It’s September anew and already the Wildcats are off to a good start, winning their first three SEC games (against Southern Mississippi, Eastern Kentucky, and South Carolina). And all the signs are pointing to a great season for the Kentucky team.
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Coach Mark Stoops credits the team’s efforts on defense as most crucial in these initial wins, particularly for the tough road victory over Mississippi. Offense-wise, Stephen Johnson should continue to improve as the season progresses, and quarterback Drew Barker will recover his playing time and contribute more.
Of course, Benny Snell is the highlight of the Wildcat’s 2017 offense, currently leading the SEC in rushing. With star Boom Williams gone, Snell will be the main offensive option for the Wildcats, as is already manifested in these beginning-season games.
It’s safe to say that the Wildcats will win at least eight regular season games, bolstered by a not-so-demanding schedule and a good balance of talent both on offense and defense. The season finale versus rival Louisville should be very interesting and a definite must-watch, especially since the Cardinals are still licking their wounds from the bitter loss in their last head-to-head.
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The Wildcats will have the homecourt advantage over Louisville (the game will be played at Kroger Field) and a super-solid fan support come game time. But more than the conduciveness is the highly improved Kentucky talent level, which is now equal if not better than Louisville’s. The Cardinals will have to play a perfect game if they want to steal this victory from the Wildcats. And that’s unlikely to happen with Kentucky all fired up and ready to defend their turf and pride.
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