April 12, 2000

Bonner Named Starting Quarterback: Dusty Bonner, Kentucky’sstarting quarterback last season, has won the competition with JaredLorenzen and will retain his starting job, Coach Hal Mumme announcedafter Wednesday afternoon’s practice at the Nutter Training Center.

“The thing you have to do on Saturday is produce touchdowns andDusty did. That’s the name of the game,” Mumme said.

In two scrimmages this spring, Bonner has completed 69 of 101passes for 913 yards and five touchdown passes. He led the offense to12 touchdown drives and one field goal. Lorenzen completed 27 of 67passes for 294 yards with no touchdown passes. He led the offense toone touchdown drive and one field goal.

“Dusty had a great off-season. He’s put on five or six poundsand is faster than he’s ever been,” Mumme said. “One of the decisivefactors is that Dusty’s arm is so much stronger (than in the past). Asfar as throwing downfield, he had a really good spring. He did it threeor four times last Saturday, and a couple the Saturday before that.”

As a sophomore in 1999 – his first season as a starter – Bonnercompleted 303 of 465 passes for 3,266 yards and 26 touchdowns. He ledthe Southeastern Conference in passing efficiency and total offense andguided the Wildcats to a bowl bid in what many expected to be arebuilding season.

Meanwhile, Lorenzen redshirted during the 1999 season, his firstat UK. Lorenzen was an All-American and Kentucky Player of the Year asa senior at Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Ky.

“Jared is going to be a great player. He just needs more work,”Mumme said. “He’ll do all the stuff that our backup quarterbacks do ingetting ready for games. If we’re fortunate to get in the situationthat we were last year when we were ahead in some games, we want to gethim some playing time. And, he’s always a sprained ankle away frombeing the starter.”

In other news from Wednesday’s practice, defensive lineman ChrisSheehan sustained a dislocated right shoulder. At this point, it isuncertain how long Sheehan will be sidelined.

Whalen to be Featured on CNN/SI Chat Room: Former UK tight endJames Whalen will be featured in the CNN/SI internet chat room Friday,April 14, at 4 p.m. EDT. The chat room may be accessed at internet sitecnnsi.com/chat. Whalen will be available in the chat room forapproximately 30 minutes.

Whalen also is writing a draft diary for the CNN/SI websiteduring the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft, which is April 15. Thediary is targeted for publishing on Wednesdays. Look for Whalen’s diaryunder the pro football section at the cnnsi.com internet site.

From 1997-99, Whalen went from unknown walk-on to first-teamAll-America. He caught 90 passes for 1,019 yards and 10 touchdowns as asenior, leading the nation’s tight ends in all three categories. He setNCAA records for most receptions in a season by a tight end and mostreceptions per game (8.2) by a tight end. His 90 catches also brokeUK’s single-season record for receptions, eclipsing Craig Yeast’s markof 85 set in 1998.

Spring Practice Schedule: