The House of Blue

+++Thursday marked the return of a throwback two-a-day practice for Kentucky. Not a Junction Boys-like deal but two workouts nonetheless. The first workout was outdoors on the Tim Couch Practice Fields, but a hail/rain storm forced the afternoon workout to be delayed a bit and pushed inside Nutter Fieldhouse.

“It was old school today,” UK coach Joker Phillips said. “This morning was more of a run emphasis and in full pads and this afternoon we were more a pass emphasis. There was some good competition on offense and defense. We've gotten some good work with our special teams. We've changed how we are working our special teams: we've got the best (special teamers) on one side against the best of the rest, so our special teams drills are a lot more competitive too. We got better but we're still a long ways away.”

+++In the past Rich Brooks, and now Joker Phillips, would always talk about how their team responded in the second workout of a two-a-day as the real indicator of what type of squad they have. Do they care enough to put forth max effort and get better in the second one as well as the first? I asked Joker if that happened today and he indicated he was happy with the effort:

“They did (have energy),” Phillips said. “It's not as thick heated in here. The atmosphere in (Nutter Fieldhouse) is a lot better since we changed the surface. The attitude is a lot better since we changed the surface. We get a lot more done since (the change). Before, the surface was a surface where you worried about getting hurt. That's the facts. Now when we come in here we get a lot better work.”

+++After reading the thread here on House of Blue discussing who the fastest players on the team were I just decided to ask Joker about it. The first – and only – two names out of his mouth in terms of traditional speed were Demarco Robinson and Martavius Neloms. He then sifted gears a little bit:

“We've got some team speed,” Phillips said. “I base speed on position not so much who is the fastest guy in the 40. Do they run well for their position? Larry Warford runs well for his position but isn't going to beat anyone in the 40. We've got speed for our positions but we also have some guys that can really run also, like the guys we have to play against.”

+++Phillips was asked how the tight ends are coming along and the only guy he mentioned by name was Ronnie Shields, who sure seems like he's going to have a major role this year so long as he proves he can consistently catch the football:

“We're asking our tight ends to do a lot, especially Ronnie Shields,” Phillips said. “He's the guy we are moving all over the place. He's playing some slot receiver. They ought to be able to do that because they've been here a long time, they've been starters or played a lot of football. We're asking a lot of those guys. We've been asked why we don't use our tight ends, we do use our tight ends. If they're on the field they're being used. They have to separate. A lot of times they're the number one option but they have to separate and make a play when the ball comes to them. It depends on how they develop and how the receivers continue to come.”

+++Here's your daily non-answer answer on the progress of the quarterbacks: “I like the leadership,” Phillips said. “That's the thing you see, but again it's way too early. We're still installing. I'd like to see Saturday and how each one moves the team. Not just the first group but all four of them. Not just move the team. We moved the ball a little bit last year, but I'm talking about getting the ball in the end zone.”

+++When asked who he is most anxious to see in Saturday's scrimmage, Joker immediately said WR Demarco Robinson, who lit it up every time they had a live scrimmage in the spring. It's pretty clear they have a lot riding on that kid opening the offense up with his speed and gamebreaking ability. The second part of the following quote was Joker's answer to a follow-up question I asked on whether they have any concerns with his ability to get off the line of scrimmage because of his size:

“I'm most eager to see Demarco Robinson,” Phillips said. “Again, every time we've been in the stadium he's made a play. I hope that continues because we need him as a big play guy for us. It's so hard to drive the ball the length of the field so you have to have some big plays in your repertoire so therefore he has to be one of those big play guys for us.

“He has enough quicks and we line him up in enough spots that you can't always say (where he is). He's inside sometimes, he's outside on both sides. He's becoming a guy that we can depend on. He made a 4.0 this summer. That's a huge step for a guy that came in here last year and didn't always understand how to do things the Wildcat Way, the right way all the time. He understands how to do that all the time now.”

+++If Robinson doesn't make the big impact they think he will – or even if he does – it seems if they continue along the same learning curve that both DeMarcus Sweat and A.J. Legree are going to be on the field early at WR. The way he describes them below reminds me so much of the stuff Joker used to say about Keenan Burton and Stevie Johnson.

“A couple of those young guys, when the ball is in the air they are angry, angry guys,” Phillips said. “That's what you have to be. That's what we've had around here, guys where when the ball is in the air they're angry and it's theirs. (Sweat and Legree) are guys that have athletic ability and they attack the football. I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform in the stadium. That's important.”

+++I asked if there had been any significant injuries of note. There have not: “Bumps and bruises but nothing where a guy would miss Saturday (scrimmage),” Phillips said. “We had one guy who lost too much weight in the morning time so we held him but that was it. That's very minor.”