Matt Roark

LEXINGTON - The best Hollywood writer could not have written this script. Kentucky turned to a senior wide receiver who dropped key passes early in the season to play quarterback against Tennessee, a team the Wildcats had not beaten since 1984, because its two top quarterbacks were injured, and yet somehow managed to win 10-7 despite having only 217 total yards. No one could have made that up, but there was Matt Roark playing like he was back in high school when he was a quarterback and Kentucky's defense playing like it belonged among the elite in the Southeastern Conference.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky senior offensive guard Stuart Hines has been chosen as finalist for the Danny Wuerffel Trophy presented by the All Sports Association. The award goes to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with outstanding academic and athletic achievement and is named after former Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel of Florida. Other Southeastern Conference players among the 13 finalists are junior offensive lineman Barrett Jones of Alabama and senior punter Drew Butler of Georgia.

LEXINGTON - If there is one thing John Calipari appreciates, it is effort. Always has, always will. The Kentucky basketball coach liked a lot his team did - only four turnovers, 20 assists, five players in double figures - in Saturday's 87-63 win over Portland exactly one week before the highly anticipated showdown with No. 1 North Carolina in Rupp Arena. However, there was something Calipari liked even better on this day - UK's 10-7 win over Tennessee in football that snapped a 26-year losing steak to the Vols, even though the Cats had to depend on receiver-turned-quarterback Matt Roark to lead the way (and apparently the Rupp Arena faithful felt the same way, considering Roark's midcourt appearance got the biggest ovation of the game)

LEXINGTON ? Former Frankfort three-sport standout E.J. Fields thought he might have a chance to play at Kentucky last year because of UK's lack of returning playmakers at wide receiver. However, he had two things against him ? he was making the switch from high school quarterback to receiver and he had a pulled hamstring muscle. "Not getting to play was kind of hard at first, but the overall year helped me. I had started on my high school team since I was a freshman. I wasn't used to practicing and not playing, so that took some adjustment," Fields said.

Derek Abney earned all-American honors at Kentucky because of his versatility as a receiver and kick/punt returner. He had 197 career catches for 2,339 yards and 18 scores and returned 95 kicks for 2,315 yards and two more scores in his four-year career that ended in 2002. He still closely follows UK¿football and shared his observations on UK¿receivers going into the season-opening game against Western Kentucky on Thursday: Question: How hard is it for a new receiving star to emerge after the loss of a player like Randall Cobb along with Chris Matthews, the No. 2 receiver last year?

LEXINGTON - Maxwell Smith got his turn in the pocket and made the most of the opportunity. In his most extensive action at Kentucky, the backup quarterback completed 26 of 33 passes for 174 yards Saturday night in the Wildcats' 28-16 loss to Mississippi State at Commonwealth Stadium. Smith took over for starter Morgan Newton on Kentucky's third series. Newton suffered a shoulder and knee injury and didn't return. Prior to getting the call Saturday, Smith made spot appearances in Kentucky's lopsided losses to Florida and South Carolina and started the second half of a loss at LSU. His seven completions in those three games went for 50 yards.

LEXINGTON — During his career at Tennessee, Tee Martin was a starting quarterback on a national championship team. Now he’s coaching wide receivers at Kentucky, and he offered this evaluation on his players going into Saturday night’s game with Western Kentucky: Question: How do you feel about your receivers? Martin: “I feel good about them. I haven’t been around Randall Cobb to know how he practiced last year, but if it was any better than what he has been practicing like from spring to summer to camp, I don’t know who practices harder with more mental focus, making plays and being a team guy in terms of not caring if he got the ball or not. He has been all I could have asked for out of a football player.

LEXINGTON - Tee Martin is a Joker Phillips guy. He came to the University of Kentucky two years ago to work for Phillips because of their friendship and didn't leave after his first season even when Alabama, which will be playing for the national title again this year, offered a job. Still, the former Tennessee quarterback and UK receivers coach knew fans were restless with the UK¿football program.¿He heard the chatter, got reports about Internet...

LEXINGTON - Morgan¿Newton will take the first snaps with Kentucky's first-team offense when the Wildcats resume practice Tuesday, but coach Joker Phillips stopped short Sunday of declaring him as UK's No. 1 quarterback. Newton was replaced to start the second half of last Saturday's 35-7 loss at LSU by freshman Maxwell Smith, who was only 1-for-5 passing for 9 yards and had a fumble returned for a touchdown. Newton came back into the game and threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Matt Roark.

LEXINGTON - Morgan¿Newton will take the first snaps with Kentucky's first-team offense when the Wildcats resume practice Tuesday, but coach Joker Phillips stopped short Sunday of declaring him as UK's No. 1 quarterback. Newton was replaced to start the second half of last Saturday's 35-7 loss at LSU by freshman Maxwell Smith, who was only 1-for-5 passing for 9 yards and had a fumble returned for a touchdown. Newton came back into the game and threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Matt Roark.

HOOVER, Ala. - Joker Phillips is certain beating Tennessee to end last season is going to be a huge confidence boost for his team this year, and not because the Cats broke their historic losing streak with receiver Matt Roark forced into playing quarterback. “There's a lot of young kids making plays for us late in the season, especially the last four games,” said Phillips during the Southeastern Conference Media Days Wednesday. “You look out there, the last game, probably four or five true freshmen playing for us on defense.

LEXINGTON - Tee Martin is a Joker Phillips guy. He came to the University of Kentucky two years ago to work for Phillips because of their friendship and didn't leave after his first season even when Alabama, which will be playing for the national title again this year, offered a job. Still, the former Tennessee quarterback and UK receivers coach knew fans were restless with the UK¿football program.¿He heard the chatter, got reports about Internet...

LEXINGTON - If there is one thing John Calipari appreciates, it is effort. Always has, always will. The Kentucky basketball coach liked a lot his team did - only four turnovers, 20 assists, five players in double figures - in Saturday's 87-63 win over Portland exactly one week before the highly anticipated showdown with No. 1 North Carolina in Rupp Arena. However, there was something Calipari liked even better on this day - UK's 10-7 win over Tennessee in football that snapped a 26-year losing steak to the Vols, even though the Cats had to depend on receiver-turned-quarterback Matt Roark to lead the way (and apparently the Rupp Arena faithful felt the same way, considering Roark's midcourt appearance got the biggest ovation of the game)

LEXINGTON - The best Hollywood writer could not have written this script. Kentucky turned to a senior wide receiver who dropped key passes early in the season to play quarterback against Tennessee, a team the Wildcats had not beaten since 1984, because its two top quarterbacks were injured, and yet somehow managed to win 10-7 despite having only 217 total yards. No one could have made that up, but there was Matt Roark playing like he was back in high school when he was a quarterback and Kentucky's defense playing like it belonged among the elite in the Southeastern Conference.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky senior offensive guard Stuart Hines has been chosen as finalist for the Danny Wuerffel Trophy presented by the All Sports Association. The award goes to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with outstanding academic and athletic achievement and is named after former Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel of Florida. Other Southeastern Conference players among the 13 finalists are junior offensive lineman Barrett Jones of Alabama and senior punter Drew Butler of Georgia.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky's improved offensive play the past two games has been attributed largely to the play of freshman quarterback Maxwell Smith along with the running of CoShik Williams and receiving of Matt Roark. However, Kentucky coach Joker Phillips says not to underestimate the play of the offensive line. “Those guys have continued to improve. We gave up a sack late in the game (against Mississippi Saturday) but we probably could have got ball out of our hands before the sack took place,” said Phillips.

LEXINGTON - Matt Roark didn't need long to explain what Kentucky freshman quarterback Maxwell Smith has done to help him the last two games. “He has thrown the ball to me,” said Roark after Saturday's 30-13 win over Mississippi here. “We have practiced a lot together, and he has done a good job hitting me and throwing the ball where it should be.” How good? Roark had seven catches for 116 yards against Ole Miss. The week before he had a career-high 13 catches for 116 yards against Mississippi State with most of the receptions coming after Smith took over at quarterback for an injured Morgan Newton.

LEXINGTON�¿ - Maxwell Smith got his turn in the pocket and made the most of the opportunity. In his most extensive action at Kentucky, the backup quarterback completed 26-of-33 passes for 174 yards in the Wildcats' 28-16 loss to Mississippi State Saturday night at Commonwealth�¿Stadium. Smith took over for starter Morgan Newton on Kentucky's third series. Newton suffered a shoulder and knee injury and didn't return.�¿Smith finished the first half and was Kentucky's signal caller during the remainder of the game.

LEXINGTON - Maxwell Smith got his turn in the pocket and made the most of the opportunity. In his most extensive action at Kentucky, the backup quarterback completed 26 of 33 passes for 174 yards Saturday night in the Wildcats' 28-16 loss to Mississippi State at Commonwealth Stadium. Smith took over for starter Morgan Newton on Kentucky's third series. Newton suffered a shoulder and knee injury and didn't return. Prior to getting the call Saturday, Smith made spot appearances in Kentucky's lopsided losses to Florida and South Carolina and started the second half of a loss at LSU. His seven completions in those three games went for 50 yards.

LEXINGTON - Morgan¿Newton will take the first snaps with Kentucky's first-team offense when the Wildcats resume practice Tuesday, but coach Joker Phillips stopped short Sunday of declaring him as UK's No. 1 quarterback. Newton was replaced to start the second half of last Saturday's 35-7 loss at LSU by freshman Maxwell Smith, who was only 1-for-5 passing for 9 yards and had a fumble returned for a touchdown. Newton came back into the game and threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Matt Roark.