LEXINGTON – Kentucky football coach Joker Phillips says he’s looking to see continued improvement in his playmakers and intensity across the board when the Wildcats hold their Blue-White spring game Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium.
The game will start at 6.
Looking ahead to the Blue-White game, which will have a regular game format like this past season (first team vs. second team, with the second team staked to a 14-0 lead), Phillips says he wants to see his players compete.
And Phillips said this week that he and his staff are looking to see playmakers step forward.
“I was really pleased with what I saw in the scrimmage,” Phillips said Wednesday after Kentucky held its last scrimmage prior to Saturday’s action. “There were plays made on both sides of the ball, and it was really competitive.”
Phillips also suggests his team will have more playmakers when it takes the field Saturday and again Sept. 2 in the regular-season opener at Louisville.
“We really think right now we know who our playmakers are ... guys who can make things happen,” Phillips said. “(Sophomore wide receiver) Demarco Robinson is one of those guys, and (sophomore quarterback) Maxwell Smith is doing well for us.
“People don’t consider (senior offensive guard) Larry Warford a playmaker, but he is as big a playmaker as there is on this team. (Redshirt freshman wide receiver) Daryl Collins has made a lot of plays. (Sophomore) Ronnie Shields is holding down the starting tight end position, and he has moved ahead of the rest of the guys.”
Frankfort’s E.J. Fields, a senior-to-be, also is in the mix at wide receiver. Fields was listed as first-string coming into spring practice.
Kentucky may have even more question marks defensively, thanks to losses to graduation and transfers.
Phillips says junior linebacker Avery Williamson, senior safety Martavius Neloms and defensive tackles Mister Cobble (junior) and Donte Rumph (junior) are stepping up this spring on the defensive side.
SPRING NOTES
> With the Blue-White game being the first public football event since the conclusion of the 2011 season, UK is commemorating the season-ending win over Tennessee with a special edition poster.
The poster shows the celebration after the historic, 10-7, Kentucky victory, including quarterback Matt Roark being carried off the field by the jubilant fans.
Quantities are limited and will be first come, first serve.
> UK athletics will have a “Super Surplus Sale” of team apparel Saturday in conjunction with the Blue-White game.
Hundreds of items will be available from football, men’s basketball, baseball, soccer, track and volleyball. The sale will include items such as jerseys, polo shirts, sweatshirts (presumably washed), warmups, hoodies, pants and more.
This sale has been very popular in the past. The sale begins at 3 p.m. in the Wildcat Refuge area between the Blue and Red Lots at the stadium. It will continue as long as supplies last, up to the end of the game.
> The stadium ticket office outside Gate 4 will be open from 4:30 to 6:30 in order for current season-ticket holders to renew their tickets.
> Fans are encouraged to make Saturday a baseball-football doubleheader. The UK baseball team, ranked No. 2 in the country, will take on No. 1-ranked LSU at 2 p.m. across the street at UK’s Cliff Hagan Stadium.
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