Throughout the modern history of Kentucky football, seasons in which the Wildcats featured both a formidable offense and defense have been something of a rarity.
In 1976 and 1977, when the Cats were making it tough for opponents to gain an inch, it took all the grit that Derrick Ramsey & Co. could muster to score enough points to make UK an SEC contender.
Bill Curry had one of the nation's top defenses in 1993, ranking No. 17 and allowing just 17.4 points per game, but the offense ranked No. 81 (18.3 ppg) and the record reflected that with a 6-6 finish.
The "Air Raid" came along in the late 90s and made fans giddy by lighting up UK's half of the scoreboard -- ranking in the Top 25 in each of Hal Mumme's first two seasons -- but his defenses finished at 95 and 97. The Cats won 12 and lost 11.
Rich Brooks had a No. 15 offense and a No. 80 defense in 2007, and went Bizarro Wildcats in 2008 with a No. 87 offense and a No. 35 defense. Kentucky posted a 15-11 record and won back to back bowl games but left fans wondering what if the weaker side of the ball was just a little better in either year?
Even during Kentucky's impressive run with Mark Stoops at the helm, there have been some examples. In 2018, when the Cats went 10-3 and beat traditional power Penn State in a New Year's Day bowl game, UK was No. 85 on offense and No. 6 on the defensive side of the ball.
And that leads us to 2022.
With Will Levis and Chris Rodriguez leading the offensive charge the behind the "Big Blue Wall" and a defense that features depth and experience at every position group thanks in large part to recruiting on the power of consistent bowl wins, there's reason for optimism that Kentucky can have one of those seasons in which both sides of the ball complement each other.
Like last season, when the Cats had the No. 36 offense and No. 26 defense en route to 10-3 and another Citrus Bowl triumph. Or 1984, when Jerry Claiborne's squad had the No. 39 offense and the No. 35 defense on its way to a 9-3 season and a Hall of Fame Bowl win over Wisconsin.
"I felt like today was by far the best Day 1 practice we've had in the 10 years I've been here, but it should be," Stoops said last week at media day as the Cats opened camp. "Our foundation is set in stone, and we have a returning quarterback, and we're able to work with our guys more than we ever have this summer, so we should be further along on Day 1."
That sentiment has been echoed across the board in the early days of camp.
Clearly, there has been give and take on both sides of the ball. Rich Scangarello's offense was reportedly clicking in the first few workouts, but Brad White's defense shined during the Cats' "Fan Day" open practice.
"It's just kind of the ebb and flow of training camp," Scangarello said on Tuesday. "You're going to have your good days, and they're going to have their good days, and I thought definitely the defense got after us on Saturday. But we've had our days, too. I felt really good about today's practice and yesterday's as well. I like where we're at."
Added White on Wednesday: "Back and forth. Offense some periods, defense some periods. That's been the way all camp."
Aiding that scenario, the positions that were thought to be question marks coming out of spring workouts -- offensive tackle, wide receiver, and cornerback -- appear to have some good solutions in progress.
Stoops has expressed satisfaction with how Deondre Buford, Jeremy Flax, and David Wohlabaugh have progressed at tackle.
"I feel confident, and I like the guys we have," Scangarello said on Media Day. "I think our tackles are pretty good. I think they're going to surprise people."
Receiver Tayvion Robinson has been a big hit as a transfer portal addition from Virginia Tech, and that room got a big boost in the recruitment of highly touted prospects like Dane Key, Barion Brown, and Jordan Anthony.
The Cats lost record-setting wideout Wan'Dale Robinson, but added a lot of talent to the mix, leading Stoops to call it potentially the most talented receiver room he's had since he arrived in Lexington.
The secondary has been bolstered by the addition of Ole Miss veteran Keidron Smith and one-time Appalachian State commit Jordan Robinson out of the D2 ranks, as well as Zion Childress from Texas State. UK also signed impressive Ohio high school prospect Alex Afari Jr., who has been raising eyebrows early in camp.
"The guys we brought in all have good length with Keidron (Smith) and Jordan (Robinson), and then Alex Afari is a guy that we're really high on, too, with great size, and he's very versatile," Stoops said. "Just seeing some things early in him that I really like."
