Brooks and Cats Still Scratching for Respectability

Ira D. Combs
Syndicated Columnist
Tri State Sports Media Service Inc.

In the mega talented world of SEC football, Rich Brooks and his band of hard working blue collar Wildcats have made definite inroads the last three years in gaining respect from other SEC coaches and players themselves as well as high school coaches and the all important high school recruits across the south.

Let's look back a little more in depth at what UK football has accomplished in the last three years producing three winning seasons, all culminating with bowl wins.

UK has wins against #1 - LSU (2007), Top 25 Georgia (2006), traditionally recognized football powerhouses Clemson and Florida State in bowl games, a very impressive record of 7-2 against Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. But, in my eyes, the most obvious point to raise on behalf of this new football Wildcat is the cumulative efforts against Georgia and Tennessee in the same time span. In the last three years, six games against the Dogs and Vols, UK has had the lead in the 4th quarter in 4 of the 6 games. Had the Cats not fumbled twice inside their own 25 yard line early in the 4th quarter in Athens in 2007 they could have pulled out a 14-10 win, instead they fell 24-14 and had they played any defense at all in the 4th quarter last year in Lexington they would be 3-0 against the Dogs the last three years. As for the Vols, even the most untrained eye could see how UK whipped Tennessee everywhere but on the scoreboard in 2005, 2006, 2007 and don't believe for a minute that last November's situation with Phil Fulmer didn't set the stage for sending the ole coach and Smokey off into the sunset with a win in front of all those loyal UT football fans that love to criticize the UK basketball fan for being so unrealistic with their expectations.

Another area of UK football that I think some folks may be taking for granted is the fact that the Cats are on a 14 game non conference winning streak, the second longest in the nation behind LSU. This may seem a little trite to some but I for one haven't forgotten those long nights against Ohio University, UC, and Miami of Ohio.

However, with all of the above being well documented, not everyone is on board because when you're ranked dead last behind Vanderbilt in your division, like UK was at the SEC media days last week, I'm thinking that the SEC media still hasn't been sold that we're in a new era of UK football.

I hate to bring a Billy Gillispie phrase into a UK football column, but his famous saying of "Whoever earns it gets it" comes to mind as we head into this football season of UK and SEC football.

I guess Brooks and the Cats haven't earned it yet in the SEC media's eyes.


Future UK Football Scheduling


Listed below is the completed 2010 and 2011 UK football schedule which was acquired thru UK and SEC staff sources close to TSS Director , Ira D. Combs :


2010 Kentucky Wildcat Football Schedule
Dates / Times = To Be Announced Later

Non Conference Games
Western Ky. Univ. - Home
Charleston Southern - Home
University of Akron - Home
Louisville - Away

Southeastern Conference Games
Auburn - Home
South Carolina - Home
Vanderbilt - Home
Georgia - Home
Ole Miss - Away
Miss. State - Away
Florida - Away
Tennessee - Away

2011 Kentucky Wildcat Football Schedule
Dates and Times To Be Announced Later

Non Conference Games
Western Ky. Univ. - L.P. Field (Nashville , Tenn.)
Miami of Ohio - Home
Central Michigan - Home
Louisville - Home

Southeastern Conference Games
Ole Miss - Home
Miss. State - Home
Florida - Home
Tennessee - Home
South Carolina - Away
Vanderbilt - Away
L.S.U. - Away
Georgia - Away

There is always a lot of interest in future UK football scheduling amongst the fanbase.

With the 2009 schedule revealing a new twist in playing a neutral site game in a border state just 90 minutes from Lexington at Paul Brown Stadium against Miami of Ohio, one must think the UK braintrust in charge of scheduling could be thinking of another similar matchup if things go well on September 5th. There are always a few detractors who can never be satisfied with anything and those folks fall under the "fellowship of the miserable category" and they are the ones complaining of the weak non conference schedule in recent years.

For several years now the 4 game non-conference schedule has been against 3 non-BCS schools and U of L.

Just thinking off the top of my head, but I wonder how the UK fanbase would react to a 2 year series with Indiana in Paul Brown Stadium. They're a BCS school that UK has had reasonable success against in the past and the game day atmosphere at Paul Brown Stadium may be more intriguing than Bloomington, Indiana.

Future Important Dates for UK Football

Listed below are some important dates and times concerning UK football:

#1 - UK Football Kickoff Luncheon at Hyatt Regency, Lexington, Ky.
#2 - Players report to campus and check in at Nutter Center Complex on Thursday, August 6th
#3 - UK football Media Days in Wildcat Den at Commonwealth Stadium Friday, August 7th (State of Kentucky media)
#4 - 1st practice for players August 7th, Friday evening
#5 - UK Fan Appreciation Day Saturday, August 8th Commonwealth Stadium 6:30 (free schedules - calendars - autographs - meet the players and coaches, fireworks at dusk)