Today was my first road trip as a writer for Nation of Blue. My first stop on my trek around the state was Commonwealth Stadium to watch the first scrimmage of the spring. As soon as I got to the stadium I walked straight in and walked right onto the field. It sort of brought back bad memories, because the last time I was on the field was when LSU performed the Bluegrass Miracle. Anyway, I took a couple of pics that I sent to @Section137 on twitter. It was a really different feeling being in Commonwealth without anyone there.
As it got closer to scrimmage time the players filed in and started their warm ups. The defensive coaches are very vocal and you can hear them echoing all around the stadium. I really liked the intensity they showed throughout the day.
Alright, lets get to the part that interests us all. The quarterback situation is now a dead issue in my opinion. Mike Hartline is head and shoulders better than the other two. You can’t teach experience and you can tell Hartline has learned from it. He is very patient and made very good decisions on every series. He is definitely in the driver’s seat to be the starter.
Newton did some good things but he just isn’t ready. I know he played last year and should have improved from the experience of playing in the SEC, but he still telegraphs his passes. When he locks on a receiver, he is going to throw it there. No question. He doesn’t check off at all. I like Newton’s mobility, but he just can’t hit the deep ball.
Ryan Mossakowski, who I was very excited to see, struggled early on. He had 2 interceptions and was sacked and fumbled in his first 3 series. The last series he had was very encouraging, as the first team defense lined up against him. He absolutely shredded them! He ran out of the pocket for a couple of nice gains and then threw a 65 yard touchdown pass to Brian Adams. Mossakowski looks like he has the best arm for the long ball, and I think could have the inside track to being the backup QB.
The running back depth is as deep as I have seen as Jonathan George and Donald Russell both looked like very strong runners. Both broke their share of long runs, including a highlight reel 70 yard scamper by George. Look for both to see time in the rotation and they could be game changers
Randall Cobb was Randall Cobb. He had 2 TD catches and looked easily the best player on the field. If he isn’t on the field and getting the football when we need him to get it, someone needs to have their head checked. He is the best player on the field and the football needs to be in his hands.
I look forward to seeing the Spring Game on April 24 to see how much this team improves after the next 2 weeks of closed practices.
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[*]The next part of my day involved driving to Northern Kentucky to watch the Ohio/Kentucky All Star Game at Thomas More College. Kentucky lost to a Ohio team which was loaded with D1 talent from top to bottom. I went to watch Jarrod Polson who has a shot to be a walk on at Kentucky. I plan on writing another article on the game itself, but the exciting part of my evening was interviewing Polson after the game. I plan on posting the actual interview as soon as I figure out how to do it. It was actually my first interview, as you will probably be able to tell, but I found out that Jarrod is a great kid. He did not play well at all, and he acknowledged that in his opening statement. I really respect a kid who realizes he could have played better and is mainly upset because his team lost. I wish him the best and I really hope he makes the Kentucky team. You can never have enough Kentucky boys on a team, especially at the University of Kentucky.
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[*]I really got humbled today when several people told me they read the site and knew who I was. We really appreciate all of our readers and I hope to meet a lot more of you as the season moves along. April 24th is the Spring game and it would be great if we could have a tailgate before the game. If anyone has any ideas email me at [EMAIL=”[email protected]”][email protected][/EMAIL] and maybe we can figure something out.
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[*]Tiger is only 4 shots off the lead. Phil is only 2. Who do you want to win?
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[*]Enes Kanter, who was called an European DeMarcus Cousins, dominated the Nike Hoop Summit this evening. He broke Dirk Nowitzki scoring record for the game putting up 34 points and 13 rebounds. Seems like there are still questions of his eligibility. Lets just hope he plays next year and doesn’t end up like Renardo Sidney at MSU.
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[*]I hope to do an article tomorrow on the Polson interview and talk a little about the recruiting craziness. I have a feeling, starting Monday, things could get really hairy around here!!
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