Rich Brooks

LEXINGTON - If Kentucky quarterbacks coach Randy Sanders finds a head coaching job, it won't stop five-star recruit Morgan Newton of Indianapolis from signing with the Wildcats in February. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who played for Sanders at Tennessee, gave the UK assistant a big endorsement when Newton and his father, John, talked to him before the star quarterback made his verbal commitment to UK. "We respect the fact that in this business a coach could be there today and gone tomorrow," John Newton said.

KNOXVILLE ? Randall Cobb's return to his home state didn't go as well as planned. It was worse than he expected as his grandmother watched from the stands. The Volunteers, clearly out of the bowl picture, closed out the Phil Fulmer era with a 28-10 win over the Wildcats, extending the Volunteers' winning streak over Kentucky to 24 games. Cobb finished with 22 yards on 11 carries as Kentucky's offense produced its second-lowest scoring output of the season. Kentucky coach Rich Brooks didn't point fingers at Cobb, but instead offered praise for Tennessee's defensive unit.

Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks didn't waste any time changing quarterbacks following his team's 63-5 loss at Florida last weekend. Brooks named freshman Randall Cobb as the starter for Saturday's contest at Mississippi State during his weekly press conference Monday at Wildcat Den. Brooks said previous starter Mike Hartline would likely see action against the Bulldogs, but wanted to give Cobb an opportunity. "We'll probably reverse the action and bring in Hartline at some point in the second quarter of the third quarter," Brooks said.

LEXINGTON - Johnny Williams doesn't think there's any mysterious reason why the Kentucky football team has come from behind eight times in the fourth quarter in the last three years to win games. "It just comes down to the players' belief in the coaches and each other. If we get a chance to win in the fourth quarter, we believe we can win," said the senior linebacker. While that may not have always been the thinking at Kentucky, coach Rich Brooks says there's a simple reason for the change in philosophy.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky coach Rich Brooks certainly has heard the theory that the best time to play a team like No. 2 Alabama might be after a big win like the one the Crimson Tide had over Georgia Saturday. Just don't expect Brooks to buy into that thinking this week as he prepares his Wildcats to play at Alabama Saturday. "There are all kind of scenarios, but Alabama seems to have taken care of business in every situation so far this year. The closest game they had was Tulane.

How good will Kentucky's football team be this year? A favorable home schedule may come into play when it's all said and done. The Wildcats will play seven games at Commonwealth Stadium this season, including three of the first four games. As for a final record, seven to eight wins will be in the mix if things go according to this writer's plan. The marginal games include Louisville, South Carolina, Arkansas and Tennessee. The following is a look at what to expect. at Louisville Rich Brooks finally defeated the Cardinals last season after moving the contest from the season opener to the fourth contest.

Kentucky's football team continues to prepare for its season opener on Aug. 31 at Louisville. The Wildcats enjoyed another practice session Monday, which was productive according to coach Rich Brooks. "I think we had a pretty good practice," the Kentucky coach said. "They were flying around. There was some good, physical contact. I liked their attitude. We're still not where we need to be on either side of the ball, but the offense is kind of hit and miss right now. We need to pick up the tempo and block a little better, get a little more consistency in what we're doing on offense.

The Kentucky Chapter of the ALS Association will stage its 8th annual Lewis Owens "Walk to Defeat ALS" and silent auction on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Applebee's Park, 207 Legends Lane. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. The auction begins at 8:30 a.m. and will run until 11:30 a.m. This year, Kentucky head football coach Rich Brooks will be the honorary walk chairperson. The walk and auction are open to the public with all funds raised going to the ALS Association Kentucky Chapter, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding the cause and cure of Amyotrophic Later Sclerosis.

Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks is getting anxious. Aside from the problems surrounding quarterbacks Curtis Pulley and Will Fidler, Brooks can't wait for fall camp, which opens Monday when players report to campus for fall workouts. Practice is slated to begin Tuesday. "Every year, this is a time of great enthusiasm and interest," Brooks said during the annual kickoff luncheon Friday at the Radisson Hotel in Lexington. "It's an exciting time for coaches. We get an opportunity to get everything else out of the way, get out on the field and just deal with those players in trying to get them better and them prepared as a unit and get them to be as good as they can be. That is what is exciting and fun about coaching.

HOOVER, Ala. -- Max Howell had a 30-year coaching career in Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama and had over 30 players go on to play in the National Football League. He now hosts a syndicated sports talk radio show that is heard throughout the South. He shared his thoughts on the Kentucky football program during his time here for the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days. Question: Has the perception of Rich Brooks changed across the SEC with people you know?