Prep for Contest Against UK Proves hard for EKU Team

Patrick Towles threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score in overtime, to lead Kentucky over Eastern Kentucky 34-27 on Saturday night.

Kentucky got the ball first in the overtime period per Eastern Kentucky’s choice.

Dy’Shawn Mobley returns to Commonwealth Stadium tomorrow to play the team he once ran for…to play against the coach he wants played for.

Chris Jones | Daily Enterprise Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles connected with a receiver during the Wildcats’ win over Missouri.

Even though they’re not traditional rivals on the field, a confrontation in a Richmond bar and a dorm lobby at Eastern earlier this year displayed tensions that existed between players from both teams. “To this point it’s been good”, Stoops said Thursday. What they showed the fans who made a decision to stay in the cold weather would shock just about all of the Big Blue faithful.

Sophomore wide receiver Dorian Baker was the go-to player at the end of the game, catching two key touchdowns in the final minutes, including the game victor.

Separated by less than 30 miles from each other, the two foes have had very little history on the field, with the Wildcats (3-1) winning all three games, including a 37-12 victory in the most recent meeting six years ago.

A grand jury did not indict any of the players involved in either incident, but EKU suspended Scurry and Graffree. As players and coaches have prepared to face the University of Kentucky, they’ve also been grieving over the loss of redshirt defensive lineman Joey Kraemer. “Everybody gets creative and tries to do different things for certain games, but I see a good football team that’s well-coached”. They’ll look to avoid a massive slip up when the Colonels come to Commonwealth Stadium this Saturday.

“I know they have (had) a few distractions this week in dealing with that tragedy”, Stoops said. “There’s a lot of mental preparation that takes part between now and Saturday and hopefully we’ll keep it going and have the right focus, but so far, it’s been good”.

“We have a lot of people hurting, but we’re locked in arms and working through all those things that a situation like this brings up”, Hood said.

“It’s important for me to just get back out there into the flow of things”, he said. Williams was listed on the depth chart but was on the sideline, dressed in street clothes, cheering on his team with gusto.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Kraemer did not appear in a game since transferring from UTEP where he redshirted last season, but was well respected during his short time at Eastern Kentucky. With a bye week on the way, making it through the Eastern Kentucky game relatively healthy will be key for Kentucky.