Three in a row—Kentucky Falls to Mississippi State 66-57

For the third time in as many games the Kentucky Wildcats once again fell. This time Mississippi State was able to handle the Wildcats, just as Ole Miss and South Carolina did---slowing down Jodie Meeks and forcing Kentucky to win in other ways.

The shutting down of Meeks, has proved to be key for Kentucky opponents. In the last 3 games Meeks is well below his points per game average with only 18 points a game. That falls nearly 8 points below his average during the win streak that saw the Cats stock rise to #24 in the nation just a week ago.

If Kentucky is to get back on the winning track they will be forced to find some other type of offensive production. Big Blue is now 3rd in the SEC East trailing Tennessee, South Carolina, and the Florida Gators.

The Rebels seemed to find the answer to defeat the Wildcats and teams have used the same formula.

Coach Billy Gillespie now has a week’s worth of time to try and find an answer before the Florida Gators come to Rupp.

Kentucky Loses Two Straight and Needs Answers

Just a week after being ranked in the AP poll, Kentucky has lost two straight and is looking to rebound against a tough Mississippi State team.

The past two meetings with the Bulldogs, the Wildcats have struggled; losing both in 2007 in the SEC tournament and last year in Starkville.

Following the loss to South Carolina, Kentucky players and Coach Billy Gillespie were visibly upset with their performance and lack of quality play.

“You bet I am mad,” said Jodie Meeks after the game.

“We aren’t going to win too many more games with the way we handle the ball,” said Coach Gillespie.

And Patrick Patterson also summed up his frustrations with, “We aren’t doing the right things to win games.”
Now with a two game losing streak how will the Cats rebound?

They have faced adversity before, as they started the season 0-2 by being dominated by VMI and North Carolina. Following the two losses, the Wildcats did go on a tear winning 15 of 17 games.

Once again, Kentucky has hit a snag losing another two games in sucession. The once unbeaten in coference team needs to get better as a team.

National pundits, local media, and South Sporting News blog has been saying for weeks the Kentucky Wildcats need to find a third scorer, they need to limit turnovers, they need to stop relying solely on Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson.

And win after win, it seemed that although they needed to be more complete, Kentucky seemingly was doing enough to win and win handily over opponents. Now, Kentucky has been exposed, Jodie Meeks has been limited, and no one anywhere else on the court feels the need to step up.

Someone will have to step up Tuesday, or the Wildcats will fall further down the ladder in the SEC.

Game tips off Tuesday @ 7pm.

KEYS TO VICTORY-
1) Slow the Pace- South Carolina is a fast pace, score-at-will team. The last time Kentucky played a team with that style they lost---VMI. Kentucky must focus on getting the ball down low to Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson. The slowing of pace, will get South Carolina’s three-point hungry team to slow down.

2) Play Smart- The Wildcats seem to lack basketball IQ. They turn the ball over 20 times a game and have been lucky enough to not be caught by the negative differential. If Kentucky is to take control of the SEC, they need to limit turnovers….

PREDICTION—
Kentucky is coming off a loss that is either a wake-up call or the truth. The Cats lead the overall series with the Gamecocks going 41-7 and 22-1 in Lexington. BUT history rarely plays a factor in the ‘here-and –now’ and so that is why I am less than optimistic for the Wildcat chances today.
The Gamecocks are playing very well right now and want to make a real statement. A win would create a three way tie in second place and a ½ game edge over the Wildcats and Gators….

KENTUCKY- 70

SOUTH CAROLINA- 74

Kentucky hosts Gamecocks

Gamecocks head to Lexington with something to prove

Fresh off the loss to the less athletic Ole Miss Rebels, the Wildcats begin a three game home stand with an upstart South Carolina Gamecocks squad that is riding a three game win streak.

Kentucky was ranked , for the first time in two years, Monday. The Wildcats were at #24 in the AP top-25 poll and 28th in the ESPN?USA Today poll. However, Tuesday’s loss will kick them out of the poll likely for the remainder of the season.

Kentucky’s stuggles Tuesday were an accumulation of the struggles and poor play in the week prior. Kentucky nearly lost to both Auburn and Alabama due to poor exectution on offense, lacking of a third scorer, and turnovers.

Tuesday, Ole Miss held junior guard Jodie Meeks in check and was able to force the Wildcats to just 38% shooting percentage from the field. With the poor shooting and lacking the presence of Jodie Meeks, the Cats were outplayed and overmatched.

Now, with the Wildcats in a three way tie in the SEC East with Florida and Tennessee, they have no more room for error. The Gamecocks should be a formidable opponent for the Cats. South Carolina is 2nd in the SEC in scorings per game.

The reason for the high scores for the Gamecocks is because of their ability to shoot the three-ball. South Carolina shoots nearly 40% from behind the arc leading the SEC in that category.

If South Carolina is to pull another SEC upset (they have already beaten Florida to begin their current win streak), they must stop one of Kentucky’s main scorers and continue their hot scoring.

The game will match the two leading scorers in the conference with Jodie Meeks for Kentucky and junior Devon Downey for South Carolina.

Game begins @ 3 pm EST.

Ole Miss Tackles a Win over the WIldcats

One day. Exactly one day the Wildcats were ranked. That will likely be all for the Cats as the unthinkable occurred Tuesday night.

After receiving national respect(a #24 AP Poll ranking) and being deemed the top team of the SEC, the unthinkable happened in Oxford—Kentucky fell to the Rebels 85-80, snapping a nine game win streak over Mississippi, and ending an unbeaten mark in conference play.

When asked Monday of how much longer the Wildcats would last as an unbeaten SEC school, Coach Billy Gillespie said, “It’s not going to last much longer if we continue to do that(make turnovers).”

And their win streak ended up not lasting. Kentucky struggled to get into a groove.

Mississippi stopped scoring standout Jodie Meeks by holding him to six points in the first half and forcing him to make bad decisions which forced Meeks to go 0 for 6 from the field.

With Meeks’ early struggles, the Wildcats were able to hold their own early. The Cats entered halftime with a narrow 39-37 lead.

The Cats were also limiting turnovers. After two straight nights of having more than 20 turnovers, Kentucky took care of the ball only turning the ball over 10 times.

However, the Wildcats struggled were not linked to an inability to hold onto the ball but the ability to keep up with an Ole Miss team effort.

Four of the starting five for the rebels scored in double digits. With such an output of scoring, the Cats were unable to contend with, basically, two players—Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks.

Meeks and Patterson ended the game combining 45 of the Wildcats 80 points. With a lack of production from the rest of the team, Kentucky could not make it and ended up losing their first in conference play.

With the loss, Kentucky, like every other team in the SEC has at least one loss. And now, there is a three way heaping tie in the East division with Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky all with one loss.

Kentucky’s next opponent will not be an easy bounce back game. The Cats will return to Rupp to take on an upstart South Carolina Gamecock team that has their eyes set on shaking up the SEC East landscape. They have beaten the Gators and sit in second place with two conference losses.

Keys To 6-0...

KEYS TO VICTORY

1) Support Continues…- Against Alabama, Patrick Patterson was obviously not having a good day. He shot only twice in the first half and ended the game with a season low of 6 total points. With Patterson struggling, the Wildcats supporting players were able to pick up the slack, something Wildcat-fans have wanted all year. Perry Stevenson appeared to have regained his last season form by scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 boards. Also freshman DeAndre Liggins played exceptionally scoring 11 points of his own. For the Wildcats to continue their dominant play in the SEC, they need more contribution from the supporting cast. Look for more Perry, Liggins, and maybe some others to have a big one tonight.

2) Keep the scores coming- With Kentucky now in the top-25 and playing in a conference with no other ranked teams, it is important for the Wildcats to win in style. The Cats have beat teams, on average, by 15.2 points a game. Look for Big Blue to have little trouble scoring in Oxford.

3) Continue to build- College sports in general are about growth. This is Billy Gillespie’s second year as Kentucky’s head man and things appear to be going well for the program. Each win and milestone reached this season will continue the growing process for the Kentucky basketball program. For the Wildcats to return to the promise land and get that elusive #8, Kentucky needs to continue playing hard and taking steps for future years and recruits.

Kentucky #24 in AP Poll, 28th in USA/ESPN Poll

How Sweet it is…

Kentucky is 5-0 in a down SEC and has finally gotten a little bit of national respect. In the latest AP Poll for the top-25 teams, the Kentucky Wildcats are ranked as the 24th team in the nation.

The Wildcats have not been ranked since the 2007 preseason poll, which listed the Cats in the low twenties.

Kentucky is also third in vote getters for the USA/ESPN top-25 poll. The third vote getter means that USA Today and ESPN feel that Kentucky should be ranked at 28 nationally.

As the hype machine continues in the bluegrass, the Cats can only add to their resume this week as they prepare to take on a dismal Mississippi Rebels team in Oxford.

Ole Miss has lost three straight conference games and is last or near last in the conference in every statistical category. Add the Rebels dismal play to a historical disadvantage; the Cats hold a 95-11 overall record against Ole Miss, and chalk up another win for the Cats…

Game time Tuesday @ 7 p.m. EST

Kentucky Stays Unbeaten

Kentucky finds a Way

In the second of the Alabama schools, Kentucky took down the Crimson Tide 61-51 to become 5-0 in conference play.

The first half of play, Kentucky looked abysmal. Shooting 30.8% from the field and leaving the court off an Alabama last second jump shot, the Cats entered the half down 25-19.

In the first half, sophomore stand out Patrick Patterson was virtually invisible shooting just two shots and only scoring 2 total points. His lack of scores and Kentucky’s ineptitude on offense (they had 9 turnovers) looked to be too much to overcome in the 2nd half.

But, somehow and someway, Kentucky came out of the break on a tear. Scoring sensation Jodie Meeks again went on the offensive and put the Wildcats on his back by scoring 27 points.
Kentucky also played stellar defense against the Tide, holding Alabama to just 29.3% from the field all game long. And forcing 18 turnovers

With Patterson obviously ailing from a hand injury, the Big Blue supporting cast emerged.
None was more evident than Perry Stevenson, whom seemed to regain his last season form-- by being a force down low. Stevenson scored 16 points, added 12 rebounds, and blocked 1 shot.

Also emerging and coming into his own was true freshman Darius Miller. Miller scored 11
points and added 3 assists, a steal, and a block.

The emergence of the Cats supporting cast, with Patterson down, was very encouraging for the Big Blue faithful. If the Wildcats can get consistency from these players the Wildcats could be a very formidable opponent as we near the NCAA tournament.

Kentucky is 5-0 in conference play and the past 5 times that has happened, Kentucky has went onto to at least a share of the SEC title. There is a lot of season left, but the Cats are the on the top of the East division and conference as a whole.

Next up for the Cats is yet another West division road game against the Ole Miss Rebels.

KEYS TO VICTORY-

1) Limit Turnovers- The story of the season has yet to bite the Wildcats, however, if this team wants to get where they want to go; an SEC Championship and a run in the NCAA tournament, Kentucky must take better care of the ball. Big Blue averages a -2.7 turnover differential and is ranked at the bottom of the conference in this category.
2) Keep Riding Jodie Meeks- The junior guard out of Georgia has really been something special this season. Meeks is third in the nation averaging 26 points per game. Kentucky needs to continue letting Meeks shoot and shoot often.
3) Block those shots!- Kentucky is ranked in the top-10 nationally in this category. Both Patrick Patterson have frustrated opponents by blocking shots.

**Kentucky has been dominant over the SEC thus far this season. The Wildcats are beating opponents by an average of 15 points a game. Alabama is clearly on the rebound in losing senior leader Ronald Steele for the rest of the season. If the Cats can go up early, the Tide should falter and give the Cats their 5th straight win.**

PROJECTION
Kentucky- 75

Alabama- 60

Kentucky Heads to Alabama

The Wildcats roll into Coleman Arena in Tuscaloosa the hottest team in the SEC with a show down with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Entering the season, it was the Tide were chosen to win the West division behind the sure shooting and leadership of Ronald Steele. However, Steele recently left the team and the program in search of an identity.

With Steele’s departure the Tide have lost 2 of 3 games. In those losses, the Tide appeared outmatched and undermanned. But Wednesday night, Alabama was able to revamp and win against Ole Miss.

Head Coach for Alabama, Mike Gottfried needs this win and wants to build some momentum which was lost due to the Steele departure.

“We had a good win against Ole Miss and we need to make sure we continue to improve” said Gottfried on Thursday.

Alabama does have some playmakers on offense including senior guard Alonzo Gee. Gee is the team’s leading scorer averaging 14.3 points and grabbing nearly 8 rebounds a game.

Complementing Gee and finding his niche as Steele’s replacement is junior Mikhail Torrance who scored 24 games against the Rebels Wednesday and has averaged 22.7 points a game in the past three games.

Alabama should prove to be strong competition for the unbeaten Cats. Although Kentucky is on a roll, they appeared drained against Auburn and everyone knows that how hard it is to go unbeaten in conference play.

GAME BEGINS @ 3 pm EST.

Kentucky Wins Again, and Covets 1st place in SEC

The game was ugly. Kentucky played sloppy and kept a lesser-qualitied Auburn Tigers in the game from start to finish, but when it counted the Wildcats pulled out another conference win 73-64 to become the only unbeaten team in conference play.

The first half went back and forth between the two teams and Auburn would have entered the half with a one point lead, but off a rebound and the seconds weaning, Patrick Patterson drove the ball half way down the court tossed the ball to Ramon Harris in stride to make a layup as the buzzer went off to take a 34-33 lead into the half.

Out of the half, Kentucky jumped out early with two 3-point shots made by Jodie Meeks with in the first minute. The Cats pulled ahead even more with a jump shot by Patrick Patterson. But, again sloppy play, mishandling of the ball in transition, and poor passing allowed the Tigers back into the game.

The Cats turned the ball over an atrocious 22 times and even allowed the Tigers to take lead 48-46 half way through the second half.

Again, however, with Kentucky trailing, the two stars for the Wildcats shined brightly, creating their own shots, playing stellar defense, and taking over the game.

Jodie Meeks ended the game with 31 points and went 5 for 8 from the 3-point line. Meeks’ 31 was the smaller part of the story today, as sophomore forward Patrick Patterson stole the show.
Patrick Patterson dominated the game for the Cats and put his team on his back to carry the Wildcats to a victory.

Patterson had a double-double in the first half and finished the game with 21 points and 18 rebounds.

“Pat was a beast. This was probably the best game we have seen of him all year,” said Coach Billy Gillespie after the game.

And the word ‘beast’ was repeated in the opposing locker room with Auburn’s Jeff Lebo echoing the sentiment, “Patrick Patterson is a heck of an athlete. He dominated the game…he is just a beast.”

Patterson willed his Wildcats to the narrow victory and now sees hois team atop the SEC as the only unbeaten team in conference.

With a 4-0 start Billy Gillespie knows there is still a lot of work to do, however said of the game, “It was a good win for us.”

Kentucky Keys to Win over Auburn

--KEYS TO VICTORY—

1) Play Hard- One thing the Cats have done in the past few weeks is play hard. Diving on the floor, hustling on the defensive end, and battling for rebounds, Kentucky has played tenatious. Their opponent, the Auburn Tigers are weak inside and TOUGHNESS is key to continue on the winning path.

2) Limit Turnovers- The Auburn Tigers are not great at much, BUT they do lead the SEC averaging 10.5 steals per game. Kentucky plays carelessly with the ball and needs to tighten up against a less talented team.

3) Find that 3rd Guy- It’s late in the season and pretty much, you are what you are. But in a hopeful since, someone other than Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson need to make a presence on the offensive end.

---Kentucky has the edge in every statistical category and is playing hotter than anyone else in the nation. With the Wildcats now eyeing a possible SEC title and national ranking, Kentucky must come out and dominate again.

-FINAL PREDICTION-

KENTUCKY- 78
AUBURN- 57

Kentucky Preps For Tigers

Kentucky Prepares to Take on Auburn

Not since the SEC opener on January 10, have the Wildcats played at Rupp Arena. Wednesday night, the Big Blue Nation will welcome back one of the hottest teams in the nation with hopes that seemingly appear to rise with every day.

After the opening losses to both VMI and North Carolina, Wildcat fans were less than optimistic for the coming season; however the Wildcats clicked into gear following those two losses to rip off 14 of 16 games and appear to be the favorite in a down SEC.

On the stretch of wins, Kentucky has outscored opponents by 15.2 points a game and in the 3 conference games, the Wildcats have taken down opponents by an average of 17 points a game.
The clicking of the Wildcat team appears to be the shooting and play of junior guard Jodie Meeks. Meeks is near the top in scoring across the nation with 25.7 points a game.
Meeks’ hot shooting, he attributes to his mentality.

“I always think they are going in and you can’t really have a caution because if you do you will probably not ever score because you think too much or make bad decisions. “

Bad decisions shooting-wise are not in Meeks forte, however bad decisions in turnovers are another story.

When asked what he could improve in his game he commented; “Sometimes I don’t make the smartest decisions with shots or passes.”

If Meeks can limit the turnovers, his stock will continue to rise as will Kentucky’s heading down the stretch to the NCAA tournament.

Kentucky Wins Over Georgia 68-45

Favorite Role Doesn’t Phase Cats as Kentucky Claws the Dawgs

In the third straight Eastern division showdown, the Kentucky Wildcats flexed their muscle again and dominated the Georgia Bulldogs 68-45.

The Wildcats began the game going on a quick 7-0 run before the Bulldogs could even catch their breath.

Then, with 8 minutes remaining in the first half, the hottest player in the nation Jodie Meeks was once again at the right place at the right time. Following a Perry Stevenson missed jumper, Meeks was able to take the rebound in mid-air and jam it home to put the Cats up 20-9.
The rest of the half was more of the same type of luck for the Wildcats; they entered the half with a dominating 38-19 lead.

Out of the half, Kentucky again picked up where they had left off. Both Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks continued their stellar play by each scoring in double digits. Meeks scored 22 points and went 3 of 8 from the three-point line, while Patrick Patterson put up a solid 15 points of his own. Patterson also added 4 blocked shots and 5 rebounds.

With all the high-fly-scoring put up by the Wildcats, Kentucky continued to be sloppy with the ball. Kentucky turned the ball over 18 times. With the massive amount of mistakes and chances the Cats gave Georgia, they were unable to capitalize which led to another Kentucky victory.

With the victory, Kentucky is now 3-0 in SEC play and has outscored SEC opponents by an average of 17 points.

Next up for the Wildcats is a match up with the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena Wednesday…and with the top-25 rankings coming out tomorrow, the Wildcats might be welcomed to Rupp with a national ranking for the first time in over two years.

Kentucky v Georiga Keys to Victory

KEYS TO A WILDCAT VICTORY—
Here we go. The Wildcats are in Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Kentucky is 2-0 in conference play, while the Bulldogs have lost their first two conference games and have dropped four straight. To make matters worse for the Dogs, Kentucky has won three straight regular season meeting.

The Wildcats enter the game as a favorite and have gained a lot of public recognition for the defeating of the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville on Tuesday. For the Cats to stay on the winning track, this is what Kentucky must do…
KEYS TO VICTORY-

1) SCORE- Kentucky is second in the SEC in scoring and 12th in the nation in points per game. Kentucky needs to keep their scoring high. The Georgia Bulldogs have struggled in making baskets as they rank dead last in the SEC and near the bottom of the country in points per game averaging only 67 points a game.

2) Don’t Get Over Confident- It has been a while since the Wildcats have gotten such recognition in the national media. With the win Tuesday, Kentucky has emerged as an SEC favorite and can possibly reach the top-25 for the first time in over two years with another victory. With a team that has yet to experience EXPECTATIONS, it will be a necessity for the Wildcats to stay the course, play hard, and play one game at a time.

3) Continue to improve with the ball- Kentucky has struggled all season with turnovers and at this point in the season, you are what you are. However, Tuesday the Wildcats were again careless with the ball turning the ball over 15 times, yet won. The turnover problem will be more detrimental as the season progresses. Mid-season should be the time where the freshmen learn to be more careful with the ball and should be more adjusted to the college game. Turnovers must be CUTDOWN.

The Wildcats have not started an SEC sleight 3-0 since 2004-2005 season. That 2004-2005 season, the Wildcats went onto win the SEC, got ranked as high as 7th in the country, and made a deep run into the NCAA tournament.

A 3-0 start is beneficial to the Wildcats and might get them into the national rankings. If the Cats can score (like they have all season), stay level headed, and limit turnovers, Kentucky should be on their way to a 3-0 marking heading back to Rupp Arena.

PREDICTION—
**Kentucky has beaten opponents by 15.2 points a game and look for nothing different today. Kentucky should be able to handle the Dogs soundly and win by double digits.**

Kentucky- 82
Georgia- 60

Kentucky Heads to Athens to take on the Dawgs

Last year was quite a scene. A tornado rolled through the Atlanta area to post pone the Cats opening round match up against the Georgia Bulldogs…the rest was history.

The game was moved to Georgia Tech’s basketball arena, fans were restricted to attend, and the winner would be forced to play two games in one day. Kentucky entered the tournament on a roll, winning 12 of their last 16 and looking to make a mark in the SEC to make the NCAA major tournament.

The Dawgs on the other hand, had finished the regular season with a less than impressive mark 4-12 in the SEC and 17-17 overall. But somehow, in all lthe turmoil and uncertainties surrounding the teams, the Dawgs were able to knock off the Wildcats and make an improbable run through the SEC tournament to eventually win and gain the conference’s automatic bid.

“It was something I dream for,” said Zac Swansey after the game. Swansey, the freshman, had hit a 3-point shot in overtime to seal the Wildcats fate and give new life into his Georgia Bulldogs.

That, however, was last year. This new Wildcat team has been on a roll winning their first two games in the SEC, one of the wins coming against the preseason selection to win the conference, Tennessee in their own building.

With all the attention the Wildcats have received in recent weeks it comes from Jay Bilas of ESPN where he thinks the Wildcats should and could land.

“I think they are right there to be and wind up as the best team, in what I consider in SEC standards a down league.”

Dealing with the title of ‘frontrunner’ is new for the Wildcats and playing with this new title begins Saturday as the Wildcats head to Athens to take on a struggling Bulldog team that has lost their last four games.

Game begins at 12 pm EST.

Kentucky Wins in Knoxville 90-72

Meeks Shines as Cats Knock off the Vols

North Carolina, #1. Kentucky losses big. Miami Hurricanes, #20. Kentucky losses but gives hope. Louiville Cardinals, #18. Kentucky loses in the last seconds, but gives hope. Yesterday, Knoxville, Tennessee- Tennessee #24. Kentucky wins, dominantly.

In a down SEC, which no team other than Tennessee was ranked, the Wildcats had to win in Knoxville to gain RPI for selection day in March. Needing a win and wanting to make a statement, the Wildcats did in a big way by taking down the Volunteers in the Smokey Mountains 90-72.

A huge statement game and a huge statement made by junior guard Jodie Meeks. Meeks entered the game the 4th leading scorer in the nation and left Thompson-Boiling Arena a Kentucky legend by scoring 54 points in route to the victory.

“I was just going out there to win”, said Meeks.

Win he did, but also he dominated. The junior guard went 15 for 22 from the field and 10 for 15 from the three point line.

Other than the scoring, Meeks limited his turnovers; something he has struggled with all season averaging nearly 4 turnovers a game. Today though, was Jodie’s day as he only gave the ball up once, grabbed 8 rebounds and added four assists.

Kentucky’s win puts the Wildcats RPI rankings higher and more importantly, places them as a new front runner in the SEC.

Momentum must maintain however, as the Cats will now travel to Athens to take on a Georgia team which knocked Kentucky out of the SEC tournament last year. If the Wildcats are to win again, Monday the Big Blue Nation might just wake up to find their Cats in the top-25 for the first time since preseason of 2007.

Kentucky heads to Tennessee in hopes of an upset

Showdown in Knoxville-
Early in conference play, the second game in fact, Kentucky travels to Knoxville to take on a bumped and bruised Tennessee Volunteer team that have dropped out of the USA Today Top 25 for the first time all year.

Adding to the hurt ego of being dropped out of the rankings, star player and preseason ALL SEC Player of the Year, Tyler Smith is nursing a bruised knee and will be playing at less than 100%.
Tennessee has seen a lot of struggles of late dropping two of their last three games and nearly faltering to Georgia in the conference opener. The Vols trailed by more than 10 points mid way through the second half, but were able to eek out a victory 86-77.

Radio voice Bob Kessling sees a lot of turmoil in this Volunteer team.

“ The freshmen, for whatever reason, have had a hard time in buying into the defensive philosophy”, as he continued to say “Sometimes they have got into the position where they have four guys playing great defense and one freshman that is lost out there and that has hurt them in several occasions.”

With a weaker than past years Volunteer team the Kentucky Wildcats look to win in Tennessee for the first time since March 1, 2006. Since that loss, Tennessee has not lost a home SEC game since and is riding a 16 game win streak into this colossal match up.

Kentucky and Tennessee should be exciting as the match-up pairs the top two scoring offenses in the SEC. Tennessee is 6th in the nation in scoring with nearly 85 points a game, while Kentucky is 25th respectively, averaging 80 points a game.

With scoring to be at a maximum, the game will be based on limiting errors, something Kentucky knows all to well.

In the four losses Kentucky has suffered this season, the Wildcats average 21.75 turnovers per game. In order to have a chance in Knoxville, this stat must get better.

Yesterday Jodie Meeks said, “ We need to cut down turnovers in conference play if we want to do much of anything this year.”

And this year, needs to start tonight with Tennessee. A win would give the Wildcats an early edge in the wide open SEC and maybe a slot in the top-25.

Game starts at 9 pm EST.

Kentucky Takes Down Vanderbilt in SEC Opener 70-60

Pretty? No. Dominant? No. Efficent? EH…. That is the the best way to sum up the Kentucky Wildcats SEC opening victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

In front of the largest crowd of the season, over 24,000 rabid blue grass faithful, the Wildcats went into half time on a 7-0 run and a 31-27 lead. Kentucky then came out and stretched that lead to 55-35 with only ten minutes left in regulation. The route appeared to be on, as the Wildcats looked to pour it on their East division foe and send a statement to the rest of the SEC, but Kentucky began to relax and pull back.

Vanderbilt began to pull closer and with less than two minutes left, it appeared that the ‘Dores were primed to pull out an upset and make a game against the Wildcats.

“I think we got comfortable. Then all of a sudden it got closer than it should have even been,” said point guard Michael Porter following the game.

Within six and momentum swung to the Commodores, the Kentucky Wildcats were able to regroup quickly and keep their lead, squeaking out a 10 point victory 70-60.

“Any win is good in this conference. I am proud of the way we played today, but need to get better,” Head Coach Billy Gillespie said after the game.

With the win the Kentucky Wildcats stretch their win streaks at home in SEC play to 9-0 in the Billy Gillespie era.

“We knew this would be a battle and we are just happy to come out with a win. Every win is important to get to where we want to be,” said Billy Gillespie.

And where they want to be is SEC champions. Kentucky did not dominate the entire game but did show signs of brilliance. The Cats limited their turnovers to only 13 and made plays often enough to pull in front by 20, and scored 32 of their 70 points in the paint.

With the win Kentucky has some momentum heading into a HUGE WEEK in conference. The Cats will head to Knoxville and take on the defending East season champion and preseason choice Tennessee Volunteers.

“I am excited to hear the Rocky Top chant and play there,” said freshman Darius Miller. And he will get his chance Tuesday in a showdown for a early SEC East division lead.

Keys To Kentucky Victory

KEYS TO a KENTUCKY VICTORY
1) NO HANGOVER- A week off a heart breaking loss to Louisville, the Wildcats must bounce back against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The SEC appears to be up for the taking and with a road trip to Tennessee looming in the week; Kentucky must get off to the right start against Vanderbilt.

2) LIMIT TURNOVERS- The Wildcats Achilles heal has been turnovers. The Cats are last in the SEC in turnover differential with -2.47 per game. Kentucky must be smarter with the ball with conference play starting up against a stingy and aggressive Vanderbilt defense.

3) Make it a high scoring game- Kentucky is 15th in the nation is scoring, while Vanderbilt tends to be successful in low scoring affairs. Vanderbilt is 11th of 12 in the SEC in scoring averaging only 71.1 points a game. If Kentucky can score and score often, the should control the tempo and come out with a victory.

Kentucky/Vanderbilt Key Game Notes

SERIES NOTES-
· Kentucky v Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena has been dominated by the Wildcats by the record of 72-14

· Kentucky is 15th in the nation is scoring with 80.5 points per game

· Vanderbilt is near the bottom in nearly all offensive categories compared to the rest of the SEC, but is riding a 6 game win streak.

Kentucky Opponent- Vanderbilt Commodores 11-3/0-0

LOWDOWN on the Commodores-
Similar to their football team, this Vanderbilt team is not flashy and doesn’t jump off the stat sheet. They are 11-3 overall and have such a record with stellar defense, good rebounding and team chemistry.

Center A.J. Ogilvy is the team’s captain and leader. He leads the team with 16.5 points per game and averages 1.5 blocked shots a game.

When at their best, the Commodore defense commands the game. They are currently holding opponents to a dismal 36.5 field goal percentage.

SEC Play Begins today!

Today is a BIG day. Not only for the Blue Grass faithful, but the SEC in general. Saturday begins SEC basketball play, and with the conference not having one team in the nation’s top 25, someone is sure to emerge in the coming weeks as the conferences cream of the crop.

To start off play, the Kentucky Wildcats host a Vanderbilt team that has been on the rise. Two years ago the Commodores reached the sweet 16 and last year they went undefeated through their non-conference sleight to reach the national ranking of #13. Then, however, conference play started in Rupp Arena.

The ‘Dores lost to Kentucky in a double overtime thriller and never regained its dominant play which they displayed the first month of the season.

After the game last year, Vanderbilt center and captain A.J Ogilvy was quoted to saying, “The 23,965 capacity stadium at Rupp was quite intimidating for him and his Commadores.”

Wildcats nation can hope to be intimidating once again in a wide open conference. Various coaches, players, and athletic administration have all echoed the same setiment about playing in Rupp Arena. It’s intimidating. So, the Wildcats must use the intimidation factor in order to rack up wins in such a wide open conference.

Bowl Reflections...Teams on the Rise in '09

Bowl Season in Review-
Well, just like the economy, my bowl picks went south quickly. I began the bowl season with in a hole losing three of the first four and never was able to win my way out…I did choose the correct national champion in Florida, however my bowl season record was a less-than-impressive 19-15.
The bowl games did show a lot and give hope to some programs for the coming year…
And here are the top 10 teams of the bowl season-

10) Vanderbilt- I know, I know SEC homer. But look at what they have done. They defeated an ACC Runner-up Boston College soundly with a freshman quarterback and stingy defense. The Commodores will lose star receiver George Smith, BUT this win builds the program and puts them on the RISE in the SEC. Next year head coach Bobby Johnson will hope to improve on a 7-6 season, and with a young quarterback and some confidence it might happen.

9)Northwestern- Another smart school really impressed me. Although they lost to Missouri in the Alamo Bowl they battled the Tigers to the end, led the entire game but couldn’t defeat the more experienced Tigers in overtime. Northwestern finished the season with a 9-4 record and has a good majority of players coming back. Couple experience with a schedule that lacks Ohio State and Michigan and put the Wildcats on the rise in a less than stellar Big 10.

8)Oregon- The Ducks have won four straight heading into the offseason and had a GREAT performace in the Holiday Bowl taking down the Oklahoma State Cowboys 42-31. This offense looks good and a lot of them come back. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is only a sophomore and with a year of experience under his belt and a lot of players coming back the Ducks might be able to contend with the USC Trojans for Pac 10 supremacy.

7) Virginia Tech- To be honest, I gave a young Virginia Tech offense NO CHANCE in the Orange Bowl against the Big East’s Cincinnati Bearcats, but the Hookies overpowered the Bearcats just like they overpowered the ACC this season winning their last four games. Like Oregon, the Hookies return a fast quarterback in Tyrod Taylor and of their team only 15 players are seniors. Virginia Tech is on the rise and should compete once again in the ACC and maybe even for a national title.

6) LSU- Les Miles is now 4-0 in bowl games. The Tigers had a less than stellar year giving up points and yardage at a maximum and were unable to score or throw the ball down field with a young offense and two quarterback system. In the Chic FIl A Bowl, however, the Tigers were able to stop the option offense of Georgia Tech which stumped the Georgia Bulldogs in the final week of the season. The rebuilding seems to be over now, and look for the Tigers to be a more competitive team in a rising SEC West next year.

5) Arizona- Coach Stoops was finally able to make a bowl game for the first time in his tenure as head coach and the first time in school history since 1998. The Wildcats were excited to make a bowl game and outplayed and took down a more experienced BYU team. Arizona took USC to the wire and were competitive in all their games this season. Next year, the Wildcats will have to replace a lot of players but, the bowl victory should be a turning point for this program.

4) Utah- I couldn’t put a top 10 in bowl surprises with out the Utes. They came out and took down an SEC power in Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to finish as the only undefeated team in the FBS. Although i certainly would NOT put them at #1 in my final top 25, undefeated is undefeated and when you play in a conference that allows you to play schools like San Diego State and Wyoming on a yearly basis, its hard to respect an undefeated mark. But Utah now has 2 BCS trophies and enough talent to compete once or twice a year against power teams in BCS-sleighted conferences. The Utes have only 19 seniors this year, but in those seniors is stand out quarterback Brian Johnson. If the Utes can reload at quarterback, Utah should stay the cream of the crop in the Mountain West next year.

3) Florida State- Progress, progress, progress. That’s what it is all about in college sports and with a dominating win in the Champs Sports Bowl, I put the Seminoles as the ACC favorite next year. Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles destroyed Wisconsin 42-13 and has a quality team returning next year. Quarterback Christian Ponder, second leading rusher Jermaine Thomas, and four of their top five receivers are set to come back next year. Florida State should make a Penn State-like run next year and could possibly give Head Coach Bobby Bowden a BCS send off…

2) Ole Miss- Houston Nutt can flat out coach. Last year he led the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Cotton Bowl, but was unable to coach in the game due to him jumping ship to Oxford and the Rebels. In just one year he was able to turn a 3-9 team to a 9-4 Cotton Bowl champion team. The Rebels played their best football at the end of the season with big SEC victories in Arkansas, Auburn, and a beat down in Baton Rouge over the LSU Tigers. This impressive season for the Rebels is most highlighted by the victory in Gainesville over the National Champion Florida Gators. Next year the Rebels return quarterback Jevan Snead, running back Enrique Davis, and a solid experienced receiving core. But, Houston must retool the defense and line if he wants to contend more seriously in a rising SEC West division in 2009.

1) Florida Gators- Urban Meyer should have a National Champion favorite coming into the 2009 season. If quarterback Tim Tebow stays, the Gators will once again be a scary team to face. The defense is young and with a year of experience should be better. Look for the Gators to be the pre-season #1 pick by most national pundits.

College Football Programs in Trouble for 2009-2010

With the Bowl season over, here are the top 5 schools that will be faced to retool, reload, and struggle in the 2009 season---
5) West Virginia- Pat White leaves. Head Coach Bill Stewart is not Rich Rodriguez. The Mountaineers will struggle in 2009 and not make a bowl for the first time since the 2001 season.
4) BIG 10 Conference- Penn State in the Rose Bowl got blown out and is forced to retool, Ohio State loses a lot of star power on defense, Iowa might lose their head coach and star running back, and Michigan will once again struggle. Overall the BIG 10 went 1-5 in bowl games and seems to not be up to snuff against the rest of college football. The BIG 10 needs to update and get into this century in order to compete. The power play which works in the mid-west doesn’t fly or compete against speed. The Buckeyes are the one team that is taking a step toward a quick play with running quarterback Terrell Pryor. The Wolverines will also contend eventually, once Rodriguez can get the right type of players for his offense. Until then, next year will be a DOWN year In the BIG 10. The Buckeyes should be okay, but look for a surprise non-traditional school to emerge in the BIG 10…Northwestern—the Big 10 is yours.
3) Missouri- In the Big 12, the Tigers will be forced to retool and reload a ton of talent. The 2008 year was Mizzou’s best shot to reach a BCS game and they squandered their chances by losing to the big time contenders—Texas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. The Big 12 North division has rising talent around them and with the Tigers losing a lot of playmakers, Missouri will struggle in 2009.
2) USC- Mark Sanchez had a strong showing in the Rose Bowl, looked at his NFL chances and all remarks came back good. If Sanchez bolts for the NFL, Pete Carrol will be forced to rebuild for the first time in his tenure with the Trojans. The defense is mostly all gone and no Mark Sanchez will put the Trojans in a compromising position. They will make a bowl no matter what…BUT maybe not win the Pac 10 and NOT reach the Rose Bowl. 2009 could possibly be a struggle in Trojan Land.
1) Georgia Bulldogs- WELCOME to ANOTHER rebuilding year Mark Richt. Rebuilding occurred in Athens 2 years ago after losing quarterback David Green, a solid line, and majority of their defense. In that rebuilding year the Bulldogs finished the season unranked but beat Virginia Tech in the Chic Fil A Bowl in overtime. Mark Richt will be faced with a similar situation in 2009. He loses his stud quarterback Mathew Stafford, running back Knowshon Moreno, and leading receiver Mohammed Massaquoi. Georgia entered the season ranked #1, but a porous defense led the Dogs to a unimpressive 10-3 season. The Dawgs WILL struggle in 2009 and with the rest of the SEC East on the rise, this might be a bowl-less season and maybe a so-long to Mark Richt year. **Insider Information**(YES, his relaxed attitude this season put him in hot water and the Dawg faithful. People were calling for his head after the losses against Florida and Georgia Tech this season…No bowl next year= NO MORE MARK RICHT in Athens)

Top 25 College Football Final

With all the bowls over its time for one final Top 25 Rankings until April when I will release my Pre-Pre Season College football rankings. But for now, here is where the teams landed in the 2008-2009 football season.
1) Florida- There really shouldn’t be a discussion. The Gators beat teams by 34.6 points per game on average and took down 9 teams which also reached a bowl in the regular season. Urban Meyer has done a terrific job with this team and if Tim Tebow comes back next year, Florida should be the early favorite in 2009-2010.
2) USC- That’s right, the Trojans dominated another Big 10 team to capture yet another Rose Bowl. By season’s end, this team was playing some of the best football in the country.
3) Texas- Would of, could of, should of…I still think that the Longhorns should have been the Big 12 representative in the Championship game, but Colt Mccoy and the Horns are young and return a lot of players next year. A bowl win and pride for Texas.
4) Utah- The only undefeated team in FBS. However, until college football changes the system, this will be the highest any non-BCS team should land. Utah has now 2 BCS trophies and that is saying something...
5) Oklahoma- Bob Stoops “Bowl Flop”. The Sooners lost yet another BCS game, making that 5 of 6 bowl losses. One impressive thing about the Sooners- Sam Bradford. This kid can throw the ball really well. With the loss it might be possible to see him come back, but with the quarterbacks lacking in this year’s draft he will likely bolt.
6) Ole Mississippi- This might be high for a lot of on-lookers, but look at their resume. They have played their best football at the end of their season. Being the only team to beat Florida, taking down LSU, and dominating a Cotton Bowl against Texas Tech lands the Rebels at this spot.
7) TCU- The Hornfrogs are a complete program and proved it against an undefeated Boise State team in the Poinsettia Bowl. A good finish and strong defense, TCU should be proud of their program which is continually competitive.
8) Oregon- The Ducks have a young team and should be better next year. They finished the season 2nd in the Pac 10 and had a quality bowl beat down over a once top 10 Oklahoma State team.
9) Penn State- Take away the first half of the Rose Bowl and you actually have a close game and maybe even a victory.
10) Georgia- It wasn’t pretty, maybe a little laughable, but the Bulldogs won the Capital One Bowl and finished the season with a win.
11) Ohio State- The Buckeyes lost the Fiesta Bowl, BUT they took the Longhorns down to the wire and maybe even should have one.
12) Boise State- Boise went undefeated through the season, BUT lost in their bowl game which lands them in this spot.
13) Alabama- From #1 since October all the way through the season to losing 2 straight. The Tide were exposed and outplayed by Utah and so they drop HUGELY.
14) Texas Tech- Outplayed in the bowl game, a huge loss to the Sooners, and a scare against Baylor lands the Red Raiders here. They tricked a lot of people this season, but ended the season in typical fashion, if you aren’t Texas or Oklahoma you can NOT contend in the Big 12…
15) Virginia Tech- Hookies win the ACC and dominate the Orange Bowl. Don’t look now, but this young team is on the rise!
16) LSU- Les Miles can flat out coach. Georgia Tech was rolling into the bowl game, while the Tigers were reeling and still LSU dominated the Yellow Jackets and put fear into the rest of the nation for next year’s REBUILT squad.
17) Florida State- Seminoles had an impressive bowl win and were in the ACC title chase all the way to end of the season. Bobby Bowden is a great bowl coach and has appearingly rebuilt the ‘Noles for a run next year.
18) Oklahoma State- Good season for the Cowboys and had star receiver Dez Bryant not gotten injured they could be ranked higher than where they finished here.
19) Cincinnati- The Bearcats had a great season, but inexperience in the spotlight cost them in the Orange Bowl.
20) Missouri- Chase Daniels last year didn’t end the way he would have liked and it could have ended worse in the Alamo Bowl…Luckily the Tigers senior laiden team pulled through to send Chase Daniels out with a win.
21) Northwestern- These Cats are FOR REAL. Northwestern battled all season and finished their year with a 9-4 record, pretty impressive for a “Smart” school.
22) Oregon State- The UGLIEST bowl game I have ever seen, but it was still a win. Coach Mike Riley and his Beavers had a strong season.
23) West Virginia- Pat White is the ONLY quarterback EVER to win 4 bowl games in a collegiate career. Just that statistic lands the Mountaineers here.
24) Rutgers- From dead to the hottest team in football, the Scarlet Knights made this a great season by winning 7 in a row.
25) Iowa-In a terrible Big 10 bowl season, the Hawkeyes were able to put a little pride in the conference with a dominating win over a SEC school. Good season for Iowa, beating the once undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions and 9 wins total.

SEC Basketball Up for Grabs in 2009

There is no way around it. The South Eastern Conference appears down this 2008-2009 basketball season. And as Kentucky heads into their conference opener against the Vanderbilt Commodores, it is easy to see that the east division and conference as a whole is up for grabs.

The pre-season media choice to win the conference, the Tennessee Volunteers have struggled and opponents have found weaknesses in their game.

The choice for second in the East, the Gators have again shown their youth, as it appears Billy Donavan still has a long way to go before they can be true contenders once again.

So with the main competition seemingly struggling and lacking dominance, this might be Kentucky’s year to win the Eastern division and regain national status as a basketball power.

After losing to VMI at home and the North Carolina Tarheels a little less than a week later, the Kentucky Wildcats went to the Las Vegas Hoops Invitational and took down a Kansas State and a strong Big East West Virginia squad.

Following the tournament the Cats stumbled against a then ranked #20 Miami Hurricanes. But again Kentucky rebounded, going on a seven game winning streak, a streak never reached in the Billy Gillespie era.

Finally, Sunday Kentucky battled the cross-town rival #18 ranked Louisville Cardinals to the wire only to lose by a 3 point shot with .02 seconds remaining to lose 74-71.

Kentucky’s heartbreaker still might give the Cats hope. In the game, the Wildcats turned the ball over 21 times and still had enough talent to take Louisville down to the wire. If Kentucky can lessen the turnovers, the SEC can be their conference to win.

Photos From The Liberty Bowl

Liberty Bowl Champions

Momentum. That was the something the Wildcats were lacking heading into the Autozone Liberty Bowl Friday afternoon in Memphis. But somehow, and someway the Wildcats overcame losing 6 of 8 games heading into the bowl game and a 16-3 halftime deficit to take down the East Carolina Pirates and win thier third consecutive bowl game for the first time in school history.

" It's a tremendous accomplishment for us as a team, school, and program", said Memphis native and starting defensive tackle Jeremy Jarmon.

And what an accomplishment and turnaround the Kentucky Wildcats made.

Heading into halftime, hopes were bleak as the Cats trailed 16-3 and could only muster 142 yards of total offense.

"I really ripped into them at halftime," said Coach Brooks. "But then I took a step back and reminded them what was at stake and what they had the oppurtunity to do."

Coming out of halftime the Wildcats struck immeadeatley with a 99 yard kick off return by senior David Jones. Jones' return seemed to spark the Wildcats as the offense was able to score another touchdown through the air to tie the game at 16.

The tie did not last long as East Carolina stormed back to put up a field goal near the end of the quarter to swing momentum once again and take a 19-16 lead in the fourth quarter.

Back and forth the game went as the Pirates stopped the Cats on offense. While the Kentucky defense did the same to East Carolina. It was not until less than five minutes left in the game in a 19-19 game when East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pinkney dropped the ball to the turf and senior defensive end Ventrell Jenkins was able to scoop up the loose ball and rumble 56 yards for the score.

His score was all that was needed as the Kentucky defense was able to hold off the East Carolina offense thier final drive and get the ball back with 2:22 to play in regulation.

All 56,125 people in attendance knew what Kentucky planned to do: run the ball and run off the clock. All knowing, East Carolina was unable to stop senior Tony Dixon pick up two first downs and sew the game up for the Kentucky Wildcats.

"It is really a tremendous job by our seniors today, they have seen this program turnaround and can leave this program winnners," said Rich Brooks after the game.

Keys to Kentucky Victory

Its the 50th Anniversary of the Liberty Bowl and the Wildcats will hope to win a third straight bowl game for the first time in school history. It might not be all that easy to do against a Conference USA champion East Carolina who is looking for double digits wins for the second time in school history!

For the Kentucky Wildcats to leave Memphis and the 2008 season with a win they must achieve these keys...

KEYS TO A KENTUCKY VICTORY

1) Play Defense like the beginning of the season- With a month to prepare, Kentucky will have all thier players back from various injuries. From mid-season the Cat defenders had various injuries which caused several playmakers including all three linebackers to miss valuable time. The injuries allowed opponents to 115 total point in the final month of the season. The first month of the season, when the Wildcats were at full health, the defense only allowed 22 total points. A healthy defense should make a huge difference and will need to if the Cats want to win today.

2) Score in the Opening quarter- Kentucky has been slow out of the game by being outscored 98-34 in the first quarter alone. The Wildcats failure to score in the opening quarter haunted them so many times this season, as they built a hole too deep to climb out of.


3) Mike Hatline- Well, quarterback Mike Hartline's season did not go as planned as he went from the highs of defeating the hated Louisville, to being booed onto the field in the opener, to eventually being benched midway through the season. Hartline is now thrust back into the starting spot with an injury to true freshman Randall Cobb. The red-shirt sophomore must be able to lead this offense, make good decisions, and prove something to the coaches going into the offseason. Hartline was unable to do any of this when he was the starter, as he threw for just 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

If Kentucky can play the defense which catapulted the defense to a top-10 national ranking everything should fall into place. It was the defense in the beginning of the season that also produced touchdowns, turnovers, and positive positions for the offense to be in. Thier defensive play is key for the other keys to be attained.

Anyways, it is off to the Liberty Bowl for me...Blogs thorughout the game.

The 50th Annual Autozone Liberty Bowl game will be played at 2 pm PST/ 5 pm EST on ESPN.

Kentucky wants to dominate Liberty Bowl

Well, its official. Big blue nation has invaded the Land of the Delta Blues as the Kentucky Wildcats will play in the 50th annual Liberty Bowl tomorrow against a hungry Conference USA champion. The game is set to take place at 5 pm EST and should be a good one.

Coming into the game Kentucky has not been quiet about thier expectations.

In fact to start the week linebacker Michah Johnson promised, "We will dominate." He then he went on to say how the Cats felt disrespected by the confident East Carolina squad. "They seem to think they can come out and move the ball on us and we're taking that personally."

And hopefully the Wildcats can take it as a personal challenge. In the past three games alone, the Kentucky defense has given up an average of 34 points a game and over 1199 total yards. This is a far cry from the defense that started the season ranked in the top ten in the country in total defense.

"We want to end things the right way", said Myron Pryor on after a walk thorugh on the Liberty Bowl turf.

But with all the defensive concerns and talk this week it will be the team's achillies heal- the offense which will decide whether or not the Wildcats will win thier third straight bowl game for the first time in school history.
The offense has struggled all season but was completley null and void in the last two weeks of the season against both a porus Vanderbilt and Tennessee defense in sucession.

Adding to the Cats woes will be the loss of true freshman Randall Cobb who injured his knee the last game of the season and was forced into having a surgery knocking him out for the bowl game. With CObb out, back will come Mike Hartline.
Hartline has certaiunly had an embattled season of both highs and lows. The red-shirt sophmore led the Wildcats to victory against hated rival Louisville in the opener only to be booed off the field at half time following a woeful performance against Norfolk State. But Mike Hartline seems to have handled the adversity well as he says, " "I am more relaxed at quarterback now and is ready to play in the bowl game."

Kentucky will need Hartline to be efficent if they have any hopes of taking down the East Carolina Pirates. At one point in the season the Pirates were ranked at #15 in the nation having beat a #8 West Virginia and #17 Virginia Tech in consecutive weeks. The Pirates should be a worthy foe...but for now I, as well as Cat Nation will believe what junior linebacker Michah Johnson says, "We Will Dominate."

Keys to a Kentucky Victory and live Updates tomorrow through the Liberty Bowl...
GO CATS!

Getting the skinny on the East Carolina Pirates

Kentucky prepares to take on a East Carolina team which had BCS aspirations of thier own heading into the season, but landed in the Liberty Bowl after a tough mid-season slump. However, the Pirates got to Memphis by winning thier past three games and winning the Conference USA title game over the favored Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

East Carolina will provide quite a game for the Cats as thier senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney can provide a spark with both his arm and his legs. Pickney led the Pirates to upset victories over both Viginia Tech(#17) and West Virginia(#8) early in the season to propel his team to a 3-0 mark and a #15 national ranking.

Following the hot start, East Carolina's hopes for a dream season was shot and killed by an overtime loss to in-state rival North Carolina State. According the the radio play-by play voice, Jeff Charles the loss really hurt the morale of the Pirates.
"They were so amped up for the rivalry game that the loss really took a lot out of them. Then they lost again to Houston and again to Virgina and were looking at 3-3," said Charles.

But the Pirates were able to turn things back around as they went on to win 6 of thier last 7 and took down a high flying Tulsa offense in the Conference USA title game 27-24.

The statistical ranking are unimpressive for the Pirates of East Carolina as they do not lead in any offensive statistical category. Their strenght lies with gritty team play and creating turnovers. Thier defense led Conference USA in scoring and was ranked 2nd overall in total defense.

A fierce defense and a vetran leader at quarterback will face the Wildcats in the Liberty Bowl on January 2nd. The Pirates hope to win thier second straight bowl game and obtain thier second Liberty Bowl title.

2008 Kentucky Football Season Review

The season started with promise. Kentucky's defense was ranked in the top 10 of all the nation and the offense was doing just enough to win. However, following the first month of the season and a close loss to the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide to open conference play the team began to rupture.
The Wildcats now head into thier 3rd straight bowl game having lost three games in a row and six of thier past eight.
What went wrong? Well, injuries to the defense was a major cause for the Cats fallout. Kentucky lost various defensive leaders on a week to week basis in conference play and by the half way point of the season, all three starting linebackers were forced to sit out due to injuries and watched the Florida Gators destroy the once highly touted defense 63-5.
The defensive losses forced Kentucky to play offense, which was the major weakness. The team lacked leadership, playmakers, and cohesion. The second game of the season, redshirt sophomore quarterback Mike Hartline was booed when he entered the game to start the second half.
It might not have been Hartline's fault but he was the scapegoat and was eventually replaced by true-freshman Randall Cobb. Cobb gave the Wildcats a spark as he led the Cats to a last second victory in his first career start in Mississippi State. However, the victory over the Bulldogs would be his and Kentucky's last as they lost thier remaining three games of the season.
In the downfall of the last month, Kentucky fell far behind early and were unable to makeup ground.
The demise of the Cats regular season, can be saved with a bowl victory. Other than quarterback Randall Cobb, who suffered a knee injury which required surgery following the Tennessee game, the team should be at full strength. If the veteran denfense can revert to the play which they displayed in September, Kentucky should be able to win thier 3rd straight bowl game.

2008-2009 Bowl Projections

After a trip home to Los Angeles and computer troubles I was unable to post my Bowl Projections. Going into tonights Holiday Bowl between Oklahoma State and Oregon, my record stands at 8-7.

This bowl season has been strange as some teams that should have been locks, were not and so the bowl record to this point is extremely poor. But tonight and the five games tomorrow will be a good indication to how the season will fair for me and my projections.

For the season my record was an astounding 78-45, that is a 63% correct rate. Not to mention my BCS and SEC Bowl Projections were DEAD ON! SO, these next few days of bowls should better my record....Here on the 2008-2009 Bowl Projections---

INDEPENDENCE BOWL 1) Louisiana Tech o Northern Illinois 17-10 (W)
FIESTA BOWL 2) Ohio State o Texas
LIBERTY BOWL 3) Kentucky o East Carolina
PAPA JOHNS BOWL 4) NC State o Rutgers 23-29 (L)
GATOR BOWL 5) Clemson o Nebraska
GMAC BOWL 6) Tulsa o Ball State
NEW MEXICO BOWL 7) Fresno State o Colorado State 35-40 (L)
INTERNATIONAL BOWL 8) Buffalo o UConn
HAWAII BOWL 9) Notre Dame o Hawaii 49-21 (W)
HUMANITARIAN BOWL 10) Nevada o Maryland 35-42 (L)
SUN BOWL 11) Pittsburgh o Oregon State
MUSIC CITY BOWL 12) Vanderbilt o Boston College
EMERALD CITY BOWL 13) California o Miami 24-17 (W)
INSIGHT BOWL 14) Kansas o Minnesota
NEW ORLEANS BOWL 15) Troy o Southern Mississippi 27-30 (L)
CAPITAL ONE BOWL 16) Georgia o Michigan State
CHIC-FIL-A BOWL 17) Georgia Tech o LSU
COTTON BOWL 18) Ole Mississippi o Texas Tech
MOTOR CITY BOWL 19) Central Michigan o Florida Atlantic 21-24 (L)
HOLIDAY BOWL 20) Oregon o Oklahoma State
ALAMO BOWL 21) Missouri o Northwestern 30-23 ot (W)
TEXAS BOWL 22) Rice o Western Michigan
ARMED SERVICES BOWL23) Houston o Air Force
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL 24) Florida State o Wisconsin 42-13 (W)
ST. PETERSBERG BOWL 25) South Florida o Memphis 41-14 (W)
POINTSETTA BOWL 26) TCU o Boise State 17-16 (W)
MEINEKEE BOWL 27) West Virginia o North Carolina 31-30 (W)
OUTBACK BOWL 28) South Carolina o Iowa
ORANGE BOWL 29) Cincinnati o Virginia Tech
EAGLEBANK BOWL 30) Navy o Wake Forest 19-29 (L)
LAS VEGAS BOWL 31) BYU o Arizona 30-31 (L)
SUGAR BOWL 32) Alabama o Utah
NATIONAL CHAMPION 33) Florida o Oklahoma
ROSE BOWL 34) USC o Penn State