Big Blue Nation Linkapalooza: CoShik Williams Edition

Kentucky's CoShik Williams got his chance yesterday when Raymond Sanders went down with an ankle injury, and he made the most of it, totaling 148 yards on 22 rushes for an average of 6.7 yards per carry.  That's an outstanding number, and Williams' great effort not only moved the football, but opened up the passing lanes.  That allowed Morgan Newton to have his most efficient outing of the year.  Newton completed 10 of 16 attempts for 62.5% and 2 touchdowns.

Kentucky will now look to build on that performance.

• James Pennington writes about CoShik Williams' big game.

  He really picked up steam in the second quarter. The first three plays from scrimmage of the second quarter were all designed for Williams, and he abused the Gamecocks on a nine-yard gain, a 15-yard pickup and another nine-yarder. Those three runs set up a 29-yard touchdown pass from Morgan Newton to La’Rod King.

• Chris Low gives CoShik Williams a helmet sticker.

  Kentucky running back CoShik Williams: Kentucky's running back stable had been shrinking all season but Williams stepped up Saturday in the 38-14 win over Jacksonville State, snapping Kentucky’s four-game losing streak

• Brian Rickerd of the State-Journal thinks some UK fans may be disappointed UK won.

  I suspect that there are University of Kentucky football fans so determined to see Joker Phillips fired that they are actually disappointed that the Wildcats whipped the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, 38-14, Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.

  This reminds me of the end of the Tubby Smith era, when some people were actively rooting for UK to lose.

  Do we really need to go there again?

• Kyle Tucker of the C-J reports that Sander's timing to return is uncertain.

  Running back Raymond Sanders, who started the game, injured his right ankle in the first half and did not return. Offensive coordinator Randy Sanders said the timing of the tailback’s return is "iffy." Defensive tackle Mister Cobble, a Central High product, suffered a left shoulder injury, the severity of which is unknown.

• Louisville's Blackshear is eligible according to Mike Miller.

  Cardinals coach Rick Pitino confirmed Friday that the 6-5 McDonald’s All-American was cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse and is a full academic qualifier. Pitino was always optimistic Blackshear would be cleared, but the news must’ve been a relief.

• Will UK shoot the three as well this year as last?

  No question that Kentucky is going to be really, really good this season. They've got the length, athleticism, and from how practices have went so far they work extremely hard. The team seems sort of flawless you would think with all the weapons that it possesses, but Matt Jones from Kentucky Sports Radio stated the other day that the weakness for the cats would be their three point shooting and doesn't think that they'll be able to shoot from outside the perimeter as well as last season.

  I didn't hear Matt Jones say this, but I would concur in part and dissent in part.  I think that UK will be an excellent 3-point shooting team, but repeating last year's performance from the arc may be a stretch.

• Jon at SDS reports that Houston Nutt took some frustrations out on a reporter.

  After Ole Miss’ loss to Arkansas yesterday 29-24, Houston Nutt went on a spree against a reporter who writes for RebelGrove.com, Neal McCready.

• Senator Blutarsky sets the table for the Cocktail Party.

• Rick Bozich of the C-J writes that now Kentucky must win the tough ones.

  Kentucky won a football game that it was not supposed to lose Saturday, dispatching Jacksonville State, 38-14. Now the Wildcats have to win a football game — actually, make that three — they are not supposed to win.

• Crimson and Cream Machine writes about Oklahoma's loss to Texas Tech.

  This will go down as one of, if not the worst, losses in the history of Bob Stoops tenure as the head coach of Oklahoma. Give Texas Tech credit for playing incredibly well and absolutely dominating OU, but this was as much about OU laying the egg of all eggs. To lose to this Tech team at home and end this winning streak to that team is beyond inexcusable. If you're the program we think they are the we don't lose this game at home. On the road, maybe and that's even a stretch with this OU team compared to this Tech team.

• Bucky's 5th Quarter writes about Wisconsin's loss to Michigan State.

  With the loss, the Badgers' struggles in East Lansing continued for the second straight year, and their national title aspirations are likely laid to rest. The Badgers still control their own fate in the Big Ten, and still have path to playing in the Big Ten Championship Game.

• Is Tennessee already falling out of love with Derek Dooley?

  Reading between the lines at Rocky Top Talk makes me wonder:

  I don't know what's coming this week, but I know we'll talk about it.  And look, we're a UT sports blog.  We exist for commentary and conversation.  It's what we do.

  But the last thing on earth I want to do this week is talk about what impact playing our third string quarterback against the number one team in the nation will have on Derek Dooley's future.

• Western Kentucky wins third straight at homecoming
  Go 'Tops!!

• Doug Segrest of the Birmingham News writes about players losing scholarships to better players.

  This has never been a good thing.  I found John Infante's suggestion intriguing, though:

  Colorado State assistant director of compliance John Infante said Slive's proposal could go even further: Allow schools to determine how long a scholarship will last when the athlete signs.

  "By doing so, recruiting would be revolutionized," Infante wrote in article on the NCAA's website.

• Thayer Evans writes that the only team powerful enough to keep LSU from the title is LSU.

  I am not saying LSU wins at No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 5 in a game already being billed as the de facto national championship game. But if the Tigers do lose, it will be because they made mistakes, not because the Crimson Tide is the better team.

• Scott Michaux of the Augusta Chronicle says the SEC should stop at 14 teams.

  There is no reason to grow beyond 14. Upon further review, it’s an even more ideal number than 12 for a conference. It creates a greater separation of divisions in football and allows an even more reasonable bracket for basketball and other sports.

• Nick Craddock writes for PolicyMic.com about Calipari's prediction that the Herald-Leader will become a weekly in five years.

  However, the choices in news consumption that people are making today will have very real consequences in the future. As blogs rise to prominence, they set a precedent (favorable coverage to a fault) for the nature of news. Consequently, the source of the message may try to control traditional journalists by stipulating that their work must meet this new standard of news or incur a wrath.

  This is absolutely a concern about the new media, and consumers ignore traditional media because of their "negativity" at great peril to objective reporting, such as it is.

  Many will scoff, but this is a real concern, even among new media proponents such as myself.

• Big 12 Hoops disputes Matt Jones' contention that Bill Self is a "lesser coach."
  I think they make a compelling argument, and I am inclined to agree.

• Louisville's Anthony Connor suffered a broken neck against Rutgers.
  Our prayers go out to the young man. He apparently isn't paralyzed, so hopefully he will recover fully.