Opening statement…
“I just want to get Joe (Jacoby) and Derrick (Ramsey) to suit up again. You guys look like you can play right now. I tell you what, you look at the size of those guys, everyone says that players today are supposedly bigger. Those two guys were the real deal. It’s great to have you honored, along with C.M. ( Newton ) and Howard (Schnellenberger), what great representatives not only of this state, but both institutions.
“I’m excited to get the season under way. We obviously are not too far off from that. Being the opening game ( Kentucky vs. Louisville ) it will be a big challenge for our program to go into Cardinal Stadium on the road and trying to get off to a good start. We have lost a lot of good players, but I think we have some people ready to step up. Before anybody asks the question, I would say that the receiving position is probably the biggest unanswered question going forward. I am anxious to get on the practice field and evaluate the returning players as well as some of the newcomers that we expect to be in the competition for some spots. Also, before it is asked, I do not know at this point who the starting quarterback will be. I do know that they both will be starting practice a few weeks from today battling for that opportunity. I can tell you I feel good about both of them (Mike Hartline and Curtis Pulley). They both did some outstanding things this spring. As we go forward into fall camp, sometime before the opening kickoff I am sure we will decide which one of them will start. I do anticipate that they both may see some action this year, whether it be because of injury or otherwise they both will have a role on this football team.
“I think defensively we are going to make some major strides this year. We have some offensive production that we will obviously need to replace. When you lose guys like Keenan Burton, Stevie Johnson, Jacob Tamme, Rafael Little and Andre’ Woodson that is a pretty big mouthful. We have some people who I think are capable of stepping up to help replace those numbers. The biggest star at the skill position is Dicky Lyons, Jr. returning. He has had two outstanding, productive years in a row as a receiver catching touchdowns, and we expect that to continue. We just need to get somebody on the opposite end to take the heat off of him. Our defensive front, our offensive line I feel very good about. I’m just looking forward to getting this thing off on the right foot hopefully in the opener.”
On the lessons he has learned over the past couple of seasons…
“The question is ‘Did I take a lot of heat in the first four years and do I feel better about the last two?’ That’s a pretty good statement. I’d say yes, and yes. I think there is no question that today’s society wants instant results, instant gratification. Some things that are good sometimes take awhile to get there. I think some programs across the country have made a major mistake in trying to change everything and start all over again. Once you start down a path, you ought to see where that path leads before you try to find a new path. Sometimes that path doesn’t lead where it should lead, and you have to make a change. I think you need to give that walk long enough to allow some light to shine through the forest and the trees so you can see whether the path is headed in the right direction. Fortunately, the University of Kentucky allowed that to happen.”
On how Hartline and Pulley will see practice repetitions during fall camp…
“They will both alternate reps with the first team and the second team. One day one of them will start first with the first group, and the next day the other one will start first with the first group. I thought that they both played well in the Blue-White game. I was pleased with that. I am confident that the position won’t have as many sacks, won’t have as many negative plays from a rushing standpoint. What we need to do is to make sure we don’t have a big increase on the interceptions from that position. What they do well is going to determine who is going to start, but also the one that has the least number of negative plays is probably making a major step forward.”
On a timetable for naming a starting quarterback…
“I don’t know. When it feels right, we will make that decision.”
On how important winning the Louisville game is to a successful season…
“The first four were not a lot of fun losing this game. Then last year we won it and our fans got real excited. I think our players had confidence, especially the way that it happened. It showed that we could come back in the fourth quarter. We hadn’t done that (a lot) in recent history of Kentucky football. We had done it against Georgia the year before. The fact that we were able to come back and win that ( Louisville ) game, I think helped us at Arkansas and against LSU. I just think having that experience goes a long way. Now, the record and the result of the Music City Bowl against different teams ended up being the same after we got embarrassed two years ago at Cardinal Stadium, and we had an exciting win at home last year. It’s not the end all, but it’s certainly easier to move forward when you win this game. It is critically important. When you play in a tough conference like we do in the SEC, and like Louisville does in the Big East, your non-conference record becomes critically important for your post-season opportunities. If you lose any of those non-conference games then it becomes more problematic for what you are going to do in the conference schedule. So it’s a huge game.”
On Kentucky remaining an underdog…
“Handicappers don’t expect much from our team. Is that an advantage to us? I guess I have been an underdog most of my life. I have kind of been accustomed to that role. I can deal with it. I’m a little disappointed for some of our players who maybe don’t get a little more accolades and credit that I think they deserve. Overall, I think that it is understandable until you do something over a period of time there is always going to be the history side of the predictions and looking at things to determine where you are going to stand, and whether or not the pundits think you are going to be a good team or not. All I know is that we are a lot better team than we were three years ago. It isn’t even close. How that is going to shake out in the win-loss column, that’s why we play the games.”
On whether or not the offensive package will change with a different quarterback…
“The package is the same. The emphasis might be a little different. We might call a few more quarterback runs if Curtis (Pulley) is the guy. But, the package is the same. The emphasis might be slightly different, but (Mike) Hartline proved to be a good runner in the spring. He is able to get his nose down and get forward and scramble for positive yards and not take sacks. Curtis is obviously faster and more explosive as a runner. We’ll just have to see how it all plays out.”
Closing statement…
“I appreciate it (being here). Thank you very much for coming. I want to thank the Governor for being here. This is a great event and it looks like we have a great day for golf. So, let’s go hit ’em long and straight.”
