by Pete Fiutak

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Hanging by a thread after a mediocre start, Brooks and his staff suddenly turned around the program with a high-octane offense that cranked out a ton of yards and did just enough to off-set an awful defense and lousy O-line play. Everything had been building toward 2007, when Andre Woodson and his cast of veteran offensive weapons were supposed to take the SEC by relative storm, and while there was a huge win over LSU, the 8-5 season with a Music City Bowl win, considering all of its potential, it was sort of no big whoop considering the Wildcats went 8-5 with a Music City Bowl win in 2006.

You only get so many chances to do big things in the SEC if you're someone like Kentucky, an always promising program that has a hard time getting over the basketball hump, and last year might have been it. But while the spotlight was on and the team came through with a decent, but overall underwhelming year considering the expectations, there's a chance for the team to do even better things this season as it flies under the radar.

Woodson and the stars of the offense might be gone, but the receiving corps gets back solid veteran Dicky Lyons and a track team of young targets who should stretch the field. The quarterback situation is still up in the air, but at least there's good talent to work with, while the backfield that loses do-it-all back Rafael Little has the potential to be even better if Alfonso Smith, Derrick Locke and Tony Dixon play up to their potential.

Unlike the last few years, UK might actually be able to get by on its defense. No, this won't be one of the SEC's best, the talent level just isn't there from top to bottom, but there as many future first-day NFL draft picks as just about everyone else in the conference with linemen Jeremy Jarmon, Myron Pryor, and potentially Ventrell Jenkins all certain to make money, while corner Trevard Lindley might be the SEC's best corner.

At the end of the day, Kentucky has won bowl games in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1950-51 seasons, it has more NFL/SEC-caliber talent across the board than it has had in several years, and considering where things were at just a few years ago, this is a winning program that plays in the best league in the land. That's not bad.

What to watch for on offense: The quarterback situation. Curtis Pulley was supposed to be the next big thing. A star recruit who was considered to be a more athletic Tim Couch, he was a challenger for the starting job from Day 1 until Woodson took over and became special. Pulley moved to receiver for a time and redshirted last year, and then he was supposed take the job by the horns this spring, but ended up getting kicked off the team for off-field issues. Mike Hartline, a tall, promising sophomore bomber with a good arm, should take over.

Can Rich Brooks' program take the next step? (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

What to watch for on defense: The NFL scouts to set up shop in Lexington. By the time the draftniks and their lists start to kick in, assuming everyone is leaving early, DT Myron Pryor, a senior, and juniors DE Jeremy Jarmon, ILB Micah Johnson, CB Trevard Lindley and FS Marcus McClinton will all be considered among the top 15 prospects at their respective positions. It's possible DE/DT Ventrell Jenkins will also enter that group. For a defense that ranked last in the SEC in points allowed, those six form a good base to start.

The team will be far better if ... the lines are better. There's no excuse, absolutely none, for the huge defensive line that's full of NFL prospects to be so bad against the run and to generate no pressure whatsoever. There were sacks here and there, but there weren't nearly enough big plays in the backfield. The O line was fine against the run, but it was last in the SEC, and 104th in the nation, in sacks allowed.

The Schedule: The Wildcats aren't going to be as good as last year, but if they can get by the rivalry date at Louisville they'll be 4-0 going into October and the SEC opener at Alabama. Missing LSU and Auburn from the West is a plus and considering the Florida and Tennessee games are likely losses, they might as well be played on the road. It's a back-heavy slate getting the Gators, Vols, and Georgia from October 25th on. Outside of the date against the Cardinals the non-conference slate is a joke.

Best Offensive Player: Senior OT Garry Williams. He has the NFL body and the strength to possibly be a guard at the next level, but the 6-3, 300-pound veteran can become a big-time pro prospect if he can grow into a steady pass blocker. He has the tools, and while he might not be the best athlete, he could make a big jump in production.

Best Defensive Player: Junior DE Jeremy Jarmon and Junior CB Trevard Lindley. Jarmon is a 285-pound end with the moves and quickness of a much smaller player. While he needs to be more of a consistent force in the backfield, he's on the verge of becoming one of the SEC's best all-around ends. If Lindley isn't the league's best tackling corner, he's a close second. He's not all that huge at 6-0 and 175 pounds, but he doesn't miss a stop.

Key player to a successful season: Junior QB Curtis Pulley and/or sophomore QB Mike Hartline. UK led the SEC in passing over the last two seasons with Andre Woodson throwing for 3,709 yards and 40 touchdowns last year. No one's asking for Pulley or Hartline to be Woodson, but considering how spotty the pass protection is, and with a nearly brand-new receiving corps kicking in, the quarterback situation has to be rock-solid.

The season will be a success if ... it's a third straight 8-5 season with a bowl win. It's not going to be easy, but if the Cats can beat Louisville, Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky and Vanderbilt, that's five wins right there. Split at home against South Carolina and Arkansas and come up with an upset on the road against Mississippi State or Alabama, win the bowl game, and there you go. There's enough talent returning on defense, and enough athleticism on offense, to make it happen.

Key game: Aug. 31 at Louisville. There's a reason everyone went bonkers over the 40-34 win over Louisville last year. For one, it's a rivalry game, and also, it was the first time UK had won in the series since 2002, losing four straight. With a joke of a non-conference schedule to follow, a win in Papa John's would almost certainly mean a 4-0 start going into the date at Alabama.

Lyons is Kentucky's No. 1 target. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

OFFENSE

Everyone of note has to be replaced. QB Andre Woodson and his 40 touchdown passes. Gone. Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson and Jacob Tamme, who combined for 182 catches and 28 touchdowns ... gone. Leading rusher Rafael Little, who also caught 42 passes, is also gone. However, there's tremendous speed returning at receiver and running back with Alfonso Smith about to become the back the offense can work around. Derrick Locke isn't a bad second option. Dicky Lyons is the one returning receiver of note, but he has to prove he's a No. 1. The line, led by all-star tackle Garry Williams, is experienced, but it has to be far, far better in pass protection to give the new starting quarterback time. And there's the problem. With Curtis Pulley booted from the team, it's now up to Mike Hartline, and he didn't exactly rock the Casbah in practices. He'll be decent, but he has to be great for an offense that led the SEC in passing in each of the last two seasons.

Quarterbacks: Hartline is good enough to take the starting job and hold it for the next three years if he shows a little more consistency. Hartline isn't Andre Woodson, but he'll have to become the leader of the offense right away. Hartline and Will Fidler can wing it around with NFL-caliber arms. Helping the cause is mobility, with Hartline having more than Woodson.

Running Backs: Even with the SEC's most productive passing game, the running game wasn't ignored. Now, even without Little, it should be even better with three very fast, very promising options. However, everyone has to stay healthy. There are weapons to work with to allow the offense to switch to a more balanced attack. Alfonso Smith is a high school track guy with excellent wheels in a 200-pound body. Derrick Locke is an elite NCAA track guy who has next level wheels and athleticism. Each of them should do big things when they get the ball in space. Health is the big issue. Tony Dixon can't shake the injury bug, Smith has an ankle problem and Locke isn't all that big and won't be able to take a big pounding. There are several options to work with, but they all need to be part of the mix for the ground game to work.

Receivers: There's going to be a big-time learning curve here. There's upside, talent, and lots and lots of speed, but considering the corps won't have a veteran quarterback like Woodson making things easier, it could be a wildly inconsistent year. Throwing RB Rafael Little in the equation, UK loses four of its top five targets, tied for sixth on the list are two running backs and Ford, who's banged up. Basically, it's Lyons and a bunch of new guys. Even so, expect lots of deep ball and plenty of home runs. Kyrus Lanxter can fly, Anthony Mosley is a special runner, and E.J. Adams is a tremendous athlete. These are just the complementary targets to Lyons.

Offensive Line: The line has size, depth, and plenty of options to play around with, but it has to be far better in pass protection with a new starting quarterback getting his feet wet. Garry Williams is a star at left tackle and the other four spots are solid. Now they have to be great. The size and experience on the line helped pave the way to a good rushing season, but Woodson almost got killed as the line allowed an SEC-most 38 sacks. There's too much experience to not be better. Williams and left guard Christian Johnson are good big men on the left side, and Zipp Duncan isn't a slouch if he steps into the guard role. Williams has the potential to be an NFL starter if he comes up with a strong year. This is the area the offense will work behind.

DEFENSE

Jeremy Jarmon is a key cog on a good D-line. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

This is a promising, talented defense that can't finish last in the SEC in scoring D and tenth in total defense again. Has there ever been this much talent on a Kentucky defense? DE Jeremy Jarmon and CB Trevard Lindley will each go in the top 50 picks whenever they come out, while DT Myron Pryor, DE/DT Ventrell Jenkins, and a few others should see time in NFL camps. The line is very big, and very promising, and very underwhelming when it comes to production so far. The pass rush wasn't there last year and the run defense had way too many problems. The secondary was night-and-day better after a nightmare of a 2006, and now it should be even better if FS Marcus McClinton can stay healthy.

Defensive Line: Get ready to hear this on Draft Day 2009, "With all these players drafted, it's amazing Kentucky wasn't better up front." Jarmon is a special player who'll be around the big league for ten years, while Pryor and Jenkins are big bodies who can clog things up. However, the line was originally built to get into the backfield, and UK was the worst team in the SEC in tackles for loss and was mediocre at getting to the quarterback. For so much size and talent, this group has to find something it does well. With three players who'll be drafted, and a fourth in Corey Peters who'll get time in an NFL camp, and with all the beef, it's inexcusable that this group allowed 191 yards per game. There were some good moments, but most teams that could run the ball, did.

Linebackers: While the loss of Wesley Woodyard isn't going to help, there's a chance the corps could be better, and even though there isn't a ton of veteran depth, it'll be deeper. The big key will be how Braxton Kelley handles his new role. He might not make the 139 tackles that Woodyard did, but he brings more size and he could make more plays at the point of attack. Micah Johnson has all the tools to be a monster now that he's a full-time starter, and Johnny Williams is a nice veteran who'll only get better. In terms of sheer skill, Kentucky hasn't had a linebacking corps this good in years. There are good athletes across the board, and as long as Johnson becomes the star he was supposed to be when he arrived on campus, there are the right-sized players in the right spots after going small and quick with Woodyard in the mix over the last few seasons.

Secondary: The secondary improved by leaps and bounds, and it didn't even have that great a pass rush to help the cause. Trevard Lindley is a superstar to build a secondary around, while McClinton, if he can stay healthy, will earn a little bit of All-SEC recognition. Seven players with starting experience from last year are back, and it should show; this should be a team strength. Yeah, compared to two years ago when the UK pass defense was the second-worst in America, things were positively impressive, but it all might have been a bit of a mirage. The teams with the good passing quarterbacks, like Louisville, Tennessee and Florida, all threw without much of a problem. Yeah, the secondary came through against Georgia. It'll be interesting to see what happens against Hunter Cantwell and Louisville in the opener.

Special Teams: Junior Lones Seiber is back after hitting 16 of 25 field goals last year, and 27 of 44 for his career. He has a decent leg hitting five of eight field goals between 40-of-49 yards, but he struggled with his consistency from midrange. Senior punter Tim Masthay only averaged 39.8 yards per kick and put 16 inside the 20. He's a good veteran, but he's not an elite punter and he puts too many kicks into the end zone with nine touchbacks. Keenan Burton was a special kick returner averaging 24.2 yards per kick, but Dicky Lyons wasn't that bad averaging 22.1 yards per try. Rafael Little didn't have a great senior year, and Lyons will get a long look at that job, too.