Off a promising 2016 season, Kentucky Football hopes to build on that momentum and achieve greater success this year.

Big Blue fans hope the Wildcats keep moving forward in the always-tough SEC. To do so, Coach Mark Stoops‘ squad will need to improve in some facets, maintain performance in others and need a little reversal of fortune in a luck category. And yes, mentioning luck to a Kentucky Football fan can result in uncontrollable body spasms. But hang in there, it will all make sense.

Turnover Margin

The Wildcats went 7-6 last season, including the Taxslayer Bowl loss to Georgia Tech, despite a terrible showing in one of the game’s most important statistics. Kentucky Football was minus seven in turnover margin. The Cats ranked 107 out of 128 FBS teams in that category. It is actually pretty remarkable they had a winning record in spite of that ugly number.

UK had 28 turnovers, while their opponents gave the ball up 21 times. The composition of those turnovers is where Kentucky Football has a reasonable expectation for improvement.

Interceptions were pretty much a wash, with the Cats picking off 13 passes versus 12 by their foes. Intercepting passes is in large part a skill. The Cats’ defensive backfield is probably the team’s strongest unit.

Safety Mike Edwards is the team’s top NFL draft prospect and is expected to see time at nickel back this year. Derrick Baity and Chris Westry return as starters on the corners. Newcomers like Jordan Griffin. Yusuf Corker and Davonte Robinson add depth to the unit. The Cats certainly have the potential to add to that interception total.

The Luck Factor

Fumbles are where Kentucky Football went wrong on turnover margin last season. The Cats lost 16 of the 23 fumbles they committed. They recovered eight of 18 balls on the ground from their opposition.

There is a skill component to forcing fumbles, but recovering fumbles is largely a function of luck. The bounce of the ball. Particularly damaging to Kentucky Football were scoop-and-score fumbles where the defense took the turnover on in for a touchdown without their offense even needing to take the field.

With improvement in this area to just a break even level, the Cats can get that turnover margin closer to the middle of the pack.  Which could lead to another win or two.

Success In Close Games

Kentucky Football was outscored 407-390 on the season, but still achieved that winning record by gong 4-1 in games decided by a touchdown or less. Not to get too stat nerdy here, but a high winning percentage in close games is hard to sustain season to season. If you are into math, it is called regression to the mean.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Cats will fall back this season. The reason why is tied to the turnover factor discussed earlier. A couple of those fumbles returned for touchdowns were in wins versus Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.

Those plays turned what should have been comfortable wins into nail biters. Another came on Kentucky’s first possession in the bowl game. That play put the team in deficit from which they never recovered. Eliminate those costly turnovers and a regression in the close game results may not be so devastating.

Quarterback

The list of Kentucky Football quarterbacks who led the team to seven wins in one season is pretty short. Stephen Johnson has to be the most unlikely member of that fraternity.

The unheralded junior college transfer was barely on any Cat fan’s radar when the 2016 season started. When Drew Barker went out for the season early in the third game, Johnson stepped in and led the team to wins in seven of the next 10 games.

Showing perfect timing, Johnson saved his best performance for the regular season finale against arch-rival Louisville. He outdueled Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and led the Cats to a 41-38 win, bringing the Governor’s Cup back to Lexington for the first time since 2010.

Johnson showed a great touch on the deep ball, and more importantly great poise. His unflappable demeanor is just want a team needs behind center.

Going into this season, Johnson will need improvement in two specific areas. He gave up too many of those fumbles, especially in the backfield where they were converted into instant scores by the opposing defense.

That habit has to stop. Johnson also needs to improve his accuracy on short and intermediate throws. Tight end C.J. Conrad has been grossly under utilized since arriving on campus. Johnson struggled mightily to connect with Conrad on short throws over the middle. Hitting those attempts will loosen up defenses focused on stopping star running back Benny Snell, Jr.

If Johnson should struggle, all eyes will turn to Barker. From all accounts he has performed well in camp. If he has recovered from back surgery and can take a hit, he could step in if needed. Not to be forgotten is redshirt freshman Gunnar Hoak, who has looked sharp in the last two spring games.

Putting It All Together

Kentucky Football has reason to be optimistic heading into the 2017 season. They have lots of returning starters on both sides of ball. The recruiting success of Coach Stoops’ staff has built what appears to be the deepest Wildcat team in many years.

The schedule is tough, but that is a way of life in the SEC. Wildcat fans will eagerly await the season opener September 2nd at Southern Mississippi and see if the Cats can build on their momentum.

They’re saying the same thing we’ve all been thinking...

Here’s a look at some reactions and thoughts from other media personalities on Kentucky’s collapse against Southern Miss Saturday:

It wasn’t the first time in the Stoops era that the Wildcats gave up a costly score in the final minutes, or in this case seconds, of the first half.

Kentucky Football: “Making history (for other teams) since the departure of Bear Bryant.”

The sheer mechanics of it are mind boggling.

Kentucky fans didn’t call it an upset. Most of them saw the writing on the wall and got out of there by midway through the fourth quarter.

Sheesh is right. Now let’s see what they’ve said about Florida (I’m going to try and stay positive):

I’m confident Kentucky will rush for more than 46 yards against the Gators on Saturday.

Maybe we should start counting moral victories at Kentucky? At least then the streak wouldn’t be so long?

I think this is McElwain’s way of trying to fire his guys up to be more focused/poised for Kentucky than they were entering the game versus UMass. Hopefully the fact that Kentucky lost the way they did will make Florida players overlook the Wildcats?

Kentucky released its depth chart on Monday for the first week of the season. It contained a few surprises such as JUCO transfer offensive Tate Leavitt not being present, as well as some younger defensive linemen supplanting players that were previously believed to be ahead. There was another eye-catching reveal:

Surprise on depth chart: Kobie Walker at both SAM and nickel. Wonder if this suggests specific nickel sub-packages.

— will marshall (@awillmarshall) August 29, 2016

The second string strong-side linebacker (SAM) was also listed as the second string nickel back - a role previously held by Kendall Randolph the last two seasons (Randolph is now listed as the second string free safety). My suspicions that Walker would be deployed in ways atypical to previous seasons may have later been confirmed by Stoops in his press conference:

Stoops: Kobie Walker will be out there and playing. Not going into detail where and how.

— Freddie Maggard (@FredMaggard) August 29, 2016

Why the cloak and dagger unless UK intends to incorporate slightly different looks when Walker is in the game. Walker, a former high school safety, fits the mold of college defenses converting safeties to linebackers, linebackers to defensive ends, and defensive ends to defensive tackles for the sake of speed. NFL linebackers have also gotten smaller as their job description has changed. Maybe we shouldn't have been surprised by the release of the depth chart:

Kobie Walker has had a big training camp, Eliot said. Has cover ability of safety and power of linebacker, Eliot said.

— Jen Smith (@jenheraldleader) August 10, 2016

Keeping Walker on the field in a nickel package does several things for the defense. Presumably he's diverse enough to handle underneath coverage in space versus tight ends and slot receivers, while also reliably taking up his run fit. Mark Stoops and DJ Elliot appeared to try and play strong safety Marcus McWilson closer to the line of scrimmage last season in a similar role, so perhaps Walker is the continuation of that sliver of the defensive playbook only with upgraded talent.

Make no mistake, Walker will be targeted by offensive staffs that see a 6'3'' 215 pound linebacker aligned against their skill positions. They'll engineer matching him up in man coverage against their fleetest receivers via formations or motions. UK may want to checkout of some coverages to mitigate damage.

Alternatively, UK has historically played quite a bit of Cover 3 pattern-matching under Mark Stoops. This would protect Walker. In this case, Walker could align over a speedy slot receiver, and when the receiver goes vertical (a mismatch for Walker), he would "switch" with the defensive back assigned to deep-routes and switch back to the shallow routes running underneath in the flats as the figure below shows.

 

Pattern Matching vs Smash Concept

Or maybe he doesn't need the protection as on one occasion in camp he ran step-for-step with one of UK's best receivers:

Stephen Johnson with the deep ball to Garrett Johnson, who hauls it in despite Kobie Walker being right there pic.twitter.com/GHdiPTlcsd

— Ben Roberts (@BenRobertsHL) August 22, 2016

There's little even a true defensive back can do against a good throw and catch.

Blitzing off the edge or inside by the nickel back has been another staple of Stoops' and Elliot's defense since 2014. When a blitz is called with Walker on the field, they essentially get another outside linebacker on the field. That's an added power they didn't get last year blitzing McClain and Randolph off the edge, and would diversify the playbook a bit more. This would also imply UK's defensive line needs help rushing the passer for the second year in a row.

Denzil Ware on Kobie Walker: "It's like a five-second street fight when he's pass rushing." https://t.co/Tw83RBSUYm

— Alex Forkner (@AlexForknerTCP) August 19, 2016

Conclusion

It's important not to make too big of a deal about this development. Blake McClain is still the starting nickel back, not to mention the fluidity of depth charts week-to-week, and will probably still see the majority of reps. It is the first time a linebacker, and not a safety, will see time at the nickel back position for UK suggesting new defensive wrinkles that may be needed to aid an anemic pass-rush. It also comes at an epoch when the nickel back is increasingly important.

If nothing else, Walker just became a more intriguing player to keep an eye on.

At the conclusion of today’s practice, the UK football team officially closed fall camp and now looks towards its Week 1 matchup against the Golden Eagles of Southern Mississippi.

While the defense entered and left the preseason with many question marks, the offense appears to be rock solid, a fact that offensive coordinator Eddie Gran confirmed with the press earlier today when he said that the unit gave him exactly what he wanted out of camp and more.

"Got more in terms of capacity of the install. These guys have done a great job, as I’ve talked about, they’ve got to be a sponge", Gran said.

Gran also praised the intelligence of his offensive line, the willingness of his receivers to do what is asked of them and the steady progress of the quarterbacks and running backs.

However, Gran doesn’t believe that the culture shift has anything to do with him. Instead, he believes that it started at the top with Coach Stoops.

"I think it’s everybody collectively, with Coach Stoops and the culture. He’s said it’s time. It’s time to grow up. It’s time to finish. He’s had a butt load of not, and you got to be accountable. And we’ve held them accountable. We’re going right from the head football coach."

Depth has also helped pushed the offense to improve across the board.

"We have a decent 2-deep on the O-line. John (Schlarman) has done a nice job of moving guys around if you’ve got an emergency situation. So he would put some guys at center, some guys at tackle. And we’ve been able to do that in camp, which you have to do. And, you know, I think the receivers and running back corps have really just pushed each other", Gran said.

The increased depth and competition also means great accountability.

"So, now, if somebody’s not getting it done, or they’re not doing it the right way or they’re not doing it our way, we can pull ‘em. And we can say, ‘Hey, you know what? If you don’t want to do it this way, then we’ll let another guy step up.’ And that’s a good thing."

The real challenge for the team now, said Gran, is for them to fight on when the "crud hits the fan." Gran said he has seen that in practice from his players and now he wants to see it translate to results under the bright lights of Commonwealth Stadium.

Other Notes

- Gran indicated that he and the offensive staff are already preparing for the Golden Eagles. They have watched a decent amount of film and are in the process of scripting the first few series of plays for the game. Quarterback Drew Barker will be consulted on said plays, according to Gran.

- Barker is comfortable in the offense and has toned down his turnovers, but Gran said he would continue to stress to Barker than he needs to take care of the ball so that the possession will not "end with a kick."

- Garrett Johnson’s work summer work ethic impressed Gran. He had this to say about the receiver, "When we left the spring we said he was one of the guys that we needed to have come on this summer, and he worked his tail off. I remember on Saturday’s he’d be in the indoor facility. He was working extra. So, he earned what he’s getting right now."

- Gran said that Kentucky’s tight ends are catching 95 percent of the balls thrown their way in practice.

- Coach Gran isn’t sure if he will work any specific packages in for backup QB Stephen Johnson.

The Wildcats have been receiving a good deal of praise from some major media sources this football offseason, which is a promising sign for this upcoming season. From the running backs to the wide receivers and tight ends, this Kentucky team is being complimented quite a bit.

First off, the running backs have been viewed by ESPN as some of the best in the SEC. Here’s what Edward Aschoff had to say about the backfield.

Stanley Boom Williams and Jojo Kemp aren't exactly household names, but they combined for 1,410 yards last season, and Kemp averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Mikel Horton rushed for 318 yards last fall. All three have looked good in camp, and freshman Benny Snell is pushing for the third spot.

The Wildcats have great depth, and you can tell by his comments that Aschoff agrees. Cats Pause went on to add that the Cats’ top four backs racked up 1,855 yards lasts season, which shows that they got a lot of production from the entire depth chart. And with a healthy Boom Williams and more backs on the list, it’s likely that the back production will only get better this season.

ESPN and 247 Sports weren’t the only news companies to talk about just how deep the Wildcats are at running back, as USA Today has taken note as well. Here’s what they had to say about the depth in Kentucky’s backfield.

In addition to Horton, the Wildcats return All-Southeastern Conference contender Stanley "Boom" Williams, 1,000-yard-career-rusher Jojo Kemp and spring game star Sihiem King. Freshman Benny Snell has been a consistent target for praise from UK coaches during preseason camp, and his classmate A.J. Rose has also received positive reviews.

On top of people praising the depth at that position, there have been no shortage of compliments directed at the star of the backfield, Boom Williams. Southbound and Down of FanSided recently named Williams the best player on Kentucky’s team.

Williams is averaging 6.9 yards per carry over his the life of his Kentucky football career and his 2015 was even more impressive. While he only had 121 carries, Williams still managed to average 7.1 yards per carry. Expect that to remain close to the same as his rush load increases on the way to attaining a 1,000 yard season for Kentucky football in 2016.

It’s not just the running backs that are getting attention, but the pass catchers are getting national recognition as well.

ESPN ranked the Wildcats receivers and tight ends as the 6th-best pass catchers in the SEC. Here’s what Sam Khan Jr. said.

The Wildcats have a nice collection of talent here with their top five pass-catchers from 2015 all returning: receivers Garrett Johnson, Dorian Baker, Jeff Badet, Blake Bone, and tight end C.J. Conrad. Ryan Timmons, who has also seen significant playing time, also returns. They provide a good mix of size, speed, and playmaking ability for quarterback Drew Barker to target.

Getting all five of the top receivers back, along with a new wide receivers coach means there will likely be an upward trend in receiving yards and receptions from this group this season.

With Kentucky football still working on their rebuild process, it’s great to see that some of the better players and star position groups are getting recognition for their abilities. We hope to see more deserved media recognition as this preseason continues.

One day before a scrimmage and the official move in day for the football team, quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw spoke with the media about what he expects from his quarterbacks, backup Stephen Johnson, and how the QB’s are handling the pass rush.

What He is Looking for on Saturday

The Wildcats have another scrimmage on Saturday and Coach Hinshaw isn’t looking for spectacular performances from his quarterbacks, just consistency and quality decision making.

"I just want to take one play at a time and execute that play. I know that sounds so ‘Oh, that’s coach talk, blah, blah, blah,’ but the bottom line is that’s the truth. We don’t focus on -- I don’t tell them they have to throw for so many yards or they have to do -- we’re going to take what the defense gives us. I want to see the quarterbacks make great decisions and great targets."

Hinshaw also added that he wants Drew Barker and company to control the game and take care of the football.

"That’s what’s going to help us win on Saturday", Hinshaw said.

Stephen Johnson Helping the Defense

Earlier this week defensive coordinator DJ Eliot said that practicing against backup QB Stephen Johnson is beneficial for his unit, which struggled mightily against mobile quarterbacks last season.

Quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw said that the call is usually up to Mark Stoops on whether to use Johnson as fodder. Hinshaw also offered some insights into why dual-threat quarterbacks are such a problem for opposing defenses.

"You have to account for them. Some guys are faster than others in different way. As a defense, if you can throw as a quarterback and be able to run some, it creates problems for ‘em. But if you cannot throw and you become one-sided – and it’s the same thing if all you do is throw. It’s the same situation. Defenses can really hunker down and figure out ways to beat you" he said.

Hinshaw added that a quarterback does not "have to run great" but do it well enough to move the chains, which is a requirement in the offense that Eddie Gran brought to Lexington from Cincinnati.

The QB’s and Pass Rush

Hinshaw was quite complimentary of how the defensive line is getting after the QB’s in practice.

"I’m not gonna name names, but the whole defensive line has been doing a great job. They’ve been doing a great job of putting pressure on us, making Drew move in the pocket. Really game-like situations in practice, and that’s what we continue to focus on and then get into the scrimmages and all those things", he said.

Even without his guys taking hits, Hinshaw spares them no quarter when they don’t get rid of the ball in time and uses the situation as a teaching tool.

"If you don’t throw the ball away, you’re costing the team 10 yards, seven yards, eight yards a sack fumble, all those things."

Other Notes

- Drew Barker is making the appropriate pass protection calls at the line of scrimmage, according to Hinshaw, even when the defense disguises their blitz well.

- Hinshaw noted that so far during camp that Kentucky’s deep stable of running backs have been a boon as pass catching options, something he thinks is essential for the Wildcats to keep developing if they want to win on Saturdays.

- There is no word on if junior running back Boom Williams will sit or participate in the scrimmage on Saturday morning.

Three Dog Night says one is the loneliest number, but NCAA football coaches would likely tell you six.

Why six?

Six wins means your team is headed home after their final regular season game. No bowl. No extra weeks of practice. Seniors are done with their careers and underclassmen clean out their lockers only to suit again next spring.

Last year, a handful of six-win teams did get into a bowl, but that was only because there weren't enough seven-win teams to fill the 80 allotted slots in 40 bowls. The NCAA nipped that problem after they put a moratorium on new bowls for the next three years.

So, what will it take for the UK football team to go bowling for the first time since Joker Phillips roamed the sidelines?

Below is a breakdown of UK's schedule and what it will take for the Wildcats to reach its first bowl since the 2010-11 season.

9/3- Southern Mississippi Golden Eagle (Home)

The Wildcats will kick off their season with a home opener against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. This squad out of Hattiesburg is no slouch. They finished last season 9-5, but 7-1 in Conference USA. That was all with head coach Todd Monken at the helm, but he took a job with the Tampa Bucs.

Now, former Alcorn State Coach Jay Hopson will take over. He doesn't exactly take over a bare cupboard. Returning quarterback Nick Mullens passed for 4,476 yards, 38 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. With all that being said, this game will be closer than most fans will like, but I think Drew Barker wins his debut as UK's full-time starting quarterback.

1-0

9/10- Florida Gators (Away)

Eleven...eleven stinking points. That's the total amount the Wildcats have lost to the Florida Gators by the last two years combine. You had 2014's marathon triple overtime game and you had last year's 14-9 battle. This year the Wildcats travel to take on the Gators in the Swamp.

The Gators went 10-4 last year, but got absolutely dog walked by Michigan 41-7 in the Citrus Bowl. Jim McElwain will be entering his second year as the Gators' head coach. Quarterback Will Grier will be back under center after being suspended for most of last season after being popped for PED use.

As it lately is with the Gators, it's not their offense you need to worry about. Despite a pedestrian offense, their defense was ranked 8th in total defense last year. The only kicker is they lost several of their top guys to the NFL.

This is a hard one folks. While I expect to see much of the same from the Gator offense, I can see Drew Barker struggling against a tough defense on the road at arguably one of the top two toughest places to play in the NCAA in only his second start.

This one is hard to call, but I'm giving the edge to Florida at home.

1-1

9/7- New Mexico State Aggies (Home)

Thank goodness. After two hard fought games, an easier opponent will be coming to Commonwealth when the Aggies come to town. Not the Aggies you're thinking of, these are from New Mexico. They do tout Larry Rose III who ranked seventh nationally last year in rushing yards per game, but I don't think that will be enough. UK should win this one easily.

2-1

9/24- South Carolina Gamecocks (Home)

Let's all take a second and truly reminisce on the life and times of the Ole Ball Coach. The interviews, the shirtless practice photos and of course the yoga ball workout video...it'll all be missed. Now it's Will Muschamp's turn to see what he can do at South Carolina. USC lost Pharoh Cooper to the NFL and is still looking for a quarterback.

The defense needs some serious help as well. Muschamp may eventually turn around the Gamecocks, but it's going to take awhile. Wildcats should win this one at home.

3-1

10/1-Alabama Crimson Tide (Away)

When I was about 10 years old, I really wanted a four-wheeler. Mind you, I was a middle-class black kid living in the rolling suburbs of Owensboro, KY. You know what I was never getting? A four-wheeler. Not only did I not know how to drive one, I wouldn't have known what to do if I had gotten one.

Why am I saying this?

Ten-year-old me may have had a better chance of getting a four-wheeler than UK winning at Alabama. I'm more than manly enough to eat these words if UK somehow shocks the world. Bama is looking to break in a new quarterback and running back, but that defense is still there and so is Nick Saban. Bama wins.

3-2

10/8- Vanderbilt Commodores (Home)

This used to be a game you could automatically mark in the win column, until last year. Yes, I'm sure that one still hurts. This year should be different, though. Head coach Derek Mason did wonders with the defense last year, but their offense was and is likely abysmal at best. UK wins this one at home.

4-2

10/22- Mississippi State Bulldogs (Home)

This year begins the post-Dak Prescott era at MSU. They're going to likely wish he had more years of eligibility. Redshirt sophomore Nick Fitzgerald was Prescott's main backup next year and signs point to him likely getting the starting nod. He will have weapons, which include Fred Ross.

Last year as a junior, the wide receiver pulled in 88 catches for 1,007 yards. Their defense has a few studs, including linebacker Richie Brown. I live not too far from Starkville and made the trip to the debacle that was last year's game. If I could switch, I'd much prefer to go to the one this year. UK should win this one.

5-2

10/29- Missouri Tigers (Away)

Mizzou football was a dumpster fire last year on and off the field. This year there's hope they will have a turnaround. Well-known Oklahoma Sooner Josh Heupel will be taking over offensive playcalling duties which should provide an automatic boost.

One place the Tigers don't need a boost is their defense. It's stout. Last year their defense was ranked in the top six of the SEC when it came to total points, passing yards and rushing yards allowed. They lost their top guy, but most of their returning guys make a return.

To make a long story short, they likely will struggle to score, but will likely stifle any offense they take on. UK gets a couple of big stops from their defense and score enough to win this one.

6-2

11/5- Georgia Bulldogs (Home)

The Cats will start November with the Bulldogs coming to town. The Richt Era is over, and so begins the era of defensive-minded Kirby Smart. While he's a defensive coach, it's his offense that will be beastly.

Nick Chubb flirted with a Heisman run before going down with an injury. He'll be back this year, and so will Greyson Lambert. Their defense lost a couple of key pieces, but that won't be enough to stop them from being a hard defense to score against.

They return pretty much the entire secondary from a team that was the nation's number one team against the pass. UK has homefield advantage, but that's not enough.

This one goes to the dogs.

6-3

11/12- Tennessee Volunteers

They low down, they dirty...you know how the rest goes. The Cats will head to Neyland Stadium for this heated rivalry game.

The problem?

Josh Dobbs will likely be there to welcome them in. The Volunteers are predicted to be one of the best teams in the SEC next year led by Dobbs under center. There's a buzz in Knoxville this year, and it's rightfully so.

There's talent everywhere on this roster. Jalen Hurd joins Dobbs in the backfield. He toted the rock for 1,288 yards last year. Talent is spread around at receiver.

Their defense boasts a strong linebacking corps in front of a great secondary. I don't see how UK can go into Knoxville and win this one.

Sorry, Rocky won't be stopped this year.

6-4

11/19- Austin Peay Governors (Home)

This is it. This is the moment we've been waiting for. No, not Austin Peay coming to town, but that ever distant seventh win. I respect Austin Peay, but I just don't see how they can not only come on the road to Lexington, but also beat UK. Austin Peay is easily overpowered and...boom goes the dynamite. UK wins its seventh game of the season.

7-4

11/26- Louisville Cardinals (Away)

Not so fast my friend. The season isn't over quite yet. UK may be going bowling, but they still have to travel and play the Ville. I apologize, but I have to do it. I have to bring up last year. Up 21-0, it seemed like UK was headed toward beating U of L and then...well...you know what happened. As for this year, quarterback Lamar Jackson is primed for a big season and many outlets have him as a true breakout star this year. This is a rivalry game so just like last year, who knows what will happen. It's incredibly hard to predict rivalry games, especially ones late in the season. I'm predicting U of L wins a hard fought one at Papa Johns Stadium.

7-5

I'm predicting UK does go to a bowl and just like that wonderful Steve Young gif., will get the proverbial monkey off their back. Who is this biggest for in blue?

Obviously, it's Coach Mark Stoops. After encouraging fans to be "All In", he and the Cats deliver a season to be proud of. As we know with the Cats, they can be unpredictable. It's very possible they don't get to seven wins and Stoops' seat is absolutely on fire.

A big part of his season hinges on the arm of Drew Barker. I say they go bowling, and he gets several more years to improve on what he started.

Let me start out by saying WOW!

After seeing season ticket sales dipping from around 45,000 to 31,000 and listening to certain media types talking about the decline of fan interest in the football program, you would think that a small event like Fan Day would suffer in attendance.

Not so fast my readers!

This was my third straight experience in the Nutter Training Facility. Each year it has grown quite a bit and being way early is always key. I got a late start this year and arrived around 8 o’clock to see that I there were around 100 people between me and the door.

By the time the doors opened the line wrapped all the way back to the new training facility. A good judge of attendance is always how long it takes you to get through the lines at each position.

The fact that an average fan can’t get through all positions during the time allowed has always bothered me. It takes around 20 minutes to get through an average line, some positions take a bit longer.

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Where you start is always important because by the time you get out of your first line you have hundreds of new fans filling other lines. This year I started with the fullbacks and tight ends. Vince Marrow was scheduled to sit with this crew but hadn’t made it to the table yet by the time I got there.

I asked CJ Conrad and Tanner Fink where he was, and they said he was running late, and I made sure they would give him a hard time about it, but something tells me the players don’t mess with big Vince much!

I moved on to the receivers, and this group has always had a bit more fun during the event than other groups. The music was more subdue this year and didn’t allow them to dance in their seats as much. Lamar Thomas had just set down when I got to the table, and I immediately asked him about a tweet I had saw not too long back where Stoops was ribbing him on beating him on the course.

He responded with, “There’s times where you gotta let the boss man win! I don’t want a bad work environment; I just left that!”.

LT may be my favorite person ever associated with Kentucky Football! I did get to talk to a few of the players and had a couple of them put some wins down on the schedule portion of the poster. Ryan Kendall and Charles Moushey were quick to put the letter W on Louisville and Florida.

Freshman receiver Dakota Holtzclaw, who stands at 6 foot 7 inches tall and “You can’t teach that”, had a few noticeable tattoos and I asked how many he had. He told me “four at the moment” only pointing to ones on his left arm. He then went on to say that he is planning on an American flag to take place on his right arm.

From there I got in a very long line stationed around the great stable of running backs. I got to the table and asked Boom how bad he wanted to beat Louisville. He shook his head and laughed a bit before saying “Very bad”!

I then headed over to the quarterbacks line with about 30 minutes to go in the autograph session. Barker was first, and I asked him what we were going to do to Louisville, and he quickly and simply said, “beat em.”

I moved down the line and talked to everybody and had to ask Davis Mattingly if “today was gonna be a good day”!

 

All the quarterbacks within earshot had a good laugh at that one!

I got in the linebackers line and only hoped I could get through it before the time ran out. I approached the tables with about 5 minutes left and was pretty happy that I would get another groups autographs, little did I know I would get much more than that!

I worked myself down the line and marveled at Josh Allen and even made the comment that if they made a football version of Space Jam, he would be on the Monstars squad. I asked a few players who had the biggest arms on the squad and Courtney Love and Kash Daniel were mentioned.

Speaking of Kash, I asked him the same thing I asked Barker, “What are we going to do to Louisville.” His answer was simple, “Whip their....” Well, you get the point!

I didn’t hang out after the autograph sesso.n for the practice portion of the day because, well, you can’t “Catch em all” if you don’t go hunt!

No, but, seriously, the autograph session went well. It would be nice to come up with a way where all fans could get all the autographs they wanted without running out of time.

I’m also in the mindset that being a season ticket holders should have as many perks as possible to encourage sales and early entry to these kinds of events could help.

Do yourself a favor and go to this event in the future and keep an eye out for other fun and free events the athletics department offer.