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from TOPS Lexington - September 2021

Tailgating 101

Football Season Preview

Imagine a Kentucky football season where most UK fans feel eight wins is the minimum number of victories that coach Mark Stoops’ team should have this season — something the Cats have managed to do only six times since 1951. Of course, two of those came in 2018 (10-3) and 2019 (8-5).

by Larry Vaught

The excitement going into this season is evident across the Bluegrass and inside the Kentucky football team. Coaches, players and fans have a quiet confi dence about what can happen this season. What has created that optimism? Here are a few reasons to consider: • Chris Rodriguez led the Cats in rushing with 785 yards and 11 touchdowns last season in nine games. He led the SEC in yards per attempt (6.6) last season and is on several preseason award watch lists as the nation’s top running back. • Darian Kinnard was an All-American right tackle in 2020 who is making the move to left tackle. He’s being projected as a potential NFL fi rst-round draft pick, especially with the versatility he’s showing moving to left tackle. He’s also on several preseason award lists. • Defensive coordinator Brad White believes being strong up the middle in a 3-4 defense is a must to compete in the SEC. Kentucky lost nose guard Quinton Bohanna to the NFL, but White says Marquan McCall “knows it is his time and is in as good of shape” as he has been at UK.

Linebacker DeAndre Square has started 25 games and played in 36. He has 164 career tackles. Safety Yusuf Corker has started 24 straight games and played in 37. He’s a preseason all-SEC pick.

“When you are good at those positions, you can be good and have a chance to dominate,” White said.

• Kentucky worked the transfer portal to perfection and could have picked up four starters — quarterback Will Levis, receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, offensive tackle Dare Rosenthal and linebacker Jacquez Jones. “I feel like we picked them (transfers) up in some positions that we needed some depth, needed some help,” Stoops said.

“Wan’Dale Robinson is special. He’s going to be a huge difference-maker for us,” associate coach Vince Marrow said.

• Pushing the ball down the field in the passing game has been an issue for Stoops’ offenses at Kentucky. New offensive coordinator Liam Coen hopes to change that, and a freshman group of faster receivers should help do it — along with Robinson and the return of Josh Ali.

“We are trying to get guys who can push the ball down the field a little more than we have been used to. The goal is to get those guys [freshmen] ready to play to help do that,” Coen said.

Tom Leach, the UK Radio Network play-by-play voice of the Cats, thinks the best reason for the optimism is that UK is now used to winning under Stoops. The players believe they can — and should — win.

“I think the culture Stoops has steadily built around their work ethic and the fact that they’ve done it by playing physical football, which many felt was not possible, helps sustain that mindset of knowing what it takes to compete and win,” Leach said.

“When you play that way, and the staff keeps bringing in players with the talent to make starters know their jobs could be in jeopardy, that should foster an environment that gives you a good chance to avoid those letdowns and help lead to the kind of excitement there is for this team.” • courtesy UK Athletics

by Vicky Graff

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