Wildcats at a glance

2001 schedule Sept. 1 vs. Louisville Sept. 8 vs. Ball St. Sept. 15 at Indiana Sept. 22 vs. Florida Sept. 29 vs. Mississippi Oct. 6 at South Carolina Oct. 13 vs. LSU Oct. 20 at Georgia Nov. 3 at Mississippi St. Nov. 10 at Vanderbilt Nov. 17 vs. Tennessee 2000 results (2-9, 0-8 SEC) at Louisville L 40-34 South Florida W 27-9 Indiana W 41-34 at Florida L 59-31 at Mississippi L 35-17 South Carolina L 20-17 at LSU L 34-0 Georgia L 34-30 Mississippi St. L 35-17 Vanderbilt L 24-20 at Tennessee L 59-20

OFFENSE
Under Mumme, the Wildcats' run-and-shoot offense moved the ball up and down the field, leading the SEC in total offense last season. The problem in 2000 was that they tended to bog down inside the red zone. With seven starters returning, the offense has a chance to be extremely potent once again.

Coordinating the attack will be former Northern Arizona and Montana offensive coordinator Brent Pease. A former standout QB at Montana, Pease was an 11th-round draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings in 1987. Instead of the short, quick throws that are part and parcel of the run and shoot, expect the Wildcats to attack more down the field.

This style of offense will definitely sit well with QB Jared Lorenzen. The cannon-armed 6-4, 270-pounder can really air it out. But he's not a lock to open as the Wildcats' starting QB. In the mix is redshirt freshman Shane Boyd. The 6-2, 235-pounder was allowed reps similar to Lorenzen during spring practice, with his arm strength a real attention-getter. An outstanding all-around athlete, Boyd was drafted out of high school by the Minnesota Twins. While a starter has not yet been named, my guess is that Lorenzen has the slight edge going into the fall due to his SEC experience.

The Wildcats will generally operate out of a one-back set. Keying the ground game figures to be sophomore Chad Scott. The highly regarded 5-10, 178-pounder rushed for over 600 yards last season while also getting the job done as a pass-receiving option. In addition to his speed and quickness, Scott also shows some tackle-breaking ability for his size. Capable depth is provided by juniors Artose Pinner and Martez Johnson, both of whom have plenty of game experience.

While the Wildcats' former No. 1 receiving option, Quentin McCord, has moved on to the Atlanta Falcons, they return several capable wideouts. In the fall, though, they will be looking for someone to step forward as the primary option. The hope is that senior Dougie Allen displays the form he showed early in '99 before going down with a knee injury. Another major boost could be provided by former juco All-American Aaron Boone. The 6-2, 207-pounder really opened some eyes in the spring. In two of three scrimmages, he was the Wildcats' leading receiver. Not only did he catch the ball well, but he also made defenders miss in the open field. Sophomore Derek Abney caught 40 passes as McCord's backup last season. Three of those receptions were for TDs. Abney could be a key target. By the way, Bobby Blizzard decided to transfer to North Carolina.

At TE, the Wildcats are fortunate to have a top-flight weapon in junior Derek Smith. Last year, the physically gifted 6-5½, 265-pounder led the Wildcats with 50 catches for a 14.3-yard average and five TDs. He's big, fast and has great hands.

The Wildcats figured to return six offensive linemen who were experienced SEC performers. But LG Kip Sixbery will have to sit out the season after being declared ineligible. On paper, the situation at tackle looks extremely promising. Senior Matt Brown is a capable LT, while the major headliner should be sophomore blue-chipper Antonio Hall. The 6-5, 300-pound RT has the potential to rank as one of the best at his position in all of college football.

DEFENSE
While the UK offense has clicked in recent years, opponents did basically anything they wanted against the overmatched Wildcat defense last season. They were by far the worst defense in the SEC, allowing 406 yards and 35 points per game. And this was with personnel that included two draft choices (CB Eric Kelly, third round to Minnesota, and OLB/DB Marlon McCree, seventh round to Jacksonville).

Despite this, I expect the UK defense to show some improvement this season. How much is debatable. Under astute and proven former Baylor/Texas Tech defensive coordinator John Goodner, they'll attack with eight men in the box -- featuring four down linemen, two inside linebackers and two strong safeties who will operate more like outside linebackers (to do a better job of stopping the run).

A major plus is the healthy return of junior DE Dennis Johnson from the injury list. The talented 6-6½, 263-pounder went down with a high ankle sprain during the first game of the 2000 season. Granted a medical redshirt year, Johnson was back on the field in the spring. I'm told he came through with a quality effort, with his impact definitely felt. Senior Chris Demaree, who has played a lot of football the last three years, will be at the other DE spot. Last year, the Wildcats were forced to start a pair of freshmen at DT. This time around, both Jerry Caudill (one of the strongest players on the squad) and Dewayne Robertson should be ready to fortify the interior of the UK defense. Robertson, a gifted 6-3, 315-pounder, shows outstanding quickness and natural strength. Last year, he recorded 13½ stops behind the line of scrimmage. There is no question that Robertson has the potential to establish himself this season as one of the elite DTs in the conference.

The two inside linebackers will be seniors Ronnie Riley and Jamal White. They both possess plenty of experience and a great deal of athletic ability.

In the new scheme, the strong safeties have to be play-makers while also assisting the CBs in pass coverage. This is a vital position in the defensive structure. Junior David Johnson, a former freshman All-American who lacked consistency last season, will be counted on to hold down one of the spots. The other will be manned by senior Chris Gayton, who has starting experience.

The CB spots are up in the air heading into fall practice. Four players competed for starting opportunities in the spring. Junior Derrick Tatum has flashed a great deal of ability, coming away with interceptions against Tennessee each of the last two years. He's lacked consistency, but in the old system the CBs didn't have a lot of help. With the new scheme and the return of a pass rusher like Johnson at DE and the awesome potential displayed by Robertson at DT, the corners should have a better opportunity to get the job done. On the other side, unproven but talented redshirt freshman Earven Flowers is listed as the starter going into the fall.

Senior FS Anthony Wajda, a rangy 6-3½, 185-pounder, played well in '99, grabbing five interceptions and tying for second on the team with 68 tackles. But last season he didn't play to that level. The hope is that Wajda flourishes in the new structure.

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Seth Hanson also punted for the first eight games last season before giving way to Glenn Pakulak. Now a junior, Pakulak proved to be adequate late last season, averaging nearly 38 yards per punt. Hanson, a senior, lacks impressive range (career long is just 42 yards), but he has been reliable from 40 yards and in, hitting on 15-of-17 field goals last year.