To say that this year’s offense for the Kentucky Football team is stagnant would be an understatement. Even though last year’s team at this point in the season was only one win ahead of this year’s team, the offense was light years ahead. Five games into the schedule, the 2010 squad averaged 36.4 points per game while this year’s team is putting up a mere 15 a game. The expensive new scoreboard appears to be a waste as it has gone nearly unused. But during Coach Joker Phillips weekly press conference on Monday he made a comment that is still causing a buzz throughout the Bluegrass. In regard to the missing element in this year’s offense he said, “Everybody talks about Randall (Cobb); we’ve been studying this thing, and the guy who made a huge difference was Mike Hartline. I know people won’t like to hear that.”
Mike Hartline was an under appreciated quarterback during his time at UK. After following the likes of Tim Couch, Jared Lorenzen, and Andre Woodson he had some big shoes and even bigger expectations to fill. He was never going to be a difference maker but he utilized the playmakers around him and let them use their skills to the best of their abilities. This is key component that can not be overlooked for this year’s team. Hartline could look for Randall Cobb, Chris Matthews, or Derrick Locke while Morgan Newton has only La’Rod King to turn to for a dependable outlet. Joe Montana could be standing back in the pocket, but with receivers who can’t make the catch, it wouldn’t make a difference.
The job of a head football coach includes many task. You have to be a teacher, a second father, a mentor, and most importantly a wordsmith. Coaches have press conference and interviews all week to send indirect messages to their players. Maybe he’s attempting to pressure Morgan Newton into performing at a higher level. Newton spent the early part of last season angry and in dismay over losing the starting job that he thought was his from Hartline. He watched from the sidelines for all of Hartline’s best and worst moments and had to believe he would have outperformed him. Now at the near midway point of this season his coach is making it seem like he wished he had his old QB back. That can’t sit well with Newton.
He may also be trying to relieve the heat of the spotlight from the young receiving core. Statistically speaking, it would be very difficult to repeat what Randall was able to do in Lexington: He finished second in rushing all three years despite playing with running backs Tony Dixon, Alphonso Smith, and Derrick Locke; He hauled in a hefty 84 receptions his junior year; and set the all time record for touchdowns at UK in just over 2 1/2 years. People refer to his short time here as “The Legend of Cobb”. It would be hard to have to live up to that expectation.
Morgan Newton has had his moments this season where he has held the ball too long, has missed seeing the open receiver, and has thrown inaccurate passes. These are complaints that sound familiar to those that were thrown at Mike Hartline during his 3 years as a starter. Until the skill players and offensive linemen start performing up to snuff, Newton’s production won’t increase.
Joker truly could be missing his last QB in the pocket, but don’t look for AD Mitch Barnhart to be erecting a Mike Hartline statue anytime soon.
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