The above picture is from probably Tim Couch's most humbling experience while at the University of Kentucky: his first start at UK, as a true freshman, against the #1 ranked Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium down in Gainesville. With Maxwell Smith's impressive performance in his first real action of the season against Mississippi State, most fans believe that he should have the starting nod this Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels. With that in mind, I decided to look back at recent UK quarterbacks and see how they did in their first start when they were freshmen. Here's what I found:
Tim Couch vs. #1 Florida (9/28/1996)
6-18, 13 yards, 1 interception
5 rushes, -4 yards
Kentucky lost 65-0
Grade: F
Tim Couch is a living legend here in the Bluegrass, but it's tough to find anything positive from this game for the gunslinger.
Jared Lorenzen vs. Louisville (9/2/2000)
22-34, 322 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
7 rushes, 38 yards, 1 touchdown
Kentucky lost 40-34 in overtime
Grade: B+
After the controversy of Hal Mumme choosing to start Jared Lorenzen over Dusty Bonner in 2000, Jared backed up Hal's confidence in him in the season opener against the intra-state rival. This would've been an A+ if the Wildcats came away with the victory.
Shane Boyd vs. Ball State (9/8/2001)
15-22, 215 yards, 2 touchdowns
3 rushes, 4 yards
Kentucky won 28-20
Grade: A-
First-year head coach Guy Morriss wanted to shake things up a bit by starting Shane Boyd over Jared Lorenzen in the 2nd game of the season. And it worked, it was UK's first victory in nearly an entire calendar year.
Andre' Woodson vs. #3 Auburn (10/23/2004)
14-26, 73 yards
12 rushes, -26 yards
Kentucky lost 42-10
Grade: D-
Second-year head coach Rich Brooks decided to start Andre' Woodson over senior Shane Boyd in hostile territory down in Auburn, and unfortunately not much changed for the Wildcats. I don't give Andre' a F solely because he completed at least 50% of his passes.
Randall Cobb vs. Mississippi State (11/1/2008)
7-13, 56 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
12 rushes, 31 yards, 1 touchdown
3 receptions, 33 yards
Kentucky won 14-13
Grade: A
Randall was such a versatile player and could go the distance on literally any play, so head coach Rich Brooks had no choice but to give Cobb a chance to start at quarterback, and Randall didn't disappoint. He was a triple threat - throwing, running, and catching - and accounted for both of UK's touchdowns.
Morgan Newton vs. Louisiana-Monroe (10/24/2009)
3-6, 17 yards, 1 interception
3 rushes, 15 yards
Kentucky won 36-13
Grade: C+
Although it was a win for the Wildcats, Morgan didn't finish the game at quarterback, with Randall Cobb and Will Fidler taking snaps as well.
Billy Jack Haskins vs. Indiana (9/16/1995)
8-12, 87 yards
17 rushes, 8 yards, 1 touchdown
Kentucky won 17-10
Grade: A-
Billy Jack got the nod and led the Wildcats to their first victory in 12 games.Keep following www.wildcatbluenation.com for the best in Kentucky basketball and football news, rumors, and opinions. By Kentucky fans for Kentucky fans
Original Story:
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November 01, 2011
