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OSCAR L. COMBS
CATS' PAUSE EDITOR/PUBLISHER
It's a killer schedule, but I like UK to go 5-6
Less than three weeks remain before Jerry Claiborne begins his eighth season as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats and the future holds as much uncertainly as it did this time back in 1982.
After seven seasons of everything from an 0-10-1 season to a 9-3 mark en route to the Hall of Fame Bowl, this fall looms to be the most crucial of all.
And it comes at a time when Claiborne may be challenging the most difficult schedule of his entire coaching career. No fewer than seven bowl teams (count 'em, Indiana, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, LSU and Georgia) dominate the 1988 schedule and the underdogs (Central Michigan, Kent State and Southern Illinois).
For even a team with solid talent and sufficient depth, this calendar would be a formidable task. Even the most optimistic followers of Kentucky football agree the cupboard of thoroughbreds is somewhat bare.
In other words, these are not the most optimistic of times. But don't try selling this package to Claiborne.
Nevertheless, it doesn't take a Heisman Trophy expert to pinpoint the losses of Mark Higgs, Kevin Dooley, Dermontii Dawson, Jerry Reese, Jeff Kremer, Dee Smith and a host of others.
This year's crop of seniors, even those of the five-year variety, have never experienced a winning Wildcat season on the gridiron. Not since the Wildcats went 9-3 and captured the Hall of Fame Bowl with an exciting come-from-behind victory over Wisconsin has UK enjoyed a winning campaign.
Oh, how bright the future appeared in the spring of 1985. That fall, UK would open by playing five consecutive games at friendly Commonwealth Stadium. A third straight winning season appeared about as sure as the hot summer days of August. In 1986, the 'Cats would face one of their more promising schedules in years, at least in terms of ability to win. The '86 card had teams like Rutgers, Kent State, Cincinnati, Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Virginia Tech sandwiched around the usual tough SEC card. UK had only a 5-5-1 mark to show for its work that fall.
As it's obvious things didn't work out those two years, last season's bitterly disappointing 5-6 record failed to make matters better, especially considering that the 1987 squad was considered a veteran unit expected to conquer great feats.
Now, Kentucky finds itself in its customary role, that of playing to avoid the cellar of the Southeastern Conference along with Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. The Commodores, who finished with a blitz over the 'Cats last season, return this fall with a crew of redshirt freshmen ,and enthusiasm bubbles in Nashville like it did a few years ago in Lexington.
But all should not be lost in Wildcatland.
Kentucky seems to achieve its greatest success when experts expect the least. With Kentucky ranked solidly near the bpttptn of .the; SEC, you. ckri: bet' 'rhbstj op-
ponents will be taking the Wildcats lightly next month.
And although the 'Cats lack big names in their backfield, it'll be like many of the Wildcats say, they've got nowhere to go but up because no one is expecting many victories from this unit.
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Unlike most football factories around the SEC, for which Claiborne and his staff can be grateful, there will be no great heat on the UK staff to pave a way to postseason bowl action.
It's obvious from president David Roselle's well-documented views on intercollegiate athletics that he is far more interested in Claiborne's success with the players in the classroom than the won-loss record on the football field.
That's not to say Roselle's attention won't be directed to the scoreboard a few times by Big Blue followers. If Roselle viewed football like his colleagues around the conference, Claiborne and his staff would be well-advised to order the moving vans for late November. No where else in the SEC can a staff survive four consecutive seasons without a winning team.
This fall, Kentucky could finished 4-7 and have its best on-field performance of the past four years. And if UK should somehow win five or six games, Claiborne should be elected national Coach of the Year by acclamation.
Even by Roselle's standards, though, this Kentucky team must be competitive. If the 'Cats should finish worst than 4-7 or should not be competitive in three of four games, it'll be tough for even Roselle not to feel the heat.
Actually, Claiborne could be benefitting from all the problems plaguing the UK basketball team right now. Allegations and accusations abound and the intense scruti-ty has overshadowed the football's lack of success at the stadium.
Come Sept. 3, attention will switch to Commonwealth Stadium when the 'Cats host Central Michigan.
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A preseason prediction? Well, my guess is no better than anyone else. I've hit on the hit about as often as it's rained this summer and you know how little rain we've enjoyed.
But here goes.
The 'Cats should grind out a convincing victory over Central Michigan by something like 27-3, but you can bet Claiborne won't be showing too much with Auburn on deck.
Next up is Auburn on national television and this game is very critical for the Wildcat program. There's no way UK can upset the Tigers and since the outcome is virtually a lock, the most important thing for UK is to stay injury-free so the 'Cats will have a full stable of horses for game No. 3 and perhaps the true indicator for the rest of the season. ...
That's come on Sept. 17 in Bloom-
ington where the 'Cats will try to make it two in a row over the Hoosiers. A victory here could send the 'Cats on a positive way with Kent State waiting in the wings. I like Kentucky 14-13 in this one.
With a 2-1 mark safely tucked away, the 'Cats take on Kent State from the MidAmerican Conference. This league has been a constant pain in UK's side over the years, but not this time as the 'Cats win a convincing 35-10 victory.
Back to prime time.
Alabama is not the Alabama of old, but the Tide still has a great deal more talent and depth than does UK. The Tide is trying to adjust to second-year coach Bill Curry. Alabama will win this one although it will be closer than 'Bama faithful would like. Tide wins 17-13.
Now 3-2 on the year, Kentucky heads off to Baton Rouge for the second straight fall. Actually, LSU should be visiting Lexington this year, but with a seventh SEC game added to the schedule UK wanted to even out road trips at either 4-3 or 3^ each season rather than having five at home one year and then five on the road the next season. Thus, the 'Cats were forced to make two straight trips to Bengal land.
Oh, how many times has UK found itself flirting with success entering the LSU game, usually on a record very similiar to 3-2. And just as had UK played so well and yet come up short, the 'Cats just don't have the ammunition to upset LSU this time, losing 17-14 in yet another superb effort.
Now 3-3, Kentucky returns to Lexington for a four-week homestand against Georgia, Southern Miss, Vanderbilt and Florida.
By now, UK's casualties are beginning to mount. Georgia wins 32-10 (too much power), but the 'Cats bounce back to even their record at 4-4 with a 24-3 victory over Southern Illinois.
A year ago Vanderbilt humiliated Kentucky in Nashville. Now, it's turn-about in a year which has the Commodore fans talking post season bowl. Kentucky wins 24-10.
It's enough to cause UK president David Roselle extend Claiborne's contract a couple years and ensure him the opportunity to retire in a normal fashion.
It'll be the last bit of good news for the season though as any bowl hopes fade against the Gators, a team which traditionally has a tough time of getting up for UK. This game always comes the week following Florida's annual feud with Georgia. The Gators take no prisoners in a 27-10 war.
Kentucky has one last shot at a winning record, but the Volunteers chalk up a 31-17 victory in a game which has the ingredient of a fight at OK Corral.
There you have it, a 5-6 mark for the Wildcats, one which most experts believe is an impossibility. About the only things impossible today are trying to escape death and taxes. Football comes under neither category.
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UK athletics director Cliff Hagan has released a 31-game schedule for the 1988-89 basketball Wildcats and the card includes several great match-ups.
The 'Cats open with Duke in the Naismith Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass., and then UK travels to Anchorage, Alaska, for the Great Alaska Shootout the following weekend. ESPN will carry UK's first two games of the season. ESPN will also carry one second-round game of the Shootout as well as the championship and consolation games of the event.
Other big intersectional games on the UK slate include Notre Dame in the Big Four Classic, Syracuse on the road, Indiana at Rupp Arena and cross-state rival Louisville in Freedom Hall.
Depending on the outcome of the current NCAA investigation, this schedule could be the most serious threat to UK's streak of . consecutive non-losing seasons since UK went 13-13 back in 1974.
By the time many of you read this, some of the mysteries may beknown. School will begin at UK on Aug. 24. and by that time, the uncertainity of some players not enrolling at UK should be cleared up.
Speaking to that, one CBS-TV official told The Lexington Herald-Leader that if the NCAA should place a ban on UK telecasts it most likely wouldn't take effect until the 1989-90 season since television schedules have already been set. CBS' Mark Carlson said his views are based on previous NCAA sanctions handed down.
Rumors around the UK campus have it that the final outcome of the UK investigation by the NCAA may not be known until as late as December or January.
With that in mind, you can expect Eddie Sutton's staff to have very little success on the recruiting front during the early November signing date.
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FIRST AND TENS . . . Former Wildcat grid star Ken Roark is now an assistant at Tennessee Wesleyan. He was in town recently at the annual meeting of the Mid-South Conference. During his stay he made his first visit to the Erv Nutter Football Complex. "It's the nicest I've ever seen," said Roark, "I couldn't believe my eyes. I'd given anything to had that facility when I was playing here." . . . Former hoop Wildcat Kyle Macy didn't find the right NBA offer so he's off to Europe for another round of basketball. Speaking of roundball, synicated sport-swriter Earl Cox is authoring a book on ex-Wildcat Rex Chapman, but we're told it won't be a Brian Bosworth tell-all-the-world type ... To our many radio listeners, our weekly Cats' Pause Sports Hotline will begin Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. on radio stations around the state. If your local station is not caring the show, give 'em a call and tell them to keep up with the 'Cats by tuning us it . . . The Kentucky-Auburn game has been moved (Continued, fin J^ge #1