LEXINGTON,
Ky. – University of Kentucky football head coach Joker Phillips said
after practice Tuesday that he liked the way his team competed on the
practice field when they went in more competitive offense vs. defense
sets.
"I
thought we competed well today going ones versus twos (i.e., first team
vs. second team) and ones versus ones but we've got to learn how to
practice against scouts because they are giving us more of the LSU
looks,” Phillips said. “That is when we have to pick up the
tempo. We may have to go more twos versus ones to get better looks and
get better tempo. I think that we competed our tails off when we are
going against (first- and second-teamers).”
Phillips
said the first-team defense and first-team offense usually only spend
about 15 minutes going against each other in practice and about 20
minutes of ones vs. twos. However, the UK head coach says that number
could increase as UK prepares to face No. 1 LSU on Saturday in Baton
Rouge, La.
“We usually go
a 15-minute team vs. team pass, which is really a blitz period,”
Phillips said. “We try to get a 20-minute period of ones vs. twos so
our twos are getting their work against ones and our ones are getting a
faster look. We probably get about 40 minutes of team vs. scouts. We
have to do a better job of working with the scouts, and maybe we have
to do a little bit more work with two versus ones.
“I
am thinking about shaking it up, just to get better looks. It’s hard to
simulate what you are going to see on Saturday, especially this week
with how big and physical these guys are, and how fast they are.”
Phillips
said defensively the Wildcats are expecting a power running game form
the Bayou Bengals, which is a contrast to what UK saw last week against
Florida, which tried to circle the ends with speed.
“It’s
a lot of downhill stuff,” Phillips said. “Last week, what we saw was
them (Florida) trying to capture the edge and these guys (LSU) are just
going to try to bloody your nose. It’s just going to be that type of a
game for our defense. Their defense is the same way. They try to
intimidate you and come off the ball, hit you in the mouth and try to
bloody your nose also. It’s going to be that type of a game.”
The
UK head coach said he has seen a major difference in the play of the
Kentucky offensive line in the last couple of practices with everyone
more healthy and back on the field. Phillips said much of the problem
in the first few weeks of the season was the players up front not
getting used to playing with the person next to them, but that problem
should be in the past.
“Definitely,”
Phillips said when asked if he has seen a positive improvement in the
UK offense line. “When we got double teams up to backers now you are
seeing guys get hip to hip. The first few weeks our footwork (needed
improvement) and a lot of that had to do with not playing beside a guy.
Now we have gotten a lot cleaner in how we are playing up front because
they guys have played together going on our second week.”
In
terms of injuries, Phillips said that junior safety Martavius Neloms
did practice Tuesday, but was in a red jersey and had no contact, while
true freshman tailback Josh Clemons only went through individual
periods of practice and no team work.