As the days pass, the shadows get longer and the practices mount up, reporters flock to the Nutter Training Facility and ask the age-old question: Has Kentucky named a starting quarterback yet?And every day, without much hesitation but hints of promise, head coach Joker Phillips greets the media and delivers a consistent but disappointing message: Not today, ladies and gentlemen. That was the feeling Sunday afternoon as Phillips walked off the field less than two weeks away from the season opener at Louisville. Phillips smiled at the awaiting faction as if had a secret to finally tell.Only for the nth day in a row, Phillips said the quarterback battle will go on as normal.”There is no news,” Phillips said. “We’ll go back and look at it again because we have to make the right decision for our program and for the three kids involved, too. We’ll look at it again and then try to come up with the decision. … I will personally. I’ll try to go back and figure out who the guy is.”Stop me if you’ve heard that before. Having said that, Phillips made it clear Sunday he’s not trying to be coy about the decision to keep UK’s season-opening rival guessing. Phillips said he plans to make the announcement as soon as he decides who the starter is.”We’re not trying to (be coy),” Phillips said. “We’ve got to try to do what’s best for this football team. If it’s to announce now so that person can lead this football team then we’ve got to announce now. We are who are.”So when will the quarterback decision come? Does that mean Phillips is ready to announce now or wait until next week?This is strictly a gut feeling, but if you’ve been around Phillips and the team of late, you’re getting the feeling that a decision is coming any day now. While I firmly believe there hasn’t been an official announcement and accept Phillips’ comments that it is still a three-man battle, I have a feeling the coaching staff knows who the guy is – they’re just in the process of wanting to make sure. Some of you might ask: Why not just keep it a three-man battle and surprise the Cardinals next week?While there is some benefit in competition and pushing each other, the Louisville game is getting closer and closer. The sooner you can name a guy and anoint him the leader of your football team the better. It’s important to develop consistency with your first-team offense and get the eventual starter the first-team reps. Until a starter is named – and as long as the battle is an open three-man race – the three candidates are splitting those duties.Before Saturday’s scrimmage, Phillips expressed strong interest last week in wanting to name a starter as soon as possible. Yes, that decision didn’t come Saturday or Sunday as hoped and it might not even come Monday.But soon — rather than later — I believe the call is coming. The Cats will hold a major scrimmage Tuesday for the third time this season before taking Wednesday off for the first day of classes.Will the players walk into class knowing who the starter will be? Stay tuned.Update: Archrival Louisville might have just proved my point. Only a few minutes after posting this, U of L head coach Charlie Strong announced via Twitter that Adam Froman will start for the Cards on Sept. 4 against Kentucky.
Coach Phillips, it’s your turn now.
