LEXINGTON, Ky. – Quarterback Mike Hartline has returned to practice, Coach Rich Brooks reported Tuesday.

“Hartline did some good things, and then a couple of times looked like he had a little rust on him,” Brooks said. “Now, the question is how that knee will respond in the next 24 hours. We’ll have to see how that goes. He moved around well and executed the whole offense.”

Hartline started the first five games of the season before sustaining a torn medical collateral knee ligament early in the third quarter at South Carolina. True freshman Morgan Newton has opened the last four games in Hartline’s place.

A total of 15 starters and key reserves missed Sunday’s practice because of injuries, but most of them returned to the practice field on Tuesday for limited or full participation, Brooks said. The exceptions were tight end Ross Bogue (strained knee) and wide receiver Gene McCaskill (turf toe), both of whom hope to return to practice before the end of the week. Tight end T.C. Drake (severe groin strain) already has been declared out for the Vanderbilt game.

The Wildcats take on the Commodores on Saturday at 12:21 p.m. EST, 11:21 a.m. CST in Nashville. The game will be televised by the SEC Network and also carried on ESPN GamePlan and ESPN360.com.