Alabama

LEXINGTON - Don't expect second-ranked Alabama to change its offensive approach today against Kentucky. The Wildcats, who lead the nation in scoring defense, faces an Alabama team that specializes in running the football. Nick Saban's squad leads the Southeastern Conference in scoring offense (37 points per game) and rushing offense (215.2 yards per game). Kentucky (4-0), which has played against the spread attack in its previous two games, will likely make a shift in defensive alignment in an effort to slow down Alabama's offensive attack.

HOOVER, Ala. - Alabama football and Kentucky basketball are two legendary programs that once held an exalted status in collegiate athletics. While both still are marquee programs, both are also struggling to regain national prominence and recently turned to new coaches to lead them to the promised land once again. For Alabama, it was Nick Saban. He led LSU to a national title, bolted to the NFL to coach the Miami Dolphins and then jumped at a chance to come back to the Southeastern Conference when Alabama gave him a chance two years ago. For Kentucky, it was Billy Gillispie.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A spokesman for Alabama's electric cooperatives say about 170 workers remain in Kentucky to help the state restore electricity in the wake of last week's devastating ice storm. Darryl Gates, a spokeswoman, said in a statement Tuesday that 20 electric cooperatives in Alabama are participating in the effort. A spokesman for the Kentucky Public Service Commission said Monday that at least 255,000 Kentucky homes and businesses remained without electricity.

LEXINGTON ? If you ask Justin Jeffries, a loss isn't characterized into good or bad ones ? they're all the same. "A loss is a loss," he said. "You never feel good about losses. " Facing back-to-back opponents ranked in the Top 5 for the first time in school history, Kentucky scored two touchdowns and connected on a pair of field goals in a 38-20 loss to the third-ranked Crimson Tide Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium. After crossing the goal line just once in its last outing against top-ranked Florida last week, Kentucky's offensive line fared better against Alabama's defensive unit.

LEXINGTON ? If you ask Justin Jeffries, a loss isn't characterized into good or bad ones ? they're all the same. "A loss is a loss," he said. "You never feel good about losses. " Facing back-to-back opponents ranked in the Top 5 for the first time in school history, Kentucky scored two touchdowns and connected on a pair of field goals in a 38-20 loss to the third-ranked Crimson Tide Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium. After crossing the goal line just once in its last outing against top-ranked Florida last week, Kentucky's offensive line fared better against Alabama's defensive unit.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky had few bright spots in Tuesday's 57-52 loss, but two players who did play well - guard Ravi Moss and center Randolph Morris - are going to be rewarded by getting starting assignments here Saturday against Alabama. Moss scored 16 points and hit four three 3-point shots. In the last three games where the Cats have failed to score 60 points in any game, Moss has gone 7-for-14 from 3-point range while his teammates are 6-for-48. However, his energy and passion are also major reasons Smith will start him. "He has earned that right (to start)

HOOVER, Ala. -- It would not be hard to imagine the players were talking about Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie if the setting was not the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days. No, the coach receiving the "tough love" blessing from his players was Alabama football coach Nick Saban -- or Nick Satan as he is called by non-Alabama fans. He bolted from the Miami Dolphins last year to come back to the SEC where he once led LSU to a national title to try and restore the glory to Tide football much like Gillispie hopes to do with a Kentucky basketball program that has not been to a Final Four since winning the national title in 1998.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky may counter Alabama's size by going to a bigger starting lineup for Saturday's game that would include both Randolph Morris and Lukasz Obrzut. Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said Morris would start Saturday after coming off the bench to score 10 points and grab seven rebounds Tuesday in his first game back after a 14-game suspension. It was assumed Obrzut, a junior center, would be the one going to the bench. "We might try to get bigger," Smith said today.

If Andrew McCloud had to pick one word to describe his last month, it would have to be "overwhelmed. " "Overwhelmed is about the best word I know to describe it," said McCloud. "I would say it has been fun. I've got to meet a lot of well-known people and also let people learn a lot more about what I can do. " That's because the Mercer County senior running back has gone from being practically an unknown in the recruiting ranks to a player hearing from some of the nation's premier programs.