Joker Phillips faced his biggest media gaggle since Media Day when he came off the practice field today.  That's because it was time to announce the starting QB and the announcement of Mike Hartline was certainly not a surprise.  I always thought it was a two-man race because of the experience edge for Hartline and Newton and the fact that a new coach was working his first game on the road, against the program's arch rival, it's certainly possible those circumstances played a role in going with Hartline.  The ability to minimize mistakes and negative plays is crucial in a matchup like the one Kentucky starts out with.  Watching Newton struggle through his interview speaks to the fact that he truly got a legitimate shot to win the job and possibly thought he had done so.  I asked Joker if the closeness of the battle meant he'd be more inclined to make a change if the offense bogged down in a game and he said he would not hesitate to give another guy a chance if the offense needed a "jump start."  To me, the difference between an okay season and a great one will be the five games in October and so September is all about two things--beating Louisville and getting a quarterback to elevate his game to a higher level, be it Hartline or someone else.  The last time we saw a healthy Mike Hartline in a game--the first half at South Carolina--he looked like a quarterback that was making a transformation in his game.  That's the Mike Hartline the Cats need to see on September 4th and beyond.

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