Kentucky kicks off what could be their best season of football this decade as they will get to face the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana at Lafayette in a nicely-renovated Commonwealth.
Kentucky preseason ranking gets as high as the mid 40's and La. Lafayette can be found in the 70's. With a nearly sold out stadium, Commonwealth be rocking and fans will want a win to start what could be a season for these young 'Cats.
Young is not a work used lightly with this bunch either. Kentucky has four true freshmen starting in the depth chart this year. TE C.J. Conrad, RT George Asafo-Adjei, CB Chris Westry and kick returner Sihiem King. Freshmen also outline the rest of Kentucky's depth chart as Mark Stoops looks to do something new with this program.
Kentucky's defense ranks ahead of their offense in preseason rankings which is unusual for a Wildcats squad. Kentucky typically has to get the win by performing on offense, now they will have to lock down and convert when it counts.
Kentucky's starting QB was announced weeks ago to be junior Patrick Towles. Towles ran the show last year and showed off his ability to run the field despite being a larger quarterback. Towles has worked on his precision in the offseason and can use his hefty arm more often with Kentucky's batch of receivers.
The Ragin' Cajuns' star player is junior RB Elijah McGuire who was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year last year and got praise for the fantastic numbers he put up. McGuire ran for 1,264 yards and scored 14 touchdowns, coming close to school records and will surely give Kentucky's run defense an early test.
Kentucky hasn't focused the hype around one player coming into the season; they have focused it on the team as a whole. Players who will likely show their talent are sophomore wide receivers Dorian Baker and Blake Bone. Bone has been seen in practice catching a lot of long balls and Baker is known for his speed and ability to get away from a defender.
The match up bodes dangerously for the young 'Cats as their defense has never focused on the running game the past, and the Cajuns like to run. With McGuire running the show it could very likely be that Kentucky gets ran right out of their own building.
Kentucky's combination of running and passing offense makes them hard to defend. A pass to Baker or Bone is lurking or Towles could hand it off to Jojo Kemp or Stanley "Boom" Williams for a run up the field. Kentucky's improved offense will have some defenses on edge.
Commonwealth Stadium's new look may prove to be too much as this Kentucky team is no longer the laughing stock of the SEC. They are about to start a season that could give them a new brand.