The House of Blue

+++For the first time I can remember this season, Joker Phillips said this team had a poor practice, which came on Tuesday. There were reasons (detailed below) but not sure what to make of it. I'd guess a whole lot of it had to do with still having a hangover from the Western Kentucky loss.

“Yesterday was bad, that's the way to say it,” Phillips said. “A lot of backups were practicing for us and we got a lot of (starters) back today. It was a lot better today than yesterday. I think it was bad because we had a lot of backups in roles they weren't used to playing with some of the guys beside them. It can't happen though, regardless of how or why. It can't happen.

“The other day there were some guys banged up. It was the first day back and we sat them to give them a blow and it gives you a chance to bring those backups along because somewhere down the road those guys are going to have to play for you.”

+++Injury Update: RB CoShik Williams is 'really doubtful'; CB Cartier Rice remains day to day; LB/S Josh Forrest is out; OL Matt Smith and Darrian Miller should be ready to go.

+++If Cartier Rice isn't able to go Saturday that leaves Kentucky in a position where a true freshman CB is going to have to play opposite Martavius Neloms. Against Florida. In 'The Swamp'. That isn't exactly a recipe for success, but Phillips did say they played those kids already this year for that very reason.

”That's the reason why we've played them,” Phillips said. “That's the reason why we've played Tiller and J.D. Harmon because of that. We've been through this a few times where we've got caught on the road in an SEC environment and now you've got to put a freshman out there for the first time so we didn't want to get caught in that. It's still different but at least they have a little comfort in games.”

+++To that end, Phillips told a funny story about Maxwell Smith, as a way to drive home the point that freshman don't always prepare the way they should if they aren't sure they'll play, which is why they've had those kids in games early this season:

”What I've seen from those guys that have now been thrown in and had to play, they prepare a little bit different,” Phillips said. “If you saw Max (Smith) last year as a freshman, how he prepared, there was one game at halftime where we didn't know if Morgan (Newton) was going to be able to go back in the game and at halftime (Smith) is over there looking at his playbook. It's too late. It's too late to be looking at your playbook at halftime. You see guys prepare different and practice a little bit different when you've gotten reps in games.”

+++A lot of you have been clamoring for more honest answers from Phillips on some things, well, here you go. Phillips was pretty point blank about this team's tackling ability.

“It's hard to practice tackling this time of the year,” Phillips said. “You want to try and stay up as much as you can. We're not a good tackling team right now. We're not. A lot of that has to do with youth but even some of our older guys aren't good tackling guys. A lot of it is staying off the ground, running your feet and the fundamentals of tackling. We talk about playing with balance and a lot of times when you miss tackles you're out of balance, your feet are behind you and your head is down. You have no balance. Those are the things we have to stress. “

+++Probably not what you want to hear given Florida hasn't been Florida the past 2-3 years and yet has still defeated Kentucky by an average margin of 41 points the past four seasons, and outscored the Cats 94-3 in the first quarter of those games. Why? Because if those teams weren't the 'Florida of old' and this one is closer to that, well...

“This team is a lot more explosive in terms of speed and power,” Phillips said. “They've got a lot of speed and size. They look like the Florida of old with a lot of speed at every position. “

+++Asked about his first memories of playing in 'The Swamp', Phillips had a pretty funny response: ”My first memory is kind of jarred because I was called to run a crack back (block) on Wilber Marshall three times in a row,” Phillips said. “The first one was successful, the last two are the reason I'm 5-foot-9.”

+++That line wasn't even Phillips' best quip of the day. I guess there has been some back and forth between former UK quarterback Jared Lorenzen and former UK offensive coordinator Brent Pease. Lorenzen has apparently been critical of Pease, who is now Florida's OC, and Pease in turn said he wants to score 50 on Kentucky. When told about it, Phillips said:

”Oh yeah? Tell Jared to shut the hell up,” Phillips said, drawing laughs from the media. “That's their business. Tell Pease that Jared is sorry, okay? I'll apologize for him.”