By Alan Lytle
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-984326.mp3
Lexington, KY – The Kentucky Wildcats are in Nashville tonight to open the 2011 season against Western Kentucky. As Alan Lytle reports, a lot has to go right for this team if it hopes to go to a sixth consecutive bowl game this year.
Second year Head Coach Joker Phillips has spent the summer looking for playmakers. Gone are starting quarterback Mike Hartline, running back Dereck Locke, wide receiver Chris Matthews, and a guy simply known as Mr. Everything, in Randall Cobb.
"He was a returner on kickoffs and punts, he was the holder on extra points, he ran the Wildcat, he started several games at quarterback. Of course, he received, he did everything for us. He was one of the best leaders I have ever been around."
Now that leadership role has fallen to junior quarterback Morgan Newton who begins this season unquestionably at the top of the depth chart after replacing Mike Hartline prior to the Compass Bowl.
"I didn't really play much of what you would call meaningful minutes last year prior to the bowl game. So being able to come in and kind of gauge where I was at in my sophomore season, and those types of things I need to work on was pretty good."
Newton will have the benefit of working behind a veteran offensive line, but the receiving corps, while talented, is still largely unproven; led by LaRod King, Brian Adams, and Gene McCaskill and before he suffered a season-ending knee injury, the coaching staff thought freshman Daryl Collins was poised to make an impact right away.
The ground game is expected to be a committee effort with sophomore running back Raymond Sanders getting the bulk of the carries, but Coshik Williams and Jonathan George are also reportedly in the mix.
On the defensive side, former Marshall coach, and Joker Phillips mentor, Rick Minter has been brought in to install what he hopes will be a more dominant, and pro-active, rather than re-active, unit.
"We'll start gaining models of our current players and how we want to find, and develop them into what we want them to becomeas we continue to recruit. We just hope to build a good defensive mentality around here."
He'll be helped in no small part by the return of linebacker Danny Trevathan. Despite leading the SEC in tackles, the Florida native decided over the summer that he needed more seasoning before attempting a jump to the NFL.
"I can work and try to make myself better, but in the end, I'm going to get as good as the team gets. We are all working hard."
Kentucky finished the season at 6 and 7, with just two conference wins over South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Most experts are predicting a similar outcome this year.
Longtime fans are well aware that UK hasn't beaten the Tennessee Volunteers since 1984, and the Florida Gators since 1986. But those two games are at Commonwealth Stadium this season which means if the Wildcats manage to vanquish one or both of those foes, the goal posts on CM Newton field will definitely be coming down. That could be one of the few bright spots in a season of transition, should Kentucky miss the post-season this year. But Coach Phillips says his young team is looking forward to proving the doubters and naysayers wrong.
"We're not here just to get to a sixth consecutive bowl game, we are here to win championships."
The Wildcats take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers tonight at LP Field in Nashville. Kickoff is at 9:20 local time.