The Kentucky football team steps out of Southeastern Conference play this Saturday when it returns home to face Central Michigan in the first contest of a two-game homestand in Commonwealth Stadium. Kick-off is slated for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the Big Blue Sports Network (radio and television).
The Wildcats are coming off a 26-7 loss to No. 5 Florida last Saturday in Gainesville. Meanwhile, Central Michigan climbed to the top of the Mid-American Conference standings by pulling out a 24- 17 overtime win over in-state rival Eastern Michigan.
This marks the fifth meeting all-time between the Wildcats and the Chippewas with the Cats holding a 4-0 advantage. The two teams last met during the 1992 season, a 21-14 Kentucky victory in Lexington.
Press Conference Quotes – Sept. 25
Head Coach Rich Brooks
Injury update?
?Jamil Paris will be undergoing some tests on an irregular rapid heartbeat that prevented him from finishing the game on Saturday night. Tony Dixon probably will not be able to practice tomorrow because of a bruised shin. Further X-rays were negative, so hopefully he will be ready to go by Wednesday. (Matt) McCutchan is still very questionable for this week. Rafael (Little) is still very questionable. We are going to try to run him again tomorrow. The swelling is gone from the knee since it was drained and nothing has reappeared. We will see how it responds. The only other one from the game is Roger Williams who had a hamstring injury, and could not finish the fourth quarter. It is right at the point of origin, behind the knee. We have to see how that responds as the week goes on.?
On Central Michigan?
?Central Michigan is a very good football team. They had Boston College on the ropes in the opener. They played Michigan tough before Michigan pulled away late in the second half. They are sitting at the same spot we are, at 2-2, only they are 2-0 in their league and we are 1-1. This is an opponent that we need to get ready to play one of our better games of the year if we expect to have success. They are a physical football team. Their offensive line is very good. Their defensive front is very good. They do a good job in the kicking game. They have had some injuries at quarterback. The starter (Brian Brunner) who started against Boston College finished the game at Eastern Michigan, and basically won the game for them. He ran for almost 70 yards and threw for a whole bunch more. I think he was 20 of 29 passing. He is a big guy, about 6-3, 240 pounds and runs pretty good. He started against Boston College and had a concussion. He did not play again until last week and he came off the bench to win the game against Eastern Michigan.?
On Jason Leger?s move to the offensive line?
?He brings toughness and quickness to the offensive line. Although he is short in stature, as he was on the defensive line, he is a very good football player and he played extremely well in the (Florida) game, considering he had three days of practice. He will be a starter ahead of (Fatu) Turituri, who is still struggling with the patella tendonitis in his knee.?
On the team?s attitude following the Florida game?
?I don?t think there is any doubt that our players were upset. Part of the thing we have to understand is that when we play a team like Florida, our margin for error is very slim. We had procedure penalties that you have to hope you can overcome, but when you are on the road against a great team, it is hard to overcome. We made too many mistakes of our own, let alone giving Florida credit for their athletic ability and their ability to make plays.?
On the play of Curtis Pulley at wide receiver?
?For the limited time he has in practice, because he is still taking most of his reps at quarterback, he has done a very good job at receiver. He gives us a tall target with good speed and athletic ability. Obviously, he made some significant plays against Florida and hopefully will continue to do that.?
On the play of Trai Williams at center?
?Trai played a remarkable game. It was his first real action at the center position in a tough place to do it. He graded out very well, and did a very good job. We are obviously pleased. He will start there this week, even if (Matt) McCutchan is available. I am happy for him because he was a reluctant guy last spring to go to the center position. He did a really good job.?
More on Central Michigan?
?They are a physical team. They are thick, big, strong, and they can run and hit on defense. They run the same offense that Florida ran, only all of their quarterbacks run the ball like (Tim) Tebow ran it. They throw it very well.?
Kentucky Players
Durrell White, #9 Defensive End
On the similarities between Central Michigan and Florida?s offenses ?
?A lot of what they run is the same, some of their offensive sets are similar. They have a lot of older guys, who have been around for a while and have lots of experience. Central Michigan has a lot of talent and has the capabilities to be a really good team.?
On what it would take to win the game?
?We need to bring our A-game and the younger guys really need to step up and play well.?
On protecting the Commonwealth Stadium ?
?It is especially important to our senior class. We?ve gotten off to a good start, winning two games at home. We?re trying to bring the fans back to Commonwealth and fill the stadium up even more. We want it to be tough for opponents to come to Commonwealth and play.?
On last Saturday?s game vs. Florida ?
?We can take a lot of pride out it. We fought till the very end, we stuck together and didn?t quit. We went into a hostile environment, which was rough but now we get to come back home and try to make it tough for other teams to play in our house.?
On the home crowd at Commonwealth Stadium ?
?We try not to focus on the crowd. We?re focused on winning the game. If we play tough and win some games, we believe the fans will come.?
Jeremy Jarmon, #99 Defensive End
On playing Central Michigan on Saturday ?
?We watched their film and they are a very good team. They are also a very experienced team. We don?t worry about rankings or anything like that; we?re just trying to be prepared in facing our next opponent and get enough wins to go to a bowl.?
On Central Michigan?s success ?
?They are very talented. We have to go out there and play hard. This is a very important game for us, possibly one of the biggest games of the year.?
On the team?s attitude for the Central Michigan game ?
?We want to go in there and take care of business. They?re a great team, and we feel that we?re a great team. We have to go in there and play 60 solid minutes of football.?
On Central Michigan?s offense ?
?They have a great offensive line, very physical. They rotate three quarterbacks, who all have their talent and bring something different to the table. After watching their line play, we know we need to focus on a good defensive game plan.?
Jacob Tamme, #18 Tight End
On Saturday?s loss to Florida ?
?It was a game we felt like we could have won. We had a chance to win and that helped us develop confidence that we can play with any team in the nation. We left Florida disappointed and we need to focus on a very good Central Michigan team.?
On his five-catch performance against the fifth-ranked Gators ?
?It was nice to get back on the field and have the chance to make some plays. The defenses have really had to focus on some of our playmakers outside and that has opened things up for me to get open. With the other guys making plays and getting attention it allows me to find holes and Andre? did a good job of finding me.?
On preparing for Central Michigan ?
?I think we are a much more mature football team. Central Michigan is a really good football team and the MAC is a good conference so we just need to get ready for a battle on Saturday.?
Trai Williams, #60 Center-Guard
On playing Central Michigan ?
?I watched their opener against Boston College and they looked tough. They have a good offense and their defensive line compares with any other SEC school.?
On the Central Michigan defensive line ?
?They have some really good players. The thing about their line is that they are very physical and have the ability to get penetration in the backfield. They have an All-American candidate in (defensive end) Daniel Bazuin. We need to play hard.?
On his transition from guard to center ?
?However I need to help the team. If they need me to move over and play center, I am happy to do that. To have a good number of guys on the offensive line who can play multiple positions gives our O-Line a lot of versatility.?
