Scouting the opponent: Kentucky

Following another disappointing close to a 5-7 season, Kentucky and the Mark Stoops era enter 2016 looking for that elusive 6th victory and a bowl bid.

In 2014, Kentucky raced out to a 5-1 record before losing six in a row to finish the year. In 2015, Kentucky jumped out to a 4-1 record before losing 6 of their final 7 to come up a win shy of bowl eligibility.

The 2016 season offers hope for the Wildcats thanks to nine starters returning on offense and a complete secondary on defense.

Nine starters return on an offense that averaged just under 25 points a game and put up 372 yards a game. However, the skinny on the Wildcats offense is new co-coordinators Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw.

The duo who happen to be former Vol assistants put up huge numbers last season at Cincinnati and they inherit a veteran offense that returns four starters on the offensive line as well as running back Stanley “Boom” Williams who had 855 yards on the ground.

Quarterback Drew Barker is expected to be the starter after beating out Patrick Towles last season causing Towles to transfer to Boston College. Barker in five games of action threw for 364 yards completing 50% of his throws.

The biggest challenge for Gran and Hinshaw is to improve their play in the redzone. Kentucky scored just 24 touchdowns in 43 trips inside the 20.

The strength of the defense resides on the back end where cornerbacks Derrick Baity, Blake McClain, Chris Westry, and safety Marcus McWilson return. Westry is a 6-4 sophomore who had 8 PBU's, and two interceptions in his first season. Kentucky finished the year with 11 interceptions.

While the secondary should be a strength, the front seven is a worry. Senior linebacker Jason Hatcher was dismissed this off-season and only one full-time starter returns on the front seven defensively. Kentucky returns 2.5 sacks from their front seven on a defense that only recorded 17 sacks in 2015.

The Wildcats do have two transfers who could help highlighted by Courtney Love's arrival from Nebraska.

Shoring up the front seven is obviously the biggest concern from a defense that gave up 4.6 yards a carry last season and allowed 41 touchdowns. The 329 points giving up was 13th in the SEC just one point less than South Carolina's 330 points which was the poorest in the league.

Kentucky is returning some solid pieces on offense and some athletic ability in the defensive secondary. The Wildcat offense is expected to be fast paced and throw it a lot under Gran and Hinshaw. And that will include throwing it to a trio of solid backs out of the backfield. Offensively there are expectations for some fireworks.

But defensively, there are questions and concerns. It's hard to win in the SEC with issues in the defensive line and inexperience in the front seven. Kentucky has that on a unit that was 12th against the run in 2015 and only got to the quarterback 17 times which was fewest of anyone in the conference.

The 2016 schedule isn't easy with road games at Florida, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee and Louisville. Circle a September 24th home game against South Carolina as that could be pivotal for both teams when it comes to hopes of going bowling at the end of the year.