Last season, Kentucky football was defined by its defense. Sure, the Cats had their all-time leading rusher in Benny Snell, but many of the season’s victories were derived from stellar defensive performances. Players like Josh Allen earned national attention (and rightfully so), but key contributors like Mike Edwards, Lonnie Johnson and Chris Westry could also seriously impact a game.
That’s not to say Kentucky doesn’t still have solid defensive players. However, UK had relied on those mentioned above for years; having to “start over,” in a way, was an understandably-daunting task. Kentucky fans (and media members) had to get used to a new set of faces, playing styles and jersey numbers.