Mike Hartline

LEXINGTON — Morgan Newton thought he was “the guy” at quarterback last spring, before losing out to Mike Hartline. But going into spring practice, the Kentucky junior knows this is his team now, and he’s ready to take over that role and show why he was one of the highest-rated quarterbacks coming out of high school. “And I think that’s the attitude you’ve got to take. I’m just happy to get more chances to come out and get better. It feels good to be in the leadership role,” Newton said Tuesday.

LEXINGTON — Mitch Barnhart won’t even try to pretend that he won’t miss having Randall Cobb at Kentucky. “He is extremely special. He is a young man that possesses incredible passion for the game he plays. He loves his teammates and it flows out in a variety of ways,” the Kentucky athletic director said. “He loves this university and was very appreciative of the opportunities that the University of Kentucky gave him. He wanted it to be better on all fronts and wanted to make it better and would sacrifice a great deal to do that.

Offensive tackle Zach West of Lexington Christian Academy remains as committed to Kentucky today as he was when he verbally committed to the Wildcats several months ago. The three-star prospect played in Saturday’s National Guard Border Bowl in Williamsburg won by Tennessee 28-18. Here are insights West had to share about Kentucky as he awaits national signing day on Feb. 2. Question: Did the way UK finished the season losing to Tennessee and then losing to Pittsburgh in the Compass Bowl have any impact on your commitment?

LEXINGTON - Joker Phillips won't deny that Kentucky has to find a way to be a better football team next year. “We’ve got to try and take the next step. We can’t come into every season talking about how young we are. We have got to mature on and off the field. We set hard-core rules that we expect to be followed,” said Phillips. “We have got to be a disciplined and a physical team.” Kentucky earned its fifth straight bowl bid in Phillips’ first season as head coach, but lost 27-10 to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl to finish the season 6-7. To make matters worse, Kentucky will lose most of its top offensive players to graduation and could lose versatile all-American Randall Cobb to the NFL. Phillips said it is similar to 2007 when UK won eight games and then had Wesley Woodyard, Andre Woodson, Jacob Tamme, Steve Johnson and Keenan Burton graduate and go to the NFL. “Everybody said we would be lucky to win four games, and we won six and then won a bowl game,” Phillips said before UK’s basketball game against Auburn Monday night.

BIRMINGHAM - Kentucky came into the BBVA Compass Bowl Saturday hoping to answer a lot of questions. The Wildcats may have got the answers, but not the ones they wanted, in a 27-10 loss to Pittsburgh that stopped UK’s streak of four straight winning seasons. Kentucky had a punt blocked, botched a fake punt attempt, got into a scuffle on the field, dropped passes, made bad decisions and lacked emotion far too much of the game. Instead of putting a strong stamp on the end of UK coach Joker Phillips’ first season, the Cats seemed to lack direction and the ability to execute just as they had in a disappointing loss at Tennessee to end the regular season.

HOOVER, Ala. — As far as Sam Simpson can tell, nothing has changed dramatically for roommate Morgan Newton since he found out he would be Kentucky’s starting quarterback in the BBVA Compass Bowl Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. “Morgan is a humble guy. He has always been ready to go. He was one snap away from playing all year. Something could have happened like it did last year (when starter Mike Hartline got hurt), so you have to be ready to go in this business and he was,” said Simpson, a redshirt freshman center.

LEXINGTON — Kentucky receivers coach Tee Martin, a starting quarterback on a national championship team at Tennessee, says Randall Cobb could have played for any school and been successful. “He is the most natural football player I have been around. He would easily be in the top five of the all-time best I have been with,” Martin said. “I do not remember a guy who does as much as he does so well. He returns punts, plays quarterback, blocks, returns kicks, catches passes, gets in the wildcat (formation)

Kentucky’s loss at Tennessee ended a 6-6 season which is not close to what the Wildcats were hoping for going into the season based on the offensive firepower they had with receiver Randall Cobb, running back Derrick Locke and quarterback Mike Hartline. The Wildcats still have a chance to secure a fifth straight winning season — something that has never happened at Kentucky — if they can beat Big East co-champion Pittsburgh Jan. 8 in Birmingham in the BBVA Compass Bowl at Legion Field.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Mossakowski came to Kentucky after having shoulder surgery midway through his senior season and expecting to redshirt in 2009. This year he’s still behind starter Mike Hartline and sophomore Morgan Newton, but he has impressed coaches with his willingness to study as well as his strong throwing arm. He shares his observations on a variety of subjects: Question: How have things gone overall for you this year? Mossakowski: “Things have gone well.

LEXINGTON — Fifth-year defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin knows senior day will be emotional for him and 14 teammates when Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday. “It will be very emotional when you come out for introductions and see your family and teammates you have gone through so much with,” said Lumpkin. “But once you go back to the locker room, you get back ready to go to war. Nobody wants to lose on senior day.” That’s the attitude Kentucky coach Joker Phillips wants his players to have, too. “It will be an emotional game for those guys because they have put so much into the program,” Phillips said.