Hartline to miss at least 4 weeks

COACHES UNDECIDED ON QUARTERBACK
SITUATION

Hartline will miss at least four weeks after completely tearing his medial collateral ligament, slightly tearing his posterior cruciate ligament and damaging his knee cartilage. He did not injure his anterior cruciate ligament as had been feared by the coaches, and he could return this season depending on how the cartilage heals.

“The protocol by the doctors is to let the MCL heal and then basically wait and see if he can play with the slight cartilage tear or not,” UK head coach Rich Brooks said. “If he cannot, then they would remove the cartilage which would be another two-to-three-week proposition. So it’s possible he could play before the end of the season, it’s possible he could not.”

Brooks was pleased that there would be no major surgery required for Hartline and that there was no damage to the ACL. Hartline is unlikely to return before the Nov. 14 game at Vanderbilt.

Senior offensive guard Christian Johnson isn’t sure who the coaches will choose to lead the Cats this weekend, but seemed confident in any of the options.

“We have other quarterbacks, I think, that are ready to step up and that will step up,” Johnson said.

Junior quarterback Will Fidler and freshman quarterback Morgan Newton will both see increased reps in practice this week. Sophomore wide receiver Randall Cobb could see his role as a Wildcat quarterback expanded, but Brooks was adamant Cobb would remain a receiver first.

Brooks said he will choose Saturday’s starter based primarily on decision-making in practice. He said he originally thought Fidler had a better understanding of the playbook because of his time in the program, but is now less sure about that after  Saturday’s game. Fidler went 2-for-8 after relieving Hartline against South Carolina, though there were multiple dropped passes.

After playing a pair of top-three teams to open Southeastern Conference play, watching both starting cornerbacks go down for an extended period of time with significant injuries, and losing a tough game against the Gamecocks last week, sophomore guard Stuart Hines said he feels like things can pile up on the Cats at times.

“It’s just tough,” Hines said. “Sometimes you just have to catch a break and we haven’t really caught one this year. I feel like we’ve played well, especially the last two weeks, and things just haven’t gone our way. It’s frustrating.”

WYNDHAM OVERCOMING REPUTATION

Weeks after sacking Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, freshman defensive end Taylor Wyndham is still trying to become known for something other than concussing the 2007 Heisman trophy winner.

“It’s getting a little out of hand, but that’s how it goes,” Wyndham said.

Wyndham entered the media room on Monday to needling by his teammates, who called him “superstar” in reference to his highlight-reel hit that has made the rounds on ESPN in the last two weeks. But after forcing a fumble in the South Carolina game and earning a starting spot this week at Auburn, Wyndham is becoming known for something other than the hit.

“It’s pretty cool, getting all the publicity, but it was kind of for the wrong thing,” Wyndham said. “It was a good play, but people go over the edge with the knockout thing sometimes I think.”