The biggest question surrounding Kentucky football is coming slowly to a close. Joker Phillips said last week that he hoped that a leader would emerge after Saturday's scrimmage. When the scrimmage was over, Phillips wasn't ready to make his final decision yet.
Joker is still mulling over whether to put Mike Hartline, Morgan Newton, and Ryan Mossakowski in at the QB spot. Chip Cosby has an update on the battle in his latest article for kentuckysports.com. Here are a few excerpts.
"We want a quarterback that can win the game for us," Phillips said. "We've got to go figure out who gives us the best chance to win the game, and hopefully we'll figure that out after watching this video."
When asked whether a starter would be named by Tuesday, Phillips said: "We might have that. We've got to get back and evaluate this film, and it might shake its way out. We've got to go with somebody and try to go with the guy who's been most consistent."
As he did last week, Phillips said it was still a three-man race and again shot down the notion that Mossakowski had been eliminated.
"It will be a tough decision, because all three of them give us something," he said. "Moss has that moxie that you really, really love, the way he has command of the huddle and command of the line of scrimmage. He's a salesman in the huddle as far as selling the play we call. He's that guy."
Phillips said all three quarterbacks missed open receivers on several occasions.
"We've got to get that honed up," he said. "We've got to be more efficient in the passing game to be balanced. We know we can run the football. I'm not sure we were as efficient today as we need to be to win."
Injury issues
Several players who are expected to be a part of the regular rotation missed the scrimmage because of injury. Phillips doesn't disclose injuries on a daily basis like former coach Rich Brooks, but linebacker Qua Huzzie (foot blister) and receiver La'Rod King (stinger) were two of the players he mentioned.
Phillips said King's absence is being felt at receiver, as there's been a big drop-off after starters Randall Cobb and Chris Matthews.
"A couple of the young receivers aren't stepping up and doing as well as we thought they would," Phillips said. "So many times that's the guy who the quarterback is supposed to go to. If I'm a defense, I'm going to roll coverages to Randall Cobb. And the way Matthews is playing, I'd roll coverages to him. That leaves the third guy, and that third guy's got to get open when we need him. So many times that third guy isn't stepping up for us. We need La'Rod King to get healthy for us."
Phillips continues to single out freshman tailbacks Raymond Sanders and Brandon Gainer. The duo got the majority of the work in Saturday's scrimmage. The only issue was that both players coughed up the ball.
"They put the ball on the ground, which you can't have," Phillips said. "But that will come with experience and a lot of up-downs. We cannot put the ball on the ground. That thing has to be sacred to them."
Phillips said Sanders is slightly ahead of Gainer because of his knowledge of the offense and the fact that Gainer missed a couple of practices to injury. But both running backs are expected to see action this fall.
