Aug. 14, 2001
KENTUCKY FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Tuesday, August 14, 2001
Turn up the heat! Practice intensified on Tuesday, Aug. 14 as the Kentucky football team continues to prepare for the 2001 season with two-a-day practices at the Nutter Training Center.
Several times after the play had completed, the offensive and defensive units had to be separated by the coaching staff as competition and tempo continued to escalate. Coach Guy Morriss allowed the Wildcats to continue practicing in helmets and shoulder pads for the remainder of camp but today’s practice gave an indication that UK is prepared to accept the increased physical aspects of training that Morriss has implemented.
“It’s not even comparable, it’s literally night and day,” junior cornerback Derrick Tatum said when asked to compare this fall to last season. “We’re not trying to unload on anybody, but at the same time, we need to deliver some hits to get better — when that happens, tempers are going to flare.”
Coaching his first practice after being rewarded a new four-year contract through 2005 by UK Athletics Director Larry Ivy, Morriss has welcomed the fervor displayed by his Wildcats this week.
“They’re getting on each others’ nerves a bit as they’ve been together for four intense days,” Morriss explained. “I’d be worried if they weren’t scuffling a little bit – you’ve got to have some fight in you to compete. If you’re out there and don’t have that excitement, you’re not going to be a very good football team.”
Expressing last week that the defense has made significant progress, Morriss recognized several Wildcats who have emerged as leaders of the unit.
“I can’t single out one person,” Morriss admitted. “There’s several guys on that side of the ball who I see trying to lead. Dennis Johnson, David Johnson, I hear Derrick Tatum talking all the time and Ronnie Riley has certainly become a vocal leader. That’s the way it should be — you shouldn’t rely on just one guy to get you motivated and ready to go.”
The offense focused their attention on executing the running game inside the red zone and on timing patterns with the wide receivers. Sophomore quarterback Jared Lorenzen looked sharp as he successfully executed a 14-yard screen pass to junior tight end Chase Harp and hit senior wide receiver Gary Hughes on a 20-yard crossing route down the left sideline for a touchdown.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Shane Boyd displayed athleticism as he rolled left out of the pocket and connected with wide receiver Gerad Parker for an 18-yard gain. Junior running back Martez Johnson continued to have a good camp as he broke through the middle of the line and eluded tacklers for a score.
Two-a-days continue through next Tuesday, Aug. 21 with classes at UK resuming on Wednesday, Aug. 22.
No sign yet that the heat, both on the field and off, will let up.
-UK-
