CatsPause.com - Lindley, Hartline making progress from injuries

November 4, 2009

Matt May
CatsPause.com Senior Writer

Kentucky's football team has been hit hard by the injury bug for much of the year and is now battling a nasty flu bug that's tearing through the locker room but at least one star player is likely to return to the lineup this Saturday.

All-American cornerback Trevard Lindley has been able to go through practice the past two days and barring any setbacks with his high ankle sprain should at least seem a handful of snaps against Eastern Kentucky.

"He practiced again and didn't get any swelling from (Tuesday) so we'll see how it is moving forward," UK coach Rich Brooks said. "It's encouraging he's gone through two days (of practice) even though he's probably not bursting on it 100 percent. It's going to be sore but it's been over a month now so hopefully he'll be ready to take some snaps this week."

Lindley, who passed up the opportunity to enter the National Football League Draft last spring, was injured making a tackle during the Cats' Oct. 3 loss to Alabama and has missed the past four games. He has 13 tackles on the season, four pass breakups and one interception against Miami (Ohio) that he returned for a touchdown. The senior already owns UK's career record for pass breakups with 38 and is tied with three other players for fourth on the career interceptions list with 10.

The Cats could see a significant boost from Lindley's return, especially in the wake of perhaps their most disappointing defensive effort in years against Mississippi State last weekend. Brooks said Lindley's impact is difficult to quantify.

"Obviously if he's well it makes a major, major difference in our defense because you usually don't have to worry too much about the guy he's covering," Brooks said. "That makes a pretty significant difference and if you think back on a few games we've played it might have made a major difference."

There was also encouraging news on the status of quarterback Mike Hartline, who is recovering from a torn MCL and cartilage in his left knee. The junior has done some light passing work this week without any significant swelling to this point, but his return this season is still very much in doubt.

"He took some pass drops yesterday and threw the ball one-on-one in the individual stuff and did it again today and there was no swelling this morning," Brooks said. "We'll see how it goes tomorrow. He's increasing his activities and we'll just have to see how it goes in the next five to 10 days. Really, it's totally an unknown."

Become a TCP premium subscriber and get more inside scoop on today's practice session in The House of Blue.

EASTERN KENTUCKY at KENTUCKY
When: 1 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 7
Where: Commonwealth Stadium; Lexington, Ky.
TV: Live in WKYT and WYMT markets; BBSN (delayed)
Radio: Big Blue Sports Network
Series: UK leads 2-0; Last Meeting: Sept. 1, 2007 - @UK 51, EKU 10
Records: EKU (5-3); UK (4-4)

Matt May is the football beat reporter for The Cats' Pause. If you have questions or comments about the Cats e-mail him here.

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