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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Rich Brooks (4th season, 9-25) 2005 record: 3-8 SEC finish: 2-6 (6th East) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 79th (128.6 ypg) Passing: 101st (168.8 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 102nd (196.3 ypg) Passing: 84th (243.3 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 at Louisville Sept. 9 Texas State Sept. 16 Ole Miss Sept. 23 at Florida Sept. 30 Central Michigan Oct. 7 South Carolina Oct. 14 at LSU Oct. 28 at Mississippi State Nov. 4 Georgia Nov. 11 Vanderbilt Nov. 18 UL Monroe Nov. 25 at Tennessee Depth Chart: Offense 8 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 19 Keenan Burton Jr. 11 Joe Joe Brown So. WR 8 DeMoreo Ford So. 12 Dicky Lyons Jr. So. LT 69 Aaron Miller So. 79 Garry Williams So. LG 52 Fatu Turituri Sr. 78 Christian Johnson So. C 62 Matt McCutchan Sr. 60 Trai Williams Sr. RG 72 Michael Aitcheson Sr. 75 Micah Jones So. RT 57 Hayden Lane Sr. 71 James Alexander So. TE 18 Jacob Tamme Jr. 86 Ross Bogue Fr. QB 15 Curtis Pulley So. 3 Andre’ Woodson Jr. FB 24 Terrell Bankhead Sr. 38 John Conner Fr. TB 22 Rafael Little Jr. 28 Tony Dixon So. Depth Chart: Defense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 9 Durrell White Sr. 94 Travis Day Jr. DT 98 Myron Pryor So. 95 Ventrell Jenkins So. DT 45 Lamar Mills Sr. 66 Jason Leger Jr. DE 63 Ricky Abren Jr. 20 Dominic Lewis Jr. SLB 46 Joe Schuler Jr. 51 Johnny Williams So. MLB 56 Braxton Kelley So. - Micah Johnson Fr. WLB 16 Wesley Woodyard Jr. 43 Mikhail Mabry So. CB 24 Bo Smith Sr. 7 David Jones So. CB 32 Trevard Lindley Fr. 39 Shomari Moore So. SS 35 Roger Williams Jr. 21 Michael Schwindel Fr. FS 2 Marcus McClinton So. 14 Dallas Greer Jr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K - Lones Seiber Fr. P 44 Tim Masthay So. KR 6 John Logan Jr. PR 22 Rafael Little Jr.

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When a football team has won only five games in the last two seasons, from where does hope spring? When the offense and defense are both ranked among the worst in the ultra-competitive SEC, how does a bottom-feeder like Kentucky start to climb the ladder?

Rich Brooks hasn't provided the answer in his first three seasons as the Wildcats' coach, winning only nine out of 34 games. The by-product has been an almost game-by-game watch of his job status, which has teetered on the brink of a change the last two seasons.

But Brooks has survived this far, and he's hoping that his team earns something of a survivor label again this season. The NCAA probation and scholarship restrictions are behind Kentucky, which will field a team with more than 80 scholarship players for the first time in Brooks' era.

"We've been humiliated, but we've also been motivated," safety Marcus McClinton says. "But I know we're going to have a good team. I've seen these guys pull together closer than ever. We'll be sitting around the room talking about 'Cover two.' We've got a pride level now about what we're doing."

Kentucky's rebuilding job is about more than just recruiting better players. It's also about keeping them healthy. The Wildcats' team surgeons performed more than 30 operations on football players from last season through the offseason, and many of them were on some of the team's best players. How they recover will have a great deal to do with how the Cats recover from last season's 3-8 mark.

OFFENSE

Rafael Little's impersonation of the Little Engine That Could supplied life to Kentucky's slumbering offense in 2005, and not much is expected to change this season. The junior tailback can again expect to spend some long Sundays in the training room.

Little emerged as one of the nation's most prolific all-purpose players last season. He led the Wildcats in rushing and receptions, while also returning kicks and punts. Brooks might give Little a breather on kick returns this season, but he'll have little time to unstrap his helmet otherwise.

There remains uncertainty about which quarterback will hand the ball off. Andre' Woodson started all 11 games last season, but he was unable to retain the starting job through spring practice because of the push made by sophomore Curtis Pulley. They'll continue their race for the starting job in training camp, but Pulley appears to be the favorite. He took most of the snaps with the first-team offense during the spring, and his running ability seems to have separated him from Woodson, who is more of a pocket passer.

DEFENSE

Kentucky figures to be better this season. After finishing dead last in the SEC in total defense, scoring defense, run defense and pass defense, how can it get worse?

The Wildcats were obliterated by injuries last season, so staying healthy is the first objective. If they succeed, the defense could make significant strides.

Defensive tackle Lamar Mills is back from a torn knee ligament, and tackle Myron Pryor had perhaps the most impressive spring of anyone, providing hope that the Cats' line might resist a little in 2006. Enigmatic Ricky Abren has as much unfulfilled potential as any player on the team, and Kentucky hopes he can provide a pass rush either at tackle or end.

Wesley Woodyard, the team's top tackler last season, returns at weak-side linebacker, where he serves as the heart and soul of the defense. Woodyard is loud and fearless, and the former safety might finally have the body to match after gaining 15 pounds in the offseason.

Cornerback Bo Smith has one side of the field. Now the Cats have to figure out who's got the other side. Smith has established himself as the team's best cover cornerback, and he'll be one of Kentucky's best defenders this season.

SPECIALISTS

The Cats will have to do better in the kicking department. Tim Masthay struggled through a roller-coaster season as a freshman punter, averaging 36.4 yards. Most maddening, though, was his inconsistency. The placekicking duties might suffer the same inconsistencies this season. True freshman Lones Seiber is expected to win the job when he reports for training camp.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Everything is in place for Kentucky to show marked improvement this season because of significant experience at every starting position, except one receiver and one cornerback spot. Fulfilling that promise might be made easier with an accommodating schedule. If one of the two quarterbacks can establish himself as a playmaker, the Cats can take some of the pressure off Little and possibly push for a six-win mark and a bowl bid for the first time since 1999.