The first weekend in November, the Bulldogs will take on the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky, long known for its basketball program, posted a 2-9 record last year, and they have the unenviable task of trying to contend with the big dogs of Tennessee, Florida and Georgia in the SEC East. Halfway through the 2001 season, the Wildcats put renewed faith in quarterback Jared Lorenzen after he led the Cats to within four points of upsetting the eventual SEC champions, the LSU Tigers. Lorenzen is not the prototype quarterback at 6 feet, 4 inches and 275 pounds. But with an arm like Lorenzen, there was only one position for him. He throws short and screen passes with just the right loft, and he throws the deep ball with startling distance and accuracy.
Kentucky also has a fairly talented wide receiver core. With Derek Abney on the short routes and Tommy Cook on the deep ones, Kentucky has a two-sided attack, and with wide outs Aaron Boone, Ernest Simms and junior college transfer Chris Bernard, the Cats have a full arsenal of receiving weapons.
However, offense is played in more places than the air, and that’s where Kentucky’s offense ends. Artose Pinner is the Cats feature tailback, who rushed for only 441 yards last season. Pinner has done some hefty off season work to prepare for the upcoming year, but that will only slightly improve a rather anemic backfield.
It hasn’t even been mentioned that the Wildcats really have no true offensive lineman this season.
On defense, the Cats have sparks of talent here and there but not a solid unit at any stage. The best of the defense is at the tackle position. Dewayne Robertson, Jeremy Caudill, and Ellery Moore are all big, run-stopping linemen. Against teams with a power-back offense they will shine. But what about a team with a quick back? That falls on the linebackers. Ronnie Riley and Morris Lane are the two starting linebackers, but Riley is coming off a knee injury and Lane is undersized for his position. A quick back should have no problem running around these guys.
So what about a passing team? That brings us to the defensive backs. Kentucky boasts a trio of experienced backs in Quentus Cumby, David Johnson, and Derrick Tatum. They have all played for three years, but none are especially skilled.
The Wildcats are coached by Guy Morriss, who has served as offensive line coach for several professional and college teams including the New England Patriots, the Arizona Cardinals and in 1996, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. This will be Morriss second year as head coach of the Wildcats after former head coach Hal Mumme resigned amid an NCAA investigation. The NCAA has put Kentucky on probation, and Kentucky has also lost several scholarships. The lack of talent on this squad is not a reflection of Morriss recruiting abilities, but simply all he is allowed to work with. For this team to win four games would be a huge success for Coach Morriss.