Tuesday, August 28, 2001
Lorenzen keeps starting job at UK
Highlands grad says he's happy
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON — Highlands graduate Jared Lorenzen, a 6-5, 275-pounder, will start at quarterback for Kentucky when the Wildcats play intrastate rival Louisville in their opener Saturday, first-year coach Guy Morriss announced Monday.
Although Lorenzen earned the starting nod, Morriss said freshman Shane Boyd will play a lot.
“We want to take advantage of both of our quarterbacks' strengths,” Morriss said. “We want to have a situation where when one of them is struggling, the other will get the majority of the playing time. Maybe he's got the hot hand. I think we can use that as a positive.
“I think they're close enough in talent that both will play all season long. I don't think all of the sudden now that the Louisville game is here that one of them is going to be decisively better. If he was going to, we probably would have seen it by now.”
Lorenzen started all 11 of Kentucky's games last season, throwing for 3,687 yards, 19 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Despite the team's 2-9 record, Lorenzen set six NCAA freshman records and earned Southeastern Conference co-Freshman of the Year honors.
“Obviously, I'm happy,” Lorenzen said. “But, realistically, we're both going to play. The only difference is I'm going to run out of the tunnel knowing I'm going to play the first series.
“Teams are going to have a lot tougher time preparing for me and Shane because we both bring different things to the table. We both love throwing the ball, but I like staying in the pocket and he likes getting out in the open and making plays.”
Morriss said the decision came down to a choice between Lorenzen's experience and Boyd's athleticism. “(Jared's) maturity gave him the edge,” Morriss said. “He's a different player now than he was a year ago. He's handling things better — handling adversity better — picking up new ideas quicker and making quicker decisions. He's had 11 games of experience, so he knows what to look for and where the problems are coming from.”
Morriss and Lorenzen set a target weight of between 265 and 268 pounds last spring, and the sophomore worked hard to reach that goal. He was as heavy as 308 after the Tennessee game last season, Morriss said.
“He's probably in the best shape he's ever been in his life,” Morriss said. “He's got his weight down and under control.”
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