Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

I’m at Paul Brown Stadium for Bengals-Bears:

• Four possessions, four Cincinnati touchdowns.  Bengals drive 66 yards in 12 plays with Palmer hitting Coles on a wide receiver screen for a 6-yard touchdown and a 28-0 lead wwith 2:49 left in first half. This is a butt-kicking. Benson has 99 yards rushing on 18 carries against his old team. Palmer is 14 of 16 for 176 yards through the air.

• Three possessions, three Cincinnati touchdowns. Palmer throws for his third score, hitting J.P. Foschi for a 3-yard score and a 21-0 Cincy lead with 11:14 left in second quarter. Palmer is a sparkling 10-of-12 for 135 yards. Ochocinco has caught six passes for 77 yards. Palmer also hit Coles for a 29-yard gain on that drive.

• End of first quarter: Bengals 14, Bears 0.

• Second possession, second Cincinnati touchdown. Bengals march 80 yards for 14-0 lead. Score comes with Palmer hits Ochocinco from 8 yards out with 1:07 left in first quarter. Cedric Benson has 70 yards rushing on eight carries. Palmer is 6-of-7 for 76 yards. Ochocinco has caught four passes for 50 yards.

• On their first possession, Bears drive inside Bengals territory but stall at 45.

• Bengals drive 77 yards in eight plays on opening possession to take a quick 7-0 lead. Cedric Benson had a 23-yard run on the drive. Carson Palmer was 3-of-4 for 45 yards, including the 9-yard touchdown pass to Chris Henry with 11:00 left in first quarter.

• Cincinnati comes in at 4-2, off a 28-17 loss to Houston last week. Chicago is 3-2. The Bears lost 21-14 at Atlanta on Sunday Night Football last week.

• Cincinnati safety Roy Williams is among the inactives. Chindeum Ndukwe will start at strong safety in place of Williams.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

(H-L photo/Pablo Alcala)

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

• Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader writes that Kentucky’s fast start helped put away ULM 36-13.
• Chip has the report on Micah Johnson’s strained MCL.
• Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes that UK quarterback plan is working, but needs work.
• My column saying that UK is starting to show a little wear and tear.
• Herald-Leader slide show from the UK-ULM game.
• Jerry Tipton writes that John Calipari and fans look beyond vacated games.
• Andy Mead of the Herald-Leader writes about the possible Wildcat Coal Lodge.
• Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal writes that Randall Cobb is Mr. Do-It-All for the Cats.
• Brett Dawson of the C-J writes that UK was good early, good enough late.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger reports that Joker Phillips was not happy with UK’s play.

• B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel has the game story on the Kentucky football win.
• James Pennington of the Kernel writes Cobb can do anything, even play in the NFL.
• Wildcat-Den says UK had to hang on to get the win.
• A Sea of Blue gives its thoughts on the Kentucky win.
• Kentucky Sports Radio has a couple of student-only practice reports.
• Bluegrass State Basketball has a report on Gerald Fitch.
• Wildcat Blue Blog writes about Kentucky whipping the Warhawks.
• Inner Circle is down to No. 2 on its immortals list.
• Aaron’s UK Football Blog reports that a wide receiver target has eliminated the Cats.

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

The Kentucky vs. Louisiana-Monroe game yesterday will be the main focus of this edition, but we will be throwing in a bit of other good stuff on this beautiful Sunday morning here in the Bluegrass state.

I think it’s safe to say that, despite the lopsided 36-13 score, most Wildcat football fans are far less than totally pleased with the play of the ‘Cats yesterday, as are the coaches.  It seems that in the third quarter, the UK team just decided to take fifteen minutes of football off, and let ULM roll up yardage all over the field and fail to offend anyone but their own fans.

In the end, though, it was a victory that was never really in doubt, and in the end, that’s pretty much what everyone would expect.  In a way, this is better than a flawless victory, because it gives Brooks & Co. plenty of film to view, and lots of pins to pop any swell-headedness that may have been emerging on the team.  And then there is the Micah Johnson injury, which Brooks says isn’t major, but it isn’t minor, either.

Now, for the news:

Top Stories

• ‘Cat scratched: But it wasn’t all bad in ULM’s loss to Kentucky | thenewsstar.com | The News Star
  The game from ULM’s point of view. I laud Cody Wells for crediting the o-line, even if I think they didn’t deserve much. I don’t know how many times Wells got hit, but he must be bruised from head to toe.

  Still, a brave player and a pretty tough team.

• Joker: “We didn’t play clean” | Vaught’s Views
  No, we didn’t. And 119 yards in the second half is definitely risible. And I agree with Fidler that the intensity was significantly lower, which you might expect versus a less capable foe, but then again, that kind of thing can get you beat.

  Fortunately, having Randall Cobb on your team makes getting beat by an inferior team much, much more difficult. But a few people besides Cobb and the O-line need to step up and make plays.

• Eric Crawford: Cobb is Mr. Do-It-All for Cats | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
  It’s easy to say Cobb should get it more. But Brooks has a delicate task — to develop enough people around Cobb so that defenses have to stay honest. It’s hard to argue with how Cobb was spread around Saturday — 41 yards rushing, 27 receiving, 84 return yards and 46 yards passing.

  Yeah, Crawford has a point that I hadn’t really considered. With Locke dinged up and playing an inferior foe, there are lots of good reasons to try to get others involved. I expect against MSU, those reasons won’t be there, but vs. Eastern, they will be back.

UK Basketball News

• Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting – Meyer’s Mailbag: Duke class could be great
  Who would rank higher?

  I was wanting to know who would be ranked higher out of high school- Samardo Samuels or Demarcus Cousins?

  Read the answer above.

• MaryJo Perino ” Wall Situation
  Don’t you find it interesting that the story that came out yesterday involved both UK’s Wall and Mississippi State’s Renardo Sidney… both battling eligibility questions… yet Sidney was barely touched in the report… and the headline on the front of ESPN.com is ‘SEC Commish: UK vetting star recruit’s eligibility’

  This is a good point I hadn’t really considered. Sidney, as far as I know, has much more serious questions about where some real money came from, his parents lifestyle, etc.

• Danny Jett’s Inner Circle: The Immortals: UK’s 25 ‘Legends’ # 2

• The C-J’s Sunday College Basketball Notebook | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
  “Derrick and Tyreke took longer to feel this offense,” Calipari said. “John right now is probably farther along today than they were. But I’ll say this: Those two, when they got it and they felt the offense, they were, one, unleashed, but two, they weren’t afraid to make the play. Now, I haven’t coached John (enough) to tell you, if we’re in a tough game and it’s on the road, is he going to go make the play that those two made? I have no idea.”

  High praise for Wall coming from Calipari.

• Clifton at center of Wall investigation – High school – News & Observer
  Duke freshman forward Ryan Kelly, a Raleigh native who played at Ravenscroft, was Wall’s teammate on the club team for at least three years.

  Kelly’s mother, Doreen Kelly, said Ryan’s amateur eligibility and academic credentials have been approved by the NCAA. She said she hasn’t been contacted by the NCAA regarding Ryan’s eligibility and doesn’t expect to be.

  After having read this article, I am even more confused. Why is Kelly in the clear? If Clifton paid for Wall’s trip to UK, it was surely with D-One funds. So why is it OK for Kelly to accept D-One funds for playing from an agent, but not Wall? And why is the UK unofficial visit somehow different?

  We may never know, but something seems amiss …

• This Week in Review…10 Years Ago
• Wall practices with Kentucky in front of students a day after report questions his eligibility – KRCW

• Preseason Q&A with FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman – Searching for Billy Edelin
  8. Your premature surprise team of the season… Vanderbilt. The Commodores have one of the most underrated coaches in the nation in Kevin Stallings. A.J. Ogilvy gives Vandy a low-post scoring option and now Stallings added a big-time freshman shooter in John Jenkins. Throw in solid senior point guard Jermaine Beal and athletic wing Jeffery Taylor and I think this team can surprise some people in the loaded SEC East.

  I like TLT Jeff Goodman’s pick here — I think Vanderbilt will be very, very good.

• Star UK Freshman John Wall May Face Suspension from NCAA – SB Nation
  Now after bashing Andrew Sharp about the SEC, I must praise him for his fairness to UK. But I must reject the implicit notion that Pat Forde has some kind of a special dislike for Kentucky. It seems that way, but let’s be real — Forde last and longest sportswriting stint was in Kentucky (Louisville) and even if he may harbor Cardinal sympathies and be Rick Pitino’s ghost writer, I am highly dubious that he harbors ill will toward UK (although I am willing to be persuaded otherwise).

  In all honesty, the ESPN article by Forde and Dana O’Neil (now there is a woman who would be justified in having an axe to grind with UK after the way Gillispie treated her) presents nothing but relevant facts and draws no conclusions. It’s headline, as Sharp points out, is a bit misleading.

  I also highly doubt that Forde (or O’Neil, for that matter) hates Calipari. Nobody hates Calipari (except, of course, fans of former schools and several rival coaches) — he’s just too hard to dislike. Like all people who write for a living, Forde knows perfectly well that columns critical of Coach Cal will garner millions of hits and blog links, make him look independent of his Kentucky roots, and no matter what the color of his school of preference may be, his favorite color is most likely green.

• Wildcat Blue In a Sea of Orange: Adreian Payne drops Kansas, plus latest on Lamb and Harris
  It does appear that big man Adreian Payne is getting closer to making his decision as he canceled his upcoming visit to Kansas and booted the Jayhawks from his list. Payne is now down to a final four of Kentucky, West Virginia, Arizona, and Michigan State. It appears that the leaders are Kentucky and West Virginia right now and pundits think it could go either way.

• Wildcat Coal Lodge? | KentuckySports.com
  This is liable to generate quite a bit of snarky comment. Well, whatever.

• Former UK player Mark Pope starting a new career at Georgia | Vaught’s Views
  Awesome. Lots of ex-UK players on coaching staffs around the SEC this year.

UK Football News

• With Hartline out, Cats plan to stick with quarterback trio | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
  “I think what we’re going to see is a continuation of using both (Newton and Fidler) and mixing in the wildcat,” Brooks said. “We’re just trying to win football games. I wish it were easier and I wish somebody would go out there and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to complete every pass and I’m going to do all the right things,’ but it doesn’t work that way.”

  Well, to be fair, this whole three-headed quarterback thing is only two games old, and it has worked okay. Still, with MSU coming in next Saturday, we will need a better performance from it than we got vs ULM.

• Big Blue Loyalty: The chase is on | KentuckySports.com
  Nice. We do have some pretty loyal football fans for a basketball school.

• QB plan is working, but needs work | KentuckySports.com
  So far, UK’s three-headed quarterback platoon has managed to spit in the eye of pigskin convention.

  “We’ve made some mistakes but we’re 2-0 in that situation,” said Kentucky tri-quarterback Will Fidler. “So you have to say it is going pretty well.”

  Well, I would like to see Newton use his legs a bit more, and Fidler, well, not. Cobb should see a few more snaps in the Wildcat than he did last night, in my opinion.

Other UK Sports News

• Quigley Qualifies for Quarterfinals at ITA Ohio Valley Regional – KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

NCAA Sports News

• Our Top 25 is out — and now what? – Beyond the Arc – msnbc.com
  Phew. After 5,500 words, several revisions and agonizing over teams 23, 24 and 25, the 2009-10 college hoops is finally finished. You can read it all here.

  I tended to favor experienced teams who returned a lot of their players, with some exceptions

• Convinced yet? No. 10 TCU trounces No. 16 BYU – College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com
  TCU is a really good team, but looking at their strength of schedule, they will likely be playing Boise State in the “We coulda been a contendah!” bowl. The only team likely to give them a game remaining on their schedule is 6-1 Utah. Right now, their SOS is #52, and it will only go downhill from here.

• Auburn continues to struggle with penalties – Sports – Ledger-Enquirer.com
  Their penalties Saturday came early and often. The Tigers were lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1 at their 48 on the opening drive. But right tackle Andrew McCain flinched, pushing them back 5 yards and forcing a punt.

  Wow. Penalties kill Auburn again.

• No. 6 Boise State batters Hawaii, stays perfect – College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com
  And will probably stay #6, or even start losing ground. Eventually, that schedule strength will be their bugaboo, as so many times in the past.

• Opinion: Iowa’s thrilling ride won’t end in BCS title game – College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com
  If the Hawkeyes keep doing what they’re doing, they’ll earn Big Ten championship rings and a permanent place in school lore. They might get another spot in history, too — next to Auburn’s 2004 team as a perfect, BCS conference squad that didn’t get a chance to play for it all.

  Interesting, and very probably true.

• Florida’s win leaves Tebow speechless – SEC – ESPN
  And then after the game, which No. 1 Florida hung on and won 29-19 despite repeated woes in the red zone and a determined effort by Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs, Tebow declined to talk to the media for the first time in his career.

  How very un-Superman-like.

• No doubt about it — Baton Rouge, LA
  Sparked by an energized offense and a suffocating defense in the first half, the No. 9-ranked Tigers trampled Auburn 31-10 Saturday, expunging whatever remained of the bad taste from a home loss to Florida two weeks earlier.

  So much for my theory that Auburn would make a comeback in this game.

• Saturday Lessons: October 24 – Team Speed Kills

• Positive Thinking and SEC Basketball – SB Nation
  Bah. Add likely locks Florida and South Carolina, and you have six. Arkansas has a good shot, that makes seven, and Ole Miss is another very likely dancer. LSU? With Trent Johnson at the helm, you never know. That’s easily eight.

  Face it guys. The SEC is good. At everything. Except field hockey, rowing, and all those other huge sports that the Ivy League and East Coasters seem so fond of. So if you’re going to come at us in basketball this year, you’d better come more correctly than this.

• Scheduling Patsies Works (Except When It Doesn’t) – SB Nation
  Schedule Nazis (just kidding, guys) will love this piece by Spencer Hall (aka Orson Swindle of EDSBS).

Other News of Interest

• None today

The Daily Schadenfreude

• Duke provides video ammo for its haters – Beyond the Arc – msnbc.com
  But why the hate? Well, everyone has their reasons. Maybe the players are smug, maybe it’s the fans, maybe it’s because Duke seemingly gets preferential treatment from the refs and the media. But a casual fan may not get it. And maybe you don’t want to explain it to them.

  Read the whole thing, click the links, and remember why you hate Duke. As if you need a reminder.

• Duke fansite blogs on the “difference between John Wall and Ryan Kelly”, challenges anyone to find dirt on Kelly
  Paul Jordan takes a bit more time to mock Duke Basketball Report’s recent nonsense than I did.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

(AP Photo/The Birmingham News, Mark Almond)

SEC links for Sunday:

Alabama 12, Tennessee 10

• Pat Forde of espn.com reports on Alabama’s last-second save against Tennessee.
• Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register writes that Bama found relief in its win over the Vols.
• Mike Strange of the knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Tennessee took the kick in the gut.
• Don Kausler of the Birmingham News reports that Lane Kiffin played it straight, and smart.
• But Dave Hooker of the News-Sentinel reports that Kiffin took no time anguishing over late call.
• Ray Melick of the Birmingham News writes that Bama turns “Oh, no,” into “Oh, yes.”
• David Climer of the Tennessean writes that Bama blocked Tennessee’s upset bid.
• Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes that it was a bad day for Daniel Lincoln.
• Mark Weidmer of the Times Free Press writes that this was Tide-Vols people will long recall.
• Tommy Deas of the Tuscaloosa News writes on the Bama blocks that saved the game.
• Writing for CBS Sportsline, Tony Barnhart says there is little better than survival.

Florida 29, Mississippi State 19

• Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun reports that Florida continued its escape-artist act.
• Pat Dooley of the Sun calls it an unsatisfying win.
• David Jones of Florida Today writes that the Gators survived on luck.
• Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger writes Florida pulled out in the end.
• Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger writes that State’s bold move failed.

LSU 31, Auburn 10

• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News wants to know who ran the “Gus Bus” straight into a ditch.
• Randy Rosetta of The Advocate writes that there was no doubt about the LSU win.
• Josh Moon of the Montgomery Advertiser writes that three-game skid has exposed Auburn.
• James Varney of the Times-Picayune writes that LSU proved to be the superior Tigers.
• Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser writes that Auburn’s fast start is now a distant memory.

South Carolina 14, Vanderbilt 10

• Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean writes that Vandy remains winless in the SEC.
• Joe Person of The State reports that South Carolina finally snaps its Vanderbilt skid.
• Ron Morris of The State writes that the Cock n’ Fire gang still can’t shoot straight.

Ole Miss 30, Arkansas 17

• Alex Abrams of the Morning News writes that it’s back to the drawing board for Arkansas.
• Rusty Hampton of the Claron-Ledger writes that it was Dexter McCluster’s day for Ole Miss.
• David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger reports that McCluster and Jevan Snead were too much to handle.
• Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that Ole Miss had the answer all along.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Kentucky offensive guard Christian Johnson talks about a variety of subjects, including John Conner, line play and the injury to his brother, Micah. (Micah has a sprained knee. UK says it will know more in the next 24-48 hours.)

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

UK junior quarterback Will Fidler talks here about the highs and lows of his play in the Cats victory. Fidler completed 8 of 13 passes for 82 yards, and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to John Conner. But he also tossed an interception and lost the ball on the fumble. Asked if it was hard to get a rhythm with the quarterback rotation, Fidler said it sure beat not playing.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Kentucky’s Mr. Do Everything, Randall Cobb talks about his 73-yard punt return for a touchdown, his 11-yard run for a touchdown, his receiving and his passing (2-of-4 for 46 yards). Asked about his job description, Cobb said, “Play football.” He also talks about the Wildcat formation, and what the Cats have shown, and haven’t shown.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Here is John Conner talking about scoring two touchdowns in UK’s 36-13 win over the Warhawks. Actually, this video is really the side of Conner’s head. The senior fullback drew a crowd of reporters, and those of us who were slow to arrive had to take whatever angles we could get.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

UK defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin says there was some good, but some bad in the way the defense played. The senior noted that the line got a good pash rush on ULM quarterback Cody Wells, but that the redshirt freshman still got the pass off, and completed 21 of 44 for 267 yards.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

UK true freshman quarterback Morgan Newton talks about his play after Kentucky’s 36-13 win over UL-Monroe. Making his second start, Newton completed three of six passes for 17 yards. His longest completion was 11 yards. He ran the ball three times for nine yards.

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

Well, the score is much more impressive than the game.  Yes, UK dominated this affair offensively, but the problem is, ULM managed to move the ball through the air very effectively against Kentucky.

Thanks to the Warhawks of ULM for coming up to Commonwealth and showing us why they are among the best teams in their league.  Despite having their starting quarterback out with injury, they gave a fine account of themselves, and young Cody Wells was most impressive, both in ability and in bravery.

Cody Wells absolutely sold out against a powerful UK defensive line.  Despite getting hit hard over and over and over again, Wells stood in the pocket and threw darts all night long.  I was impressed with his effort, and if you were not, you must have been watching some other game.

While it’s easy to criticize the Kentucky defense, the fact of the matter is, UK was just a little too quick to get on the board.  That wound up being a problem, because Kentucky’s defense is a bit depleted, and it showed.  But at the end of the day, the ‘Cats were way too much for their CUSA foe.  That’s good, considering that the ‘Cats were so banged up (and even more so with Micah Johnson in a knee brace), but Brooks has plenty of things to criticize in this game, both offensively and defensively.

For my further thoughts, follow the jump …

• Randall Cobb was amazing.  Why we don’t get him the ball more is a mystery.
• Derrick Locke played just the right amount of football — enough to prove his leg was sound, but not enough to make it worse.
• Cody Wells was amazing.  He threw rocket shots to competent receivers who caught his footballs.  Very impressive.
• Kentucky’s secondary was hapless.  We are better than that.
• Sam Maxwell — linebacker!
• Danny Trevathan is not bad, either.
• The O-line and D-line were terrific.
• UK’s quarterbacking, with the exception of Cobb, just sucked.  Period.
• So much for the zero penalties, zero turnovers.
• Nice pick six by Randall Burden.  Very nice.
• Special teams was sub-standard with the exception of Randall Cobb’s remarkable punt return.
• No matter how many things I find to criticize, Kentucky did not play bad at all.  They won the game comfortably, and even though it sometimes got within two touchdowns, it was almost never closer.

This was a nice follow-on to our big victory at Auburn.  No, it wasn’t perfect or powerful.  Yes, it was satisfactory and not embarassing.  In the end, we beat a CUSA team exactly like we should have — soundly, and without fear.

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

This is the official A Sea of Blue Open Game Thread for the Miami Warhawks @ Kentucky Wildcats.

Game particulars as follows:

Date & Time Saturday, Oct. 24 7:30 p.m
Coverage
TV: Fox Sports Network
Radio: BBSN

GameTracker
Online Audio
Live Blog

Location Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Ky.
Gameday Information

Here is the stats comparison:

On paper, this looks like a pretty close game, but one thing you have to take into account is the strength of schedule.  Kentucky’s is much tougher, currently at #8 in all the land, with ULM checking in at #83.  Louisiana-Monroe has played exactly 2 winning teams, both who have beaten the Warhawks convincingly.  Four of Kentucky’s six games have been against winning teams, and four of them have been against ranked or previously ranked foes.

Still, the Warhawks are a quality program with good players, and if Kentucky does not get on top quickly, this could be the kind of game UK could lose, the so-called “trap” game coming off a big road win to a theoretically inferior foe.  Both teams will have their starting quarterbacks out for the game, so the offenses of both teams will be somewhat equally disadvantaged.

This is a big one.  UK needs this to get back to a winning record.

Go ‘Cats!

Content provided by Kentucky Wildcat sports beat.

Come join us to discuss tonight’s game. We’ll get started about 6:30 p.m.

UK vs Louisiana-Monroe…

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

You can also follow updates via Twitter using the badge to the right of this post.

UL-Monroe at Kentucky football

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

Kentucky enters tonight’s 7:00 EST home tilt with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks looking to push their record over the .500 mark for the first time in a month.  Coming off an inspiring 21-14 come-from-behind road victory at Auburn last weekend, UK (3-3, 1-3) figures to have confidence and momentum on their side.  The Warhawks, though, aren’t exactly Miami (OH).  They enter tonight’s Commonwealth Stadium contest at 4-2, and a league-leading 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference. 

With UK heading into a stretch of four straight games they should be favored (the ‘Cats are favored tonight by 14 points), it’s obviously important that the ‘Cats continue to maintain focus, but for those battling the demons of complacency, a come-to-Jesus talk with a Wildcat possessing a long memory will result in a history lesson on UK’s 42-40 near disastrous defeat to this same Warhawk team in 2006.  Yeah, that team: Andre Woodson’, Keenan Burton, Wesley Woodyard, Rafael Little, etc, etc.  So, taking lightly this Sun Belt Conference member will very likely translate into a game similar to last season’s nerve-rattling win over Middle Tennessee … yet another Sun Belt Conference member.

Over the last three season’s, Charlie Weatherbie, the Warhawks veteran coach, has competed very nicely with ULM’s SEC opponents – In 2007 ULM beat Alabama 21-14 (temporarily causing the state to enter into a period of mourning).   And to go along with the near win at UK in 2006, last year ULM lost only 28-27 at Arkansas.

In ULM’s offense, Kentucky will encounter an attack based on the spread-option … with a twist; ULM presents the offense with lots of misdirection and motion.  Rich Brooks had this to say about the unusual Warhawk offense:

“Offensively they totally mess with your mind.  They false key.  The pull linemen and run the ball away from where they’re pulling them to.  All your principles that you teach on defense are out the window in a game like this.”   

Adding additional question marks to the UK’s defensive decision-makers is the absence of ULM starting quarterback Trey Revell.  Revell injured his thumb in ULM’s 16-10 victory against Arkansas State 11 days ago.  He’ll be replaced by redshirt freshman Cody Wells.

So without further time-wasting, here is the Warhawk team that UK must put away early: 

Warhawk Offensive Personnel

Cody Wells: 6′0″, 190 lb redshirt freshman quarterback — Wells has played in only two games this season, completing seven of 13 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown.  After replacing Revell in the Warhawks’ game versus Arkansas State, Wells was 5-9 for 67 yards.

In the first five-and-half games of 2009, Revell orchestrated the ULM offense by throwing for 1,124 and eight touchdowns on 81-140 passing (57.9%).  He’s also proved to be an exceptionally talented runner, rushing 50 times for 194 yards (3.9 yards per carry), and three touchdowns.  Wells played well in his relief effort last week, so he comes into Commonwealth with some confidence.  He’s highly mobile, which fits nicely into the offensive schemes the Warhawks employ. 

Frank Goodin: 5′9″, 203 lb junior running back — The Warhawks top ball-carrier, Goodin has rushed 110 times of 558 yards (5.1 ypc), and nine touchdowns.  He’s also caught six passes for 48 yards (8.0 yards per reception).

Versus Florida International earlier in the year, Goodin ran 19 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns.  He’s a dangerous runner, possessing both speed and power. 

Rodney Lovett: 5′9″, 200 lb junior running back — Lovett has carried the ball 38 times for 147 yards (3.9 ypc), and one touchdown.

Last season against Arkansas Lovett rushed 17 times for 66 yards.

Darrell McNeal: 6′0″, 220 lb senior wide receiver — McNeal has made 24 catches for 360 yards (15.0 yards per reception) and four touchdowns.  He also returns punts for the Warhawks; 14 returns for 52 yards (3.7 yards per return).

McNeal has accumulated over 1,600 receiving yards in his career, and he will at times be called upon to take the direct snap out of the “Wildcat” formation.  He recorded four rushing touchdowns last season out of the “Wildcat,” but has yet to score on the ground this season.  Earlier in the year versus Florida International, McNeal made six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

LaGregory Sapp: 6′3″, 209 lb fifth-year senior wide receiver — Sapp has 18 catches for 336 yards (18.7 ypr), and one touchdown. 

The deep threat receiver made seven catches for 96 yards earlier this year in a game versus Florida Atlantic.

Luther Ambrose: 5′10″, 175 lb sophomore wide receiver — A triple-threat in every sense of the term, Ambrose has make 14 catches, good for 207 yards (14.8 ypr) and one touchdown, to go along with 13 carries for 121 yards (9.3 ypc) and another touchdown.  Not satisfied with double-duty, Ambrose also returns kick-offs; 19 returns for 425 yards (22.4 yards per return).

In ULM’s first game of the year versus then-No. 2 Texas, Ambrose recorded 207 all-purpose yards (receptions, rushes, returns).  Ambrose is another weapon utilized in an unorthodox manner; UK must be ready for him to receive the ball  both through the air and on the ground.

Alvin Jordan: 6′2″, 253 lb junior tight end — Jordan has made 13 catches for 100 yards (7.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

Warhawk Defensive Personnel

Cardia Jackson: 6′2″, 230 lb senior linebacker — The Warhawks leading tackler with 52 on the year (34 solo), the First Team All-Sun Belt Conference member is regarded as ULM’s defensive stalwart.  He’s also recorded two tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. 

In 2008, Jackson averaged 10.6 tackles per game, racking up 18 against Ole Miss.  In 2006 versus UK, he made nine tackles. 

Aaron Morgan: 6′4″, 235 lb senior defensive end — The Second Team All-Sun Belt performer has made 30 tackles (25 solo) with a team-leading 9.0 tackles for loss and seven sacks.  He’s also had six quarterback hurries. 

This season, Morgan has two, two sack games, versus Arizona State and Texas Southern.

Darius Prelow: 6′1″, 205 lb sophomore defensive back — Prelow has made 38 tackles (31 solo), one tackle for loss, and seven pass breakups.

Josh Thomas: 6′2″, 228 lb senior cornerback — Thomas has 38 tackles (30 solo), two tackles for loss, two sacks and three pass breakups.

Thomas, who has started 30 straight games in his college career, recorded a season-high six tackles versus UK in 2006. 

Troy Evans: 6′2″, 252 lb sophomore defensive end — Evans in 2009 has made 16 tackles (10 solo), four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and three quarterback hurries.

Evans is the reigning SBC Player of the Week after forcing two fumbles late in ULM’s 16-10 victory over Arkansas State 11 days ago.

Grant Clayton: 5′7″, 160 lb freshman kicker — Clayton, who handles the kick-off duties, has kicked-off 32 times, recording only one touchback, but opponents are averaging only 20.5 yards per return.

Warhawk Vitals

Louisiana-Monroe boasts the 12th ranked rush defense in the nation, allowing only 93.3 yards rushing per game … Last week versus Arkansas State, ULM held ASU to a .9 yards per carry average … In a 38-14 loss to Arizona State, the Warhawks held the Sun Devils to only 3.1 yards per carry … ULM is a plus 2 on the season in turnover margin, but were a minus 3 in their loss to Arizona State … ULM beat Texas Southern 58-0 in the seasons second game … The Warhawks average 30.7 points per game, but give up 27.8 points … ULM has more than doubled their opponents rush yards; 1,167 (4.6 ypc) to 560 (2.8 ypc) … ULM converts 42% of their third down opportunities, but their opponents convert 43% … In red zone chances, ULM has scored 83% of the time (24-29), but their opponents have scored 91% of the time (20-22) … The Warhawks have also given up a high number of touchdowns in the red zone, 17 of 22 (77%) … ULM is off to their best start since 1993 … ULM quarterbacks have been sacked only five times all year … The Warhawks have recorded a healthy 34 pass breakups.

Charlie Weatherbie

In his seventh year at Louisiana-Monroe, Weatherbie (29-44) has done what he’s done twice before: Turn around a moribund football program — As coach at Utah State, he took the Aggies to their first bowl game in 15 years.  In his first season as head coach at Navy, Weatherbie went 9-3 with an Aloha Bowl win.  This, coming on the heels of 15 straight losing season for the Midshipmen.  He’s also the first coach in Navy history to record back-to-back winning seasons –Weatherbie took over a ULM program in 1993 coming off a one win season, and in 2005 won the Sun Belt Conference championship, the Warhawks’ first conference title since 1992.

Weatherby will be a formidable adversary for Rich Brooks tonight, and with the uncertainty surrounding the ULM quarterback situation, look for some out-of-the-box strategy from the cagey veteran coach.

Derrick Locke

Kentucky’s top running threat is expected to play tonight.  Locke, coming off an MCL strain suffered last week at Auburn, practiced lightly this week.  Alfonso Smith, coming off a thumb, injury appears to be near 100%.  UK will need both backs healthy in their effort to quash any confidence surges from the visiting Warhawks. 

Ideally, Locke will rest in the second half of tonight’s game, with Smith and Moncell Allen taking over the ball-carrying duties. 

CliffsNotes Analysis 

Defensively, UK must “stay home,” and stay true to their assignments.  ULM will use a variety of offensive sets, mixing in the spread-option with the “Wildcat.”  But, UK has the better athletes, and if the ‘Cats attack and wrap-up the way they did last week, holding the Warhawks well below their season scoring average should be an attainable goal.

Offensively, it’s the immovable object (ULM rush D) against a surging ‘Cat ground attack.  After posting the highest team rush total (282 yards) since Bill Curry was calling the plays, UK looks to continue its ground dominance, utilizing Randall Cobb out of the “Wildcat.”  But, with freshman quarterback Morgan Newton once again earning the start, look for UK to open up the passing game against a Warhawk team that allows 262.5 yards passing per game. 

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky 34  ULM 17 

Thanks for reading, and Go ‘Cats!

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

This edition of the BBDM is dedicated almost exclusively to the ULM-Kentucky game, and a few other football-related links.  This is a huge game for Kentucky coming off a big win at Auburn, and UK cannot take the Warhawks lightly — they are just too good for that.

Lets get right to the links:

• Midseason 2009: Which Way Kentucky? – Team Speed Kills
  Things are looking up for the Wildcats right now, but a better defensive effort is the only way to get to eight wins.

  Nice analysis by Team Speed Kills.

• State-Journal.com – Can Fat Cats be Good Cats?
  Long-suffering UK fans should be well aware that Fat Cats rarely equate to Good Cats. Despite the clear strides made in the UK program under Rich Brooks and his coaching staff, I would still argue that the Wildcats struggle to handle success.

  I struggle to call 3-3 “Fat Cats.”

• Warhawks, Wall highlight weekend
  Locke not a lock- UK star tailback Derrick Locke has been upgraded to probable for tomorrow, with a mild MCL strain. Rich Brooks isn’t crazy about giving Locke an abundance of touches Saturday, so look for the Cats to come out firing and try to build an early lead.

  I would rather see Alfonso Smith come in and pick up the load. I worry about Locke’s durability.

• Kicking it with Kentucky’s Randall Cobb – SEC – ESPN
  “He is the ultimate playmaker and leader and as exciting a football player as I’ve ever been around,” Brooks said. “He’s almost taken it upon himself to carry us on his shoulders in the fourth quarter the last two games.”

  Chris Low talks with Randall Cobb, football player.

• Quarterback plot thickens for UK, Louisiana-Monroe | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
  Lovers of mystery might want to tune in Saturday when the University of Kentucky football team hosts Louisiana-Monroe. There are sure to be deceptions and red herrings, unforeseen plot twists and characters whose roles change throughout the night.

  Nothing like two teams with quarterback questions.

• Auburn players say losing streak will end | Dothan Eagle
  The Tigers are 5-2, still in the mix for the SEC West crown — with a whole lot of wins and a few prayers — and by no means discouraged with their season to date heading into tonight’s primetime showdown with No. 9 LSU in Baton Rouge.

  I guarantee a win for the Tigers. I predict a win for the version from Auburn.

• Tom’s Links
  Tom Leach has a few links for today’s game.

• Tom Leach – Kentucky Football, Kentucky Basketball, UK Football, UK Basketball
  Take a listen to Tom’s podcast of Frank Hoffman of Louisiana-Monroe and Dana O’Neil of ESPN.

• UK Football Fan: Bowl Projections? Not yet.

Go Cats!!

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Gary Bedore of the Lawrence Journal-World has a pair of interesting nuggets this morning:

• Ex-UK coach Billy Gillispie, who reportedly checked himself into the John Lucas rehab facility in early September, was in Lawrence to attend former boss Bill Self’s coaching clinic. Said Gillispie, “I came here because I’m great friends not only to coach (Self), but the entire staff. I feel very honored. I’m definitely missing the game, and I love watching practice, those kind of things, but coach has been so good to me. I would never have had any opportunities if not for him. He’s got such a great staff and leadership up top starting with (athletic director) Lew Perkins. This place … what a beautiful facility they’ve built. I’m just having a great time visiting here.”

• And UK target Adreian Payne has canceled his visit to Kansas and will choose among Kentucky, Arizona, West Virginia and Michigan State.

Content provided by A Sea Of Blue.

Here we are in Week Seven.

The SEC Power Poll has been pretty stable at the top for weeks, and most of the movement is in the middle and lower section of the poll.  There are a couple of big games this week that could change the complexion of the poll, and I’ll quickly cover them in the style of the late-great Leonard Postero of Leonard’s Losers:

• The Riflemen of Tennessee go huntin’ in Tuscaloosa today for some Yellowhammer State Pachyderm.  But even though ol’ Smoky has been keeping teams out of the end zone, the men in Crimson will send him back to the doghouse on Rocky Top without a bone.  Tru’s loser — Tennessee.
• The Cowbell Canines welcome Urban Meyer’s Swamp Lizards to the Magnolia state today for a little mud rasslin’.  The Dawgies have been showing their teeth lately, but the Reptiles are gonna drag ‘em around the gridiron for a lesson in point-scoring.  Tru’s loser — Mississippi State.
• The War Birds of the Alabama Plains fly down to Baton Rouge today for a tussle with the Mud Cats.  The Plainsmen are still feeling the pain of a home loss to the Bluegrass State Tabbies, and I look for them to turn it around on the road today against the offensively challenged Bayou Felines.  Tru’s Loser — LSU.

Now, on to the Power Poll:

Here is my ballot.  You can find the aggregated results here.

You may ask why Auburn is still in fourth place rather than, say, South Carolina.  The biggest reason is strength of schedule — Auburn’s is still tougher right now than South Carolina’s, and their margin of victory over BCS teams is greater, and both those factors are significant pieces of my rankings.

Your comments are welcome.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

UL-Monroe at Kentucky football

Content provided by Jerry Tipton on UK basketball.

UK just announced that tickets remain available for the Blue-White Game on Wednesday, the two exhibitions and the opener against Morehead State.

Here’s the release:

Tickets can be bought at the UK ticket office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week or by calling 1-800-928-2287 or 859-233-3535. Tickets can also be bought at UKathletics.com, Ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster outlets.

Tickets to the Blue-White Game cost $10.

The exhibition games are against Campbellsville (Nov. 2) and Clarion (Nov. 6). UK opens the season against Morehead State on Nov. 13.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Content provided by Chip Cosby on UK football.

With Kentucky set to return home Saturday night against Louisiana-Monroe, I wanted give my Tailgater shout outs to the Lemon Brothers, led by the Huffman boys, Chip and Chad, and Chuck Knight, for their layout during the Alabama game on Oct. 3. The tailgating forecast for the ULM game calls for cool temperatures in the upper 40’s with a 20 percent chance of rain leading up to the 7 p .m kickoff. Things should be cleared up by game time.

Content provided by Chip Cosby on UK football.

-Kentucky’s game with Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday represents UK’s annual Military Appreciation Day. Military personnel will be in attendance, and two AH-64D Apache helicopters will fly over the stadium after the national anthem.

-The ‘Cat Walk’ is set for 4:45 outside Gate 1 of Commonwealth Stadium

-Game captains will be junior cornerback Paul Warford and sophomore guard Stuart Hines, joining permanent captains Corey Peters and Zipp Duncan.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Update: And this from one happy customer — @jwh323: After the student only practice, all I can say is @UKCoachCalipari is no doubt the right man for the job and this team is going to be sick.

Update No. 2: This from former Kernel columnist and Facebook friend Jon Hale: “most interesting part was Wayne Turner, technically a student I guess, watching from the front row.”

UK students are at the student-only UK basketball practice — no media — and students being students, they know how to (a) take pictures with their phones, and (b) use Twitter.

BTW, my friends over at Kentucky Sports Radio also have some student-only practice pix.

Eric Lindsey at Cat Scratches, who did nothing to save me when I was nearly flattened at the UK volleyball match Wednesday, has more pictures from the student-only practice.

Photo by @chubbarth)

(Photo by @SIX_EIGHT)

(Photo by @justinmc44)

(Photo by @UKCoachCalipari)

(Photo by @UKAthleticsNews)