By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky is not only busy preparing for the Music City Bowl, the Wildcats also have been bracing for the future during the past two weeks.
The extra practice allotted for bowl preparation has given the Kentucky coaching staff an opportunity to build toward future, giving underclassmen a chance to shine behind the scenes.
“These extra weeks of practice, instead of having the whole month, month and a half off, it really means a lot to get this little bit extra (work) in because a lot of guys don’t,” Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson said. “Some teams I guess aren’t privileged enough or don’t get the opportunity to get these extra practices in so they kind of fall off. They go enjoy their winter break, maybe not practice, but this gives our team a lot better chance to build chemistry again.”
Kentucky quarterback Stephen Johnson said the extra practice time ahead of the Music City Bowl has been beneficial to the seniors and underclassmen during the past two weeks. (Keith Taylor/Kentucky Today)
While Johnson has been focusing on the team’s upcoming contest against Northwestern on Dec. 29 in Nashville, The backup signal callers, including former starter Drew Barker are getting a jump start on the starting job next season, which figures to be a wide-open race between Barker, Gunnar Hoak, Danny Clark and incoming junior college transfer Terry Wilson. Wilson is considered one of the top JUCO players in the nation.
Wilson threw for 2,113 yards and 26 touchdowns this past season at Garden City Community College, based in Kansas. He ran for 518 yards and five touchdowns, while tossing just 11 interceptions in the team’s 11 contests. Johnson said the team’s current quarterbacks have “maturity and a lot of talent”
“Drew (Barker) obviously he’s become incredible (you have) Gunnar (Hoak and) Danny (Clark),” Johnson said. “I would love to see Walker (Wood) get back out there. He hasn’t been with us too much but that kid is a stud. He’s in the training room, he’s up here more than most of the guys here trying to get that extra work in. All those guys have tremendous talent and I’m really looking forward to what they’ve got in store for next season.”
Although the offense has most of its star power returning next season, the defensive unit has a bright future ahead and will gain from the extra workouts this winter.
“Josh Paschal, Quinton Bohanna, Dovonte Robinson jump out at me,” Kentucky senior Courtney Love said. “We have a great group. I was just in the weight room the other day lifting with some of those guys and I tell you what, I think fans and a lot of people at UK are going to be really proud of what’s coming up. These guys are working hard. They want to win and carry on the culture that’s been established. I can’t wait to see them play. It’s going to be a blast.”
Overall, Johnson said the break has been beneficial to the seniors and underclassmen.
“We’ve all been banged up on this team,” Johnson said. “Toward the end of the season, everyone gets those bumps and bruises. My play obviously wasn’t that good and that’s something that I have to work on. This time that we get off this week and a half or so, gives us a chance to get back in the training room, get back in the weight room and get our bumps and bruises healed up.”
Kentucky, which lost two straight to end the regular-season, a stack of losses that included double-digit setbacks to Southeastern Conference champion Georgia and instate rival Louisville, seeks a better finish against the Northwestern Wildcats.
“I’m not happy at all with the way I’ve played these last few games,” Johnson said. “So to get this last bowl game to prove to myself again and everyone else that I can play football and that the rest of this team can play (is important).”
Senior Charles Walker agreed.
“I think it just shows what the program is becoming,” Walker said. “People are mad that we are 7-5 and the team is mad. We want to do better, we want to win every game, but back-to-back bowl (appearances) is pretty good.”
Gametracker: Kentucky vs. Northwestern, Music City Bowl, Dec. 29, Nashville. TV/Radio: ESPN, 98.1 FM, WBUL, Lexington.
keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.
