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No, I don't have a hangover, but the Kentucky Wildcats football team certainly does after being pounded 38-0 in a game in which they looked competitive for most of the first half. Unfortunately, the Wildcats could not muster even a shadow of the passing offense that had them near the top of the league in that category due to the unexpected loss of Maxwell Smith before the first snap.
Tweet of the Morning:
@wildcatnews Towles' father seems skeptical about the program's future... Huge implications for Joker.
— Matt Overing (@MOvering) September 23, 2012
Just more flowers on the grave. You can read about that and more in the Quickies after the jump.
Phillips finally, if belatedly, gives up on Morgan Newton as QB // Vaught's Views
“It’s a tough place to ask a true freshman to come in. We decided we were going to give him (Newton) one more series and then they scored, so we decided to give him one more and by that time it was out of hand, late in the game. He’s going to be a good quarterback. Again, this is a tough environment to come into and play as a true freshman. We’ll get Max back and we’ll try to get Jalen ready to be our No. 2 full time,” Phillips said.
To little, too late, I fear.
UNC sends Tami Hansbrough info to NCAA // ESPN
In my view, this is a complete head fake. The Hansbrough case, to me, has zero NCAA implications. UNC is merely trying to rehabilitate it's image, and provide the NCAA some cover for their failure to deal with the academic scandal.
Florida Gators manhandle Kentucky Wildcats 38-0 // Orlando Sentinel
1. Andre Debose might never pan out.
Expected to be a star when Florida signed him in 2009 out of Sanford, the former five-star recruit struggles to get onto the field for one reason or another
Oh, no, this can't be right. Highly touted recruits only underperform at Kentucky. Or so we've been told.
Florida beats Kentucky for 26th straight time // The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com
Kentucky, which entered the game with the league’s top passing attack, played without quarterback Maxwell Smith. He sat out with a shoulder injury. Backup Morgan Newton missed open receivers early and often.
Pretty much sums it all up, doesn't it? Well, except for the three interceptions including a pick six.
Kentucky Sports Radio // Jason Alexander’s Sunday News and Views
“I never really got in much of a rhythm, just out of sync. … I just tried to be there for my team and the situation didn’t work out very well. … It’s tough. Over my career, it seems like it’s (always) inopportune. Bad timing. Bad situations. Bad circumstances. You know, post-Randall Cobb, post-Chris Matthews, but pre-(DeMarcus) Sweat, pre-Demarco (Robinson) and all these other guys. It’s just been tough and it makes me look like a much worse player than I really am, but that’s kind of how life goes.”
Yes, that is so.
Kentucky Sports Radio // Patrick Towles Frustrated According to Father
“All Patrick has ever wanted is just an opportunity to compete, and I think there is some definite frustration over that. He wants to contribute. He came to the University of Kentucky because he thought he could immediately help. And he’s frustrated. But he’s staying positive. I’ve talked to someone who sees practice and he’s going at it full-tilt and working hard.”
Ugh.
I think that's better for him. He was going to be a backup here at best.
Source: Harrisons, Father Split on Kentucky & Maryland // ZagsBlog.com
Linked by Wild Weasel yesterday. Needs repeating.
I like our chances. Always have.
UK Notebook - Injuries, illness deplete Kentucky football's ready roster // The Courier-Journal
Along with quarterback Maxwell Smith’s last-minute scratch because of a shoulder injury, three other starters stayed home: cornerback Cartier Rice (thigh bruise), tailback CoShik Williams (hip strain) and defensive tackle Mister Cobble (infection).
Injuries are part of football. Why do we seem to get more of our best players in this condition than other teams? Probably just perception rather than reality.
Calipari: Wall set to have breakout season // GantDaily.com
Wall needs better players around him, and I think that's finally happening.
UK basketball notebook: Matt Roark camps out to experience UK's Big Blue Madness // Kentucky.com
Very cool.
Joker Phillips’ comments after UK’s 38-0 loss at Florida // Kyle Tucker – UK Beat
ON THE DEFENSE, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, PLAYING WELL EARLY: “Offensively, they put them in some tough holes. It becomes really hard when you get seven on the defense and they’re not out there. That becomes really tough on your defense, but our defense continued to battle. They did a good job. Again, we had a chance to get ourselves off the field on defense on the last couple of drives in the first half and we didn’t. Those guys battled, did a better job. They continue to get better. That’s important that they continue to get better also.”
I was proud of the defense. They are getting noticeably better, but don't be surprised if they have a setback. That, too, is normal.
Some post-game thoughts as Cats drop to 1-3 // John Clay's Sidelines
- Mister Cobble has some sort of infection in the joints which caused him to be hospitalized and it doesn’t sound good. Joker Phillips listed Cobble as day-to-day, but somehow that doesn’t sound day-to-day.
Ugh. No, it doesn't, and I'm worried about him.
* Kentucky was shut out for the first time since Oct. 14, 2006, in a 49-0 loss at LSU.
Bears repeating, in case you weren't in the game thread yesterday.
Kentucky vs. Florida Game Notes // Bleed Blue Kentucky
Whitlow didn't look bad. At least, he looked better than Newton.
Florida makes Kentucky look like a joker // Lexington Kentucky Wildcats // Examiner.com
I agree with most of this.
Patrick Towles frustrated, wants to play now, father says // Kyle Tucker – UK Beat
“We’ll make determinations later in the year, but I know he wants nothing more than to be at the University of Kentucky,” Terry Towles said. “We’ll see how this season continues to play out. If we feel this program is headed in the right direction, then Patrick I know certainly wants to be a part of it.”
I'm sure Joker Phillips & Co. will be frustrated at these sort of comments coming from Towles father, and frankly, I think they are both inappropriate and unfortunate. But that happens from parents sometimes, and love and concern for their children's well being must be forgiven.
No matter how you look at it, this is just more flowers around the headstone of the Phillips administration. Make no mistake, barring a miracle, he will not be retained.