Oct. 15, 2003
Flowers, Seitze are Game Captains for Ohio: Junior cornerback Earven Flowers and senior center Nick Seitze have earned the nods as game captains this week, joining permanent captains Vincent “Sweet Pea” Burns and Jared Lorenzen.
Flowers had five tackles and two pass breakups in last week’s game at South Carolina. He leads the team in pass breakups with six. Flowers also was game captain against Indiana. Seitze has started every game in 2003 at center and has a streak of 24 consecutive starting assignments.
Notebooking the Kentucky Offense
Comparing how the Kentucky offense has fared against the four common opponents from 2002 and 2003:
2002 Yardage Off. 2003 Yardage Off.Opponent Rush Pass Total Pts.* Rush Pass Total Pts.*Louisville 78 195 273 22 108 236 344 24Indiana 144 183 327 20 167 187 354 34Florida 88 180 268 21 175 179 354 24S. Carolina 118 209 327 10 117 210 327 21Averages 107 191.8 298.8 18.3 141.8 203 344.8 25.7
* Points scored by offense only; does not include points scored by defense or special teams. One difference between UK scoring from last season to this season is the defense and special teams. In 2002 Kentucky scored 63 points on defense and special teams (six kick return touchdowns, three defensive touchdowns, five extra points on the touchdowns, two safeties); this season Kentucky has scored two points on defense and special teams (one safety).
Kentucky is averaging 25.6 points per game and looms as one of the top first-year offenses in school history. In the modern era (post-World War II), Kentucky has had 10 head coaches. Here is how their teams ranked in offensive points per game in their first seasons:
Hal Mumme, 1997 – 31.6 points per game
Rich Brooks, 2003 – 25.6
Guy Morriss, 2001 – 23.5
Bear Bryant, 1946 – 23.3
Bill Curry, 1990 – 20.8
Fran Curci, 1973 – 20.5
Blanton Collier, 1954 – 15.1
John Ray, 1969 – 10.4
Jerry Claiborne, 1982 – 8.7
Charlie Bradshaw, 1962 – 8.5
Senior quarterback Jared Lorenzen is enjoying the best quarterback rating of his career with 141.69 rating points. Lorenzen’s quarterback rating last season was 135.36 rating points.
Notebooking the Kentucky Defense:
Although seven starters are gone from last season, and with only one senior in the current starting lineup, the Kentucky defense is hanging tough. Despite the youth, inexperience, and the growing pains of getting adjusted to a new defensive system, Kentucky is allowing 23.5 points per game, down from 25.1 points per game from a year ago.
The average of 23.5 points per game is the best showing by a Kentucky defense in 10 years, since the 1993 team allowed 17.7 points per game.
The average of 23.5 points per game is the best showing by a first-year Kentucky defense in 30 years, since Fran Curci’s 1973 squad gave up 17.8 points per game.
Total yardage allowed also has been reduced. UK gave up 401.2 yards per game last season. So far in 2003, UK has allowed 374.8 yards per game.
According to an analysis by the SEC Media Relations Office, Kentucky has the second-youngest starting defense in the league.
Change in Television Announcers for Ohio Game: Former Wildcat quarterback Bill Ransdell, who usually serves as the analyst for UKTV Network telecasts, will be out of town for the Ohio game, necessitating a change in the announcing lineup this week.
Drew Deener moves from the sidelines to do the broadcast booth to handle Ransdell’s role as the analyst. Brian Milam of WYMT-TV will do Deener’s job as sideline reporter.
Tickets Available for Ohio, Mississippi State, and Arkansas: Tickets are available for the Ohio, Mississippi State, and Arkansas games at a cost of $29 and $22 each.
Tickets are available …
via the Internet by clicking the Tickets link at the top of the page
at the Memorial Coliseum Ticket Office, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
over the phone by calling 800-928-CATS.
Group discounts are available for groups of 25 or more persons. Call the ticket office at 800-928-CATS for more information.
The Ohio game will be Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. The Mississippi State game will be Oct. 25 at 12:30 p.m. The Arkansas game is tentatively scheduled for 1 p.m., but game time will change if it is selected for network television. All three games will be played in Commonwealth Stadium.
