Brandon Warren

KNOXVILLE — Can a Tennessean in Kentucky blue crash Phillip Fulmer’s Big Orange farewell party?

Sure, Randall Cobb could, according to Fulmer.

“I’m just so impressed with Randall Cobb,” Fulmer said. “He’s just done a great job, and we’ll have to do a great job of containing him in this ballgame.

“A lot of what they’re doing is built around him.”

Tennessee running back Arian Foster (27) tries to fend off Vanderbilt linebacker Patrick Benoist (30) in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Cobb, the latest star from Knoxville-area power Alcoa High School, has been the chief bright spot for Kentucky’s struggling offense. He has started seven games this season for the Wildcats — four at wide receiver and the past three as a left-handed quarterback. He’s also returned nine punts.

Cobb has 11 touchdowns in UK’s first 11 games. He has seven rushing scores, two passing touchdowns and two as a receiver. He’s returned nine punts.

Cobb nearly reneged on his UK commitment when Tennessee offered him a scholarship late in the recruiting process, but he stuck with his word and signed with the Wildcats.

His words in this week’s Lexington Herald Leader don’t reflect the long nights he agonized over a decision between his promise to the Wildcats and childhood love for the Volunteers.

“It’s time to let that recruiting stuff go,” Cobb told The Herald Leader. “We’re too far into it to start talking about recruiting. That’s nothing to me anymore. I’m a Kentucky Wildcat.

“Once I signed those papers, it was over. There are no hard feelings.”

Not on Fulmer’s end, either. Not even after a season with what he called “by far the most challenging quarterback situation that we’ve had.”

“He’s a heck of an athlete, and he’s just a wonderful young man,” Fulmer said of Cobb. “Anything you can say good about a person and a player, he’s it.”

Tennessee, like several schools, wasn’t initially sure whether Cobb should play quarterback or another skill position in college. But unlike most schools, UT was a major contender for high school All-American quarterback Terrelle Pryor, at least until offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe left for Duke.

UT lost Cutcliffe and Pryor at virtually the same time — Pryor still asked for Cutcliffe’s advice on whether to sign with Ohio State or Michigan, according to several sources — and then it lost Cobb.

Without those losses, it’s fair to question whether Fulmer would have lost his job.

But none of that will change.

At this point, Fulmer and his players claim to be singularly focused on Saturday night. And stopping Cobb is vital to that victory.

“He’s a really good athlete,” UT junior linebacker Rico McCoy said. “Having a really good athlete at quarterback causes any team problems. That’s the proven fact.

“And for him, he’s a really good athlete that’s given defenses problems all year.”

McCoy didn’t dismiss Cobb’s ability to throw the ball, but that’s statistically his weakest area. He’s completed just 48 of 92 passes for 519 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions.

“He has a pretty good arm, too,” McCoy said. “I’ve been watching film on him, and that was surprising. I’ve seen a couple games at a glance and knew that he could run the ball pretty well. But on film, he impressed me with his arm, also.”

Cobb told Kentucky media this week that he would treat Saturday like any other game. Wildcats coach Rich Brooks said he expected Cobb to contain his emotions.

“He may have a case of nerves going into that stadium,” Brooks told the Herald Leader. “But I think he’s handled things remarkably well for a young true freshman to be thrust into the situation that he has been. This will be another step in that maturation process.”

Saturday will be a big night for the Alcoa community. Kentucky sophomore wide receiver Kyrus Lanxter and UT sophomore tight end Brandon Warren were also stars for the Tornadoes, who have won the past four Class 2A state championships and five since 2000.

Former Alcoa defensive end Rae Sykes — a UT sign-and-place prospect scheduled to return from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College for next season — will also be there.

Warren said Saturday will be “huge” for Alcoa.

“The youth out there, they look up to us guys that are in college and doing something,” said Warren, who was a Freshman All-American at Florida State before transferring closer to home. “You want to be a good, positive role model for those kids.

“I think we’re all excited about it. We’ve talked about it a lot this week.”

Warren laughed at Cobb’s public comments on this being a “normal” game.

“That’s kind of funny,” Warren said. “I know Randall, and I know what kind of mindset he has. He’s a focused young man. He’s been playing lights-out this year. I’ve been pulling for him. He’ll be ready to play.

“He’ll approach it like a normal game, I guess. Well, I don’t know ...”

Cobb confided in several former teammates after UT’s late scholarship offer. He was particularly interested in hearing from Warren, who endured heavy local criticism after his “gut-wrenching” decision to pick FSU over the Vols.

“I just told him to make sure he would make the choice that bettered him, and one that he was 100 percent sure he was ready to do,” Warren said. “I’d love to have Randall here, but he made the right decision to go to Kentucky and play up there.

“He’s a great young man, and he’s doing his thing up there, and I’m really proud of him.”