Practice notes 9/27/16

By: LONNY DEMAREE

Kentucky is preparing to play the powerful Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. How do you get ready to play the #1 team in the country in Bryan Denny Stadium? Most of the BBN look at this game as a near impossibility so how do you do the very, nearly, improbable? Play a perfect game like the one the Cat's played in 2009 against a very good Auburn team at their home. The Cat's played a error free game - no penalties and no turnovers. That is a rare phenomenon by any team. That was against a team that went on to win the National Championship the following year.

* Eddie Gran said the offense has to stay on the field and not turn the ball over.

* Gran said he thinks Stephen Johnson lll will take a step forward. When rushed he needs to throw the ball away or take off and run, and he didn't do that.

* Eddie Gran said Boom Williams has grown a lot since he's been here. "We've had or up and downs," Gran said. "He know's me and I know him."

*Gran said the offensive line is doing pretty good. He said - "Anywhere I've been since we have been here I have been able to play more players (offensive line) in the game. It was good to see the offensive line control the line of scrimmage and that doesn't happen that often."

* Offensive lineman Logan Stenberg played 22-snap in the game and was the in the game every snap when Kentucky scored the last touchdown. This speaks volumes of the trust John Schlarman has in Stenberg who is a Alabama native.

* Darin Hinshaw said that Johnson was going through his read progression calm and very cool.

* Jeff Badet said that if any player has aspirations to play in the league this is the type of game you want to play in and build your resume'.

* Badet said he thought when the South Carolina player tried to hurdle the 6-foot-4 was the dumbest thing he's seen.

* Stephen Johnson was commenting on the weather said this like back home.

* "I think it is a tremendous confidence boost being able to fight through adversity to play and win tough football games like that," Stephen Johnson said. "This was a major stepping stone for the whole team."

* Though he is ranked second in passing efficiency he still has some things to focus on. "I think I had terrible footwork in the SC Game," Johnson said in critiquing himself. He once said he's his own worst critic.
* Johnson said that footwork is one of things he's going to be focusing on the rest of the week.
* He said the SC game was a good prep for going to Alabama but they are #1. "They ain't no joke," Johnson said. "They have as much or more speed as Florida."
* Gran said it's going to be exciting. "This is what these kids come here to play for and it's against the best."