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UK Football: Brooks not satisfied, but glad to be bowling

November 30, 2008|LARRY VAUGHT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Kentucky ended the season with three straight losses and will stumble into posteason play with a 6-6 record.

Yet after his Wildcats were humbled 28-10 by Tennessee here Saturday, Kentucky coach Rich Brooks emphasized that this was not a lost season when he was asked if this could be termed a successful season.

"Let me tell you this. It's the second time in school history we have gone to three straight bowls," said Brooks. "The season was not a success. We should have won more games. But in the grand scheme of things, is this a successful season? Damn right it is."

Going to a third straight bowl gives UK an extra month of practice again as well as added national exposure. Still, Brooks said playing in a postseason game is what matters most.

"The extra bowl practice is critically important," Brooks said. "But it is more important to be in postseason play regularly and not be happy with the wins than not to be there. I'd rather be there and not happy with what we did.

"Am I happy with six wins? Hell no. But in the grand scheme, it's better than five (wins) or four (wins)."

Brooks insisted injuries hurt the Cats more than he ever imagined. On offense, UK lost leading receiver Dicky Lyons and leading rusher Derrick Locke and also had several offensive linemen miss games with injuries. On defense, tackle Myron Pryor and linebacker Micah Johnson played the majority of the season with bad ankles and safety Marcus McClinton and end Jeremy Jarmon missed this game.

"Overall we are not what I would call a fresh and healthy team," Brooks said. "The good news is we can get a little healthier before we end up where we are going (for a bowl game).

"As the season wore on, injuries diminished our ability to play as well. That's not an excuse. It's just a fact."

Just like it is a fact that Kentucky has now lost 24 straight games to Tennessee, including six in a row under Brooks, and failed once again to put that streak to rest.

"It tears my guts out that the streak is still in the record books and is the longest streak in the country after Navy beat Notre Dame last year," Brooks said. "Those are negative things that need to be erased. It kills me that we didn't get it done."

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