Team Speed Kills - SEC Football Preview 2014: Kentucky Faces an Uphill Climb in the SEC. AgainSports are just better in the SEChttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52580/tsk_fav.png2014-07-08T20:07:36-04:00http://www.teamspeedkills.com/rss/stream/55774572014-07-08T20:07:36-04:002014-07-08T20:07:36-04:0014 for '14: Arkansas Goes for Not Broke
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<figcaption>Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Razorbacks are going to have to upset someone if they're going to win an SEC game this year. Who might that team be?</p> <p>It's not every year that you have two SEC teams that go 0-8 in the conference in the same season -- which is exactly where the league found itself in 2013, when Arkansas and Kentucky were both winless in conference play. (It happened in 2012 as well, when the unlucky teams were Auburn and -- naturally -- Kentucky.) Having the same two teams go 0-8 in back-to-back seasons is even more unlikely; one of them would almost have to luck into a win if nothing else.</p>
<p>I don't think the same two teams are going to go winless in consecutive years, but I also don't think it's out of the question. Like Kentucky, Arkansas is likely to make some great strides this year toward restoring the program's reputation -- but the Razorbacks have an absolutely brutal schedule. In addition to two losable games in the nonconference schedule, the draws out of the East are Missouri and Georgia. Arkansas could face 10 bowl teams this season, eight of them in their own conference.</p>
<p>Which is to say that there would be no shame in Arkansas going 0-8 in the SEC this year. As much of <a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/7/8/5879317/arkansas-razorbacks-football-preview-2014-three-things-know-dont">a cliche</a> as it is in general and about this team in particular, the Hogs really could be a much better team this year and sport an even worse record. Progress in the SEC isn't always something you can measure on the scoreboard.</p>
<p>All that said, Bret Bielema has the pieces to get at least one SEC out of this team. If Brandon Allen can merely reach competence level during his second season at the helm, the backfield looks very good. The defense is going to be a question mark at the beginning of the season. But if it can jell during an opening stretch that is perhaps the easier part of the schedule, then it can be enough of a factor late in the year to put a game within reach.</p>
<p>Yeah, the one I'm picking is an upset, and a pretty big one. But Arkansas is going to have to win a game sooner or later, and it's likely to be a surprise when it does. Since I'll get asked about it: Arkansas has a bye week before facing this opponent, which it has a history of upsetting, while that opponent plays one of its most emotional games of the year the week before. Is Arkansas better than the team I'm calling for it to beat? No. But that's why they call it an upset.</p>
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<td><b>ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS<br></b></td>
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<td>Place: 7th in the SEC West<br>Record: 4-8, 1-7 SEC<br>Could be: 2-10 to 7-5<br>Best chance for an additional upset: at TEXAS TECH<br>Bowl: None</td>
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<td>8.30.14 | <b>at AUBURN</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>9.6.14 | <b>NICHOLLS STATE</b> | WIN</td>
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<td>9.13.14 | <b>at TEXAS TECH</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>9.20.14 | <b>NORTHERN ILLINOIS</b> | WIN</td>
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<td>10.27.14 | <b>vs. TEXAS A&M</b> (Arlington) | LOSS</td>
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<td>10.11.14 | <b>ALABAMA</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>10.18.14 | <b>GEORGIA</b> (Little Rock) | LOSS</td>
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<td>10.25.14 | <b>UAB</b> | WIN</td>
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<td>11.1.14 | <b>at MISSISSIPPI STATE</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>11.15.14 | <b>LSU</b> | WIN</td>
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<td>11.22.14 | <b>OLE MISS</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>11.28.14 | <b>MISSOURI</b> | LOSS</td>
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https://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/7/8/5882283/sec-football-preview-2014-arkansas-razorbacks-predictionsBrandon Larrabee2014-07-08T12:00:03-04:002014-07-08T12:00:03-04:0014 for '14: Kentucky Faces One More Long Year
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<p>This team is a lot closer to the postseason than it was last year. It's still a pretty long way away, though</p> <p>I love fan optimism this time of the year, and perhaps irrational optimism the most of all. As long as its not defensive or lashing out at other teams, as long as it's something like <a href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/football/2014/7/7/5873833/kentucky-football-why-uk-will-be-one-of-the-biggest-surprises-of-2014">this</a>, then irrational optimism in the preseason is the best part of the summer.</p>
<p>But we try to deal with reality here in the previews on Team Speed Kills, and reality says that Kentucky is at least a year away from seriously contending for the postseason. The starting quarterback is either going to be <span>Maxwell Smith</span> or a player who has never started a game in the SEC and perhaps never played in one. <span>Jalen Whitlow</span> was never the long-term solution for this team at quarterback, but there's no reason to think that the quarterback position is going to be a net positive this year. New quarterbacks have growing pains, no matter how much talent they have.</p>
<p>Remember: That <a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/2/7/5389432/kentucky-wildcats-football-recruiting-2014-ohio">impressive recruiting class</a> that Kentucky signed was inked this February. That class could very well get the Wildcats back to the Rich Brooks Era peak of annual bowl games, and maybe even higher, but that isn't going to happen this year. Kentucky is probably going to be better this year than they were in 2013 -- there are some talented players they can draw on -- but there's a chasm between where the Wildcats were the last couple of years and where they want to be.</p>
<p>If I were Mark Stoops, my unspoken goal this year would be to win an SEC game. Any SEC game. Kentucky comes into the season on a 16-game conference losing streak, having not won a league game since November 2011. And they got close a couple of times last year, <a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2013/10/6/4807912/south-carolina-gamecocks-35-kentucky-wildcats-28-final-score">at South Carolina</a> and <a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2013/10/24/5026908/mississippi-st-bulldogs-kentucky-wildcats-final-score-recap">at Mississippi State</a> being the prime examples, but couldn't quite get the plays they needed to come away with the win. A victory in the SEC would probably pave the way for a four- or five-win season, which isn't great, but is a far sight better than 2-10.</p>
<p>It's just hard to see. There are opportunities on the schedule for an upset -- a gut-punch win against Mississippi State when the Bulldogs are coming off of back-to-back-to-back games at LSU and against Texas A&M and Auburn could fit the bill -- but nothing that looks like a surefire bet. A 24-game SEC losing streak looks improbable, but not much more improbable than Kentucky winning one of its conference games this year.</p>
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<td><b>KENTUCKY WILDCATS</b></td>
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<td>Place: 7th in the SEC East<br>Record: 3-9, 0-8 SEC<br>Could be: 2-10 to 5-7<br>Best chance for an upset: MISSISSIPPI STATE<br>Bowl: None</td>
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<td>8.30.14 | <b>UT-MARTIN</b> | WIN</td>
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<td>9.6.14 | <b>OHIO</b> | WIN</td>
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<td>9.13.14 | <b>at FLORIDA</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>9.27.14 | <b>VANDERBILT</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>10.4.14 | <b>SOUTH CAROLINA</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>10.11.14 | <b>LOUISIANA-MONROE</b> | WIN</td>
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<td>10.18.14 | <b>at LSU</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>10.25.14 | <b>MISSISSIPPI STATE</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>11.1.14 | <b>at MISSOURI</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>11.8.14 | <b>GEORGIA</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>11.15.14 | <b>at TENNESSEE</b> | LOSS</td>
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<td>11.29.14 | <b>at LOUISVILLE</b> | LOSS</td>
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<p>*Note: In response to confusion in the past, I've dumped the tiers of wins and losses and gone to a straight win-loss prediction method.</p>
https://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/7/8/5879601/sec-football-preview-2014-kentucky-predictionsBrandon Larrabee2014-07-07T09:00:02-04:002014-07-07T09:00:02-04:0014 for '14: What is Kentucky's Experience Worth?
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<figcaption>Jamie Rhodes-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Wildcats bring back a load of players from a team that went 2-10 last year and is in the middle of transitioning its offensive scheme. So how much good will that do them in 2014?</p> <p>Kentucky could prove to be a useful test subject this season for one of those questions that comes up from time to time in college football: How much do returning starters mean if the team wasn't very good in the first place? Because the Wildcats have a relatively high number of returning starters this season, even accounting for <a href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/4/16/5620550/kentucky-football-quarterback-jalen-whitlow-to-transfer">the departure of Jalen Whitlow</a>, and I'm sure there's no need to remind you that their 2013 was not particularly successful. Before Whitlow's transfer, the Kentucky spring football media guide boasted that the 16 returning starters were the most for the program in 14 years. Even 15 is a pretty solid number.</p>
<p>There are some added complexities in Kentucky's case. At some point, you have to assume that the coaching staff is going to make good on its promise to move toward an Air Raid-style offense for the Wildcats, and 2013 wasn't it. (Kentucky attempted 343 passes and ran the ball 431 times during a season in which it lost eight games by at least two scores.) If that season is 2014, or if the Wildcats are trying to make at least some progress in moving toward that goal, then the experience players earned last year -- not to mention the experience they picked up during the Joker Phillips Era -- might not help that much this season.</p>
<p><b>BIGGEST RETURNS:</b> <i>DE Alvin "Bud" Dupree and DE Za'Darius Smith</i><br>My <a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/7/5/5872353/sec-unit-rankings-defensive-lines">concerns with the Kentucky defensive line this year</a> largely concern depth and the line's interior, which are not small things to worry about in a season when the running game is likely to define the conference's top offenses again. But Dupree and Smith are two bright spots on the depth chart on defense for the Wildcats. They produced a combined 120 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 13 sacks in 2013, not to mention nine quarterback hurries. Kentucky might get gashed on the ground this year, but Dupree and Smith should be able to at least limit the damage through the air if they can stay healthy.</p>
<p><b>BIGGEST LOSS:</b> <i>LB Avery Williamson</i><br>You know what can make a defense losing its two starting interior linemen even more vulnerable to the run? If that defense also loses its starting middle linebacker. Kentucky managed to hit that anti-jackpot when its most prolific tackler in 2013 moved on. (And got <a href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/5/10/5704226/2014-nfl-draft-avery-williamson-drafted-in-the-5th-round-by-the">drafted in the fifth round</a>.) Williamson had 102 tackles for the season, which was 41 more than Dupree had as the second-leading tackler on the team. And he started every game at the position, leaving little in the way of a clear successor.</p>
<p><b>BREAKTHROUGH POSSIBILITY:</b> <i>RB Braylon Heard</i><br>Heard had the potential to be a good running back at Nebraska -- the only problem being that Nebraska was pretty loaded at the position when Heard was there. Heard averaged 6.0 yards a carry over his two seasons in Lincoln, and appears to be <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/82316/heard-makes-most-of-transfer-year-at-uk">a level-headed guy</a>. Kentucky also has a good stable of backs, but if Heard can win the starting job and the Air Raid sputters again, he could be in line for a big season. That would be a mixed bag for the Wildcats -- but a mixed bag is better than what can be expected in other aspects of Kentucky's season, no matter who is returning.</p>
https://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/7/7/5876405/2014-kentucky-wildcats-football-roster-season-previewBrandon Larrabee2014-07-02T09:00:07-04:002014-07-02T09:00:07-04:0014 for '14: Who Will Score Points for Arkansas?
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<p>A few big players return for the Razorbacks while some significant ones step away. What will that mean for an offense that's seen years of constant change?</p> <p>There are some things to like about Arkansas' roster heading as football season approaches. Up to three-fifths of the offensive line will be made up of returning starters, and <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000354999/article/unlv-transfer-cameron-jefferson-improves-arkansas-oline">getting transfer</a> <span>Cameron Jefferson</span> will help. The top two tacklers for the Hogs are back in <span>Alan Turner</span> and <span>Braylon Mitchell</span>, while <span>Darius Philon</span> and <span>Trey Flowers</span> bring back a combined 22.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks between them. Factor in that Arkansas lost three games last year by a single possession, and you start to get the glimmer of hope.</p>
<p>But after years of offensive upheaval for the Razorbacks, the question might still end up being: How well will the offense do? The Razorbacks scored more than 17 points three times in SEC play last year, and topped 30 points against just one conference defense: Texas A&M, which only counted as a defense in 2013 in the sense that there were 11 men out there trying to keep the other team from scoring. Growth in the defense is still needed, no doubt, but only if it's met with an improved offense will that lead to an improvement in the Hogs' fortunes.</p>
<p><b>BIGGEST RETURNS:</b> <i>RB Alex Collins and RB Jonathan Williams</i><br>Expect Arkansas to do a lot of running again this year. Last year's offense <a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/1/27/5348474/arkansas-razorbacks-football-2013-season-review">relied heavily on the ground game</a>, and the Razorbacks lose less than 10 percent of their rushing yards from 2013. Much of what returns came from Collins and Williams, who combined to rush for 1,926 yards and eight touchdowns on 340 carries. That could be the best one-two punch in the conference, and if there are any hopes for the Hogs to have a better-than-expected season, they're going to need a big year from at least one of these backs, and probably both, in addition to seeing some improvement elsewhere on offense.</p>
<p><b>BIGGEST LOSS:</b> <i>C <span>Travis Swanson</span></i><br>Swanson was the leader of the offensive line that helped Collins and Williams rush for all those yards; he was also a <a href="http://www.rimingtontrophy.com/trophy/finalists/">finalist for the Rimington Trophy</a>. If there's one hurdle to both the running game being able to regain its form and/or the passing game finding its way, it's the loss of Swanson. (The only real competitor would be Kiero Small, who in addition to his blocking duties was the third-ranking rusher last year and had the fourth-most catches for the Razorbacks.) Swanson's likely replacement <a href="http://arkansasnews.com/sports/center-attention-charpentier-steps-first-team-role">is Luke Charpentier</a>, a redshirt senior who's seen action in a handful of games every year but now has very large shoes to fill.</p>
<p><b>BREAKTHROUGH POSSIBILITY:</b> <i>QB Brandon Allen</i><br>This is a bit process of elimination and a bit of a hunch. Allen's career has not been a model of stability during his first few seasons in Fayetteville: Redshirting under <span class="sbn-auto-link">Bobby Petrino</span>, playing in the rolling circus of doom that was John L. Smith's season at the helm and then transitioning to the more run-heavy offense that the Razorbacks ran in their first year under Bielema.</p>
<p>And while I've grown to hate the "it can't get any worse" reasoning for saying a certain facet of a team's game is going to get better -- it really can't get much worse for Allen and the Hogs' passing game. Allen completed just 49.6 percent of his passes last year and finished with a (very) subpar 109.02 passer efficiency rating. Early returns on the spring were <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/81743/allen-ready-to-prove-hes-the-starter-again">good</a>; later returns, <a href="http://arkansasnews.com/sports/allen-passing-attack-struggle-spring-finale">not so much</a>. If Arkansas is going to make any progress though, it's going to require Allen to do a lot better under center. The one hitch: Three of Arkansas' top receivers last year are gone.</p>
https://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/7/2/5859932/sec-football-2014-preview-arkansas-razorbacks-rosterBrandon Larrabee2014-06-19T09:24:39-04:002014-06-19T09:24:39-04:00Three Things We Know and Don't About Kentucky
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<figcaption>Mark Zerof-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>A quick overview of major issues for Wildcat football.</p> <h4>THREE THINGS WE KNOW</h4>
<p><b>1. A lot of the faces.</b></p>
<p>If someone played for the Wildcats last year, there's a great chance he's back for more this year. By Phil Steele's count, UK will have 70% of its lettermen back from a year ago. While there's still plenty of time for summer shenanigans to reduce that number, it's still going to be one of the highest percentages nationally. It's not always good to return a ton of guys from a bad team—iffy players don't magically get a lot better by being older. However with this being the second year in the scheme for both sides of the ball, the high returning number could lead to some improvements.</p>
<p><b>2. That we can be cautiously optimistic about the running game.</b></p>
<p>The run game is not going to be the primary method of attack in Neal Brown's Air Raid, but there is reason to believe it'll be improved over last year. <span>Jojo Kemp</span> led the team in rushing as a freshman last year, and he's a year older and better. Fighting him for carries will be Nebraska transfer <span>Braylon Heard</span>, who would've been the heir apparent to <span>Ameer Abdullah</span> had he not transferred to Kentucky for more immediate playing time. <span>Josh Clemons</span> is finally back after years of fighting injury, and solid true freshmen signees Mikel Horon and Stanley Williams provide depth. With nearly everyone on the line back and about the most highly rated O-lineman <a target="_blank" href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/2014-football-recruiting/2014/2/5/5381364/kentucky-football-national-signing-day-previewing-the-offensive-line">class</a> UK has signed coming in, there's hope here.</p>
<p><b>3. It's going to be a long year.</b></p>
<p>When a team is coming off of consecutive 2-10 seasons, it's most likely going to have another rough go of it. The <a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/6/17/5816712/kentucky-wildcats-2014-football-schedule" target="_blank">schedule</a> doesn't really set things up for a backdoor into bowl season should the team surprise to the upside, and the fact that all of those old guys made the core of some awful teams doesn't inspire hope of such a surprise anyway. The key to the season might just be the team's second game against Ohio. Win it, and there can still be hope for something crazy to happen later. Lose it, and it might nudge the staff into a youth movement where Mark Stoops's highly touted underclassmen get thrown into the fire for seasoning. If the latter is the way things go, the team will take some real lumps this fall.</p>
<h4>THREE THINGS WE DON'T KNOW</h4>
<p><b>1. Who will be under center.</b></p>
<p>Quarterback is a fluid situation right now. <span>Patrick Towles</span> was the leader coming out of spring practice, and he was a former four-star recruit. He also redshirted last year after playing some spot work as a true freshman in 2012. Last year's two main guys either transferred out (<span>Jalen Whitlow</span>) or missed the spring with injury (Max Smith). Highly touted true freshman Drew Barker came in and competed in the spring, and while he couldn't unseat Towles, he's pretty clearly the quarterback of the future. Will Towles hold onto the job? Will the staff decide the future is now with Barker? Your guess is as good as mine, and a lot probably depends on whether UK surprises on the upside or remains in the East cellar.</p>
<p><b>2. Whether they can stop anyone.</b></p>
<p>Everyone knows Texas A&M's defense was awful last year, but that's because people were already watching that team for Johnny Football. Kentucky's was similarly as bad. In conference play, UK allowed 0.1 points per game less, 0.37 yards per carry less, and 0.09 yards per play more than the Aggies did. Pass defense was particularly bad with a passing efficiency allowed of 169.07 in league play. For perspective, AJ McCarron had the highest individual mark there at 163.53. The Blue-White game <a target="_blank" href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/2014/4/27/5658360/kentucky-football-blue-white-game-postmortem">offered little</a> to suggest things will be better.</p>
<p><b>3. If the specialists will help or hurt.</b></p>
<p>Kentucky had one of the more reliable kickers in the SEC last year in <span>Joe Mansour</span>, who made 12 of 14 field goals on the season with one of the misses coming from over 50 yards. He was a senior, so the job now probably falls to redshirt freshman Austin MacGinnis. He was one of the top kicking prospects in high school, but he's yet to attempt anything on the college level. <span>Landon Foster</span> took over as a freshman at punter last year, but UK was near the bottom of the league in punting. If the Wildcats are going to surprise to the upside this year, they're going to need to win at the margins. That will require these two to go from question marks to sure things.</p>
https://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/6/19/5820396/2014-sec-football-preview-kentucky-wildcats-know-and-dont-knowDavid Wunderlich2014-06-17T17:49:35-04:002014-06-17T17:49:35-04:0014 for '14: Kentucky's Chance to Hope for Hope
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<figcaption>Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's probably too much to say that Kentucky has much to play for this year, but the schedule is set up in a way that might make things interesting</p> <p>It's hard to pick out the highlights of Kentucky's schedule for this coming season, in part because Kentucky is expected to have a fairly rough go of it. There are few indications that the Wildcats are in serious contention for the postseason. No one really expects them to <a href="http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20120920/SPORTS/120929970?tc=ar">snap a 27-game losing streak against Florida</a>. Getting to one or two SEC wins would be a sizable accomplishment.</p>
<p>But if Kentucky is a bit better than expected, they might be able to have something to play for going into November. Not much to play for, mind you, and the November road swing is enough to all but guarantee that Kentucky will lose what they have to play for. But just seeing the last month of the season as something less than a yawning chasm of despair would be progress. Baby steps.</p>
<div class="sidebar"><span><i>Aug. 30 vs. UT-Martin<br>Sept. 6 vs. Ohio<br>Sept. 14 at Florida<br>Sept. 27 vs. Vanderbilt</i></span></div>
<p><b>It starts off as good as it gets.</b> Aside from the trip to Gainesville to take on the Gators, this is about as favorable an opening schedule as Kentucky could get. If there is any faint hope of the Wildcats of making a bowl game -- if -- it has to start with a 3-1 record in these games. The layout is just too perfect: the FCS cupcake and home games against a midmajor and the Commodores, the latter coming off of a bye week. That's not to say that a 3-1 record here is likely, just that it's the best chance for Kentucky to set itself up for success. Even then, a postseason berth could be difficult to get, because things only get harder from here.</p>
<div class="sidebar"><span><i>Oct. 4 vs. South Carolina<br>Oct. 11 vs. Louisiana-Monroe<br>Oct. 18 at LSU<br>Oct. 25 vs. Mississippi State</i></span></div>
<p><b>October, more trick than treat.</b> About the only good news in this stretch is that three of the games are at home. Underestimating Louisiana-Monroe is a mistake that's proven fatal for more than one SEC team, so even the purported cupcake in this stretch is trickier than your average Sun Belt foe. Oh, and did we mention that the Gamecocks, Tigers and potentially improved Western Division Bulldogs are the other teams playing against the Wildcats this month. If a good record for Vanderbilt in the first month is 3-1, an acceptable record for the second month has to be 1-3; simply going 2-2 might be overachieving for Kentucky this year.</p>
<div class="sidebar"><span><i>Nov. 1 at Missouri<br>Nov. 8 vs. Georgia<br>Nov. 15 at Tennessee<br>Nov. 29 at Louisville</i></span></div>
<p><b>On the road again and again and again.</b> The annual rivalry game against the Cardinals has been shifted to the end of the season, so Kentucky fans will have to wait to get their latest shot at Bobby Petrino. By then, Kentucky will be on its third road game in four contests, so avenging losses that happened several years ago will probably be near the bottom of the Wildcats' priorities by then. But for whatever goals Kentucky might have, you almost wonder if it would have been better served with either the Missouri or Tennessee games being at home instead of the Georgia game. Not that UK is likely to win any of those three games, but the Vols and the Tigers seem like they would be easier upset victims than the Dawgs. No matter how you arrange the games, though, it wouldn't be surprising to see Kentucky go 0-4 this month, dashing whatever hopes that might be intact going into November.</p>
https://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/6/17/5816712/kentucky-wildcats-2014-football-scheduleBrandon Larrabee2014-06-16T09:00:03-04:002014-06-16T09:00:03-04:0014 for '14: Kentucky Gets One More Mulligan
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<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>UK is not like most SEC schools, but it's not as far off as you might think.</p> <p>When Mark Stoops came to Kentucky, everyone knew this was not a normal situation for an SEC coach. Talent had bottomed out, expectations were as low as can be, and he had a little extra buffer thanks to UK being the conference's resident basketball school.</p>
<p>Stoops made an <a target="_blank" href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/2/7/5389432/kentucky-wildcats-football-recruiting-2014-ohio">instant impact in recruiting</a>, selling prospects on a bright future that they can build. He brought in more four-star guys from Ohio than ever, and he secured his quarterback of the future in Drew Barker. Maybe last fall's team went 2-10. Maybe it lost to Western Kentucky for the second consecutive year. Maybe the school hasn't won an SEC game since 2011. It's fine: everything is about the future.</p>
<p>We can't really say yet that the future is now in Lexington. One great (by Kentucky standards) class isn't going to turn things overnight. The schedule may drop Alabama, but LSU rotates in. A second week loss to Ohio, one of the MAC's better teams, is not out of the question. A 3-9 record would nominally be an improvement, but it wouldn't feel like much of one with another 0-8 SEC run and a loss to a non-Power 5 team.</p>
<p>But if Stoops can sell four-stars on hope after a pair of 2-10 seasons, he can probably do it off of another campaign that finishes a fair distance from .500. The SEC is, after all, the toughest league in America, right? Of course it will be tough to dig out of a deep hole. And if the older guys on the team aren't able to carry the team up the mountain, then surely there will be room for able young stars to jump right in and play! The recruiting pitch writes itself, really.</p>
<p>He's only got one more year to work like this, though, so Stoops had better sell the hell out of it. Kentucky fans may be patient, but they don't fit their stereotype of not caring about football as soon as John Calipari's bunch hit the hardwood for preseason practice. Football fans there might be a bit more patient, but they do want to see regular bowl appearances. The school is spending $110 million to improve Commonwealth Stadium right now. They can see Vanderbilt win nine games in consecutive years and wonder why their own program hasn't done so since the '70s.</p>
<p>Stoops can't put out another hopeless team and expect to continue his momentum, but 4-8 won't kill his narrative either. The defense should be headed in the right direction, given that it's the head coach's specialty. Sooner or later, though, Stoops and Neal Brown are going to just toss Barker in and take their lumps as the freshman gains experience.</p>
<p>It's probably going to be a year with more ugly than pretty in the bluegrass. It just had better be the last of them.</p>
https://www.teamspeedkills.com/2014/6/16/5812824/2014-sec-football-preview-kentucky-wildcatsDavid Wunderlich