Post by Lawdog on Mar 21, 2012 19:27:31 GMT -5
The 2012 Kentucky Football team began its spring practice today. There will be fourteen practices starting from today until April 20th. The Blue-White spring game will conclude spring practice and that takes place on April 21st at 6PM. Players practiced in shorts with no contact and won’t put on pads until Saturday. The coaches’ main focus for spring practice is to teach formations, technique, and communication. The Wildcats have a lot of young players and scheme teaching will be a challenge. Joker talked about getting players faster and that comes with growing inside the scheme, both offensively and defensively. On to the notes…
-Center Sam Simpson (back spasms) will be out for the spring and will be reevaluated after the Blue-White game.
-Coach Joker Phillips had nothing but high praise for new coaches Mike Cassity (defensive backs) and Pat Washington (wide receivers). During his interview he talked about getting young guys accustomed to their roles and thinks that Cassity and Washington have done a great job so far and are “great teachers.”
-After losing a number of senior starters on defense I asked defensive coordinator Rick Minter where he thinks production will come from in the 2012 season. He’s confident that the next guy will be able to step up and have success. He said that “graduation comes for some and opportunity comes for others.”
-Quarterback Maxwell Smith thinks his knowledge of the offense and his ability to read defenses has increased dramatically and he’s feeling more comfortable on the field.
-Smith said learning the offense his first year was “mind-boggling” but that’s he’s getting a better grasp on things. Smith also says that he knows he has to be a leader on this team for them to succeed.
-Offensive Coordinator Randy Sanders stressed that the big thing for Smith in spring practice is to increase his knowledge in the offense. He wants Smith to take another step in the right direction and build on last year’s performance.
-Sanders said that he will not “coddle” Smith at all this spring and that he will be extremely tough on the sophomore quarterback.
-According to Sanders, Smith knew barely enough to get by in last year’s offense.
-Sanders thinks that with an increased knowledge in the offense he will be able to anticipate better and that ultimately will make him a better quarterback.
-Even with Quarterback Morgan Newton’s inability to throw the football this spring, Sanders expects him to be attentive in practice and help his teammates grasp the offense. Newton is beginning the spring as the number two quarterback, and the starting job looks like its Smith’s to lose.
-All-american guard Larry Warford will play some center on Wednesday’s while starter Matt Smith is student teaching. Warford played some center in spots last season and said he only had one bad snap today. He says that playing center is tougher than playing guard because you become the “quarterback” of the offensive line.
-Warford thinks that the young guys on the offensive line are athletically ready to compete at a high level in the SEC, and that they have to just increase their “football IQ.”
-My favorite interview today was Bookie Cobbins (YMCMB) … by far. Cobbins said that the comparsions to Randall Cobb are warranted but that he wants to start his own legacy at Kentucky. He wants future players that come after him to be referred to as the “Bookie Cobbins” of Kentucky football.
-Cobbins said that he worked on quarterbacking the entire off-season, but he thinks he can make smooth transition to wide receiver. He said by the end of the spring he “will been done had” the wide receiver position down pat.
-KSR
-Center Sam Simpson (back spasms) will be out for the spring and will be reevaluated after the Blue-White game.
-Coach Joker Phillips had nothing but high praise for new coaches Mike Cassity (defensive backs) and Pat Washington (wide receivers). During his interview he talked about getting young guys accustomed to their roles and thinks that Cassity and Washington have done a great job so far and are “great teachers.”
-After losing a number of senior starters on defense I asked defensive coordinator Rick Minter where he thinks production will come from in the 2012 season. He’s confident that the next guy will be able to step up and have success. He said that “graduation comes for some and opportunity comes for others.”
-Quarterback Maxwell Smith thinks his knowledge of the offense and his ability to read defenses has increased dramatically and he’s feeling more comfortable on the field.
-Smith said learning the offense his first year was “mind-boggling” but that’s he’s getting a better grasp on things. Smith also says that he knows he has to be a leader on this team for them to succeed.
-Offensive Coordinator Randy Sanders stressed that the big thing for Smith in spring practice is to increase his knowledge in the offense. He wants Smith to take another step in the right direction and build on last year’s performance.
-Sanders said that he will not “coddle” Smith at all this spring and that he will be extremely tough on the sophomore quarterback.
-According to Sanders, Smith knew barely enough to get by in last year’s offense.
-Sanders thinks that with an increased knowledge in the offense he will be able to anticipate better and that ultimately will make him a better quarterback.
-Even with Quarterback Morgan Newton’s inability to throw the football this spring, Sanders expects him to be attentive in practice and help his teammates grasp the offense. Newton is beginning the spring as the number two quarterback, and the starting job looks like its Smith’s to lose.
-All-american guard Larry Warford will play some center on Wednesday’s while starter Matt Smith is student teaching. Warford played some center in spots last season and said he only had one bad snap today. He says that playing center is tougher than playing guard because you become the “quarterback” of the offensive line.
-Warford thinks that the young guys on the offensive line are athletically ready to compete at a high level in the SEC, and that they have to just increase their “football IQ.”
-My favorite interview today was Bookie Cobbins (YMCMB) … by far. Cobbins said that the comparsions to Randall Cobb are warranted but that he wants to start his own legacy at Kentucky. He wants future players that come after him to be referred to as the “Bookie Cobbins” of Kentucky football.
-Cobbins said that he worked on quarterbacking the entire off-season, but he thinks he can make smooth transition to wide receiver. He said by the end of the spring he “will been done had” the wide receiver position down pat.
-KSR