The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Kentucky overcomes mistakes and its past again





Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline looked past Arkansas defender Matt Harris as he got ready to pass during the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lexington. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline looked past Arkansas defender Matt Harris as he got ready to pass during the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lexington. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

When will we ever learn the truth of Yogi Berra’s time honored sports phrase, “It ain’t over till it’s over?”

Memo to University of Kentucky football fans: We are in the midst of a new era of UK football. Let’s embrace it and not fight it. Please let the past go, Big Blue Nation.

UK’s under appreciated head football coach Rich Brooks may have put Saturday’s come from behind thriller best in his post game press conference when he said, “Sometimes football is a good reflection of life itself. It’s when times are toughest and you’re in that darkest hour that you can’t give up or give in.”

Once again “Ole Blue” (a.k.a. Brooks) gets the last laugh and teaches us all another valuable lesson.

At half-time of last Saturday’s game when Kentucky trailed the Arkansas Razorbacks of Bobby “The Ville” Petrino at 14-0, it appeared to me that Mike Hartline’s role as UK’s starting quarterback looked to be about as comfortable as a “high wire act without a net.” Most everyone in the press box, at least the ones I talked with, assumed freshman sensation Randall Cobb would start the second half at quarterback and was the only real threat to lead the Cats in a comeback. The statistics for the two quarterbacks at the half were Hartline seven of 18 with one interception for 56 yards and Cobb two of three for 48 yards.

We were half right. Cobb was involved but didn’t direct the finish. Hartline did.

I’ve said from day one that Hartline does have one ingredient that all quarterbacks need and that’s solid passing skills and a fairly strong arm. He’s been underrated in that department. His biggest problem to date, except for the South Carolina game, is a problem that he can’t personally correct. He’s surrounded by the most youthful receiving corps in recent memory at UK and it doesn’t help his development at his position when he’s got an offensive line in front of him that’s been slightly injured and somewhat inept in the run blocking department and defenses load up the line and apply more pressure on him on passing downs.

Hartline’s stats to date are: Attempts — 240 Completions — 132 Completion Pct. — 55.9 Yards — 1,265 TD’s — eight Interceptions — six

Efficiency Rating —105.3

Longest completion — 72 yards

Check the stats of Jared Lorenzen or Andre Woodson just seven games into their sophomore year. Even during and immediately after the probation years neither Lorenzen nor Woodson had a receivers as green as Hartline’s or a running game as inadequate as this one is in 2008.

Now, for the immediate future anyway, I would expect Hartline in particular and the entire offense in general will gain some confidence from the win over the Hogs. However, the Florida Gators are now staring the Wildcats square in the face.

Regardless of the situation or how UK got here the bottom line is this: The Cats are 5-2, the season has been saved according to the fanbase and their head is back above water with a competitive chance of still getting six to eight wins and most definitely getting bowl-eligible. Brooks and company could get that coveted sixth win in many different ways. But to pull out seven or eight wins with this particular team the receiving corps and offensive line had better get better in a hurry.

Others can cast this team as being down and out, but this ol’ mountain boy isn’t doing that.

Bowl scouts make

first appearance

Sometimes it never ceases to amaze me the image Kentucky football fans have of their own team as compared to an outsider’s perception of the football program and its status in college football.

Bowl scouts from the Capital One Bowl and Outback Bowl were in attendance in the press box for the UK-Arkansas game Saturday night. In speaking with the scouts shortly before kickoff, they saw UK as a solid SEC team at 4-2 with strong credibility coming off narrow losses at No. 3 ranked and undefeated Alabama and a gift-wrapped loss to an underrated South Carolina.

It’s still way early in the bowl picture, but all three scouts said an eight-win Kentucky team is very conceivable and definitely would spend the holidays somewhere other than Nashville. Yet, all week long leading up to the Arkansas game, the picture being painted by Big Blue Nation across the Commonwealth was that the Cats were at the crossroads and a loss would end the season in all probabilities.

There’s been a lot of talk in recent days across the nation that just getting six wins doesn’t necessarily get even an SEC team a bowl invitation. However, according to the bowl scouts in the pressbox last Saturday night, any UK team with six wins will have options of two or three bowls with the school’s strong fan following.

On TV again

The UK-Florida game this coming Saturday will be televised live as the SEC game of the week at 12:30 on the Raycom Network, WKYT in Lexington and WYMT in Hazard.

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