Blue-White Scrimmage 2011: F**k it, We'll Do It Live

View from the press box, 2:30 pm

Welcome to the first ever live coverage of the University of Kentucky Blue-White Scrimmage, where I will be bringing you live updates of the action as it happens. The horrible weather from last night seems to be threatening again today, which has kept the crowds low, but there are tailgaters and there are fans, and there is an air of excitement. Jonathan North will be along soon and we will be dropping bits of knowledge, observations, or excited gibberish your way for the afternoon. These updates will be random, and not necessarily informative, but will attempt to bring you into the action as the first day of football for the new look Cats is played. Forgive us if the live blog sucks, this is our first time doing this. We practiced live blogging with our pillows last night and asked our fathers what it will be like, but nothing will ever prepare you for the first time.

2:42
Teams have now gathered in the middle of the field and are stretching. Coaches are standing around talking amongst themselves, no word on who will be splitting the coaching duties on either sideline. Also, John Clay’s bald spot looks extra weird in person. It’s so clean, it’s like he manscaped it after he realized it was there to stay.

2:52
Warm-ups going on right now, and gotta be honest, Maxwell Smith seems to have a little more pop on his throws than Newton. Newton’s motion is a little more fluid, but he’s throwing a lot of them high. After each throw the QB must run after the throw. So who is throwing balls after the second guy? Ryan Tydlacka. Christ I hope our QB’s stay healthy.

3:01
First 3 and out of the season. Blue Offense did nothing but a 53 yard punt but Tydlacka dropped it within the 10. White Offense did nothing but to the Blue Defense’s credit, they were stiff. Tydlacka responds by booming a 73 yard punt out of the end zone.

3:06
Smith looks to have good presence in the pocket, he good rid of it at the last second on the pressure. Coshik williams runs around the end for a very quick first down play. Kid gets to the edge well, I’ll give him that. Can’t be too sad to have that coming off your bench. E.J Fields just made an amazing catch and fought off 2 DB’s hanging onto him for the 20 yd run in. Touchdown Blue. 20-0 Blue team. Oh yeah, in case you didn’t hear, the blue team was spotted 14 pts bc the white team is technically the first team.

3:10
Newton just made a great throw to get the White team a first down. 30 yd touch pass right into Roark’s hands. Sanders carries and seems like he’s poised to make a run, but hasn’t exploded through the hole yet.
As soon as I say that, he makes a great 30 yard touchdown run. i don’t even think he had to move his shoulders. I’m calling that a blocking touchdown more than a good running touchdown. 21-7 Blue Team

3:16
Both defenses have been noticeably faster and they are settling into a bit of a rhythm at this point. Sanders is proving how elusive his is and picks up a first down. Kid can also block too, throwing a diving, cross body block on a blitzer that ended up being called offsides. End of the first quarter: 21-7 Blue Team

3:21
First appearance by Jonathan George turns into a pounding 4 yd play. George gets another call and got a mile-wide hole to run through and picks up a first. I’m almost as excited to see what George can do as I am Sanders. Oh yeah, he can catch too; just picked up a screen play for a solid 14 yards.
Blue Defense just picked up their first sack. Justin Henderson bearing down on Newton’s blindside.
Roark just dropped a ball that he’s got to have on second and 20. If nothing else, newton has improved greatly on reading defenses and not thinking run after the first option. Still, turnover on downs.

3:28
Maxwell Smith just took of in the middle on a scramble, and Ronnie Sneed did not care about your red jersey, he popped him and knocked him down. Easy Max, you’re one snapped ligament away from being at the helm of the franchise.
Luke McDermott just picked up the White defenses first sack to bring up 4th down. Guy then proceeds to drop the punt return. Luckily they’re giving them the spot.
Josh Gibbs just collected a very poor throw by Newton to run it in for the touchdown. 28-7 Blue Team

3:35
After some vanilla plays, Brian Adams makes a great catch over the middle, then fumbles going down. Blue Team ball. CoShik Williams makes a couples good runs up the middle then outside. It is worth noting moving Winston Guy closer to the line has freed him up a bit, he’s flying all over the field. White Defense forces turnover on downs.
First down bomb from Newton was just inches away from Brian Adams hauling it n for a 65 yard TD. Second down ctach by La’Rod King was impressive considering the throw, but still a first down. Only problem is, Newton’s now locking in on receivers. Stared down his first option even though Sanders had all the space in the world on the backside swing

3:45
Turnover on downs for the White offense. After that pick, Newton seems to have have reverted a bit. His patience is gone and he’s not getting set when he throws. In his defense the Blue defense has been working harder than the White.
It seems that all that needs to happen for someone to step up is for me to call them out. Collins Ukwu just made a power move to pull in a sack. Halftime: 28-7 Blue Team

3:51
Jonathan George just blew by everyone for a 60+ yard TD, but got called back on a holding penalty. Blue defense then shut the lid and forced a change of possession.
After a sack, Max Smith pulled an amazing play action that literally had blizters turning around and looking for the runner. pass was incomplete, but it wasn’t Smith’s fault.

4:00
Jonathan George making splashes again, but not much else. Another dropped pass by by Roark, another stalled drive. I think we’re getting to the bottom of the playbook, players are starting to look more confused and doing what they think they should be doing instead of what they’re told.

4:05
White offense finally getting into a groove as Roark has made a few catches and Sanders is finding the seams .
Brian Adams with a great 40 yard catch and run down to the three. He earns the reward as the next play is a slant in the end zone to Adams for the TD. 28-14 Blue Team, 2:48 left in the quarter

4:10
Roark finally m
akes a strong catch over the middle, and got knocked from all sides for it. Cost of the glory and if he wants to be the man, he has to keep making plays like that.
Pass interference takes the White offense down to the 29 yard line where Brian Adams took advantage of sagging coverage to pull in a TD on the next play. 28-21 Blue team at the end of the third quarter.

4:17
Newton is confusing as all hell. His touch on the long passes is phenomenal but his short passes come out like a like musket shot: huge flash and bang, no idea where it’s going to end up. Three passes in a row have been high. That’s an easy way to break a lot of your guys in half and make sure that the rest aren’t too keen on extending themselves for the next one.

4:20
First designed run for Newton on the day, I was wondering how it was going to look with the “hands off” rule. 3 yard run that was awarded a first down. The press box is laughing at that one.
Miles Simpson has been hearing his name called all day, kudos to the coaches for that position change, he’d never see the field at RB. Newton continues his “spray and pray” approach with a 5 yard out throw that easily sailed 2 yards behind the target.

4:26
Newton throws a 3 yard TD pass to E.J. Fields on what was a decent throw but would have been in real trouble had the corner been in position and turned around. Guess that’s why he threw it. 28-28 with 3:30 left in the scrimmage. Ridge Wilson starts the defense stand with a sack on first down and then the White Defense blanks it by committing pass interference. Another sack and the Blue offense is on the ropes again. White D holds firm and Cartier Rice hauls in a long interception.

4:32
Newton made a great scramble play and pulled a 3 yard run on a completely busted play. No first down this time though. the skies just opened UP! people started scattering like they were being shot at. Quick shower and it’s down to a drizzle.
Jerrel Priester just dropped a pass that was thrown right into his stomach, but in his defense it was probably a very wet ball. Blue offense takes over at the 19. A holding penalty and a sack later and its third and 26. Turnover on downs.

4:39

Mansour just booted one of the ugliest FG’s I’ve ever seen to put the blue team up 31-28 with 47 seconds left. White team on the move, but a Justin Henderson sack puts the kebash on this

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