[B]Kentucky: [/B]Coming in to the 2011 season, second year head coach Joker Phillips is wanting to the program to continue to ‘rise’.
After losing big time play makers in Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke, the Wildcats start fresh with offensive play-makers. After an up-and-down career and UK, Mike Hartline is gone as well, and rising junior Morgan Newton has been given the job of starting quarterback.
What will they need to do to be productive?
Having a veteran offensive line should help with a lot of new guys in the backfield and on the outside, but there are still a lot of guys that can and should get the job done. Raymond Sanders and La’Rod King are two guys that have enough experience and have produced well in the past.
However, how long will it take for them to adjust to the ‘go-to-guy’ role on the offensive side of the ball?
Switching sides, the Wildcats return with one of the nation’s best linebackers in Danny Trevathan. But he may be doing more than being a run stopper. There were speculations that he could also return punts, but why take the risk when you have a guy like Raymond Sanders that can get the job done as well.
Winston Guy returns as a leader in the secondary, and the second leading tackler on the team as well. Ronnie Sneed is another guy that is a returning starting and someone that has produced well at his middle linebacker position.
However, the defensive line seems to be the struggling unit with the total number of sacks combined last season was only 6.5 out of 21 total. Having returning starters in Colin Ukwu and Taylor Wyndham back on the line helps with the experience factor, but they only combined for 53 tackles a year ago.
The special teams unit return with both punters and kickers and set to have another productive year.
[IMG]http://www.nationofblue.com/image/jpg;base64,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[/IMG] [B]Tennessee: [/B]The SEC East rival of the guys in blue return with another season of young, but talented team. However, depth showed a year ago and it might show again with the linebacking unit that has only one returning starter. He is injured with no timetable of a return.
One thing the Vols have going for them is the momentum started by the young offense and Tyler Bray. Throwing in 300+ yard games a year ago, the sophomore returns with a lot of young targets and a little more experienced offensive line. But how well will the young offense carry the team throughout the tough season?
Switching gears to the defensive unit, the Tennessee defense returns with one true starter on defense, one in the linebackers unit, and all of the secondary. Having the luxury of a experienced secondary unit will help defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, as he struggled to get the guys on the field with depth issues a year ago.
Adding on to that, defensive tackle Malik Jackson returns, self pro-claiming that he alone makes up the defensive line. But with a lot of home games, many think the Vols will have to rely on the gunslinger at quarterback to pull off wins this season.
[B]Vanderbilt:[/B] The ‘Dores return with a lot of new faces, especially in the coaching staff. The newly appointed head coach has already gained a lot of respect in the recruiting aspect, but how will that transition into football?
Having consecutive losing seasons, the guys from Nashville still have a lot of senior talent on the team. Senior quarterback Larry Smith returns trying to do what they did in a ’08, a bowl game. With a so-called ‘easy’ non-conference schedule, it should make it easier for the first year head coach, and maybe a few upsets could come along the way.
Nevertheless, they will always will have no respect around the league, until proven. The defensive side of the ball returns with guys like Chris Marve and Casey Hayward leading the way. Both seemed to be able to match up with the SEC, but the others seem to fall short.
I believe the ‘Dores are heading in the right direction, but only will winning on the field will help get all of the momentum going for Coach Franklin.
