After Day Off for Opening of School, Team Returned to Practice Field Thursday
LEXINGTON, Ky. –University of Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips held a brief practice Thursdaymorning, just under an hour, as the Kentucky football team begin its game-weekpreparation for its season opener with Western Kentucky University on Thursday,Sept. 1, at 9:15 p.m. ET in Nashville, Tenn.
Phillips, who gave the teamoff from all football activities Wednesday in order to focus on the first dayof classes, said the team did a basic walk-through practice Thursday morning,typical of what they would do on Sundays following a game.
“We haven’treally done a whole lot on the field since we last saw each other (Tuesdaynight),” Phillips said Thursday morning. “The last couple of dayswe have been trying to get into it mentally and trying to recover (physically)also. We have some dead legs that we are trying to get back. Today was like aSunday for us. We went through some corrections and did some specialsituations. We will come back and have two Tuesday-like practices, a Wednesdaypractice and two Thursday practices.”
Phillips said with schoolstarting it is important for the players to be concentrating on football whenthey enter the Nutter Training Facility.
“We have to befocused,” Phillips said. “You only get them four hours a day. Youworry about making sure they get their rest, that is one thing, but we usuallycan get them focused once we get them in this building. The thing that we haveto do is make sure they are resting when they are not in school.”
Fans Encouraged to Donate Bloodin “Battle of the Bluegrass”: The Battle of the Bluegrass isn’t justplayed on the football field. It’s a blood battle between the Catsand the Cards, too.
Kentucky Blood Center’sannual Battle of the Bluegrass runs Aug. 22 through Sept. 2. Donors cangive blood and vote for their favorite team – the UK Wildcats or the U ofL Cardinals.
All donors receive a T-shirtand a chance to win prizes, including a 2011 Toyota Tacoma.
To find a convenient locationor schedule a donation, visit kybloodcenter.org or call 800-775-2522.
