April 26, 2003
Coach Rich Brooks
His thoughts on the game…
“We won! We were winners! We were healthy!”
“At the start of the game, our execution and focus was good. There is a major difference between our first and second offensive lines, but not as much difference between our first and second defensive lines. I am extremely pleased with both quarterbacks. Jared (Lorenzen) threw the ball well and Shane (Boyd) ran the ball well. Before we started switching things up, we only had one false start.”
“My major concern is punting. On field goals, I think we will be fine. You can do lots of good things offensively and defensively, but it can all go downhill if you aren’t punting well.”
“I feel good about how the team made the transition this spring. I was pleased that we are moving upward to understanding the new system.”
On how working in the pros will help him at UK…
“I think I am a better coach fundamentally and schematically after spending those years there. That makes me a little more qualified as an ‘older’ coach than I was as a ‘younger’ coach.”
On the team’s defense…
“It’s a young defense, and we aren’t where we need to be. But they have performed well. We have four corners (cornerbacks) who we are comfortable putting into the game. With the speed in the Southeastern Conference, that is crucial.”
On playing Jared Lorenzen and Shane Boyd at the same time…
“We’ll let the opponents figure that out. But it could be a lot, because the more I see them out there together the more I like it. They are definitely one of the biggest strengths of this team.”
Player Quotes
Shane Boyd, quarterback
On his feel for the new offense…
“I’ve got a really good feel for it. It’s a new system, but the whole offense is coming together and we’re enjoying what we’re doing.”
On his 58-yard pass reception…
“It was fun, we came out and expected the defense to do what they did and Jared (Lorenzen) made a good read and got me the ball.”
On if he expects to play several different positions during the season…
“That’s a possibility. It’s a part of our arsenal so we’ll see what happens.”
Jeremy Caudill, defensive end
On how the team has adjusted to all the changes since the beginning of spring practice…
I think we’ve adjusted well. There are still a lot of things we have to get better at but we’re going to work through the off-season to do that.”
How the team feels about the new coaching staff after its first spring…
“Anybody that’s around this team during practices or in our meetings knows this staff is an A-plus staff. They’re really going in and working hard to get (the players) better. They come from different levels of experience and it shows. They’ve done a heck of a job coaching us and getting us ready to go.”
On switching to the defensive end position…
“I like it. You can’t hate getting one-on-one blocks. I’m going to have to increase my speed a little and work on my lateral movement but I’m really enjoying it and can’t wait to get after it during the season.”
Jared Lorenzen, quarterback
On how he felt during the game…
“I felt really comfortable today. As the days have gone by I’ve gotten more accustomed to the system and I feel 10 times more comfortable.”
On what he plans on doing to get himself ready for the first game of the year…
“Lose more weight, get faster and learn the offense. I have to learn how to spit out this offense in a hurry so that’s what I’m going to focus on.”
On his overall feeling about the spring game…
“It went well, we got a little sloppy later in the game. We were just rotating more people in and out so we didn’t have the same chemistry. Overall, though, it was a good scrimmage. It was very productive and I’m happy with it.”
