By Ira D. Combs Syndicated Columnist
Tri State Sports Media Service Inc.
The 2010 Kentucky football team will go as far as the offense will take them in the all important win department. It simply cannot depend on its youthful and inexperienced defense to do anything but hold serve this year and hopefully not give up to many big and/or cheap plays for touchdowns.

That's not earth shattering news to those of us who follow this program closely and critique it for our loyal readers but it's the plain simple truth UK will have to outscore opponents in most of their wins and maybe any or all SEC wins. Don't know about you, but that scares me.

What is becoming increasingly evident is that this team may be led by a couple of multi-purpose backs/receivers and that's not the norm for UK football in the past, especially the recent past. For many years, most if not all of the Cats' top offensive units have been led by its most talented player which usually is the quarterback. Let me name a few: Tim Couch, Jared Lorenzen, and Andre Woodson. You can even go back to the 6-6 1993 Peach Bowl team which was led by QB Pookie Jones and the 6-6 1999 Homepoint Music City Bowl team and its offensive leader for their entire season, Dusty Bonner.

Bottom line is there wasn't a quarterback controversy entering any of those seasons and they all ended with UK playing in postseason bowls.

Yet, it appears the 2010 team seems to be lacking that type of a player at quarterback or else at least a starter would have been named by rookie head coach Joker Phillips.

I wonder sometimes if this prolonging of the quarterback dilemma isn't setting an atmosphere across the Commonwealth for Phillips to have to deal with a controversy that he just doesn't need to have to deal with in his first year. It's too late now because the drama has been built to the point that whoever takes the first snap September 4th, they better perform efficiently or they might put themselves and their coach behind the eight ball to the point neither can recover for the remainder of the season.

We'll never know but you can't help but wonder that if Phillips had named the senior Hartline the starting QB at the end of spring practice or even at the outset of fall camp and let the young guns wait their turn in the wings what would have happened. Even if the offense would have stalled at the outset after setting this scenario the senior can't say he wasn't given his chance and then move on.

In my eyes there simply has been too much emphasis put on this first game stamping the Joker Phillips coaching era as getting off on the right foot. In reality, the game is more important to the total football program and the momentum it's built in state for recruiting purposes in recent years than for the head coaching resume of Joker Phillips. I think Big Blue Nation would trade a win against the The Old Ball Coach and/or Rocky Top at the end of the year than Louisville at the beginning.

Offensive Line

Doesn't matter who the quarterback is or whose getting the reps at those other all important skilled positions. If the guys up front don't move the defense and create some holes and give the quarterback some time there won't be any points put on the scoreboard. The Cats may have lost some players to graduation but the nest isn't bare nor void of size and talent. The most important decision Joker Phillips may have made to this point may have received the least attention but impacted this part of the team the most. That is the hiring of Mike Summers as the new offensive line coach. Reports out of fall camp are very encouraging. Look for Senior Brad Durham and Juniors Stuart Hines and Chandler Burden to lead this unit and don't be surprised if many short yardage third down plays are run right behind sophomore Larry Warford.

Running Backs

This position is in as good a situation as in recent memory for UK. Talent has been recruited efficiently in recent years and all four classes have players stockpiled. Look to senior Derrick Locke to get the bulk of the carries early in the year along with Donald Russell and Jonathan George but rookies Raymond Sanders and Brandon Gainer will eventually be worked into the rotation. Fullback Moncell Allen should be very efficient in those tough short yardage situations.

Receivers

The production of this position may be the difference in a 5 or 6 win season or a 7 or 9 win season. The talent, size, and experience are there but inconsistency in catching balls has been a problem. Junior slot receiver Randall Cobb, Senior WR Chris Matthews, and Sophomore WR LaRod King have been consistent in fall camp but the coaching staff hasn't been impressed with other receivers' consistency in catching the ball. Youth at the tight end position will probably cut down the passing play opportunities there but blocking schemes must be fulfilled if the offense is to get its max production.

Quarterbacks

Even though my comments above create a little doubt at this position I'm still sticking with my original thoughts from the last few months in this column. I think Hartline will be under center against Louisville more or less because of his experience and the chances of breakdowns in game management will be lessened with him leading the offense in that Papa John's environment. However, if this scenario doesn't play out smoothly I don't think Joker Phillips will hesitate very long to pull him if the football isn't moved down the field and points accumulated on the board.

Special Teams

You can mark it down that at the end of any football season any coach can reflect back and count at least two wins or losses to the efficiency of the special teams. The punting chores seem to be in good hands with Ryan Tydlacka but he may have a battle on his hands for place-kicking duties with the arrival of Joe Mansour from LaGrange, Georgia and if rumors coming out of fall camp are true, Mansour has already won the kickoff duties with his powerful right leg.

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