Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Kentucky Wildcats season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Kentucky Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 10-3 overall, 5-3 in SEC
Head Coach: Mark Stoops, 7th year, 36-39
– CFN Preview 2019: All The Team Previews
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE KENTUCKY OFFENSE
– There was a method to it all. UK had the SEC’s worst passing game, there was nothing happening down the field, the ground game managed just 199 yards per game, and it’s not like the O dominated on third downs or controlled the time of possession battle. It was an opportunistic attack that relied on not making huge mistakes and pounding away with Benny Snell, but …
– Snell is now a Pittsburgh Steeler, and there isn’t another heart-and-soul running back type who’ll carry the team on his back. Even so, there’s a good group returning with Asim Rose a good-sized junior who averaged over six yards per carry with five scores behind Snell. The depth is young, but there will be more of a rotation than there was last year with 225-pound redshirt freshmen Kavosiey Smoke and Christopher Rodriguez stepping in.
– The O will rely even more on QB Terry Wilson now. The former Oregon transfer was second on the team in rushing with 547 yards and four scores, and he hit 67% of his passes, but he only threw for 1,889 yards and 11 scores with eight picks.
He came through in the clutch against Missouri, and he stepped up when he had too. Considering the main man is just a junior, there’s a question about whether or not Gunnar Hoak will end up transferring – he’s the lone experienced backup.
– Three of the top four receivers are done, but top target Lynn Bowden is back after catching 67 passes for 745 yards and five scores. He’s the no question No. 1 target who should come up with at least 75 grabs, but junior Josh Ali is ready to do more after catching ten passes for 115 yards and a score. Isaiah Epps is a 6-2 target who made eight grabs.
Second-leading receiver CJ Conrad is done at tight end, but Justin Rigg is a promising 6-6, 263-pounder who can hit and appears ready to be a bigger part of the passing game. However, 6-5, 244-pound redshirt freshman Keaton Upshaw has the upside to be the better receiving talent.
– The offensive front wasn’t amazing, but it was a steady rock – and should be again. Three starters are gone, but Drake Jackson is a good-sized veteran at center, and 322-pound senior Logan Stenberg is a fixture at left guard. The key is the return of 6-7, 324-pound junior Landon Young from a knee injury. If he’s right, he steps right in at left tackle and the line might be better despite all the losses.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE KENTUCKY DEFENSE
– Seven starters and four of the top five tacklers are done from a defense that allowed 338 yards and just 16.8 points per game. There wasn’t anything flashy, but the pass rush was terrific, the secondary tight, and Josh Allen was the best defensive player in college football – or close to it. Now it’s up to new defensive coordinator Brad White to keep it all going with a whole new group of starters moving in.
– Allen is gone from the hybrid edge rusher position, and now it’ll be up to junior Boogie Watson and sophomores Alex King and Jordan Wright to try filling in the gap. None of them are Allen, but Watson is the team’s leading returning pass rusher, and end TJ Carter is a big 289-pound veteran on the end. 6-4, 361-pound junior Quinton Bohanna is a massive body to clog things up on the inside.
– Watson is a true outside linebacker who’ll get a look to replace Allen, and the inside is set with 221-pound senior Kash Daniel slimming down a bit and returning as the leading tackler coming up with 84 stops. He’s the veteran leader, and sophomore Chris Oats appears to be the next star of the linebacking corps coming off a 27-stop first season.
– The secondary only came up with eight picks – the D made nine in all – and now all four starters have to be replaced. The safeties, though, should be fine with 6-2, 200-pound junior Davonte Robinson adding more size than Mike Edwards. Robinson is the next star of the secondary, and junior Jordan Griffin should be one of the team’s top five tacklers a one of the other spots.
The corners are more of a question mark, needing JUCO transfer Brandin Echols to rise up and rock right away, and with a fight throughout fall camp for the other gig.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP KENTUCKY PLAYERS
Best Kentucky Offensive Player
WR/PR Lynn Bowden, Jr.
Terry Wilson might be the key to the offensive adjustments and turnover, but Bowden is the all-around playmaker the team needs to keep being great.
The 6-1, 199-pounder led the team with 67 catches for 745 yards and five scores – the next-leading receiver caught just 30 passes – and was a killer return man taking two punts for scores to go along with his kickoff return duties.
2. QB Terry Wilson, Jr.
3. C Drake Jackson, Jr.
4. RB Asim Rose, Jr.
5. OG Logan Stenberg, Sr.
Best Kentucky Defensive Player
LB Kash Daniel, Sr.
The tough guy on the inside has range, is consistent, and can get behind the line with 7.5 tackles for loss and 84 total stops. He gets in on everything and is always around the ball – and the quarterback. While he’s not going to generate a whole slew of sacks, he’ll get pressure and he’ll hold up and be nasty against the run.
2. LB Boogie Watson, Jr.
3. DT Quinton Bohanna, Jr.
4. S Davonte Robinson, Jr.
5. P Max Duffy, Soph.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Kentucky Offense
Running game, running game, running game. It’s not that Terry Wilson can’t throw, but the downfield passing game just isn’t a huge part of the offensive scheme. The rushing attack has to take control of games and take over when needed … without UK all-time leading rusher Benny Snell.
It’ll take a village to replace the main man, and it’ll take Wilson to be dangerous out of the backfield again, too. How much did the ground game matter?
Kentucky ran for over 100 yards nine times last season, and went 9-0. It went under the 100-yard mark four times, lost three of them, and needed a miracle comeback to get by Missouri.
Biggest Key To The Kentucky Defense
Find the pass rush. It was way too easy to rely on Josh Allen to take care of getting to the quarterback and making big things happen, and now it’ll take a whole lot of work to replace his 17 sacks.
Boogie Watson was second on the team with just five sacks, and the pressure came from a whole slew of spots, but there has to be consistent pressure to make up for the loss of seven starters, especially Allen.
The Wildcats came up with two sacks or fewer seven times, failed to get one in the loss to Georgia, and came up with just one in the loss to Tennessee.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Terry Wilson, Jr.
For what the offense needed him to do, he was good enough. He ran for 547 yards and four scores, his 67% of his throws for 1,889 yards and 11 scores, and he showed he could come through when absolutely needed. Now he’s the main man.
There’s a massive leadership void on both sides of the ball with Josh Allen and Benny Snell done. It’s up to Wilson to be a bigger figure both statistically and for the team as a whole. He can do it, but the O is now his to carry.
Key Game To The Kentucky Season
Florida, Sept. 14
Do it again. 1986 was the last time Kentucky beat the Gators until last season’s fantastic 27-16 stomping in the Swamp. That set the tone for the rest of the amazing season, and now the Cats have to do it all again with the SEC opener at home against an improved Florida squad. Considering three of the next four SEC games are on the road, lose, and it’ll likely be a tough start.
– Kentucky Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Kentucky Fun Stats
– Penalties: Opponents 101 for 858 yards – Kentucky 79 for 721 yards
– Rushing TDs: Kentucky 27 – Opponents 12
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Kentucky 75 – Opponents 30
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. KENTUCKY WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
Seven starters are gone on each side of the ball, Benny Snell and Josh Allen are done, and there’s no sneaking up factor anymore after the ten-win season. But can the formula work again?
No, really … how did Kentucky do it?
It didn’t dominate in any statistical phase, every game was a fight, and there was absolutely zero margin for error, and yet in game after game, the Cats used some sort of Jedi mind trick on teams to pull off stunning victories.
It’ll be tougher to do all of that considering all the talent turnover, but there’s no falling off the map here. This will still be a good enough team to beat anyone on its schedule, but there’s still going to be a drop off.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 8
On the plus side, there’s no Alabama, LSU or Texas A&M to deal with from the West. The Florida and Missouri games are at home, and the non-conference slate of Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Louisville and UT Martin is more than manageable.
However, the Cats have to go to Georgia, Mississippi State and South Carolina. Assume losses in at least two of those three games, Florida is a whole lot better, Tennessee is still dangerous, and Arkansas and Louisville aren’t going to be pushovers.
Don’t be shocked if UK goes back to its seven-win ways of 2016-2017, but it’s once again going to be another tough, sound, dangerous team.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
