versatile threat. He led the team in rushing with 723 yards, caught 59 passes for 453 stripes, and totaled eight touchdowns.
The offensive line is a veteran group with five seniors expected to be in the starting lineup. The returning regulars, left tackle Jonas Liening, center Jason Watts, right guard Mike Webster, and right tackle Kris Comstock will be joined by another senior, Jeremy Streck.
“Overall, we did a good job on offense last season. With a year of experience, I think we’ll be more consistent and make fewer mistakes,” Mumme said.
The biggest story of spring practice was the apparent progress of the Wildcats defense. A lack of speed and sheer lack of numbers caused a lot of struggles last season, but the UK defenders played much more competitively during the spring workouts.
One noticeable improvement is the amount of speed on the field. UK’s average 40-yard dash time for the starting lineup has been lowered from 4.75 seconds (1997 starters) to 4.57 seconds (1998 starters).
The numbers problem is still there – only 19 scholarship defenders were on hand by the end of spring practice – but an aggressive recruiting effort will result in an influx of freshman talent when practice resumes in August.
Solidifying the defensive line are senior tackles Marvin Major and Mark Jacobs. Jacobs is entering his fourth year as a starter and Major will be a three-year regular. The top returning pass rusher is end Robert Jones, who notched six quarterback sacks last season.
Unquestionably, the leader of the Wildcats defense is junior Jeff Snedegar, who paced the squad last season with 97 tackles. He moves from outside linebacker to middle linebacker for the 1998 season. Flanking Snedegar at outside linebacker are Lee Wesley and Marlon McCree. Wesley made 88 tackles last season and the play of McCree was one of the most pleasant developments of the spring.
Also making their mark during the spring were a pair of sophomore cornerbacks, Eric Kelly and Jeremy Bowie, who appear ready for full-time action. Senior Jeff Zurcher, a special teams stalwart, also played well in the spring and is penciled in the lineup at strong safety. Anchoring the secondary is sophomore free safety Willie Gary, who earned Freshman All-America honors in his debut campaign.
“We got considerably better in the spring and we’re very optimistic on defense, but we’re still thin,” Mumme said. “When you go beyond the first 14 or 15 guys, we’ll be counting on the guys who are coming in. It’s still better than it was last year.”
Special teams play could be a team strength. Senior punter Jimmy Carter and soph kicker Seth Hanson are returning starters. Wide receiver Craig Yeast is an explosive return man who brought back a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns last season.
