After a 4-8 campaign in 2003, the Kentucky Wildcats will look to senior Shane Boyd to fill the void left by departed quarterback Jared Lorenzen. The Wildcats are looking for their first bowl appearance since ’99.
Boyd, who saw limited playing time last season, has proven to coaches and fans that he brings more to the table than just a strong arm.
Last season, Boyd played quarterback, wide receiver and running back, while playing special teams. He was the first player in school history to record a touchdown by rushing, receiving and passing in the same game.
Coach Rich Brooks said Boyd’s athletic ability will guide the Wildcats’ offense.
“Shane will definitely be a running threat again this fall but it will all be from the quarterback position,” he said.
After posting a 7-5 overall record in 2002, the Wildcats took a step back in the 2003 season, despite strong senior campaigns from Lorenzen and wide receiver Derek Abney.
Abney, who was drafted in the 7th round by the Baltimore Ravens, tied the NCAA career record for total kick return touchdowns last season. His departure leaves a huge offensive and special teams gap to fill for the Wildcats.
Despite the gap, Brooks said the loss of Abney has been addressed.
“Wide receiver is the most talented position on our team,” he said. “We will try many different ways to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers.”
The Wildcats offense, which returns six starters, will focus heavily on its receiver corps.
Juniors Glenn Holt and Scott Mitchell made strong showings in the spring game, and freshman Jacob Tamme caught three passes for 35 yards.
The team suffered a huge blow when senior wide receiver Tommy Cook tore his anterior cruciate ligament. Cook led the ’03 Wildcats in receiving with 21 catches for 222 yards and one touchdown.
Brooks said the team will miss Cook.
“It’s difficult to lose the experienced leadership that Tommy brings to our team,” Brooks said.
Sophomore Keenan Burton plans to play a huge role with the departure of Abney and the recent injury to Cook. Burton played in all 12 games as a freshman and pulled in 20 catches for 221 yards and two touchdowns. His most memorable catch came in the back of the end zone against South Carolina. Burton must step up for the Wildcats to compete in the SEC East.
In the backfield, junior running back Arliss Beach plans to carry the load for the offense. In Kentucky’s Spring Game, Beach had two touchdowns and rushed for 48 yards on nine carries.
Junior Alexis Bwenge currently stands as the team’s No. 1 fullback, and after his three-touchdown performance in the Spring Game, Wildcats fans will expect Bwenge to carry the role as blocking back for the start of the season.
Along with Bwenge and Beach, junior Ronald Johnson should see increased playing time. Johnson, who saw action in all 12 games last year, averaged 4.2 yards per carry playing fullback. Johnson and Bwenge will look to create holes for Beach to exploit this season.
The offensive line, although shaken up with departed players, has slowly made improvements throughout the spring. The line returns seniors Matt Huff and Jason Rollins. Junior Matt McCutchan has proven to coaches that he can handle the role as starting center. Huff should see most of his time at guard; however, the inexperience as a unit may cause Brooks to switch things around.
“It’s a work in progress,” Brooks said. “They made great strides this spring and with the addition of Ernie Pelayo and the freshmen coming in the fall, I expect continued improvement and depth with every practice.”
Pelayo, who transferred from Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif., was a SuperPrep Top-100 junior college prospect. His addition to the Wildcats could help forge the O-line.
At tight end, No. 88 Jamir Davis looks primed to compete for All-SEC honors. Davis was All-State in California after two dominating seasons at City College of San Francisco in 2002 and 2003.
On defense, the Wildcats will look to replace the loss of defensive end Jeremy Caudill and outside linebacker Deion Holts. The defense returns nine starters and stacks one of the deepest defensive lines in the SEC.
Senior defensive Vincent “Sweet Pea” Burns anchors the line after a strong junior season. Burns, who was named second-team All-SEC by the Associated Press, was the team’s co-captain in 2003. The nickname “Sweet Pea” was given to him by his family when he was younger.
At the other end, B.J Parsons will look to continue causing havoc for opposing quarterbacks. Parsons transferred from Saddleback College in Irvine, Calif., where had totaled 76 tackles and 15.5 sacks as a sophomore.
In the middle, senior tackle Ellery Moore will continue to stop the run. Moore had 50 tackles for a UK team that accumulated 105 tackles from the nose guard position.
Sophomore Lamar Mills, who was named first-team Freshman All-America by The Sporting News in 2003, will assist Moore with tackle responsibilities.
The second area of major concern for the Wildcats is its secondary. There is little experience at defensive back for UK, and senior strong safety Mike Williams will not participate in contact drills until the fall.
Earven Flowers, a senior cornerback, has the most experience in the secondary. He has played all defensive back positions and has contributed on special teams. He started the first 10 games and led the team with seven pass breakups. Flowers will be expected to become a leader in the secondary while the team searches for starters.
At linebacker, Kentucky features junior linebackers Chad Anderson and Dustin Williams. Both Anderson and Williams recorded 100 tackles in 2003, and Anderson led the SEC in tackles per game.
At outside linebacker, sophomore Durrell White and junior Raymond Fontaine seal the corners with size and speed. Fontaine showed potential last season totaling 33 tackles after starting six games at outside linebacker. White, who started as a true freshman, recorded 43 tackles and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team by SEC coaches in 2003.
Although few can predict a drastic improvement for the Wildcats in 2004, there are signs the program is progressing.
Brooks said he is unsure.
“I was hopeful that we would have been able to win more games a year ago and have that upset win like we almost pulled against Florida,” he said. “We hope that we can get one or two of those upset wins this year and parlay that into climbing the ladder in the SEC. There are really no surprises.”
Even with a strong receiving corps, an athletic quarterback and proven defensive line, the Wildcats should encounter resistance on the way up the ladder in the talent-rich SEC East.