2008 Kentucky Wildcats Season

2008 Kentucky Wildcats Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Kentucky Wildcats

Jan. 2
2009 Liberty Bowl
Kentucky 25 … East Carolina 19
In a strange game with three missed extra points, a few critical replay calls on fumbles, and streaky offensive production, ECU took a 16-3 halftime lead helped by a 28-yard Brandon Simmons touchdown run and a 80-yard Darryl Freeney scoring play. And then UK took over right away out of the locker room with David Jones taking the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and Kyrus Lanxter scoring from 13 yards out to tie it. With the score tied at 19, after the two teams traded field goals, Ventrell Jenkins picked up a fumble with just over three minutes to play and took it 56 yards for a touchdown, complete with a devastating stiff arm on ECU QB Patrick Pinkney. Review looked at the play, as it looked like Jenkins’ knee was down, but the play was upheld. The extra point was blocked, meaning ECU needed a touchdown and an extra point to win, but the last drive failed to gain a yard.
Player of the Game: Kentucky DT Myron Pryor made seven tackles, a sack, and forced the fumble that led to the game-winning score.
Stat Leaders: East Carolina - Passing: Pat Pinkney, 18-36, 296 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Brandon Simmons, 10-44, 1 TD. Receiving: Davon Drew, 5-120
Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 19-31, 204 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tony Dixon, 28-89. Receiving: Kyrus Lanxter, 5-46, 1 TD
Inside The Box Score ... 5 Thoughts on the Liberty Bowl …Total yards: ECU 397 – UK 310 … Third down conversions: UK 7-of-17 – ECU 3-of-15 … PATs: UK 1-of-3 – ECU 1-of-2 … ECU LB Nick Johnson led the defenders with 13 tackles … ECU’s Linval Joseph made seven tackles with three tackles for loss and a sack … UK had eight tackles for loss and three sacks, with LB Braxton Kelley making eight tackles, a sack, and 2.5 tackles for loss … ECU’s Darryl Freeney caught five passes for 112 yards and a score.

- 2008 UK Preview
- 2007 UK Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-7
2008 Record: 7-6

Aug. 31 at Louisville W 27-2
Sept. 6 Norfolk State W 38-3
Sept. 13 Middle Tenn W 20-14
Sept. 20  OPEN DATE
Sept. 27 Western Kent. W 41-3
Oct. 4 at Alabama L 17-14
Oct. 11 South Carolina L 24-17
Oct. 18 Arkansas W 21-20
Oct. 25 at Florida L 63-5
Nov. 1 at Mississippi St W 14-13
Nov. 8 Georgia L 42-38
Nov. 15 Vanderbilt L 31-24
Nov. 22 OPEN DATE 
Nov. 29 at Tennessee L 28-10
Liberty Bowl
Jan. 2 East Carolina W 25-17

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2007 Record: 8-5

Sept. 1 E Kentucky W 50-10
Sept. 8 Kent State W 56-20
Sept. 15 Louisville W 40-34
Sept. 22 at Arkansas W 42-29
Sept. 29 Fla Atlantic W 45-17
Oct. 4 at So Carolina L 38-23
Oct. 13 LSU W 45-37 3OT
Oct. 20 Florida L 45-37
Oct. 27 Mississippi State L 31-14
Nov. 10 at Vanderbilt W 27-20
Nov. 17 at Georgia L 24-13
Nov. 24 Tennessee L 52-50 4OT
Music City Bowl
Dec. 31 Florida State W 35-28

Nov. 29
Tennessee 28 … Kentucky 10
Phil Fulmer’s going away party ended on a high note as Jonathan Crompton ran for a one-yard score and connected with Denarius Moore for a 63-yard score for a 14-3 lead going into the fourth quarter. The running game put things away with short touchdown runs from Lennon Creer and Gerald Jones before UK finally got into the end zone on a one-yard Alfonso Smith run with just under four minutes to play. In the rain and blustery conditions, UK managed just 193 yards of offense. Tennessee gained 311 with 210 on the ground.
Player of the game: Tennessee QB Jonathan Crompton completed 6-of-8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, and he ran eight times for 17 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 5-7, 74 yds
Rushing: Tony Dixon, 15-48. Receiving: Alfonso Smith, 2-21
Tennessee - Passing: Jonathan Crompton, 6-8, 101 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Gerald Jones, 5-67, 1 TD. Receiving: Gerald Jones, 3-15
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kentucky is off to a bowl game, and it’ll need the practice time to figure out whether or not Randall Cobb is the quarterback going forward. A receiver by trade, he has been the sparkplug for the second half of the year, the team wouldn’t be going bowling without him, but he was awful against Tennessee and was benched. With some big prospects on the way, Cobb is auditioning to be a quarterback next year and not a jack-of-all-trades receiver.

Nov. 15
Vanderbilt 31 … Kentucky 24
After a 26-year absence, Vanderbilt became bowl eligible thanks to D.J. Moore, the star defensive back who picked off two passes and caught touchdown passes in the first quarter. Kentucky came back from a 24-7 deficit with a three-yard Tony Dixon touchdown run and a 10-yard dash from QB Randall Cobb midway through the fourth, but Moore came through with a pick on UK’s final drive to end the drama. Kentucky converted just one of ten third down conversion chances.
Player of the game: Vanderbilt DB D.J. Moore made four tackles, intercepted two passes, and caught three passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Randall Cobb, 11-26, 144 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Randall Cobb, 15-72, 1 TD. Receiving: E.J. Adams, 4-61
Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson, 15-27, 155 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Nickson, 20-118. Receiving: Jared Hawkins, 4-49
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kentucky is going to have its rough patches with Randall Cobb at the helm. He ran well against Vanderbilt, but he struggled to get the passing game going and he wasn’t consistent early on. However, he did what he had to in the second half to get the team in a position to win, and then he threw the pick to close out a second straight game that could’ve gone the other way with a key final drive. While UK is almost certain to go bowling, the conference needs to fill out the slots, a win over Tennessee in two weeks would help in the overall pecking order. A loss would mean, most likely, the worst of the SEC bowl bids.

Nov. 8
Georgia 42 … Kentucky 38
The Georgia defense was ripped apart all fame long, but it came through when it had to as DeMarcus Dobbs picked off Randall Cobb on the Bulldog 13 in the final minute. Georgia rolled for 520 yards with three touchdown runs from Knowshon Moreno, including a brilliant 20-yarder late in the third, and Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes, but it took an 11-yard touchdown catch from A.J. Green with 1:54 to play for the Dawgs to finally go ahead for good. Kentucky took advantage of two Mohamed Massaquoi fumbles and got three rushing touchdowns from QB Randall Cobb to match the Dawgs punch for punch, while Tony Dixon helped the UK O with touchdown runs from three and 14 yards away. Rennie Curran made 15 tackles for the Dawgs.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran 22 times for 123 yards and three touchdowns, and caught three passes for 40 yards.
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Randall Cobb, 12-20, 105 yds
Rushing: Randall Cobb, 18-82, 3 TD. Receiving: Kyrus Lanxter, 4-25
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 17-27, 376 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 22-123, 3 TD. Receiving: Mohamed Massaquoi, 8-191, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Randall Cobb is a star to build around for the next few years. He might not have been Kentucky’s first quarterback choice going into the season, and he might not have been second, but he showed against Georgia what kind of a playmaker he can be. He struggled throwing the ball, but he was great leading the rushing attack that rolled up 226 yards and five scores. The defense didn’t have a prayer of slowing down the Dawg attack, but the various injuries are still proving to be a problem. There won’t be the same issues next week against the punchless Vanderbilt O.

Nov. 1
Kentucky 14 … Mississippi State 13
Mississippi State got a 10-yard Arnil Stallworth touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter to pull within one, but the extra point was blocked. The Bulldogs had a few more chances, but Adam Carlson missed a field goal and QB Tyson Lee was intercepted to give Kentucky the win. The Wildcats got all their points in the third quarter on a five-yard Randall Cobb run and a three-yard catch from Maurice Grinter, and then the defense did the rest.
Player of the game: Kentucky CB Trevard Lindley made seven tackles with a tackle for loss
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Tyson Lee, 26-42, 261 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 15-48. Receiving: Arnil Stallworth, 8-71, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 9-17, 90 yds
Rushing: Tony Dixon, 12-66. Receiving: Randall Cobb, 3-33
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... With all the turnover and all the concerns, are going to a bowl. That’s big stuff for a program that was looking to rebuild and had so many issues coming into the season on offense. The defense that has suffered a ton of injuries did a great job of bouncing back from the debacle against Florida, holding firm when it needed to late against Mississippi State. The rotation of Mike Hartline and Randall Cobb at quarterback didn’t lead to much in the way of offensive consistency, but it wasn’t a failure. The two offer such different looks there there’s sure to be more of the same against Georgia next week.  

Oct. 25
Florida 63 … Kentucky 5
Florida came up with three blocked kicks, with the first two leading to short scoring runs from Tim Tebow and Brandon James, and Ahmad Black picked off a pass and took it 40 yards for a touchdown on the first play in the second half on the way to an easy win. Percy Harvin scored twice with a 16-yard run and a 33-yard pass, and Jeffrey Demps led the way in rushing and receiving highlighted by a 61-yard touchdown play off a short pass. Kentucky’s offense only managed a 27-yard Lones Seiber field goal.
Player of the game: Florida RB Jeffrey Demps ran seven times for 50 yards and caught four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Randall Cobb, 9-18, 78 yds
Rushing: Randall Cobb, 9-52. Receiving: Tony Dixon, 5-19
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 11-15, 180 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeffrey Demps, 7-50. Receiving: Jeffrey Demps, 4-67, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The defense had been so good all season long, but injuries finally appeared to catch up to the team against a red-hot Florida offense. The UK offense simply couldn’t keep up once the floodgates opened up, and the defense couldn’t come up with a tough stop after the two blocked kicks. The D was put in a lousy position time and again with no help from the offense or special teams, but it also struggled once things got out of hand. The offense needs to find some pop; Randall Cobb might have to be even more involved in the attack.  

Oct. 18
Kentucky 21 … Arkansas 20
Part time quarterback Randall Cobb wore the No. 12 jersey in honor of Dicky Lyons, the star receiver who’s out for the year, and he came through with touchdown catches from 32 and 21 yards out in the final 4:15 to give Kentucky the comeback win. Arkansas star RB Michael Smith dominated with 192 rushing yards with a two-yard touchdown run and a 22-yard catch for a score in the first quarter. UK stayed in the game with a 71-yard Alfonso Smith touchdown catch in the third, but the offense didn’t come to live until late. The Hogs were plagued by a rough day from QB Casey Dick, four turnovers, and 13 penalties, but they still had chances to hold on to the lead late and couldn’t.
Player of the game: Kentucky QB/WR Randall Cobb completed 2-of-3 passes for 45 yards and caught five passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 11-29, 94 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 35-192, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael Smith, 3-33, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 17-32, 239 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Moncell Allen, 7-46. Receiving: Alfonso Smith, 5-108, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kentucky might not be consistent, and it might take most of the game for the offense to get going, but it’s playing well. The run defense got gashed by Arkansas star Michael Smith, but the secondary did a great job of keeping Casey Dick and the Hog passing game under wraps. There wasn’t much of a running game for the UK offense, and Mike Hartline struggled a bit, but he came through when he had to while QB/WR Randall Cobb showed why he’s the type of explosive playmaker who has to be on the field all the time. Now it’s time to go big game hunting with a trip to Florida next week.

Oct. 11
South Carolina 24 … Kentucky 17
Stephen Garcia replaced a shaky Chris Smelley to throw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Weslye Saunders and Captain Munnerlyn returned a blocked kick 81 yards for a touchdown and set up another score on a kickoff return as South Carolina gave Steve Spurrier his 16^th straight win over UK. The Wildcats got a pick six of their own from Trevard Lindley, but Smelley answered 20 seconds later, thanks to the short field provided by Munnerlyn, with a 16-yard strike to Kenny McKinley. Neither team could run the ball with USC gaining 74 yards and Kentucky being held to 62.
Player of the game: South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia came off the bench to complete 10-of-14 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown and ran six times for 22 yards
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Stephen Garcia, 10-14, 169 yds, `1 TD
Rushing: Mike Davis, 14-27. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 7-88, 1 TD
South Carolina - Passing: Mike Hartline, 23-43, 152 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Derrick Locke, 15-51. Receiving: Derrick Locke, 8-57
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kentucky didn’t run well against South Carolina and didn’t get a great passing day from Mike Hartline, there was almost nothing happening deep, but the defense forced four turnovers and did a great job of keeping the team in the game. LB Micah Johnson, who has been banged up, was brilliant making 12 tackles, while the rest of the defense did a fantastic job of getting into the backfield. It wasn’t enough, and UK suffered its second straight tough, close loss.

Oct. 4
Alabama 17 ... Kentucky 14
Alabama looked like it was going to cruise to an easy win as Glen Coffee ran for a 78-yard touchdown less than five minutes into the game, and Rolando McClain picked up a Mike Hartline fumble, the ball slipped out of his hands on a pass, for an easy four-yard score. But the Tide offense struggled the rest of the way and Kentucky mounted a late second half comeback with a 26-yard Dicky Lyons touchdown catch and a 48-yard scoring grab from DeMoreo Ford with 40 seconds to play. But a 24-yard field goal from a struggling Leigh Tiffin with 2:12 to play proved to be the difference. Tiffin missed field goal attempts from 34 and 41 yards.
Player of the game: Alabama RB Glen Coffee ran 25 times for 219 yards and a touchdown, and caught a pass for 15 yards
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 20-42, 241 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Derrick Locke, 6-28  Receiving: Derrick Locke, 8-81
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 7-17, 106 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 25-218, 1 TD  Receiving: Julio Jones, 3-52
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Give UK credit for battling back against Alabama and not giving up when it could've been a brutal blowout after a rough first half. The offense didn't do anything on the ground, and Mike Hartline was hardly special, but after getting hammered with a big touchdown run and losing a bad fumble for a score, most teams would've gone into the tank. UK found a way to stay alive, came up with three turnovers, and had a shot at the end. Now the team knows it can hang with the nation's best teams, and now it has to take the same defensive performance and fourth-quarter-vs.-Bama attitude against South Carolina and Arkansas. Those two games are extremely winnable before going to Florida.

Sept. 27
Kentucky 41 … Western Kentucky 3
The Kentucky defense dominated holding WKU to eight first downs, 157 yards, and 15 passing yards. The outcome was never in doubt with Tony Dixon running for two short scores and Alfonso Smith running for a 35-yard score, but the offense struggled for long stretches. WKU managed a 50-yard field goal in the second quarter from Tanner Siewert, but UK answered with a  Derrick Locke 100y-ard kickoff return for a score.
Player of the game: Kentucky DT Corey Peters made five tackles with two sacks
Stat Leaders: Western Kentucky - Passing: K.J. Black, 3-10, 8 yds
Rushing: Bobby Rainey, 9-99. Receiving: Tyrell Hayden, 2- -1
Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 19-30, 172 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Alfonso Smith, 6-67. Receiving: Dicky Lyons, 6-34
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Kentucky defense has been dominant so far, but the offense still has a long, long way to go. The 4-0 record isn’t quite the proper indicator of how the team is playing. Beating Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky over the last three games isn’t going to open any eyes, but now comes a real test with a trip to Alabama. It’ll be the ultimate letdown game for the Tide, and if the UK defense keeps up the intensity, an upset isn’t going to be a shocker. The Wildcat line is playing extremely well.

Sept. 13
Kentucky 20 … Middle Tennessee 14
Kentucky overcame a 14-10 deficit with 10 points in the fourth quarter on a Derrick Locke six-yard catch and a Lones Seiber 25-yard field goal, but that’s not what anyone will remember. Middle Tennessee almost pulled off the play of the season as Joe Craddock threw the ball as far as he could on the final play of the game, Eldred King caught it and was headed to the end zone but was tackled on the one-yard line by Robbie McAtee. Middle Tennessee started off the scoring with a 62-yard Desmond Gee touchdown catch and Malcolm Beyah gave the Blue Raiders the lead with a 22-yard catch. MT outgained UK 383 yards to 356, helped by the last play.
Player of the game: Kentucky QB Mike Hartline completed 28-of-47 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Middle Tennessee - Passing: Joe Craddock, 21-37, 352 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Phillip Tanner, 11-26. Receiving: Eldred King, 6-82
Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 28-37, 254 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Alfonso Smith, 9-36. Receiving: Dicky Lyons, 12-79
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Middle Tennessee only ran for 31 yards against Kentucky, but it got the passing game moving with Joe Craddock coming up with a great game. He spread the ball around well with ten players catching passes and he kept the Wildcats on their heels. Now the team knows it can play with anyone, and despite the loss to Troy, there has to be a confidence brought over to the Sun Belt season.
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Is the spread going to be a problem for Kentucky? Middle Tennessee did a great job of keeping the passing game moving, and while UK stuffed the running game, it struggled against the pass. A bigger concern is the Wildcat ground game that gained just 102 yards against an average Blue Raider defensive front. If UK couldn’t run this week, what’s it going to do against Georgia or Florida? It’ll be more about Mike Hartline than ever, especially with star-in-the-making Randall Cobb getting knocked out with an ankle injury.

Sept. 6
Kentucky 38 … Norfolk State 3
Kentucky got up 21-0 in the first half as Randall Cobb ran for two scores and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Dickey Lyons. Norfolk State came up with a field goal late in the first half, but that was it as UK allowed just 165 yards of total offense. The Wildcats rolled in the second half with Derrick Locke ripping off a 68-yard touchdown run and Moncell Allen adding a three-yard score. UK ran for 298 yards.
Player of the game:  Kentucky QB Randall Cobb completed 8-of-11 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown and ran eight times for 48 yards and two scores
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Randall Cobb, 8-11, 87 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Derrick Locke, 5-96, 1 TD  Receiving: Dicky Lyons, 5-51, 1 TD
Norfolk State - Passing: Dennis Brown, 9-24, 97 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: DeAngelo Branche, 14-47. Receiving: Jeremy Wicker, 5-69
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Games against Norfolk State are supposed to be used to try things out and see what you have, and Kentucky did that as Randall Cobb showed a spark and a flash of offensive excitement that Mike Hartline couldn’t provide under center. The defense came up with its second straight fantastic game allowing WKU to convert just one of 13 third down chances and 165 yards of offense. Now the UK coaching staff has to figure out how to properly use all the weapons while not creating any sort of a controversy. Cobb needs playing time, while RB Derrick Locke might be the main man after looking dynamic on his five carries.

Aug. 31
Kentucky 27 ... Louisville 2
Everyone expected an offensive shootout, and the two defenses showed up. Tony Dixon ran for a seven-yard touchdown for Kentucky in the fourth quarter. That would be the only offensive touchdown as UK got a 28-yard fumble recovery for a score from Ashton Cobb in the second quarter, and a 72-yard fumble recovery for a score from big defensive tackle Myron Pryor. The two teams combined for a mere 415 yards of total offense, but it was the five Louisville turnovers that made the biggest difference.
Player of the game: Kentucky DT Myron Pryor made three tackles, one tackles for loss, forced a fumble, and returned a fumble 72 yards for a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Mike Hartline, 16-31, 147 yds
Rushing: Tony Dixon, 12-27, 1 TD. Receiving: Randall Cobb, 3-31
Louisville - Passing: Hunter Cantwell, 20-43, 152 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Victor Anderson, 12-31. Receiving: Doug Beaumont, 9-77
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... UK had to replace a slew of key offensive players, but it was the defense that came up with a whale of a game against Louisville. Mike Hartline did a good job not screwing up running the attack, while the defense did the rest stuffing the Cardinals time and again. However, the offense will have to grow up, and there's time with Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky ahead until dealing with Alabama. Getting a running game going will be step one.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Winston Guy DB 6-1 190 Lexington, Ky. (Lexington Catholic)
First-team all-state defensive back as chosen by The Associated Press and Louisville Courier-Journal … Named to the Lexington Herald-Leader “Class of the Commonwealth” listing of the top-22 seniors in the state … Helped lead Lexington Catholic HS to a 13-2 record and Class AAAA state championship as a senior … Earned a reputation as a great cover corner and his athletic ability enabled him to be a devastating blitzer … Senior defensive statistics featured 75 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 quarterback sacks, 10 QB hurries, two caused fumbles, and two blocked kicks … Offensive stats included 24 carries for 267 yards and six touchdowns, along with 16 pass receptions for 215 yards and two TDs … Also had two kick returns for touchdowns … Set a school career record with 19.5 sacks … Team also won the state title in Class AAA his sophomore season … Has turned in a 4.35 clocking in the 40-yard dash … Coached by Bill Letton … Projected as a safety by Scout.com and listed as the No. 12 safety in the nation

Potential Instant Impact Players

Aaron Boyd WR 6-3 210 Lexington, Ky. (Henry Clay)
The No. 1 prospect in Kentucky by Scout.com … One of the nation’s top-40 wide receivers by both services, and rated the No. 18 player in the Midwest by Scout.com … Caught 55 passes as a senior, good for 1,157 yards and 15 touchdowns … First-team all-state by The Associated Press … Named to the Lexington Herald-Leader “Class of the Commonwealth” and “Kentucky Tremendous 26” listing of the top seniors in the state … Named to the all-city team as a junior, snagging 39 balls for 730 yards and five touchdowns … Also saw action as a defensive back … Helped lead Henry Clay HS to a 35-6 record over the last three seasons, including trips to the state semifinals as a sophomore and junior … Coached by Sam Simpson … Also a member of the basketball squad and played for the Henry Clay team that advanced to the Kentucky Sweet 16 state tournament as a freshman … Brother of former Wildcat quarterback Shane Boyd (UK 2000-03), who is now with the NFL’s Houston Texans.

Sean Stackhouse TE 6-4 250 Jacksonville, Fla. (Mandarin)
Big, athletic tight end … Four-year starter for Mandarin HS in Jacksonville, Fla. … As a senior, caught 32 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns … Snagged 33 passes his junior season, good for 333 yards … Two-year member of the all-conference team … Team captain as a junior and senior … Listed as the nation’s No. 31 tight end by Scout.com … Selected to play in the Florida North-South All-Star Game but was unable to participate because of an injury … Nominated for the U. S. Army All-America Game … Coached by Luther Price and the late J. D. Hall … Also participated in track and field and played basketball in high school.

Rest of the Class

Eric Adeyemi	WR	6-0	165	Miami, Fla. (Southridge)
Chandler Burden	OL	6-5	280	Oxford, Ohio (LaSalle)
Randall Cobb	QB	5-11	180	Alcoa, Tenn. (Alcoa)
E.J. Fields	WR/DB	6-2	190	Frankfort, Ky. (Frankfort)
Osaze Idumwonyi	OL/DL	6-1	275	Cedar Hill, Texas (Cedar Hill)
William Johnson	LB	6-3	195	Nashville, Tenn. (Pearl-Cohen)
DeAunte Mason	QB	6-3	215	Nashville, Tenn. (Pearl-Cohen)
Gene McCaskill	WR	6-0	175	Chester, S.C. (Chester)
Cartier Rice	DB	5-10	180	Duncan, S.C. (Byrnes)
Matt Roark	QB	6-6	190	Acworth, Ga. (North Cobb)
Donte Rumph	DL	6-3	260	St. Matthews, S.C. (Calhoun County)
Matt Smith	DL/OL	6-4	270	Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier)
Danny Trevathan	LB	6-1	210	Leesburg, Fla. (Leesburg)
Dave Ulinski	OL	6-4	280	Louisville, Ky. (duPont Manual)
Collins Ukwu	DE	6-4	210	La Vergne, Tenn. (La Vergne)
Trevino Woods	OL	6-5	280	Athens, Ga. (Clarke Central)
Taylor Wyndham	LB/DL	6-4	205	Swansea, S.C. (Swansea)

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: The program has a plan with Rich Brooks coaching his final season before passing the torch over to Joker Phillips, a former UK receiver who was a key reason the offense took off over the last few seasons. The offensive line will revolve around three decent starters and RB Tony Dixon, at least early on, while the defense gets back eight starters and both kickers.
Why to be grouchy: QB Andre Woodson. Gone. WR Keenan Burton and RB Rafael Little. Gone. TE Jacob Tamme. Gone. The offense put up big numbers, but it struggled in under pressure late losing four of the final five regular season games. The Florida State academic suspensions saved the day in the Music City Bowl. The schedule is built for several losses with road trips to Louisville, who'll be bent on payback, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi State and Tennessee.
The number one thing to work on is: Better line play. There's experience returning on both fronts, and now everyone has to be better after having a nightmare of a time in pass protection and getting little to no consistent pass rush. Until the new starting quarterback emerges, the O line needs tackles Garry Williams and Justin Jeffries to play at another level, while someone has to emerge on defense to take the heat off Jeremy Jarmon.
Biggest offensive loss: QB Andre Woodson
Biggest defensive loss: LB Wesley Woodyard
Best returning offensive player: OT Garry Williams, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: DE Jeremy Jarmon, Jr.

2007 Recap
Recap: For the second consecutive year, the Wildcats capped an 8-5 season with a Music City Bowl win over a Bowden-coached team, proof that their success in 2006 was no fluke.  Riding the strong arm of QB Andre Woodson, Kentucky rose as high as No. 8 in the country after beating LSU on Oct. 13, but tailed off in the second half as injuries mounted and the schedule stiffened.  Coming off their best two-year stretch in three decades, the Wildcats are hoping to capitalize on the success, even as Woodson and some of his best weapons exit Lexington.      

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Andre Woodson

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Wesley Woodyard

Biggest Surprise: Upsetting rival Louisville on Sept. 15 looked huge at the time, but it couldn’t compare to the epic triple-overtime thriller that knocked LSU out of the pole position.  The Wildcats’ first win over a No. 1 team since 1964 pushed them into the top 10 and on to the national stage that’s usually reserved for the basketball program.      

Biggest Disappointment: After back-to-back battles with LSU and Florida, Kentucky was pretty much out of gas when Mississippi State visited on Oct. 27.  Six turnovers in the second half ended any hope of a comeback, as the ‘Cats fell to the ‘Dogs, 31-14, for a second straight loss.           

Looking Ahead: While other SEC schools can survive the loss of players, such as Woodson, RB Rafael Little, and receivers Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson and Jacob Tamme, Kentucky isn’t quite at that point.  Until the offense gets up to speed, an experienced defense is likely to lead the way in 2008.