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Forget about baby steps. Kentucky defensive coordinator Steve Brown isn't talking about going from 117th in the nation in total defense to say, 100th. Or 75th. Or even 50th.
Brown has his sights set much higher. He won't put a number on how high he expects his first UK defense to climb, but if you ask him whether the Wildcats can be a great defense in 2007 he doesn't hesitate with a "Yes."
"We're going to set the bar high and we're not going to accept anything less than that," Brown said. "Period. Point-blank."
The question is why Brown, or anyone else for that matter, would think that the Cats could make that kind of rapid rise.
After talking with members of the UK coaching staff and evaluating the personnel, here's a list of reasons why the Wildcats could be significantly better, and a list of the areas of concern that need addressing before the Wildcats can be significantly better.
First, reasons for optimism:
1. Personnel
If you look at the individual parts, the Wildcats don't look all that bad. They have one of the nation's top outside linebackers in senior Wesley Woodyard. They should be solid at middle linebacker, as Braxton Kelley should be even better in 2007, another year removed from knee surgery.
Trevard Lindley is an emerging cornerback, and both safeties (Marcus McClinton and Roger Williams) are solid. Jeremy Jarmon was a force at end late in the year and could blossom this fall, and tackles Myron Pryor and Corey Peters have potential as pluggers in the middle.
2. Experience
Eighteen of the 22 players on the Music City Bowl depth chart return this year, making the Wildcats one of the more experienced units in the Southeastern Conference. Woodyard is a four-year starter, while McClinton, Williams and Kelley are all three-year starters.
3. Depth
Kentucky still isn't on the same level as most of the nation's elite, but it's in much, much better shape than it was a few years ago. While the Cats relied on walk-ons and little-used veterans on their second and third teams in years past, there is talent among this year's backups.
Linebacker Micah Johnson, defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin, defensive end Jamil Paris, safety Ashton Cobb and cornerback Paul Warford have all shown flashes of being solid contributors, and none of them is currently listed No. 1 on the depth chart.
4. Tennessee and Clemson
Say what you want about UK's defense last year -- let's face it, it was bad. But the unit that showed up for the season's last two games (a 17-12 loss to Tennessee and a 28-20 win over Clemson in the Music City Bowl) actually looked pretty good.
There's a perception that the defense had already begun to make the transition from former coordinator Mike Archer to Brown for those games, so hope abounds if Brown can carry that momentum over.
Now, the reasons for concern:
1. Stopping the run
This has been a perennial problem at Kentucky: Teams have generally been able to line it up and run it right down the Cats' throats. Playing in the SEC, which is loaded with big offensive linemen and top-notch running backs, doesn't help. But the coaches probably cringe when they look at what a handful of runners did to UK last year. Louisville's Michael Bush ran for 128 yards in a little over a half. Florida's Deshawn Wynn and South Carolina's Corey Boyd each went over the 100-yard plateau. Even Louisiana-Monroe's Calvin Dawson hit the Cats up for 179 yards and three TDs.
2. Pressure/third downs
When teams decide they want to mix it up and pass a little bit, Kentucky has generally allowed quarterbacks all the time they want to sit in the pocket and find an open receiver. That has to change. Kentucky was seventh in the league in sacks, but its pass-rushing shortcomings were magnified on third downs. Opponents converted 46.5 percent of third downs on UK last year, by far the worst mark in the league.
3. Turnovers
Kentucky forced 32 turnovers and finished second in the nation in turnover margin, but it's rare to get that kind of good fortune two years in a row. The Cats will need to be more consistent and force more punts instead of relying on picking up a timely turnover.
4. Assignments
How many times over the past few years have Wildcat defenders looked like they had no clue what was going on or where they were supposed to be?
Brown has borrowed a practice routine that could help along those lines. New secondary coach David Lockwood used it at Minnesota.
The players have a stripe going down the middle of their practice helmets so that the coaches can tell whether the players are zeroed in on their particular gaps instead of watching the ball.
"A lot of times as coaches, you're not in position to see where their eyes are," Brown said. "Every play has a key, and we have to know where their eyes are because that allows them to play fast and aggressive if they're reading their keys. We can tell by the helmets if they're doing that. This guarantees you know where they're looking at."
If Brown can get assignment errors cleaned up, the Cats have a chance to be significantly better defensively.
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