Head Coach Rich Brooks
Opening statement and injury report?
?We are still uncertain about Hayden Lane?s status. He?s been put into a smaller cast and has been able to do a little work with that surgically repaired wrist. We?ll probably determine whether he will be able to participate or suit up at all when we get to Nashville. There is a possibility that he will be available for emergency duty. Aside from a few bumps and bruises everybody (else) is healthy. Everybody is ready to go.?
On the advantages of the extra time to prepare?
?It is invaluable to continue the development of the younger players as well as obviously getting ready to play a very important game against Clemson. You can get a lot of extra work in with the players who are going to be returning. It?s virtually better than getting an extra spring practice. Basically, you can at least have shoulder pads on for all of these practices. Of the 15 days you get in the spring, three of them are in shorts and helmets only. You get to do more fundamental work in the blocking and tackling area, which is something we do a lot of.?
On the development of his redshirt freshmen?
?You always see that, and I think we have quite a few in that category (redshirt freshmen who will contribute next season.) You look at the defensive line and you?ll see a Josh Minton, or a Ricky Lumpkin who you know are going to be factors next year. Terrence Jones at receiver has done some good things. We don?t have as many as most teams do because a lot of our freshmen played. You see the continued development of those freshmen as well. That?s the benefit of getting this extra practice time.?
On the team keeping focus for the length of time between games?
?The only practice we haven?t practiced with the type of purpose I?d like was yesterday. Ironically, it was a day after having five straight practices in full gear I backed off and went helmets and shoulder pads yesterday. I don?t know maybe they thought it was a day off or something. They weren?t as focused as I?d have liked them to be, and today will be a more physical practice. I?m sure if we weren?t going to get their attention, this will get their attention.?
On Clemson?s running backs?
?They are both break-away backs (James Davis and C.J. Spiller). They?ve obviously had tremendous production. I can?t talk about their backs without mentioning their line. Their line is outstanding. It is a senior-laden offensive line, so they?ve been together for a few years. The backs are young, but the line is old and experienced and talented. A lot of what their backs have accomplished is not only the line but the tight ends as well as the fullbacks. They are a very physical-blocking football team. The backs have the speed and talent to take a five- or six-yard run into a 30- or 40-yard run. You better be tackling well when you play this football team or they can really embarrass you. They are physical as well as having break-away speed.?
On the value in the bowl game for not only this season, but for the start of next season?
?Bowl games are at the end of one season, or the start of the next season. I think this game serves both of those purposes for our team. We need to see if we can continue to play like we did in those last five games of the season to complete this season, and what a great springboard it would be if we could get this victory to go into next season. Having said that, there is a long time between the Tennessee game and the Clemson game, and there?s even longer time between the Clemson game and the opening game against Eastern Kentucky. A little bit can be lost in the time frames, but certainly it can serve both purposes for us.?
On Clemson?s defensive end Gaines Adams?
?He?s a big-time player who we will obviously be watching on Sundays in the NFL. He?s an outstanding pass-rusher. He has size and speed, quickness, technique. He?s going to be a challenge for us, and he has to be dealt with. We need to help our tackles a little bit on occasion to make sure our quarterback will have time to throw.?
On getting a chance to gain some respect while playing on TV?
?It?s always a chance, whether you?re on TV or not. Anytime is a chance to show, because you read the lines in the paper the next day, or what is reported on radio or TV, what your quarterback does, what your running back does, what the final score is; that?s always a chance to show what you can do. I was very pleased that many of our guys got recognized on the All-SEC teams to a level I haven?t seen since I?ve been here. We have some talented individuals on this football team. Obviously, the coaches in particular recognized that and they were selected to (the coaches? All-SEC team). A guy like Hayden Lane for example, you want to talk about recognition ? second time Academic All-American, SEC Academic Player of the Year in our conference. All of those things I think are very positive for a program that is trying to rebuild and trying to reemerge to be a team that can be a consistent bowl team. I?m sure some people will be watching to see if we are or if we aren?t (a good team). If you see all of the predictions going around, people are not expecting us to do much. The quote ?experts? and all of that who predict the points and the spreads, and that kind of stuff. I use a little bit of that, trying to get respect of what we are and what we?ve accomplished.
On the accolades of players like Keenan Burton and Andre? Woodson?
?I think that group has persevered through some very difficult times. They made decisions that at the time were not a popular decision to come to Kentucky. They have basically changed, in my mind, the culture or the direction of the program. It just makes me very proud to know that they are getting, other than internal, some external recognition for what they?ve accomplished. As you analyze it, when these people leave this institution they will be among the all-time leaders in whatever category we?re talking about, whether it be tackles, running, rushing yards, or total offense, or punt returns or whatever it is they will be among the leaders in over 100 years of Kentucky football. I think they?re a pretty special group of young men.?
On the chances of some of the players getting to play in the NFL?
?I think most of them do. They still have some things; many of them still have things to do to enhance their chances. I?m talking about strength levels mostly. They also have to continue to improve on technique and things like that. The junior class, and beyond the junior class, there will be more guys on draft day from the University of Kentucky than there has been in recent years.?
On what the turning point of the season was?
?I would say the LSU game and the bye week after the LSU game was the turning point of this season for this football team. I think we were all embarrassed about our performance at LSU. We all knew we were better than our performance at LSU.?
On over game-planning for the match up against Clemson?
?There are two sides to that. If you did exactly what you did to get you there, the other team has a lot of time to prepare for what you?ve done to get there. So, you have to have options. You also have to continue to go to the dance with the girl that you brought. That?s part of why you?re getting there. The other side of that is, you need to have a wrinkle or two that they haven?t seen and that they haven?t prepared for that you can throw in to keep them off balance a little bit.?
On the excitement of his team experiencing their first bowl game?
?I think this is a special deal for all of these players, even ones who won?t play in the game who helped us prepare to get to this level. I?m talking about the walk-ons, the guys who never get to read their name in the paper, who never make a tackle, get to carry the ball or catch a pass. This is as much of a reward for all of those guys as it is for the stars of this team as you will. That?s something they will all remember for the rest of their lives. They?ll remember it a lot better if we?re able to win the game. It?ll be a lot more pleasant memory. It will be a memory that will be with them all of their lives that they helped accomplish something that hasn?t happened around here on a regular basis. They should be proud of it. They should enjoy it. But, they all know we should try to get this thing done in a very positive manner.?
On comparing Clemson?s offense to other SEC opponents?
?I think Clemson probably runs the ball as good or better than anybody in our league ? They have a senior quarterback (Will Proctor) who throws the ball accurately. He?s had a very productive year throwing the ball. It is very difficult to defend their passing game if they?re running the ball all over you. A lot of their pass action comes off of their run fakes. If they?re having real success running the football then all of a sudden that means you?re committing a lot of people down in the box and that opens up a lot of holes, particularly in a zone defense.?
On what motivates his team?
?I think the thing that has been most effective with this team is talking with them about self-pride and self-respect, about playing to their abilities and trying to do something that hasn?t been done around here for awhile. I think those things have been more important in the motivation of this team.?
On his thoughts of what he?s accomplished for UK?
?Let me go back to something I said earlier this year, I think we?ve turned the corner, but is it a sharp turn or is a long bending curve? Whether we?ve turned the thing around or not, can?t be defined by one year. It certainly is an indication of where we?re headed. Based upon the young players we have returning, it is my hope that this becomes a common occurrence for Kentucky football that we?re having December press conferences and talking about bowl games. If that happens, I?ll feel a lot better about it. What I?m most happy about is these players are growing up. A guy like Andre? Woodson, who a year ago was a talented, sometimes immature young man who didn?t understand what it took to be an SEC quarterback. Now, he has an absolute full grasp of it. He is demonstrating it to the ?nth? degree. He?s been phenomenal this year. To see that is what I get excited about and what I get satisfaction out of. The other stuff is, you?re never as bad as people say you are and you?re never as good as people say you are when things go well. I?ve been kind of numbed to a lot of that over the years because I?ve been beaten up by the best of them. I?m sure it?ll happen again at some point.?
On Andre? Woodson?s development from last season?
?I have seen guys do that before in different positions. All of the sudden, the light goes on. You live your coaching life just hoping the young guys that you have understand what you?re doing is the right way. You beat your head against the wall and don?t sleep at night because a lot of them never get it. They just keep floundering around and just making it on ability and happenstance and everything. Then all of a sudden, some of them turn the light switch on. It?s light, and then they understand it. They know how it happened, they know what they have to do to do it again. They can act on it and they have the ability to do it. You don?t waste your time beating a dead horse on guys who don?t have the ability. A lot of guys just don?t understand that, they think you?re picking on them or that you don?t like them. I guarantee you that Andre? went through some of that. He thought we were picking on him. He thought maybe I didn?t like him. All of a sudden, he?s my best friend. The guy gets it. You don?t have to get upset and scream and jump up and down and yell, because he is almost telling you before you talk to him about something that went wrong. He already knows. That?s a wonderful thing.?
Kentucky Players
#18 Jacob Tamme TE
On preparations for the Music City bowl game versus Clemson?
?It?s been a fun past couple weeks and now we have to start preparation time for Clemson. The last three or four days we have started to break down a lot more film. Offensively, we have been looking at their defense a lot more. Obviously they are very good. They have a lot of good players.?
On the Clemson defense?
?They really remind me of a lot of different teams in this conference, sort of a mix of different teams. They have a good defensive line and some outstanding guys at defensive end. They are fast, long and quick like a lot of the guys you see in this conference. They?ve got some speed at linebacker and speed in the backfield. They are well-coached, and I can?t even emphasize how fast they are on defense.?
On the post-season awards the team has received?
?There are a lot of guys on this team that deserve recognition because we have done things that haven?t been done here in a long time. To get honored by the SEC is obviously an outstanding achievement. It?s something that you grow up as a kid dreaming of and to do that in this league is pretty special. But this team has had a lot of guys step up this year that deserve recognition.?
On the season success being a positive in recruiting?
?I think so. You are able to pitch different things when you have a 7-5 season and knock off Georgia than when you just have a losing record and just pitching the future. Now you can say ?Look, we?re starting to get things turned around.? Guys like Wesley [Woodyard] and Braxton [Kelley] and I – if a recruit comes in we try to tell them what we are going to do and that?s get this thing turned around. I think a lot of the recruits respond to that, so that?s exciting.?
On what he wants for Christmas?
?A bowl win. I just want to have a good Christmas and go down there and play well on the 29th. That would be a great present to go down there and get a win this year.?
#16 Wesley Woodyard LB
On relationship with junior wide receiver Keenan Burton?
?On the practice field if I mess up and he?s looking over there he gets on me and sometimes it makes you want to go out there and play harder. When you got a guy on offense like that, it makes it fun going out there and getting on each other like that. It?s an enjoyment to have a guy like Keenan on the other side of the ball. My freshman year he worked with me on my one-on-one skills. It takes a lot for an older guy to come work with a younger guy. Our relationship is kind of big, we?re like roommates, we?re with each other all the time, going out to eat and doing normal things good friends do. ?
On being first-team All-SEC?
?I feel like there are some things that I did well. My teammates allowed me to make some good plays. It?s nice to make All-SEC honors, but next year we have to get more guys on that list.?
On importance of the defense to stop Clemson on offense?
?It?s real important. If we don?t go out and have a good game, things can get out of hand. So we have to go out there, stay focused and do the things that we have to do. We want to go out there and hit from the first play of the game and let them to know that we are out there to be physical. Hopefully this time we get a victory out of it.?
On the season success being a positive in recruiting?
?It?s a whole lot easier. We had a winning season this year. When we get guys in for visits, they feel they can contribute to the team, that we can win more games and possibly win an SEC title. Those guys feel comfortable around here and they want to come and join us.?
On the Clemson running backs?
?They have two great running backs. They?re going to hit the gaps and if you?re not in your gap, they?re going to expose it and take it to the house.?
On the team?s confidence going into the bowl game?
?After the LSU game we were kind of down. Sometime after that we found out what we needed to do right. We just have to keep doing things right. We have a lot of confidence. We feel that all we have to do is go out there and continue to do what we do best.?
#45 Lamar Mills DT
On Clemson?
?Clemson is a very tough team. They have some weapons that are out of this world. They have two unbelievable running backs. Their offensive line is big and they?re very good. They?re a very good team and our defense is going to have to come ready to play. I know their defense is ranked very high in the nation, 12th in scoring. Overall they?re just a very good team and we?re going to have to come out ready to play.?
On Clemson?s quarterback Will Proctor?
?Their quarterback is a little more of a pocket guy. I?ve seen him scramble a few times on film and he can move. He?s a very athletic guy, not to mention the weapons he has on the line, which make him that much more dangerous.?
On Clemson?s speed being similar to other SEC teams?
?We have played some very fast and talented teams in the SEC. We can see some similarities in Clemson. We respect Clemson to the fullest. I hope we bring our ?A? game and a few things fall our way.?
On making it to a bowl game?
?It?s been a rewarding experience. A lot of our seniors are starting to realize that these are our last days at Kentucky. It?s been a good run, the whole team has worked hard and hopefully the reward will come at the end of the game.?
#72 Michael Aitcheson OT
On Clemson?s defense?
?Clemson is a team that has great athletes on both sides of the ball. They?re a very fast and good football team. Every team brings a new challenge to the table, and we just need to try and prepare for what Clemson brings.?
On staying sharp over the break?
?Timing-wise with the offense line has been pretty good and we?re getting better. We?ve been getting back to the basics. Of course there is always something Coach Heggins (offensive line coach Jimmy Heggins) is getting on us about, but I think we?ve been doing pretty well considering we had quite a bit of time off.?
On the affect making a bowl game has had on recruiting?
?With winning we have something to sell. We no longer have to say that ?the program is on the rise,? not to say that we have arrived yet, but we have something we can use to market now. We knocked off a big time SEC team (Georgia), we?re going bowlin? and played tough down in Knoxville. We?re almost over the hump and we need some more guys to come help us cross the bridge.?
On getting to a bowl game?
?My first year at Kentucky we ended our season at 7-5. We may have had some rough years in between, but we had a dream and goal to get to this point. We never gave up on one another. It feels great to finally be here. It?s wonderful.?
