Season primer: UK has chance to turn corner

The season

You’ve got to give it to Rich Brooks. He’s proved the skeptics who said he wasn’t the guy to get UK out of probation dead wrong. But now Brooks must answer another question: Can he sustain it? This is a big year for Brooks’ legacy. Typically, successful seasons at Kentucky come in twos. Fran Curci won 19 games in 1976-77 before petering out. Hal Mumme took the Cats to back-to-back bowls before NCAA issues blew up the program. If Brooks can guide Kentucky to a third straight bowl for the first time in 57 years, he’d have to be considered UK’s most successful coach since Bear Bryant.

The team

Five players you know

Dicky Lyons Jr.: It often gets lost in all of his zany antics, but Lyons can really play.

Jeremy Jarmon: has something to prove to pundits who didn’t vote him first-team All-Southeastern Conference in the pre-season.

Trevard Lindley: Doesn’t say a whole lot; just goes out and makes big plays.

Braxton Kelley: Respected team leader; moves from the middle to the weak side to replace Wesley Woodyard.

Derrick Locke: Earned his stripes as a true freshman with big runs in big games against Louisiana State and Arkansas.

Five players you will know

Mike Hartline: Ready or not, the Hartline quarterback era begins.

Alfonso Smith: Could have a breakout year if he stays healthy.

Maurice Grinter: Has the best hands and athleticism among the candidates trying to replace Jacob Tamme at tight end.

Corey Peters: Has been overshadowed somewhat by other players on the defensive line, but he could turn out to be the best of them all.

Ventrell Jenkins: Versatile player who can play the pass and run and also rotate between tackle and end.

Rising star

Micah Johnson: Too much was expected out of Johnson early in his career when he came in with prep All-America credentials. But now Johnson is firmly entrenched at middle linebacker and looks better than ever physically. The coaches believe this is the year he lives up to the hype.

Biggest area of concern

The quarterbacks: Yes, you could argue that the Wildcats have as much or more concern about their extremely young wide receiver corps. But everything starts with the quarterback, and considering the production that Andre Woodson produced the last two years, all eyes will be on Mike Hartline as he takes over the reins.

Most important unit

The defensive line: It all goes hand-in-hand. The consensus is that UK needs a strong defensive performance in 2008 to get to a third straight bowl. The first element of having a good defense — an area where Kentucky has struggled mightily — is stopping the run. Stopping the run requires solid defensive line play. Kentucky has the makings of a solid D-line: end Jeremy Jarmon and tackles Myron Pryor and Corey Peters will all be on the radars of NFL scouts this season. Now the defensive line’s production has to match its potential.

The schedule

Toughest opponent

Georgia: The Bulldogs are the pre-season ”it“ choice to take home the national title. And don’t think they’ve forgotten about watching that post-game celebration the last time they were in the Bluegrass.

Must-wins

Western Kentucky: The rising Hilltopper program is coming in and collecting a big paycheck to help with its stadium renovation. The Wildcats can’t afford to have another Ohio University moment here.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores don’t have Jay Cutler or Earl Bennett to contend with anymore, so there’s no reason to drop this one at home.

Game that will pack the house

Arkansas: It’s Homecoming, Keeneland will be in full swing and Bobby Petrino returns to Commonwealth Stadium. Enough said.

Toughest road trip

Florida: Every two years, a trip to the Swamp automatically ranks as UK’s toughest road trip. We’ll see how far the Kentucky defense has come in this one, as Heisman winner Tim Tebow and multi-threat receiver Percy Harvin lead the nation’s most explosive offense.

Upset special

South Carolina: C’mon, now. Admit it. Steve Spurrier hasn’t really been all that in Columbia. And while this year’s Gamecocks squad might be decent, they’re not all that, either. So why would this be such an upset? Because Spurrier owns Kentucky: He’s unbeaten in 15 career tries against the Cats. The Cats helped give last year’s game away by putting the ball on the ground. If they want to go bowling in 2008, finally knocking off Spurrier would provide a big boost.

Best non-UK players we’ll see in Commonwealth

Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas: I know centers usually don’t get a lot of love, but Luigs is ranked by most folks as the No. 1 center in America.

D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt: This year’s Kentucky-Vandy game could feature the two top corners in the league in Moore and UK’s Trevard Lindley.

Also: Knowshon Moreno, Georgia; Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia; and Kenny McKinley, WR, South Carolina.

The post-season

Best possible bowl destination for the team

Chick-Fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31, Atlanta (ESPN): The Wildcats would need at least seven wins, and probably eight, to find themselves partying in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve.

Best possible bowl destination for the fans

Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, Tampa (ESPN): While a trip to Atlanta would be shorter and cheaper, a lot of Cat fans have been dreaming of a return trip to the Outback, the first since 1999.

Most likely bowl destination

If the Cats can get to six wins, they’re likely headed to one of three places: The Independence Bowl in Shreveport on Dec. 28, The Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham on Dec. 29, or the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Jan. 2.

The change at the top

In January, Brooks named UK offensive coordinator Joker Phillips his eventual successor. While this move won’t change much in the grand scheme of things for the present, it has big-time ramifications for the future. Opposing schools won’t be able to use Brooks’ age (67) against him in recruiting; Phillips’ presence as coach-in-waiting lets prospects know that the direction of the program won’t change. The move has already started to pay dividends, as Kentucky appears to be lining up its most impressive recruiting class of the Brooks era.

Big Blue meter

2008 is a success if ...

Kentucky makes it to a third straight bowl game for the first time since 1949-50-51.

2008 is a disappointment if ...

Kentucky fails to qualify for post-season play and loses some of the momentum that has been built the past two seasons.

Chip Cosby