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Tulane's senior linebacker John Thomas was giving the Wildcat offense Tits all day. He was credited with nine tackles, including two (for minus eight total yard) for losses. As far as miscues Tulane's slate was clean  no intereccptions or fumbles lost.
FUMBLES, INTERCEPTIONS ALMOST COME BACK TO HAUNT WILDCATS
One thing coach Jerry Claiborne was probably happy to see was the level of intensity. During prc-gamc warmups the players seemed to be ready; the coaches were hyped up; and the crowd seemed to be finally awake after taking a sabbaticle the week before.
"I thought the big improvement was our intensity," said Claiborne during his post-game interview with the media. "We were very intense. So much so that we might have been tight."
Kentucky outgained the visitors 388 to 254 and also netted more first downs 19 to 14, but could never get a comfortable lead. Mistakes played a big part in keeping the Green Wave in the ball game. For example:
*With Kentucky leading 10-3 with 6:41 remaining in the third quarter, the home team started to take control. On third and seven from the TU 33, Derry caught a screen pass from Ransdell and cut upfield and appeared headed to the goal line. A Tulane defender knocked the ball out of his hands as Tulane's Curt Baham covered the ball on the two yard line.
*On the first play in the fourth quarter Cornell Burbage looked like he was on his way for an 86-yard touchdown return of a Wayne Clement's punt. A funny thing happened on the way. With only one blocker to beat Burbage appeared to have run into one of his teammates and fell down on the Tulane 39. While falling down he lost the ball as well and the Green Wave recovered.
*Ransdell was intereccpted twice in Tulane territory. The junior's first intereception came late in the second quarter when his pass was deflected off a defensive lineman's helmet and picked off by Karl Chambers at the Tulane 22. UK held only a 10-0 advantage at the time. Ransdell's other interecption was thrown on the very next series. On first and five, with no UK receivers within five yards of the pass, Eric Thomas picked off the misfired aerial with ease. Tulane now took over on its own 47 with 27 seconds left at halftime. The Green Wave moved the ball to Kentucky's 28 with only five ticks remaining. Clements field goal attempt, however, drifted wide to the right as the score stayed the same after two quarters, 10-0.
Jones And Bozick Get Ready
Doze 'Hypnotized' Mayes For 2 Points
WORLEY GETS UK SCORING UNDERWAY
After holding Tulane on downs Kentucky started its initial series of the game at the UK 42. Following two Ransdell incompletions, sophomore kicker Joe Worley game in to attempt a 36 yarder. Worley connected on his fifth straight field goal of the season as UK took a 3-0 lead with 9:43 remaining in the first quarter.
The Wildcats first touchdown was set up by a third-down strike from Ransdell to Higgs. From the Tulane 25, Ransdell spotted his fullback wide open over the middle. Higgs lunged for the catch and was tackled by Thurston Harrison at the five.
On the very next play Higgs took the handoff. . .was then drilled at the two. . .but streatch-ed the ball over the goal line for the score. Worley's PAT gave UK a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Tulane closed the gap to 10-3 on the strength of a Clement's 33-yard field goal with 6:41 remaining in the third stanza. The team's traded possession after possesion before the Green
Wave's final scoring drive.
TU's defense stiffened a fourth-quarter Wildcat drive on the Tulane 27. Worley came in and tried to give the Cats a little breathing room. His kick from 45 yards, however, sailed to the left. It was Worley's first miss this season in six tries.
From the TU 27 Karcher then went to work. On third and six an 18-yard completion to Zeno gave Tulane a first down on its 49 yard line. Six plays later the Green Wave were at the UK 19 and knocking at the door with less than five minutes remaining. A big play in that sequence was a 22-yard strike to. . .you guessed it, Zeno.
Following a one yard gain, Tulane was now forced with second down and nine at the 18. Karcher spotted Wright over the middle. Wright almost made it into the end zone, but safety Russell Hairston stopped him just short. An illegal procedure penalty against the offense moved the ball back to the six, but that didn't phase the Tulane quarterback. On second down from the six Karcher stood calmly in the pocket waiting for an open receiver. He hurled a bullet over the middle to Wright, who was standing all alone in the back of the end zone. Wright's TD, followed by a successful two-point conversion, gave Tulane a one point lead.
It was a lead which didn't last too long however.
Claiborne's
Following are Coach Jerry Claiborne's post game comments after his team defeated Tulane 16-11 last Saturday afternoon at Commonwealth Stadium:
Your comments on the game?
Coach Claiborne: "I thought the big improvement was our intensity. In fact we might have been so intense that we might have been a little tight. I thought there was a lot more physical contact, especially by our defense. When their receivers caught the ball today I thought our defensive people came to the ball and made some good hits. I thought that was a big improvement. I thought that we came off the ball a little bit better. Offensively, that was an improvement. We still are making too many mistakes. I'm talking about mistakes that can beat you, such as: the fumble on the two yard line; a dropped pass on the five yard line for a first down; and we could have run for a touchdown on that punt return and then we fumbled the ball. We've just got to eliminate those type of errors. But I can't fault (our players) because nobody on the football team gave up. Getting behind like we did. . .last week week when we got behind late in the game we really didn't bear down, and we could have possibly won that one on the last play. Today,
Comments
Mack And Jerry
they got behind and took the football and moved it down the field. After missing the field goal (in the fourth quarter) it would have been a good time for the defense to have a letdown. They went out there and went after the passer and got a great rush on him. They put the pressure to him (Ken Karcher) and got a big break when they got the penalty  I think they had 12 men on the field. That was a big, big break for us. Again, we could have had a letdown after we lost the two points (conversion) to them. But they didn't. They came back and played good defense. We're very proud of them. I thought Jay Tesar again did an excellent job of kicking the ball. There were several times that we did not protect (the punter) as well as we should have. I thought Jay did a great job of getting the ball off. He's stepped out there for two straight ball games and has done a tremendous job for us. I thought Mark Higgs ran the ball very well today. He came up with some big plays. We tried to keep him fresh. When he got out there he ran very well. There were a couple of times where he almost broke the big, long play. But the one touchdown (in the fourth quarter). . .that was a real big play on his part. I thought that Billy (Ransdell) threw the ball pretty well today, except for a couple of occasions. The thing I'm proudest about our football team is the number of mistakes that we made  the number of turnovers we had  and they never quit. They kept coming back, and eventually won the football game. I thought that was a real big plus for us."
Question: Coach, can you attribute the mistakes made by your team because of the squad being too intense?
Coach Claiborne: "Well, again I think really the mistakes that we made there were the fumbling of the football and dropping the passes. Maybe we're trying too hard. Gosh, that was a great effort by (Chris) Derry (his fumble on the two yard line). I was worried about him fumbling the one that he ran (on the game-winning drive) down on that other streatch. Two or three times Derry just ran over top of people. And I could see somebody coming up and punching the ball, because he was giving such great effort. I thought Chris Derry did just a super job. (On his fumble) again, he was cutting back and I really don't think anybody hit him. I think his own man hit him. In otherwords he was trying to cut back, and he was concentrating so much on trying to break the thing for the touchdown that I think he got careless with the ball. You can't fault his effort because he made a great run. He got past one man on his own, then he got behind the wall. . .and I was looking for the kicking team. I thought we had great effort."
Question: Could you comment on the play of your offensive line?
Coach Claiborne: "I was pleased that our offensive line came off the ball stronger today. I thought we gave (Ransdell) pretty good pass protection. We were a more intent football team, much more intent football team today than we were last week."