There were no tickets to be found for Saturday’s UK/FL match-up and believe me I tried!! 71,024 fans filled Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Kentucky WildCats lose a heartbreaker to the Florida Gators 45-37. The Cats never quit, they have no quit in them. I continued to believe we would win the game until the Gators scored with 1:33 left on the clock bringing the score to 45-31. This game broke an 8-game home winning streak for UK.  Even after losing, Kentucky should be seen as valid adversaries.  After last week’s battle against LSU, the WildCats could have folded and fallen flat on their faces. We lost the game but we certainly didn’t fall flat on our faces. Although I am brokenhearted, I am extremely proud of my team.

Here are a few tidbits from the game;

* This made Florida’s 21st straight win over Kentucky. They are 16-10 in Lexington.

* On 3rd down conversions Florida was 7 out of 11.

* First half the Cats had the football longer and out-gained the Gators but did not outscore them.

* Kentucky gained 512 total yards. This was the most against Florida so far this season. For the game the WildCats had 512 total yards to Florida’s 427.

* Andre Woodson was 35 of 50 for 415 yards and tied his career high with five touchdowns. His pass efficiency rating was 172.7. He has thrown for at least 2 TDs in 9 straight games.

* Florida's Tim Tebow was 18 of 26 for 256 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. His pass efficiency rating was 202.71.

* Jacob Tamme became the 10th player in Kentucky history to have 100 career catches.

* Lyons’ 3 touchdowns was a career high for him.

* Injuries or sickness for the Cats - Keenan Burton suffered a strained knee in the second quarter, but returned. Tony Dixon left the game with a sprained ankle. Linebacker Johnny Williams could not finish the game because of an injured foot. Tamme has been bothered by turf toe, and suffered a bruised shin. Jason Leger did not finish the game because of a bout with the flu.

* Urban Myer on the Cats: "We made a couple of comments throughout the week that we saw this Kentucky team a couple of years ago. Rich (Brooks) is a very good friend of mine and that's one of the best-coached teams. Obviously, that offensive personnel is greatly improved as well as the entire team personnel, so we saw that coming two years ago when we played them here. That was a big win against a quality football team, a very quality football team."

Here is what the SEC East standings look like now:

South Carolina  3-2

Georgia  3-2

Florida  3-2

Kentucky  2-2

Tennessee  2-2

Vanderbilt  2-3

The Kentucky WildCats have no time to pause and lick their wounds. They must prepare for Mississippi State this Saturday. The much needed rest will come the following weekend and UK will need it for the upcoming back-to-back road games at Vanderbilt and Georgia. Then comes the season finale with big-time rival Tennessee. GO BIG BLUE!

On this HE SAID SHE SAID, we have decided to write a fictional conversation between the two of us concerning THE game on Sat. Of course I am talking about the Kentucky WildCats vs the Florida Gators. You, the reader, must decide if SHE SAID is closer to the truth or if HE SAID is more believable. This should really be fun! Hope you are ready!! 

My Mother decided she wanted her attic emptied so guess who was called upon to assist her? Yep, her only daughter, ME! It was 8A.M. when I arrived home from taking my daughter to school. I walked to Mom’s house and worked until approximately 5P.M. I returned to my house tired, dirty and hungry! 

I felt better after a long hot shower and thought I should check my caller I.D. before eating. One number appeared time after time after time! “OH NO!” It was Rev. As I dialed his number, I wondered if I had the energy for this call. You will understand why once you read the transcript of the dialog. I dial the dumber but before it could even ring, Rev Answers… 

REV – “Hey! What’s up?” (breathing kind of heavy.) 

BGL – “Hi, Dear. I saw where you had called several times and thought I better call you back!”  (laughing.) 

REV – “Sorry about stalking you…he he he. What do you want to do with HE SAID SHE SAID this week?”

BGL – “With the game between Kentucky and Florida coming up, I think we should do something on that. Don’t you?”

REV – “What will you be wearing?” (again, breathing kind of heavy.)

BGL – “REV!” (trying to ignore the statement I go on) “Last week we switched roles but it was obvious my heart wasn’t into it. So, let’s switch back this week. What do you think?” 

REV – “Do you have different sundresses? Are you wearing one right now?”  

BGL – “REV! Try to focus! Did you see the AP poll? That #### from ESPN, Craig James voted Kentucky 24th! Oh well, he played for SMU and that is in Texas…need I say more?” (laughing) “We could do a poll of our own for HSSS. We couldn’t do any worse than this guy!”

REV – “That sounds good! Do you want to be on top or the bottom?” (yep, you guessed it, heavy breathing)

BGL – “For now I would rank FL just above the Cats but after we beat you my Cats should move ahead of both the Gators and Tigers!”

REV – (cannot repeat)

BGL – “Remember, this is for HSSS? Kentucky leads the SEC in scoring at 42.7 points per game and total offense at 460.0 yards per game. Even so, did you know that the Gators are picked to win by a touch down?”

REV – “Yeah, I saw that. Know what else I saw?”

BGL – “What’s that?”

REV – “A cute little blue and white sundress! I thought about you when I saw it. I bet you have one don’t you? Being a WildCat!”

BGL – “Rev, what is it with you and sundresses?”

REV – “Why don’t you go put it on?”

BGL – “Now!?”

REV – “Yes, I’ll wait on the line!” (gasping for breath)

BGL – “Alright, hold on.”

At this point I laid the phone down. I had to eat, wash the dishes and do some laundry. Once this was done my daughter yelled at me to come watch “Wild Hogs” with her. We really enjoyed the movie and the couple hours of rest! I got ready for bed and decided to check my email real quick. That’s when I saw the phone laying beside my PC. OMG!! I forgot about Rev!!

BGL- “Rev? Are you still there?”

REV – “Do you have it on? (scary breathing)

BGL – “Good night Sweetie…love ya!”

REV – “I’ll admit Kentucky will beat Florida!!”

BGL – “You will?”

REV – “Sure!! Tebow is a wimp anyways! Everyone knows The WildCats are going to win. You guys have Woodson and you beat LSU, we couldn’t do that! So... are you wearing it?”

BGL – “Okay Rev. Yes, I have it on.”  (   ;) I lied  )

REV – “I’ll write it now! UK by 6.”

BGL – “Nite nite, Rev.”

REV – “WAIT! Can I use your avatar this time?”

CLICK…

Now it is up to you. Read HE SAID and make your decision. Whose conversation would be closer to reality? PLEASE leave your answers on both blogs so Rev can get the tally correct this time! Hope you all had as much fun as I did!!

He Said: Florida Invades Lexington With A Single Phone Call

With 4 starters out, the Kentucky WildCats beat the LSU Tigers 43-37. The celebration in Lexington, Kentucky is going strong as I write this. I have lost my voice and am so hyped up I may not sleep a wink tonight. Yes, there were some things I disagreed with but all-in-all it was an amazing effort by the WildCats and coaching staff!! I must praise the UK deffense. They had taken out LSU's number 1 RB, Hester, the previous play and Kelley stopped the Tigers on 4th and 2 in the 3rd OT lifting the Kentucky WIldCats to a win over the number 1 ranked team in the country. As far as the offense went, Andre made some beautiful passes but when Burton didn't seem to have the stuff due to an ankle injury, Johnson stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball out of the park.....or should I say across the goal line! Also, kudos to Locke who's block allowed Woodson to pass to Johnson for 6 pts. Let me add that Woodson was not sacked the entire game. This is what college football is all about. I am so proud of my Cats. Be sure to check out my fellow WildCat blogger, UKjedi, for more on this game.

Rev had an idea about this week’s He Said She Said. It was that I argue the case the Florida Gators will beat my Kentucky WildCats in football this year and his debate will be the WildCats will beat his Gators. While I am a little scared, I agreed this could be a great approach especially for the debates we have on HSSS. It would be too easy and expected from me to fight….full out kicking and screaming that UK will beat FL in football and for Rev to, of course, take the Gator side. So, how shocking is this? 

I didn’t realize all the feelings I was going to go through writing this and now actually posting it for others to read. It is like I am being unfaithful. I even asked Rev to come find my body along U.S. 119 because I know my WildCat brothers and sisters are going to kill me! I hope everyone, including Florida fans (because I am worried about Rev’s safety after this) will understand what we are doing. It is a different look at each other’s teams; a fresh view from another’s aspect of the game; AND I did get an adamant Gator fan to admit UK will beat FL in football this year….lmao  I can’t wait to see what I can get him to do during basketball season!! I am joking! This is a wonderful idea and I have argued the case against my beloved Cats. 

Tradition: an inherited pattern of thought or action. 

Tradition is often overlooked or even snubbed for some reason these days. As a former basketball player I know how important believing you can win is to a team. A squad can have all the talent in the world but if they do not expect to defeat their opponent every time they step onto the court or field, they will lose. Don’t get me wrong, of course you need talent! However, you better have the mind-frame of a winner as well. The Florida Gators’ football program knows what I am talking about. This program is known and feared across the country. They have an inherited pattern of thought or action and that is winning. 

Their first meeting with the University of Kentucky was in 1917. The game was played in Lexington, KY and the Cats came away with a 52-0 win. Since that time the Gators have met the Cats on a football field 56 times. FL owns the series with 39-wins, 17-losses and 0-ties. The last time UK beat FL was back in 1986 in Lexington with a score of 10-3. This year’s meeting takes place on Oct. 20th at Kentucky. But before we can take a look into the future, let’s glance into the past… 

The Gators’ first snap was in 1906. Coach James Forsythe led the University to 3 winning seasons. During the 1910s the football squad acted as an independent team. In 1912, they became part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In 1922, Florida joined the Southern Conference. They remained there until finding their permanent home with the SEC in 1933. 

It would be in the 1960s before the world got a glimpse of what would become a long run of dominance. Head Coach Ray Graves swaggered with a team record of 70 wins. The 1966 team is considered one of the best teams in Florida history. They were led by Heisman Trophy winner, Steve Spurrier. 30 years later in 1996, the Gators won their first ever National Title. The quarterback from that championship team was Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. During the title battle, Anthony Reidel set a record for the SEC player to score the most points -18, and touchdowns - 3, during a championship game. 

The Orange and Blue are known for winning a total of 8 SEC football conference championships. Only 7 are recorded because of NCAA violations, the Gators were officially stripped of their 1984 SEC championship. The 1985 and 1990 teams finished best in the SEC, they were not eligible to compete for the championship because of NCAA violations that previous coaching staff committed. 

Florida holds a handful of SEC records. In 1996, Florida scored the most points with 45. In regular season games, the Gators hold the record for scoring the most touchdowns (nine vs. Central Michigan in 1997). 

Before you can judge the 2007 team you must assess their leader. At the Helm of the 2007 Florida Gators is Urban Meyer, one of the most celebrated coaches in college football. His winning percentage of 83.1% is ranked 7th nationally among active coaches. Coach Meyer is the 3rd highest paid college coach with his current 6-year contract. 

Before Urban Meyer came to take the reigns of the Florida program, he had already won the;

2001 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year

2003 Sporting News National Coach of the Year

2003 and 2004 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year

2004 Home Depot Coach of the Year Award

2004 George Munger Award for the Collegiate Coach of the Year

2004 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year

2004 Pro Football Weekly National Coach of the Year

2004 Woody Hayes Trophy Award

2004 Victor Award 

In just his first 2 seasons, Meyers led the Gators to finishes of 9-3 and 13-1, respectively. This, as we all know, took FL to a 2006 BCS National Championship victory over Ohio State. 

There is a problem with winning college championships. That is you usually lose a lot of star talent to the pros the next season. The 2007 University of Florida Football Gators did just that. They lost star QB Chris Leak (free agent with the Bears) and a host of others. However, Coach Meyer did find a replacement for Leak. His name is Tim Tebow. Tebow IS the FL offense. It is essential he stay healthy and as much as he runs this is highly questionable by the time the Gators face the WildCats. This Heisman candidate just earned his second Offensive Player of the Week honor after last weeks win over Ole Miss. Tebow accounted for 427 yards of total offense (best in the SEC this year), including a school record 166 rushing yards by a quarterback. He also had career-highs in completions (20), attempts (34) and rushing attempts (27) while throwing for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Thus far, for the season, Tebow leads the SEC in passing efficiency, is 6th in rushing yards and leads the SEC in rushing touchdowns (7). Adding to this offense is WR Percy Harvin and RB Kestahn Moore. Harvin has 155 yds RUSH and 336 REC; a total of 491 yds offense after 4 games. Moore has netted 279 yds RUSH and 37 yds REC; a total 316 yds offense after 4 games.

The big question will be can the FL defense stop UK’s offense. After losing 9 defensive starters from last year’s National Championship team, the Gator defense is definitely in a rebuilding year. They do return pre-season, First Team, All-SEC selection, DL Derrick Harvey. But after 4 games the Gators D is led by sophomore LB Brandon Spikes. This young man has 21 solo tackles and assisted on 15 for a total of 36 tackles. With the loss of Marcus Thomas the Gators D has been solid but has not had the kind of success stopping the run that Thomas brought. 

The Florida offense is averaging 44.5 points per game while their defense is holding opponents to 22.0 ppg. The Gators are scoring 2 or more touchdowns each quarter. The WildCats have a hard time dealing the run especially against QBs. This along with their slow starts and having to “come-back” in the 4th quarter will be their downfall. There is no answer for Tebow. His 358 yds RUSH and 1096 yds PASS says it all. I do believe the game will be tight, but Florida will hold with tradition and beat Kentucky 31-30.

HE SAID: Lexington, Prepare Yourself for Kentucky Fried Gator

Billy Gillispie’s remains focused on lifting Kentucky Basketball back where it should be…the top.  Apparently it is never too early to recruit talent. High school sophomores Ross-Miller and Dakotah Euton have both committed to play for UK. Hoop Scoop ranks Ross-Miller as the 5th best player from the class of 2010 and ranks Euton 11th. This has placed the WildCats second (behind Ohio State) among the nation’s best recruiting class of 2010.

With incoming freshman Patrick Patterson and Alex Legion, Ross-Miller becomes the 6th player to either sign or commit to Kentucky since Gillispie was hired. Other commitments are from high school senior to be DeAndre Liggins and junior to be G.J. Vilarino. With the number of prospects that have visited UK more help could be on the way for the 2007-08 season. Included among the visitors are forward Leonard Washington, who originally signed with Southern Cal, and Mike Jones, who transferred from Syracuse to Indian Hills Community College.

Former Kentucky Women’s head coach, Mickie DeMoss has come out of retirement after only 3 months. DeMoss announced she will be joining Texas as an assistant coach. However, it might not be that easy to do. The new job could violate UK’s buyout clause which was part of DeMoss’ previous contract with the WildCats. Less than a year before resigning DeMoss signed a 5-year deal with Kentucky which would have paid her $350,000 per year. Included was a buyout clause that said if the coach left Kentucky to take another coaching job she would have to pay the university $200,000 for each year remaining on the deal, totaling $800,000. It is not clear how long DeMoss would have to stay out of coaching before being allowed to return without having to pay the big bucks. So far, the University of Kentucky has no comment.

Walter McCarty replaces Marvin Menzies and joins Rick Pitino’s staff as Louisville’s assistant basketball coach. "I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be back with Coach," McCarty said. "To be back here with him, it means a lot." McCarty was Pitino’s starting forward on the 1996 National Champions, the Kentucky WildCats. Pitino also coached McCarty when he played for the Boston Celtics. "All young people today overestimate their abilities and what they need to work on," Pitino said. "They'll get an honest answer from Walt. They'll be able to understand what it takes to be a pro." Marvin Menzies left Louisville to become the new head coach at New Mexico State.

The Maxwell Award is given each year to the most outstanding player in college football. UK’s senior quarterback, Andre Woodson was named to the pre-season watch list for this prestigious award. The Chuck Bednarik Award is given annually to the best defensive player in college football. Wesley Woodyard, the WildCats’ senior linebacker, was named to this pre-season watch list. Woodyard’s name also appears on the watch lists for the Ronnie Lott Trophy (national defensive player of the year/character) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year).

The SEC is still working to get the Sept. 15th Louisville/Kentucky college football game televised. While CBS, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU have no openings for that date, the league is still working with the Big East and television networks to get the largest distribution possible. Southeastern Conference Associate Commissioner Mark Womack said there is some flexibility in the league’s television contract which could mean that the game will be shown live in the Lexington and Louisville markets. UK’s Athletics Director remains confident everyone in the state will be able to watch the game. "We know that's important to the fans, and we'll work with the league to get it done in the best way possible."

The Minnesota Twins selected Ben Revere as the 28th overall selection in the First Year Player Draft. 19-year-old Revere was ranked as the 42nd best high school prospect by Baseball America. Most in the baseball world expected the young man to go somewhere in the second round. "My advisor called me at 3:30 and said the Twins were really interested in me for the 28th pick, and my heart started pounding big-time," Revere said. "I just never thought I would go in the first round. And when the moment it came, well, it's just been a blessing, definitely." During his senior year at Lexington Catholic High School in Lexington, Kentucky, Revere batted .516 with 10 doubles, five triples, and 41 RBIs. This, along with 9 HRs and 24 stolen bases earned Revere the 2006-07 Gatorade Kentucky Baseball Player of the Year.

"He's got the fastest thumbs in America." This was the University of Kentucky’s Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart’s way of complimenting the new men’s head basketball coach, Billy Gillispie. Barnhart was commenting on Gillispie’s reported 8000 text messages per month to players recruited.

Text messaging has become a huge tool used by coaches throughout the country trying to initiate conversation with recruits. There are no limits on text messages sent by coaches and with restrictions to phone calls and personal visits, this is a way coaches can keep in touch with current prospects. NCAA rules give coaches 2 phone calls to a junior per month. With unlimited texting available, Gillispie can message a recruit to call him as often as he wants, which is legal. 

Apparently complaints have been filed, (not against Gillispie,) citing inappropriate use of text messaging. The complaint includes outrageous costs texting can be for the recruit. Three of these were heard by Lynn Dorn, the NDSU women's athletic director. "Unfortunately, there are stories out there of student-athletes ending up with significant cell phone bills unbeknownst to the parent or to them," Dorn said. 

All of this has led to a NCAA Management Council meeting on April 26th to determine a proposal that bans coaches from sending recruits text messages. If it gets past the council the ban will move to the NCAA Board of Directors for final approval. Coach Gillispie and others might just be wiggling their thumbs come August 1st. 

New technology gives coaches a long arm to reach prospective players. Email, faxing and now text messaging can overwhelm the NCAA’s ability to limit a coach’s contact with recruits. It can also overwhelm young men and women still of high school age. Not to mention the holes burnt in the parent’s pocket with the cost of texting landing on their wallet. 

So, the question is how much can the NCAA do or should they do anything at all as far as text messages go? As of now coaches are split 50/50 on the proposed ban. Some like it the way it is while others want more regulations. What do you think? 

 Bluegrass Lady