Kentucky coach Rich Brooks reacts following a question Monday. Photo by Victoria Graff
Ricky Lumpkin is glad Kentucky has a game this week. So does Rich Brooks.
It was easy to see the disappointment in the players’ eyes today during Kentucky’s weekly press conference at Wildcat Den. Nobody likes to lose, especially a lopsided loss like the one the Wildcats’ were dealt at Florida.
“Everyone was disappointed. When we went back to the locker room, everyone was quiet. We’re not that kind of team. This is the first time we got beat like that in two years. We’re trying to change the perception of this program and you can’t do that losing by 58 points. It just hurts because that’s a lot of scoring. We don’t want that to happen again. We want to go out there this week and put that behind us.”
Considering the outcome, some changes are in store:
- Kentucky coach Rich Brooks announced that Randall Cobb would be the starting quarterback at Mississippi State Saturday.
- E.J. Adams and Gene McCaskill will start at wide receiver.
- A change will be made at strong safety and Brooks expects to make more changes in special teams and possibly other positions.
Here are some highlights from the press conference:
Brooks on Randall Cobb:
(A) “Mike (Hartline) has done a lot of good things, obviously. We’ve been starting games slowly over the last several weeks,” Brooks said. “When Randall (Cobb) is inserted, we seem at least to be able to move the ball. I think (Cobb) gives the defense a little more problem with his feet and his ability to improvise than Mike does. He is starting to understand the offense a lot better. Well, he’s still got a lot to catch up on. But what he has on it is pretty good. He understands it and he’s executing it pretty well.“
(B) “Mike Hartline has been doing a good job of leadership. He is a positive guy. Randall, as I’ve said many times, is mature beyond his years. The best way for somebody to show leadership is to go out and play well and then act like a leader after they’ve done it. I think both Mike and Randall have done that at different times. We just think Randall could give us a little spark and a little diversity in what we’re able to do on offense.”
Brooks on Mississippi State:
“Mississippi State is a team that needs this game as much as we need it. They’re running out of opportunities to get bowl eligible, as we are. This is a huge football game for both programs. Certainly, they are a team that is coming off one of their better offensive performances. It seems like that’s a broken record for the teams we have been playing in recent weeks. They did a very good job of running the ball against Middle Tennessee and throwing it.
On QB Tyson Lee:
“He just runs all over the place. He makes plays with his feet as well as his arm. They are a team defensively that exemplifies their head coach. They’re physically tough on offense with the way they run the ball. They play hard. This is going to be a very difficult game on the road. We’re going to have to get back to playing our game of physical, tough football that we did not play this past week.”
Quote of the day
“When you lose like that you can’t point a finger at anybody. Everything went wrong, and everybody has to get better. I’m ready to get back on the field and prove that we are a better team than what we showed and we can win in this league.”
Alfonso Smith
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