Breakdown per ESPN

[BlueRaider22]

• 
  
  Chris Low, ESPN Senior Staff Writer

For a glorious six games last year, Kentucky looked bowl-bound. Then the Wildcats went winless in their final six. Some promising young talent (26 redshirt freshmen) should make a difference, but scratching out the first winning season in Lexington since 2009 will nonetheless be a chore.
Offense
How the Wildcats beat you: Shannon Dawson, a disciple of Hal Mumme’s Air Raid offense, takes over as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator after four years at West Virginia. Dawson’s aim for this team? Be as physical as it is fast. That charge will be led by Kentucky’s versatile stable of running backs, particularly Stanley “Boom” Williams and Jojo Kemp, and what the Wildcats hope will be an improved line with four starters returning. Patrick Towles has to hold off redshirt freshman Drew Barker for the starting QB job, but Towles was a pleasant surprise last fall and should be able to handle a heavier load in his second full season as the starter.
How you beat the Wildcats beat you: Towles’ production waned during Kentucky’s six-game losing streak. Often, he simply didn’t have enough time to make anything happen; other times, he rushed his decision-making. The Wildcats don’t have the muscle on the offensive line or playmaking at receiver to make up for negative plays, which means first downs will be vitally important. During the losing streak, Towles threw just 4 TD passes and was sacked 23 times. Kentucky hopes to have more deep threats in 2015, but defenses will load up to stop the run and force Towles to prove he can make them pay.
Defense
How the Wildcats beat you: With star pass rushers Alvin “Bud” Dupree and Za’Darius Smith having departed, a combined 25 sacks from the past two seasons is gone. Kentucky plans to mix in some four-man and three-man fronts and hopes junior Jason Hatcher and redshirt freshman Denzil Ware can provide the same kind of pressure. Other than Dupree and Smith, just about everybody else on defense returns, so the Wildcats should be less susceptible to busted assignments and giving up explosive plays. They should be particularly strong up the middle, with 2014 standouts Josh Forrest and Ryan Flannigan returning at linebacker and A.J. Stamps back at safety.
How you beat the Wildcats: While Kentucky will look to bring pressure from different angles, it’s unclear whether the Wildcats can rush the passer without having to sell out and blitz, especially with Dupree and Smith no longer around. And if Kentucky winds up in a lot of single coverage in the secondary, it could be disastrous. The Wildcats gave up 157 points in their final three games last year and were torched for more than 40 points in five of their last six (they averaged 31.3 on the season). They simply ran out of gas on defense last season, and a big part of that was a lack of depth.



http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/tag/_/name/2015secmagpreview

 

[JasonS.]

Here's hoping he's wrong on our playmaking ability on the outside, but have to prove it on the field. I'd have thrown in a mention on potential production from the TE position, which is something we haven't seen in years. But again, that's speculation till we see it on Saturdays.

Think he nailed it defensively.

 

[hmt5000]

agree. we got more experience and depth at wr than we've had in a long while. not sure we got any allstars but timmons, badet, and johnson are better than average and we got 4 or 5 other guys who "could" be really really good.

 

[wildcatbd21]

Chris was right on a lot of his analysis. But I think he is way off on his view of our WRs. We lose only Blue and Robinson. But add back in Montgomery and Badet. And Snodgrass is coming in after his RS year. No knock on Blue and Robinson, but, I think this is an improvement. Add to that, the experience Bone, Baker, Johnson and Williams got last year, and Conrad and Long being major improvements at TE. I think our passing game can be very special. This is not even including our RBs as pass catching threats out of the backfield.

 

[BlueTick2]

I don't care how good your QB is, or how good the receivers are, if the O-Line cant protect, it negates all other play.

Got to have a vastly improved O-Line this season.

 

[Brock28]

I don't care how good your QB is, or how good the receivers are, if the O-Line cant protect, it negates all other play.

Got to have a vastly improved O-Line this season.

Nailed it!

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I don't care how good your QB is, or how good the receivers are, if the O-Line cant protect, it negates all other play.

Got to have a vastly improved O-Line this season.

Agree 100%, doesn't matter who you have throwing it, catching it or carrying it, if the big guys up front can't give him time to throw it or open up some holes for him to carry it through it doesn't matter. UK's offense had good skill players in 14, SEC level all over the field, the weak link was the guys up front. It will be the same in 15, if those guys up front have improved over the 14 group the offense will also improve. They get no glory but they are the ones who make a team move.

 

[shutzhund]

I don't care how good your QB is, or how good the receivers are, if the O-Line cant protect, it negates all other play.

Got to have a vastly improved O-Line this season.

Yeah! Forget all talk about a QB and WR if the O-Line is weak or prone to mistakes. Same for D-Backs and Linebackers. If the D-Line is ineffective then there'll be some long Saturday afternoons.

Thought the ESPN guy had a realistic view untainted by blue lenses. The red shirt freshman reference was the most positive remark to bolster our hopes.

 

[Levibooty]

I've been saying this for several years now. The fact remains football game are won and lost in the trenches. That is an old statement but it is still a true statement many more times than not. I'm still hoping Schlarman is as good as Summers was. Neal Brown wanted Schlarman and let Summers go, now Brown is gone and I hope Schlarman is a great coach to be.

I have always shuddered a bit when I think of Kentucky deciding to let go proven line position coaches like OL coach Summers and DL coach Rick Petri.

 

[Dakota25]

Getting rebuilding Florida and South Carolina early in the schedule is a plus. I don't think UK gets South Carolina but I think it will be close like under 14 points. Florida will be more opurtune but since Kentucky hasn't beaten them in my entire life, I'm 26, I cant really predict a win but I wouldn't be surprised to see UK get it.

 

[ctroberts1024]

I thought this article was pretty accurate save the no outside playmakers. I LOVE how we are flying under the radar of all these national analysts. They all just look at our record and think same ole UK. This is easily our most talented roster since 07 probably. We have a VERY favorable schedule IMO. The key is starting now worse than 3-2. That means winning the two OOCs and win at least one (I think we win two and have a good chance at all 3) of the SEC games. The new offense fits Towles perfectly and if he can just get time to throw it downfield, he will put up huge stats.

 

[CatDaddy4daWin]

I've been saying this for several years now. The fact remains football game are won and lost in the trenches. That is an old statement but it is still a true statement many more times than not. I'm still hoping Schlarman is as good as Summers was. Neal Brown wanted Schlarman and let Summers go, now Brown is gone and I hope Schlarman is a great coach to be.

I have always shuddered a bit when I think of Kentucky deciding to let go proven line position coaches like OL coach Summers and DL coach Rick Petri.

Probably because neither of those guys can recruit their way out of a wet paper bag. Also not sure Summers would have looked much better with the group we've had the past couple of years.

 

[hmt5000]

petri was the man. he put several guys in the league and no matter the ability, nfl coaches remarked at how well our guys were with technique. i hope brumbaugh is as good as petri... i think schlarman is as good as summers as a coach. will be interesting to see how dawsons blocking scheme (said to be different than browns) will fair against sec dlines. i think it could very well be the case this year that a little different blocking scheme with a little bit stronger guys that are more experienced... could yield better than expected results... of course, it could go the other way too. lol

 

[Blue Decade]

Here's hoping he's wrong on our playmaking ability on the outside, but have to prove it on the field. I'd have thrown in a mention on potential production from the TE position, which is something we haven't seen in years. But again, that's speculation till we see it on Saturdays.

Think he nailed it defensively.

I think receiver will be the biggest area of improvement on our entire 2015 football team. With Badet, Montgomery, Snodgrass, Greenwood, Gosier, Richardson, Conrad, Long, we have a lot more receivers this year and I like the upgrade in size and talent. This will make Towles much more effective. The big remaining question is the offensive line, especially left tackle. But if the offensive line improves at all, we are going to score a lot more points this year. As for the defense, there is no denying that losing Bud and Z hurts. But I think every other position on our defense will be significantly improved, compared to 2014. So if our defensive ends are sound, our defense should be better. Our defense against the run will definitely be better.

 

[jauk11]

Probably because neither of those guys can recruit their way out of a wet paper bag. Also not sure Summers would have looked much better with the group we've had the past couple of years.

And maybe a bigger reason was they liked to do all their recruiting inside the city limits from some reports. Of course it didn't help to have our "recruiting center" and a recruiting budget LESS than for four or so basketball recruits. Maybe worse was the recruiting budget being a THIRD of Thug U's, with all their recruiting advantages.

 

[TuckyFan]

My only head scratcher was the single coverage remark. I think our corners were young last year, baptized by fire, and should be better. The rest seemed pretty fair.

 

[Deeeefense]

But add back in Montgomery and Badet. And Snodgrass is coming in after his RS year. No knock on Blue and Robinson, but, I think this is an improvement.

I think that's still yet to be seen. Both Blue and Robinson made some great plays last year and both had very productive years, but I agree on the larger point, in that the author is selling us short on our wideouts, while we may not have any big time stars we are quite loaded at the position this year without even looking at some of the freshmen that could also figure in.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I think receiver will be the biggest area of improvement on our entire 2015 football team. With Badet, Montgomery, Snodgrass, Greenwood, Gosier, Richardson, Conrad, Long, we have a lot more receivers this year and I like the upgrade in size and talent. This will make Towles much more effective. The big remaining question is the offensive line, especially left tackle. But if the offensive line improves at all, we are going to score a lot more points this year. As for the defense, there is no denying that losing Bud and Z hurts. But I think every other position on our defense will be significantly improved, compared to 2014. So if our defensive ends are sound, our defense should be better. Our defense against the run will definitely be better.

I am a little on the fence with the RS WR being as big an upgrade as some seem to think. UK was on the verge of making a bowl game last season. I think if the coaching staff felt the guys RSing were at or near the level of the guys playing at mid season and might make the difference of getting to a bowl or not they would have pulled the redshirt and played them. Just my opinion here, but making it to a bowl would have been a bigger boost to the program than keeping the RS on a couple guys who could have been the difference in getting to a bowl or not.

 

[jauk11]

TU wasn't as good when we had our two QBs switching between injuries in 13 but Badet was well behind all of their DBs at least twice but our QB didn't have the arm to get it to him. Smith had a good game, 25 for 38 and over 250 yards IIRC but those were two huge misses, and I don't think Towles will have that problem.

 

[RV2]

I was under the impression that Dawson said there were no change in the blocking schemes. He did say the guards will align in a three point stance while the tackles will be in two point.

 

[TuckyFan]

thought I read an indication that we were going to a zone blocking approach...granted, that can be a play-to-play call, but majority.

 

[Cazwheel1072]

I am just glad the interior OL will be in a three point stance, a hand in the dirt.

That should help our running game (at least between tackles) immensely.

 

[Blue Decade]

I am a little on the fence with the RS WR being as big an upgrade as some seem to think. UK was on the verge of making a bowl game last season. I think if the coaching staff felt the guys RSing were at or near the level of the guys playing at mid season and might make the difference of getting to a bowl or not they would have pulled the redshirt and played them. Just my opinion here, but making it to a bowl would have been a bigger boost to the program than keeping the RS on a couple guys who could have been the difference in getting to a bowl or not.

I don't agree with your assumption that taking a redshirt off of 1 or 2 more freshmen would have gotten Kentucky to a bowl game last year. Stoops played 7 true freshmen because those guys showed our coaches they were ready to play. The other freshmen were not ready. If they had been ready, they would have played. I don't actually see how a couple more true freshmen could have tipped the scale against Florida, Mississippi State, Missouri, or Louisville. Stoops did what was best for his program and his players.

 

[hmt5000]

the rs weren't in positions that would of made a difference. we had enough wr's they were just young and inexperienced... so would a couple more freshmen helped? we needed o-line, d-line, and lber's and they all needed the rs.

 

[Blue Decade]

Actually, I don't think we had enough wide receivers last year. Losing Badet and Montgomery really hurt. When we lost Baker near the end of the season, it was crippling for our passing game. But taking a redshirt off a true freshman who was not ready to play would not have made a difference in the outcome of our season, and would have done harm to his career.