Ahead of Kentucky’s big showdown with Georgia tomorrow afternoon, the SEC Nation cast of Laura Rutledge, Marcus Spears and Tim Tebow met with reporters this evening for a media session:

Everyone that follows Kentucky Football knows that this game is momentous not just for this season, but for the future. The game has the chance to be on of the most important in school history, giving UK their first division title since 1950.

 “I love being here, it’s one of my favorite places to go in the SEC…it feels like football” Rutledge said. “I think you can feel the excitement amongst these fans of how big this is.”

One of the big things Tebow talked about was how the program has developed, and he sees real differences in it now from when he played against it as the Florida Gators quarterback.  

“I think a good thing for Kentucky fans though is, it doesn’t feel like it’s just this year” he said. “I feel like now, the way Coach Stoops is developing players… I think that’s something that the fan base can kind of get around and rally around.” 

“I don’t think there’s going to be the highs and the lows” he later added. “That’s not going to be the case with Coach Stoops… That’s the difference between the Kentucky now and the Kentucky then.”

Spears believes what has transpired in Lexington can serve as a template to other teams trying to build their program.

“I think this is a lesson in the reverse of what we’ve seen in college football for a long time” he said. “It’s a testimony to the patient side of things we don’t usually see.”

            There was a little preseason hype about the Cats, and while some people were on the bandwagon from the beginning, Rutledge cannot be counted among them.

“I didn’t,” she admitted when asked. “But we should have… at SEC Media Day we should have been paying closer attention to them. It was like this quiet confidence that they had, and I think everyone just sort of dismissed it.”

Spears can also not be counted in that contingent, saying as much after the first question he received.

“Never in a million years thought I would be in Lexington for an East-deciding game. I just didn’t” he said. “I commend Mark Stoops tremendously.”

Keys to Victory

There were two major points hit on in the discussion of what Kentucky needs to do during the game: Get Terry Wilson’s confidence high, and stick to what got the Cats to this point.  

“I think Kentucky is a very good team when they follow their plan to win. When Kentucky falls behind, they’re not able to necessarily able catch up easily.” Tebow told reporters. “They run the ball… play physical… they stop the run, and then when they get ahead they rush the passer.”

Rutledge elaborated more on what Kentucky should do to get Terry Wilson to play confident.  

“Get some stuff going early, some easy screen passes, some things to get him comfortable, to get him in a rhythm” Rutledge said. “Make the defense think about Terry Wilson more than they do Benny Snell. Cause we all know, when that happens, Benny can really get going.”