Coming off its first win over a top-10 opponent in 30 years, the Kentucky football team opens its Southeastern Conference slate on Saturday when it travels to Fayetteville, Ark., to face the Arkansas Razorbacks at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Kickoff on ESPN2 is set for 6 p.m.
Kentucky defeated No. 9 Louisville, 40-34, last weekend at Commonwealth Stadium. Quarterback Andr? Woodson?s 57-yard touchdown strike to receiver Steve Johnson with 28 seconds remaining allowed the Wildcats to edge the Cardinals.
Woodson became the SEC?s all-time leader in consecutive pass attempts without an interception with 257 and now needs just 14 more passes without a pick to reach the NCAA?s all-time mark. The signal-caller completed 30-of-44 passes for 275 yards against Louisville, notching career highs in both pass completions and pass attempts while tying his career best for TD passes.
The Wildcats and the Razorbacks meet for the first time since their epic seven-overtime battle in 2003 that Arkansas won 71-63 at Commonwealth Stadium. The all-time series is knotted at two wins apiece overall. UK is 1-1 in Arkansas, losing in Little Rock in 1998 and winning in Fayetteville in 2002. Arkansas, which played in the 2006 SEC Championship, is coming off a 41-38 loss to Alabama.
QUICK NOTES
Kentucky is No. 21 in The Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. It is the Cats? first appearance in the AP poll since Jan. 3, 1985 (19th) and their first in the coaches poll since ranking No. 25 on Nov. 15, 1998. Kentucky?s 3-0 start is its best since the 2002 squad began at 4-0. Including last season, Kentucky has won eight of its last nine games. That is the best nine-game stretch since the 1977 team won its last nine games of the season. UK ranks in the top 15 nationally in four categories, including sixth in turnover margin. UK is 20-51-2 in 73 conference openers. The Cats? last win in a league opener was last season vs. Ole Miss in Lexington, 31-14. UK?s last win in a league opener on the road was against Mississippi State on Oct. 13, 1984. UK defeated the Bulldogs in Starkville, 17-13. Kentucky?s offense has generated 460 or more yards of total offense in three consecutive games. UK?s ranks 15th nationally in total offense, averaging 504 yards per game. Kentucky has scored 40 or more points in all three games this season. The last time that happened was 1950. UK ranks eighth in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 48.67 points per game. The Cats are a perfect 16-for-16 in the red zone this season including 14 TDs and two FGs. Quarterback Andr? Woodson holds the SEC record for consecutive passes without an interception with 257. He needs 14 more to tie the NCAA record of 271 held by Trent Dilfer of Fresno State in 1993. Tailback Rafael Little has rushed for at least 100 yards in all three games this season. He ranks 13th nationally and third in the SEC in rushing yards per game with 129.3. Kentucky ranks in the top three of 10 SEC statistical categories, leading the league in first downs (82), kickoff coverage (46.5) and red zone offense (100 percent). The Cats rank second in scoring offense (48.7), pass offense (257.7), total offense (504.0), turnover margin (+2.0 per game). Kentucky?s 40-34 win over ninth-ranked Louisville marked the Cats? first victory over a top-10 ranked team in 30 years and its first over a ranked opponent since 2002. Kentucky?s rushing offense has made drastic improvements from last season. UK ranked 11th last season, averaging 98.6 yards per game. After three games this season, the Wildcats rank third in the SEC and 11th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 246.3 yards per game.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES – SEPT. 17
Head Coach Rich Brooks
Opening Statement?
?Just a quick injury update; Keenan Burton, as you know, has a sprained ankle. Hopefully he?ll be able to go either Wednesday or Thursday. The only one of significance is Paul Warford, who couldn?t finish the game because of a groin and lower back problem. Hopefully the same thing will go for him, with updates coming later on in the week. Looking ahead to Arkansas, I?ve been in this game a long time, and I can?t remember a time where there has been so much talent in the same backfield as they have with (Darren) McFadden and (Felix) Jones. It?s still early in his career, but when you start talking about the all-time great backs in college football history, McFadden?s name has to be in that discussion. He?s a special player. When you combine that with a very physical offensive line and the speed on their defense, well we obviously have a very difficult task at hand going into Fayetteville, our first road test of the season. The conference never seems to help us out with opening against someone easy, but then again there isn?t anyone easy to play against in this league, is there??
On McFadden?s versatility, being used at quarterback in certain offensive packages?
?Well we?ve obviously had some trouble defending that style with a quarterback who?s mobile and can throw, and he can throw it a little bit. But when he?s back there, he?s usually faking the toss and handing it off to Jones, who just has lightning speed. If your defense sucks to the fake, he can get downhill or outside of the tackles and get by you that way, which is a major problem. But he also can throw it and has thrown it, so the defense has to be prepared for that as well.?
On game-planning for McFadden?
?They use him in so many different ways that it does create problems. It?s not like you can prepare to line up and stop him in the I-formation, because he?s going to be in different places and will give you different looks. There are so many different packages that they use him in. Usually in those packages the quarterback and the tailback are the same guy, but in their packages it?s not true.?
On the use and effectiveness of McFadden?s stiff-arm?
?You can?t let him get his hand around your face or shoulder-pad, that?s really the only way to try and stop it. He?s very good at it. It?s not a lost art, but you don?t see a lot of backs use it to their advantage like he does. Looking at the tape from this past week, I saw one play in which he stiff-armed the safety from Alabama and just dropped him. He?s got an S on his chest I guess.?
On whom McFadden reminds him most of as a player?
?He?s a combination back to me. He?s the swiftness and smoothness of O.J. Simpson, who I actually coached against, and we beat (USC) 3-0 the year that they won the national championship, and we held him to 195 rushing yards. I would say he?s a combination of O.J. and Earl Campbell.?
On picking a game-ball to give to a specific unit from Saturday?s game?
?I?d have to cut that in half between the offensive line and our defensive unit. Usually you wouldn?t be very proud of the defense giving up 27 points, but with the offense that they (Louisville) have, it?s pretty incredible. We held them under their scoring average.?
On the concerns of going on the road for the first time this season?
?Well that?s part of your routine; you have a home routine and a road routine. Every year you go on the road with a different group, but the good thing about this team, unlike the past few years, is that we have good experience on this team. So hopefully they will handle the road experience and the difficult job of playing in a very hostile stadium well.?
On the impact of Arkansas coming off of a very emotional loss?
?When you start like they did, as one of the top teams in the nation, and you lose a heartbreaker on the road, a game in which they had in hand and they were leading, it?s difficult. They won the SEC West title last year and they want to win it again, but their already down one game. So they know another misstep for them will make it extremely difficult. It?s tough; very, very difficult. But that?s what makes this league so great; every week you?re playing somebody with very special players.?
On what other challenges Arkansas presents offensively?
?Well obviously nobody talks about their quarterback, who I think is a very good player. He?s got a strong arm. They rely so much on the running game, which sometimes happens because you get into a pattern, something that I think happened to us a little bit last year with our passing game; and they do it for a very good reason with the running game they have. They?re not throwing it that much, but they?re capable of throwing it. If you bring too many guys up to stop those two backs, you have a problem with the passing game, because they have very good speed at receiver as well.?
On his thoughts of where the team is ranked (currently #21 and #23)?
?I?ve told my team that we?re in a marathon and not in a sprint. We?re pleased that we?re ranked and where we?re ranked is not as significant as the fact that we?re ranked. The hard thing is staying there, with the most difficult thing being there at the end of the year, and that?s what we?d like to achieve.?
On the significance of the win over Louisville?
?Well I think that it is very significant. As I said at the start of the year, we have a pretty darn good football team, so we should be capable of beating teams like that on occasion. Hopefully we can do that on a regular basis. What happened 10, 20, 30 years ago, I have no control over that, nor do the players, so what we need to do is build a legacy for the future. Many of these players have been through some very, very difficult times and games. I?m just very proud of what they?ve been able to accomplish and become to bring back some respect to Kentucky football.?
Kentucky Players
#29 Alfonso Smith, TB
On if going home is going to be a lot easier now since you beat Louisville?
?Extremely easier but my main focus is Arkansas right now, its crazy to have a big win like this towards the beginning of the season.?
On how hard it?s going to be on focusing on Arkansas after beating Louisville?
?It felt like winning a bowl game. After getting the trophy it felt like we accomplished something but its not done. We still have 5 more home games and 4 more away games.?
On if he’s talked to anyone in Louisville since Saturday?
?A couple of people didn?t want to answer there phones but I?ll keep calling them from a private number. I?m going to get a hold of them. A lot people called and text messaged me right before the game Saturday giving me a hard time.?
On how quickly did coach Brooks move on to the Arkansas game?
?I could tell it was one of the biggest wins of his career here. He even kind of got emotional but everyone knows we really have to put this behind us and focus on Arkansas now.?
#51 Johnny Williams, LB
On the job the defense did against Louisville?
?The run a lot of different formations and we charted it and practiced it. When we were in the game it almost felt like we new what was coming.?
On being more physical with Louisville than EKU or Kent State?
?We had to. If we wouldn?t have played physical we would have lost that game. We had to let them know we were here to play and weren?t leaving the stadium without a win.?
On going on the road ?
?We just have to focus a lot harder. Arkansas just lost. They want to win this game. It?s the SEC opener for us and they want to be 1-1 in the SEC. We just have to come prepared.?
On everyone knowing the offense can make plays but now the defense making plays?
?It lets us know what we can do if we can get more consistent as a unit. It will make us be a great defense if we can keep progressing each week. The sky?s the limit.?
On holding Louisville offense to 34 points ?
?We just got after them with a lot of desire. It?s not that complex. We just wanted it.?
On how exciting was it when Steve Johnson made the catch?
?Before the play started I was looking at myself thinking it’s not going to end like this. I felt that everything I loved and worked for is not going to end like this. And when I looked at the big screen and saw it I was thinking this is how its supposed to end.?
#20 Dominic Lewis, DE
On where the team is in terms of confidence after Saturday?s win?
?All season we have felt like we could play with any team. We?re just as confident going into Arkansas as we were going into the Louisville game. We?ve started watching a film on them. We?re going to try to incorporate some of the success Alabama had against them.?
On Arkansas running back Darren McFadden?
?He is probably going to be the best back we will face this year. He is the total package. He can do it all. Their main offense goes straight through McFadden. It might be easier to prepare for the game, but harder to win the game. We feel if they want to throw the ball against us, then that would be easier than defending (McFadden). He is a strong runner. He doesn?t go down on initial contact. He likes to bring the contact to players..?
On the Arkansas offense?
?They have a big offensive line, a traditional Arkansas line. I think they will be one of the better run-blocking teams that we have played in a while due to McFadden. Playing against guys like McFadden, you always try to raise your level of play. If you stop him, the whole nation sees that you stopped him. ?
On if teammates will have trouble putting Saturday?s win behind them?
?I don?t think so. In the SEC you are playing top 25 teams every week. We are playing a Heisman candidate, so there is not going to be any lack of focus or lack of enthusiasm to play this game.?
On Coach Brooks reaction after the win Saturday?
?After the win, he talked to us like he always does. He broke down a little bit and then he said ?That?s over.? He said it was in the past and we have to move on and get ready for Arkansas. We don?t want to dwell on that and miss an opportunity to win another football game. When your coach gets emotional it touches all of the players. It is just a special feeling, we?ll never forget that. That?s the most emotional we have ever seen him. He got pretty emotional after the Georgia win, but this was the most I?d ever seen.?
#59 Eric Scott, C
On match-up with Arkansas?
?This is an opportunity for us to move forward. Arkansas is going to come ready to play. They are a very good team. Their defense is fast. They have some running backs that are awesome. We are just going to have to come out, not be distracted and win the game.?
On if there is a different feeling going into the game ranked this weekend?
?It doesn?t feel any different. We have to go into every game and play our hearts out. We?re not going to underestimate Arkansas. It is going to be a really good game. Respect is a factor for any college football team. We have learned that if we want to be a good team and win respect we have to earn it. When we came here four years ago, everyone said Kentucky was a basketball school. But I said, ?Why can?t it be both?? Saturday night (Offensive Line Coach) Heggins said that this was why we came here – to play in big games ? and he was right. Each Saturday night after a big win, the feeling is just overwhelming. Other teams are expected to win, but if you aren?t expected to win the feeling is just amazing.?
On guarding against coming out flat after a big win?
?We just have to stay focused. It has to do with everyone?s maturity level on the team. I think everyone understands where we could be and where we want to go. I think Coach Brooks has stressed to us that we can?t be satisfied; we can?t be happy. It?s a factor playing on the road. It?s a different routine. My job as a senior is to make sure we don?t get away from our routine and stay focused.?
On Coach Brooks reaction after the win Saturday?
?Coach Brooks came into the locker room yesterday and said that Saturday was one of the most exciting things he?d been through. Then he started to get teared-up and then he said but that it was over and we need to move on. He is a very proud man and he works hard to get us prepared. We?re going to do what we can to get the job done for him. We are all like a big family.?
On his late-hit penalty on Saturday and the team?s reaction?
?Honestly, I just thought ?I did not just do that.? It was one of those things where you get caught up in the emotion of the game and you can?t really control what happens. I made the decision and some may think it was a bad decision. Andre (Woodson) got on me and told me to stay focused in the huddle. He was pretty patient, he told us to just get back in the huddle cause there wasn?t much time left. He summed it up real quick. Andre is a leader. He said that we do this every day in practice with the two-minute drill. He has really grown as a player.?
