Northern Illinois QB Rocky Lombardi's Status Still Uncertain Ahead of Kentucky

The Huskies may be without their starting quarterback this weekend in Lexington

Northern Illinois might be without its starting quarterback when the Huskies visit Kroger Field this weekend to take on No. 8 Kentucky. 

Rocky Lombardi, a senior out of Clive, IA, went down with an undisclosed leg injury in the second quarter of NIU's game against Vanderbilt over the weekend and did not return to the game. 

At the time of the injury, Lombardi, a transfer from Michigan State, had the Huskies tied 14-14 against the Commodores. This season, he has thrown for 530 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception. 

NIU head coach Thomas Hammock provided an update on his QB's status on Tuesday: 

"We got better news than what we anticipated," Hammock said. "We feel good about where he's at and his progress that he's going to be able to make. We've got the rest of the week to figure that out."

Hammock's update is a positive one, though it doesn't mean that the star quarterback will see the field this Saturday in Lexington. Here's what Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops had to say about Lombardi at his game-week press conference on Monday: 

"Lombardi is a really good player with some good experience and is kind of a crafty guy," Stoops said. "You can see his comfort level in that pocket early in that game (against Vanderbilt,) just the way he was directing things even a simple little out pass, you know created space for his wideout, and then later, another one, he bought time and kind of directed a broken play for a touchdown."

Replacing Lombardi at QB on Saturday was freshman Ethan Hampton. He completed 12 passes for 124 yards, tossing two touchdowns and an interception against the Commodores, even putting NIU up 28-14 once he entered the game. Vandy rallied and eventually won 38-28. 

It remains to be seen who will be under center for the Huskies when they take on the No. 8 Wildcats this Saturday at Kroger Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST and can be viewed on ESPN2. 

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.