Kentucky takes on Miami-OH in the season opener for both teams this weekend and Cats Illustrated publisher Justin Rowland shares five thoughts with that game and thus the season upon us.
Miami-OH is working from a serious size deficit
Three starting Miami-OH offensive linemen are under 300 pounds. Starting quarterback Brett Gabbert is 6'0. Starting running back Jaylon Bester is only 5'8, 180. Starting receivers Jalen Walker and Mac Hippenhammer are 5'8 and 5'11 respectively.
The RedHawks' size deficit will show up in the trenches on the other side of the ball as well but it's the offense that will be at an acute disadvantage against the Wildcats in that particular area this weekend. It might be tough for that offense to push Kentucky off the ball.
Safety communication will be critical
This offseason all eyes have been on Carrington Valentine, Andru Phillips, and Keidron Smith, since UK lost both Cedrick Dort and Quandre Mosely after last season. It makes sense they would be in the spotlight and it seems like all three players will see the field quite a bit.
But the safeties will be in the spotlight this weekend because the long ball was key to Miami-OH's success last season. Gabbert was 26/62 for 972 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions on throws that traveled 20+ yards in the air last season. PFF gave him an 89.9 grade on 20+ yard throws and a 91 score on medium throws (53/84, 949 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT). Gabbert got much, much more of his yards putting the ball deeper down the field rather than dinking and dunking.
The communication piece between Jalen Geiger and Tyrell Ajian will be something to watch for. They've spent the offseason working on that and both are older players and leaders in the secondary now.
How will the carries get broken down?
While Chris Rodriguez's status and the duration of his presumed suspension remain a mystery in the big picture, in the first game we'll get an extended look at Kentucky's backup running backs.
First-year UK running back Ramon Jefferson is actually the most experienced player at the college level but he's making a big leap up in competition. He drew some rave reviews through camp and is an all-around back.
JuTahn McClain's 2021 season was disrupted in large part by the off-field situation that consumed six Wildcats last year, but he has always been someone the coaching staff trusts in the backfield.
Kavosiey Smoke has gotten the most run out of any of C Rod's current backups in Lexington and offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello said recently that he has noticed some maturation on his part that gives him some hope moving forward.
La'Vell Wright has a hard running style and some juice to boot, based on limited viewing opportunities thus far, but he missed a couple of days of camp recently and it will be interesting to see if that set him back.
Then there's Michael Drennen, who has stuck around after light usage as a RB/WR/ATH type, and whose role moving forward will be interesting.
Kentucky's backfield should be okay against the RedHawks but we'll learn a bit more about what the room looks like going into that all-important Week 2 game in the Swamp.
How much of a step back will Miami-OH's defense take?
Last year Chuck Martin's team allowed only 23.1 points and 368 yards per game. Last year's RedHawk defense returned 10 starters, so it was a very experienced unit which benefited from sacking opposing quarterbacks a whopping 38 times.
Miami returns only five starters from last year's defense in 2022. New starting cornerback John Saunders started three games last year but for the most part the secondary is going to be new. That's something that senior quarterback Will Levis could look to exploit, especially since 33.5 of Miami-OH's 38 sacks from last season are gone.
WILL linebacker Matthew Salopek is only a sophomore but he showed a knack for making plays last year and will need to be a playmaker this year even more. He had seven tackles for loss and six pass breakups with 112 tackles as a freshman last year and the defense will be built around him.
Freshman class built for quick impact
Kentucky's 2022 recruiting class was the highest-ranked of Mark Stoops' coaching career and based on the way coaches talked about some of the new members of the program, maybe the pundits were onto something.
Alex Afari figures to factor into what Kentucky does in the secondary. Defensive lineman Deone Walker has been disruptive with his length and incredible size since he arrived this summer. Receivers Dane Key and Barion Brown will be important to what the 'Cats do on offense, while others appear to be in line for playing opportunities, too.
With the four-game redshirt rule don't be surprised to see plenty of new faces, maybe even at linebacker with Tyreese Fearbry and/or Keaton Wade spelling the older players in front of them, especially if Kentucky opens up a bit of a lead.
