For eight games this season, special teams were the least of Kentucky's concerns.
And even though there have been a handful of special teams gaffes the past two games, Coach Mark Stoops seems pleased with the work that group is doing.
He dismissed the idea that the Cats' miscues from the past couple of games — like a blocked extra point and two 13-yard punts — will snowball into a special teams crisis, noting that mistakes are magnified by how few plays that group makes during the course of the game.
"I thought we played very well on special teams last week," Stoops said. "Obviously, you can't have an extra point blocked. That's a guy inside that didn't do the technique exactly like he needs to do, and that's not acceptable and you've got to address it. But I don't think it's fair to group that overall with the special teams."
Special teams coach Bradley Dale Peveto seemed to argue the same thing after the loss at Vanderbilt last week.
"In the first eight games, we really had about one play we wanted back, maybe a couple more, but one that really hurt us," Peveto said. "It was a turnover in the second game on the kickoff return. And last week we had four we wanted back that we really felt cost us, so I'm proud of how well they've fought."
He said he liked the Cats' kickoff coverage and said the punt coverage was good.
Kentucky is fourth in the Southeastern Conference in opponents' kickoff return average (19 yards a return) and sixth in the league in opponents' punt return average (7 yards per return).
UK is near the middle of the league on its own kickoff and punt return averages.
Sophomore punter Landon Foster is fourth best in the league in average per punt (41 yards) and is second in the league in yards per game, which is why his coaches seemed unfazed by the back-to-back 13-yarders.
"You look at any level and there's gonna be punters who hit balls bad, there are," Peveto said.
The two punts were different styles, which doesn't show any kind of negative pattern forming for Foster, Stoops argued.
"He's been solid. He responded," Stoops said of Foster. "He came back with a terrific kick right after that, and I challenged him. That was the first time I had talked to him all year that way, and he came back and made a great kick, so I was proud of that."
Kentucky's special teams will be challenged without the services of sophomore Demarco Robinson, whose indefinite suspension was announced on Thursday.
He is third in the league in punt-return average at 10.4 yards.
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Robinson's 11 returns this season are almost twice as many as any other player who has tried, but UK probably will call on Javess Blue (six returns for 21 yards) to field punts.
Blue has been the primary kickoff returner this season with Robinson and running back Raymond Sanders.
The Bulldogs have blocked two field goals in the past two games, most likely helping UK focus even more this week.
'A very special quarterback'
In a league filled with great quarterbacks past and present, Georgia's Aaron Murray is among the most impressive, setting four all-time SEC records this season, including moving to No. 1 in completions (903) and touchdown passes (117).
Murray, a four-year starter, set a league record for career total offense (13,348 yards) recently as well as becoming the SEC's all-time leader in passing yardage (12,983).
"He just knows where to go with the ball at all times and is a great leader, and on top of that he's got a very strong arm and is a very accurate passer," UK defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot said. "I'd say the biggest thing about him is he's just so intelligent with how to handle the game."
Murray is still in line to break a few more records this season, including former Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen's for pass attempts (1,514). Murray is third with 1,455.
Murray, who is the only quarterback in SEC history to throw for 3,000 or more yards in each of his first three seasons, also is just 12 TDs from tying Tim Tebow's touchdown record. Murray has thrown for 117 scores and run for 16 more.
"Murray's just a very special quarterback," Stoops said.
Murray led the Bulldogs over Kentucky 29-24 last season, throwing for 427 yards and four touchdowns.
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