2007 Media Days: Legge's Look at Kentucky

BIRMINGHAM – Here’s a look at the day Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks and the Wildcats had at the SEC’s annual Media Day event. Kentucky finished third in the SEC East and went to the Music City Bowl last season.

Last season: 8-5
Last game vs. Georgia: 24-20 win
Series Record: Georgia leads 47-11-2
Most memorable Georgia win: 1978 – Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Rex Robinson kicks a game-winning field goal as the Dawgs pull a tough win out in Lexington at night.
Most painful Georgia loss: 1988 – In Vince Dooley’s final season, Georgia is upset and taken out of the SEC race after a difficult loss to the Cats. Had Georgia won the game Dooley would have retired with a share of the SEC crown. Honorable mention to Georgia’s upset loss in 2006.

Starters returning: 17

Best player: Andre Woodson
Biggest Weakness: Hard to pinpoint when looking at the depth chart, but defense has always been the problem in Lexington
2007’s big questions: Was last year a fluke?

Inside the numbers vs. Georgia (as seen in the 2007 Dawg Post Season Preview):
Inside the numbers:
74
That’s how many total plays Kentucky had last season – the most the Bulldogs went up against the entire season. That’s far too many plays for a defense to go up against. The Bulldog defense, which made plays, but got little help from the offense, just plain got too tired. Days later the defense had a meeting to flush out some of their frustrations regarding their play. From that point forward the transformation into a championship-caliber team started. Georgia allowed an average of only 49 plays in its last three games – no one was tired in those games.

SEC Media Day’s quote to note:

“Thank goodness he was that good or I wouldn’t be here today.” – Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks on Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson’s play in 2006

“It had to be a big deal because we had not beaten Georgia in ten years at Kentucky. It kept our hopes alive. It convinced our team that the post season could be possible. It would have been a struggle to move forward had we not pulled the upset to Georgia.” – Brooks on the Cats’ big upset of the Bulldogs last season.

“Everyone’s thumbs are going to be heeled. It’s going to be more e-mail. Everyone is going to do it on their Blackberry. There could be more hand-written notes. Young people today have gotten real used to texting today. It will complicated the process because it is something that everyone has been doing, and all of the sudden the curtain comes down.” – Brooks on the end of text messaging on August 1st.

Legge’s projected SEC finish: 5th SEC East
Legge’s 2006 projected SEC finish: 5th SEC East
Actual SEC finish: 3rd SEC East