Tuesday, November 06, 2001
Morriss tries to keep UK motivated
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The names may change but the song remains the same for Kentucky coach Guy Morriss. Week after week, the Wildcats (1-7, 0-6) grab a lead on a Southeastern Conference opponent only to watch a much-needed victory slip through their fingers in the final moments.
And week after week, Morriss implores his players to keep their heads up and continue to battle.
“Right now, I'm the guy that's in position to keep this whole football program up,” Morriss said during his weekly news conference Monday. “That's part of my job.
“If I go around here moping about getting beat on Saturday — saying "We didn't get any calls' or "We didn't get any breaks' — then everybody's going to go in the tank, especially the players.”
Kentucky has lost 15 straight SEC games, a streak that easily could have been snapped in each of the team's last three games.
• The Wildcats led LSU 25-22 with 3:18 to play but fell 29-25 when Rohan Davey hit Michael Clayton with a 6-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining.
• They led Georgia 22-7 at one point late in the first half and 29-22 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. But the Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered points over the final 20 minutes to win 43-29 going away.
• They led Mississippi State through three quarters but surrendered a 1-yard touchdown run to Dontae Walker with 7:31 remaining to give the Bulldogs their first and only lead of the day at 17-14.
Seth Hanson's 29-yard field goal to tie the game with 4:19 to play sailed wide left and the offense self-destructed in the final minute as they lost their sixth straight game of the season.
Despite the continuing heartbreak, Morriss said he doesn't expect his players to give up on themselves or the coaching staff.
“We're desperate for a win,” he admitted. “But the one thing I keep coming back to is that I've never had to question this team's effort — not once. That's a credit to their character and the kind of kids we have here.”
Morriss said he continues to believe that good things will happen if the players continue to work hard on technique and cut down on mental mistakes that have led to breakdowns on both sides of the ball in critical situations.
“We have spurts where we play really good and good things happen for us,” he said. “Then, for whatever reason, we'll shoot ourselves in the foot and that's when the bad things start happening.
“It's hard to put a finger on exactly what it is. If we knew what was causing the problems, we'd have had them solved a long time ago.”
If the Wildcats are going to break the streak this season, Saturday's contest at Vanderbilt may be their final opportunity with No. 6 Tennessee looming the following week.
The Commodores (2-6, 0-5) also have struggled this season and are coming off an embarrassing 71-13 loss to No. 4 Florida. Kentucky had beaten Vandy four straight times before falling to the Commodores 24-20 at home last year.
“I'm sure they feel like Kentucky's a team they can beat, especially at home,” Morriss said of the Commodores. “We're going to have to go down there and play a heck of a game to beat them.”
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Morriss tries to keep UK motivated 
