April 26, 2003
The Blue Team defeated the White Team, 38-0, in the annual Blue/White Game on Saturday afternoon before 6,500 fans in Commonwealth Stadium.
The result was not unexpected, being that the Blue Team was the first unit offense and defense while the White Team was comprised of the reserves. The game was typical of what was seen during the spring, as senior quarterback Jared Lorenzen and junior QB Shane Boyd continued their impressive play.
Lorenzen completed 16 of 23 passes for 297 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Derek Abney. Lorenzen also showed off his running ability by rushing for 21 yards and a touchdown. Boyd hit five of nine passes for 79 yards and also rushed for 30 yards while playing for the Blue Team.
“I felt really comfortable today,” Lorenzen said. “As the days have gone by I’ve gotten more accustomed to the system and I feel 10 times more comfortable.
“Lose more weight, get faster and learn the offense,” said Lorenzen when asked about his goals before the upcoming season. “I have to learn how to spit out this offense in a hurry so that’s what I’m going to focus on.”
Most entertaining for the fans today were the times that Lorenzen and Boyd played at the same time, with one player as the quarterback and the other lining up as a running back or wide receiver. On one play, Lorenzen hit Boyd over the middle and Boyd streaked for a 58-yard gain to set up a touchdown. The crowd also roared when Boyd threw a six-yard completion to Lorenzen later in the game.
“That’s a possibility,” said Boyd, when asked about the quarterbacks playing at the same time this fall. “It’s a part of our arsenal so we’ll see what happens. It (the 58-yard catch) was fun, we came out and expected the defense to do what they did and Jared made a good read and got me the ball.”
Abney was the leading receiver with 112 yards on eight receptions, including the touchdown.
Also sparking the offense was sophomore running back Alexis Bwenge, who continues to improve as he gets more playing time. Bwenge rushed 12 times for 64 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore fullback Ronald “Rock” Johnson also looked good, rushing three times for 22 yards and also caught a short pass and rumbled for a 35-yard gain.
Altogether, the Blue offense rolled up 509 yards, averaging 8.1 yards per play.
“At the start of the game, our execution and focus were good,” said Coach Rich Brooks, in his first spring as head coach of the Wildcats. “I am extremely pleased with both quarterbacks. Jared threw the ball well and Shane ran the ball well.”
Asked about how much he will play Lorenzen and Boyd together during the 2003 season, Brooks said, “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 the team.”
Hopefully, a developing strength will be the progress of the young defensive unit. The Blue (first team) defense held the White Team to only four first downs and 68 yards total offense. Sophomore Deion Holts, who has played well in his move from defensive end to linebacker, made nine tackles. Among his nine stops were three tackles for loss, including one quarterback sack. Redshirt freshman nose tackle Lamar Mills capped his fine spring performance with six tackles, including one for loss.
“It’s a young defense, and we aren’t where we need to be,” Brooks said. “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.”
Senior Jeremy Caudill, who moved from defensive tackle to defensive end this spring, looked comfortable in his new position and made a nine-yard tackle for loss.
“I think we’ve adjusted well,” Caudill said of the new 3-4 defensive system. “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.”
Blue Team Wins Alumni Game, 14-13: The Kentucky alumni football teams played touch football at halftime of the Blue/White Game, and the Blue Alumni nipped the White Alumni, 14-13.
The teams traded scores, with Blue’s Cliff Hite hitting Cornell Burbage with a 37-yard touchdown pass. Tommy Griggs added the extra point. Bill Ransdell Sr. countered for the White with a 35-yard scoring pass to Oliver Barnett. Rick Strein knotted the score with the extra point.
The Blue went back ahead with a 50-yard TD toss from Hite to Charlie Darrington and Griggs kicked the point. Ransdell came back with a 50-yard scoring pass to Chris Chenault, but the missed extra point provided the margin of difference.
SEC Academic Honor Roll Players Introduced at Halftime: Following the alumni touch football at halftime, Kentucky’s members of the SEC Academic Honor Roll were introduced. A school-record 33 players earned a spot on the honor roll.
– UK –
