Photo by Vicki Graff
It’s the eve of the football season for the Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats will host the Central Michigan Chippewas in their 2018 season opener on Saturday. With the spread set at -17 in favor of the Wildcats, most expect Kentucky to handle their business and begin the year 1-0.
As head coach Mark Stoops leads his troops into his fifth year with the school, he’s assembled a veteran defense full of disciplined playmakers. On the offensive side of the ball, he’s recruited talented skill-position players for crafty offensive coordinator Eddie Gran.
Stoops is 3-1 in season openers at Kentucky, with a good chance to increase that record to 4-1 on Saturday.
After Wednesday’s practice, junior linebacker Kash Daniel put an emphasis on making a statement early against the Chippewas. Senior pass rusher and potential first round draft pick Josh Allen echoed Daniel’s comments, saying it’s a priority for the Cats to take control early.
Star safety Mike Edwards recently said he’s coming off his best camp yet, which is saying a lot for the highly talented defensive back.
Daniel was also asked about Central Michigan’s Jonathan Ward and his comments relaying to Kentucky running back Benny Snell not being anything “too special.” Daniel, who seemed to speak for himself as well as the other Wildcats, said Kentucky will do their talking on the field.
Edwards and defensive coordinator, Matt House, both talked about Central Michigan having good players on both sides of the ball, pointing out that they’ve beaten some power-five teams over the last few seasons. Notable takedowns by the Chippewas were Kansas in 2017 and Oklahoma State in 2016.
While UK fans may be sleeping on Central Michigan, the team won’t be. Kickoff is set for 2:30 at Kroger Field on Saturday with coverage on WKDZ 106.5 FM and online at wkdzradio.com.
