QB Fohr Now At Ease As 'Cats Enter Spring Ball
By TCP Columnist Nick Nicholas
Entering spring drills Kentucky quarterback Glenn Fohr has to feel more at ease than he did at this time last year.
If things go as planned the 6-foot-2, 206-pound senior will be the No. 1 signal caller when UK kicks off its schedule next September against Central Michigan. Last year, Fohr, unfamiliar with the 'Cats' game plan, came in and earned a backup spot behind Kevin Dooley.
Fohr, meanwhile, took command of the offense when Dooley suffered a kidney injury in UK's fourth game. Dooley then returned against Virginia Tech but gave way to Fohr in the season finale with the Tennessee Volunteers.
Despite a 24-22 emotional setback to the Vols, UK's heir apparent at quarterback had an exceptional afternoon. Fohr hit on 14 of 31 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, he completed 74 of 163 attempts for 973 yards and six TDs in his first Wildcat season.
"I did all right, but I definitely made a lot of mistakes, too," Fohr recalled. "A lot of times I was doing things wrong that people didn't notice, but the coaches noticed it and I noticed it. I'm just trying to correct all that and work on doing things fundamentally sound."
Wave inexperience goodbye, Glenn. Your time has come.
In a move to accommodate Fohr's talents, the Kentucky offense will experiment with the run-and-shoot set this spring. You see,
when Fohr played junior college ball for Hudson Valley he was effective with the same offensive tactic. And according to reports in Wildcat Land this addition in the offensive playbook is more than just a passing fancy.
"Basically, you've got one back set and four receivers," said Fohr last week, describing the run-and-shoot formation. "Your tight ends are off the ball and are standing in an upright position.
"It's (used) just so they can get out in their pass route quicker instead of getting held up on the line. They'll still block if they have to pick up someone.
"What I'll do, as a quarterback, is roll outside to one side and we'll try to flood the zone with three or four receivers."
In 1986 out of the run-and-shoot formation Fohr led the Coastal Conference in passing, connecting on 100 of 205 attempts for 1,512 yards and seven touchdowns. Awarded all-conference honors, Fohr is no stranger to the fill-it-in-the-air strategy that the run-and-shoot offers.
Even though wideout Dee Smith's career presently is in limbo, UK's receiver corp is in good hands. Perhaps tight ends Charlie Darrington and Martin Pennington are the 'Cats' best. Fohr also has two capable targets in sophomore wideouts Phil Logan and John Bolden.
What's lacking is depth at the receiver position and an offensive line to build around All-America candidate Mike Pfeifer. But with the run-and-shoot formation, there will be less pressure on UK's green line. More important, less pressure on Fohr.
"For them (all they have to do is) make
their block, get a little contact and hold the guys up," said Fohr. "They don't have to drive them off the ball, really.
"It's pretty hard to cover three or four receivers. Hopefully I can find the open man, get'em the ball and stay ahead of the count."
Right now, UK is in the experimental stage with the run-and-shoot. "We're working on everything right now," Fohr said. "We're going to see how it develops. If it works out we might stay with it, if not we'll stay with the other stuff."
That's got to make the senior-to-be happy, knowing that the coaches are willing to try something he's comfortable with.
"Yeah," answered Fohr with a positive tone. "That's all we did in junior college. I feel that if we do a little of the run-and-shoot along with a combination of other things it will make us more of a threat. Other teams are going to have to watch a little bit of the T (formation), the running game and the passing game.
"So they're going to have to work in their week of practice to prepare for us."
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Still in awe of Division I football, here's Glenn Fohr's thoughts on the new $5.5 million dollar Ervin J. Nutter training center.
"This is great for me because I came from a small high school and we didn't even have a weight room. When I went to junior college we didn't have a weight room. When I got here I thought Shively was the biggest place I'd ever seen. Now, this new building is great.
"You can come in here all day and get lost."
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Spring Notes: Jerry Claiborne's three main objectives leading up to the Blue-White game are: 1) Rebuild the offensive line; 2) Have someone to confidently step in at quarterback should Fohr go down; and 3) Find an adaquate replacement for Joey Worley.
To answer the first objective, the UK staff must put together its starting line with only one starter returning, Mike Pfeifer (6-7, 290). Lineman such as: Bo Smith (6-3, 256), Tony Mills (6-4, 261), Mike Nord (6-7, 275), Tony Nash (6-5, 269) Tom Crumrine (64, 279) and others will be forced to develop quickly.
The second objective? Senior Bill Allen and junior Chuck Broughton likely will be the two candidates fighting for the backup position.
Junior Ken Willis, who kicked off for the Wildcats last season, will be given the best shot of replacing Worley's record-setting foot. The transfer from Centre has a strong kicking foot but has a tendency at times to be off-target. . .
Speaking of kicking, while UK returns its top two puntersJay Tesar and Jeff Nelsonneither will participate this spring. Tesar is out with an injury while Nelson is currently involved in an internship in Ohio. Both will be back in camp come this fall.
Also missing for the 'Cats this spring because of injuries will be fullback Andy Murray and cornerback Jay Chabrak (5-9. 196).
Bat Cats Square Record At 11-11 With 9-5 Win Over Tide
By TCP Columnist Nick Nicholas
The Kentucky Bat Cats evened their overall record to 11-11 with a 9-5 victory over Alabama last Sunday at Shively Field.
The win enabled Keith Madison's club to take two of three from the Crimson Tide over the weekend, winning Saturday's first game 3-2 with 'Bama claiming the nightcap 6-4.
A five-run third propelled UK to its fifth conference win in nine tries, aided by a two-run, go-ahead single by centerfielder Mark Blythe.
"It was a good comeback for us," said Madison, whose club entered the third frame trailing 3-0. "I think this weekend is going to be a turning point for this team. We've played a bunch of games on the road (15 of 22). This weekend was good in that we played at home. Even the game we lost we came back and almost got' em in the last inning.
"The guys know now that they can come back and win the conference games. I think we've gotten off to a good start in the conference."
Winning pitcher Tom Deller, 1-1, got off to a rocky start, giving up a one-run double to Tim Butt and a bad-hop RBI single to Brent Reese in the first inning. The junior righthander pitched seven innings as reliever Dave Voit secured the win with two frames of shutout ball.
"It was a really gutsy performanceTom threw 140 pitches and that's a lot of pitches for him," Madison said. "He competed very well."
In the top of the second, Deller gave up a solo shot to Crimson Tide second baseman Robert Fletcher, his third of the year. But to the delight of the 836 in attendance on Louisville Slugger Baseball Day, UK sent nine batters to the plate in the eighth, crossing the plate five times.
Billy White scored the first hit off losing pitcher Pete Brown, 2-2, when he stroked a triple" to right center. Thanks to Brown's wildness, White came home to make the count 3-1. Following an out by Sam Taylor,
Vince Castaldo and Darin Rieman teamed up for back-to-back doubles to close the gap to one.
Two straight base on balls to John Marshall and Robbie Buchanan set the stage for Blythe's game-winning hit. Blythe drilled a 1-0 pitch to left field to drive in two.
A 20-minute delay followed because home plate umpire Jack Cox was forced to leave the game (bruised collar bone on foul tip) and had to be replaced. Meanwhile, on the first pitch after the impromptu break. Bobby Olinick sent Brown packing with an RBI single to left.
White, leading off the fourth, smashed a line drive over the left field fence courtesy of reliever Pete Hinkle. The home run was White's first of the '88 campaign.
The visitors cut the margin to 7-5 in the sixth as Reese hit a mammoth two-run shot that Blythe watched sail beyond the 390 center-field sign.
Kentucky reclaimed those runs in its next at bat when Marshall was credited with a sacrafice fly and Blythe forced in a run when he was hit by a pitch.
Roger Gum's outstanding play in the eighth suffocated a 'Bama threat, all but taking the air out of its chances.
Alabama's Jason Bridges led off the eighth with a walkon four straight pitches thrown by Deller. Madison then pulled Deller in favor of Voit. On a 1-2 pitch. Butt slapped a shot that appeared destined for the grass in right-center. The UK second baseman, however, snagged the one-hopper, starting a 4-6-3 big, big double play. Big because Alabama's next batter, Reese, connected on a single, his third hit of the afternoon.
Voit retired David Matsumura to end the inning.
"That was a great play and he did a great job because that was a hard hit ball," Madison said of Gum's defensive gem. "I mean that was a bullet. That was a big turning point because if the ball gets through they're back in the game."
Facing three consecutive pinch hitters in the ninth. Voit proceeded to send the 'Tide
Winning Pitcher Tom Deller Sends One Plateward in 9-5 UK Win
back to Tuscaloosa one-two-three.
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Bat Cat Notes: Concerning UK and the possibility of airing 23 games on WVLK radio this season. UK coach Keith Madison said that effort has been scratched. The idea came up two weeks prior to the start of the season. Because of such short notice, UK officials didn't have adequate time to sell advertising spots. But concerning next season, "if Ralph (Hacker, WVLK president and general manager) will give me the green light to do it again I'll start on it this summer," said Madison. "We'll get it done." The UK coach added that it was "very important that we do that.". . .In a related matter, one of two Bat Cat games to be televised has been erased from WKYT's previous schedule. The single game between Mississippi and Kentucky on Sunday, April 24 has been moved to April 23. Thus, the Lexington television station will not be able to broadcast the event. The Ole Miss-UK double-header scheduled for April 23 has
been moved to April 22 because it conflicted with Blue-White football scrimmage. . .Chris Estep, who injured his throwing arm while making a spectacular catch at Marshall, is expected to be back for the Tennessee series this weekend. The center-fielder currently is batting .269 with a team-high six round-trippers.
SEC Baseball Standings*
Team
All     SEC GB
Florida.........................24-8-1 9-3 
Mississippi State.............16-6 7-2 Yi
Auburn..........................19-7 8-4 1
Louisiana State................187 6-3 ^Y^
Vanderbilt.......................14-9 5-4 2Yi
Kentucky........................11-11 5-4 2Yz
Alabama........................15-11 2-7 5V4
Tennessee......................10-14 2-7 5Vi
Ole Miss.......................15-10 2-7 5V4
Georgia.........................12-12 2-7 SYi
*Thru games of Mar. 28