Stoops on final practice before spring gameFor months now, the Kentucky Wildcats have worked toward the Blue/White Spring Game.It’s been since November that the Cats have taken the field in front of a crowd, first dedicating themselves to UK’s High Performance program and most recently toiling through a month of spring practice.But with barely 24 hours to go before fans pack Commonwealth Stadium, the Cats weren’t about to let a Friday practice go to waste.”I think the guys are excited,” Mark Stoops said. “It gets a little long towards the end of spring here at the end of our fourth week. But I was very pleased with the work we got done. I think we made progress even again today. It was good.”UK moved its final practice before the spring game indoors due to rain, working without pads. Stoops reported it was an efficient day, particularly in the passing game.”Starting to make the routine plays look routine,” Stoops said.It’s Stoops’ belief that the progress UK has made since the end of the 2013 season will be on display on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The thousands of fans expected to fill Commonwealth — which will have a reduced capacity of approximately 42,500 due to ongoing construction — certainly deserve a show.”Appreciate the support,” Stoops said. “I think the 40-some thousand that come out there this year are going to have more fun than they did last year when we hit 50. We’ll be better. There will be more to cheer for. We look forward to it, appreciate the support. It’s so helpful in so many ways, so we’re going to have a good time.”Injuries have piled up as the spring has gone on, creating some stress for Stoops ahead of the spring game. But with Ryan Timmons, Thaddeus Snodgrass and Joey Herrick all expected to participate, UK will be “all right” at wide receiver — the position hit hardest — according to offensive coordinator Neal Brown.The Cats will play this year’s spring game with a very similar format to the one held last April. The game will pit first stringers vs. the rest of the team “for the most part,” with a handful of players able to change sides if need be. The game is expected to feature 12-minute quarters.”The first half will be normal outside of just shortened a little bit,” Stoops said. “So we’ll get after it the first half. The second half, if we’re getting enough plays we may run the clock a little bit in the fourth quarter. But for the most part, it’s gonna be a normal game outside of the live kicking situations.”There will be no returns on punts, no rush on field goals and no kickoffs. Quarterbacks will be protected from contact.Speaking of the signal callers, a year ago Maxwell Smith, Jalen Whitlow and Patrick Towles all were on the field for the spring game’s first play. The move was both a show of the coaching staff’s sense of humor an evidence of just how even the quarterback battle was. This year, only one quarterback will be on the field to open the game. By no means is that quarterback guaranteed to start come August, but Stoops admitted the significance of the spring game starter should not be dismissed.”I think it gives you a little indication,” Stoops said. “I mean, sure. I’d be lying if I said (otherwise). Last year it really was a toss-up. This year, I think we’re starting to narrow it down. We’ll put the person out there with the first group that we think has earned the right to go out there with the first group tomorrow. I think it’s very close still — it’s very close — but we’ll see.”Close as the battle still may be, improved quarterback play has been a consistent theme this spring. That, however, isn’t the biggest reason for encouragement. The culture surrounding the program, as Stoops has always wanted, continues to change.”I love the leadership,” Stoops said. “I like the energy of our team. I think we’re learning how to work, learning how to go about our business, and fundamentally we’re improving. Because we’re getting the leadership, we’re getting the guys challenging guys, we’re getting out there with a purpose and getting some work done.”Brown after Friday practice