JOEY COUCH: Change will help Cats

We've all heard the verbiage. Attitude, swagger, confidence, momentum. Something the Cats were lacking as they traveled to take on a great, and I mean great, football team from the University of Florida last week. They're all factors that have a huge effect on a football teams dynamics from week to week.

For example, Florida was riding a wave. NO, make that a Tidal Wave, of these intangibles as it prepared for Kentucky. The Gators had crushed a very respected, but a little overrated LSU team, 51 to whatever. Put that with a extra week to prepare for and game plan, not to mention get a few more players healthy. Let's just say the Gators weren't having self-esteem issues.

The Cats were coming into the game with too many injuries to list on a defense that had played really, really good football and an offense that still was struggling to find any consistency. Yada, yada, yada.

When you compare the state of dynamics of both teams going into the game, the results were very predictable. You could say it was a perfect storm for something really bad to happen and it did. Not pretty.

As the Cats prepare for a pivotal game against Mississippi State Saturday, the coaches have decided that its time for a change at quarterback. Hang with me here, as I stated earlier, the dynamics of a football team change on a week to week basis. Sometimes a change alone can affect the dynamics of a football team. Enter Randall Cobb. Just like Mike Hartline said this week, it was only a matter of time. Based on Cobb's performance during the storm in the Swamp, I have to agree. With Cobb under center, the Cats are a different team. Cobb is a playmaker that could excite any football team.

This change alone could spark a resurgence in all the intangibles and could ignite into a flame depending how the team's psyche is affected by the change. I've seen first hand how this works and it can totally change the direction of a team. I know that’s kind of confusing, but so is one of the oldest intangibles, team chemistry.

I think we can all agree that Kentucky's D will bounce back and play more like it has all year. You have to think the special teams play will be examined with a fine tooth comb and will be more productive. As coach Claiborne always said, it's a third of the game. I'm excited to see how this team rallies behind and around Cobb. Yes, he is a freshman with a lot to learn, but I honestly feel it's the best option to change all the verbiage that I tried to explain.

I look for the Cats, who are underdogs this weekend, to rally around this quarterback change and bring a much needed victory home from Starkville.

Editor's Note: Joey Couch was a former All-SEC defensive lineman at Kentucky from 1988-1991.