Sunday, April 25, 1999
Bonner, McCord highlight UK scrimmage
Vying for shots at No. 1 roles
The Associated Press
GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Quarterback Dusty Bonner completed 18 of 27 passes, including six to Quentin McCord, as Kentucky completed spring practice Saturday with its annual Blue-White Game.
With Bonner stepping into the job left vacant by the departure of Tim Couch for the NFL, McCord's 118-yard receiving performance suggested that he may be ready to step into the position occupied in 1998 by Craig Yeast, who set Southeastern Conference receiving records as Couch's favorite target.
“I've been waiting on that chance” to be a featured receiver, McCord said after the scrimmage, which pitted Bonner and McCord's Blue team of starters and their backups against a White team of reserves. “I guess this year's going to be my chance.”
McCord never got in the end zone Saturday but was the undisputed receiving star. His 118 receiving yards included Bonner's longest completion of the day, a 35-yarder in which the quarterback hit McCord in stride streaking down the right sideline. A 1-yard pass on the next play gave the Blue team its sixth touchdown of the game.
Coach Hal Mumme was pleased with Bonner's perform ance.
“We got out of it what we were looking for,” Mumme said. “He really spread the ball around well.”
But the coach hesitated to anoint McCord the Wildcats' new “go-to receiver.”
“I think Quentin's still got to make a lot of improvements,” he said. “As I've said before, I think it's going to be more of a balanced receiving corps. ... We've got a lot of talented receivers.”
Eight different players caught passes for the Wildcats in the scrimmage. Garry Davis had three catches for 94 yards, while Jimmy Robinson had four for 62 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown from backup quarterback Mike Scipione. Halfback Anthony White caught two balls that he ran with for a total of 60 receiving yards.
Nonetheless, with Yeast gone and McCord one of the Wildcats' fastest remaining receivers, he's a natural first look for Bonner as he drops back to pass.
“I'm the first read, and Dusty doesn't hesitate to throw the ball deep, and I like that,” McCord said.
Bonner said he's learned the hard way not to underestimate McCord's speed.
“Quentin's just one of those guys you can really depend on,” he said. “We're getting on the same wavelength.”
“In the off-season sometimes, we'd be throwing deep routes, and for some reason I was underthrowing him, and I just couldn't understand it,” Bonner said. “He basically came to me and said, "Hey, look, just let it go, because I can go get it.'”
Scipione played the fourth quarter of the game, in which the coaching staff let the clock run continuously, and finished with six completions in nine attempts for the Blue team for 126 yards and a touchdown.
Played in Georgetown because of the construction being done to expand Commonwealth Stadium, this year's Blue-White Game drew 6,200 fans.
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