AU FOOTBALL 2009 OPPONENT PREVIEWS: Kentucky looking to plug holes on defense

Editor’s Note: This is the seventh in a series previewing Auburn’s 2009 football opponents. This week: Kentucky (Oct. 17). The series will run weekly.

Even before Kentucky senior defensive end Jeremy Jarmon’s career was ended by testing positive for a banned substance, the defensive-minded Wildcats had a glaring weakness to fill on the opposite end of the line.

Now they have two, and not one of the candidates for either side has collected a collegiate tackle.

When Auburn and Kentucky square off at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Wildcats will likely have figured out a solution to their suspect ends — or at least patch it up with a Band-Aid. If so, and the two new guys fill in admirably, the Tigers could be going up against one of the tougher defenses in the conference.

“Defensively, we did lose some very key starters, but I think we have people who are capable of stepping in and replacing them,” Kentucky coach Rich Brooks told USA Today. “Some of the younger guys that played last year that were a little uncertain aren’t as uncertain. There’s still some youth on that side of the ball that needs to be game-tested, but the experience that is returning is helping everyone as a unit.“

Jarmon, who tested positive for a banned over-the-counter dietary supplement in a random test in February, wasn’t spectacular by any means, but his experience — 31 starts — will certainly be missed.

Brooks has a sophomore (Chandler Burden) a junior-college transfer (DeQuin Evans), two redshirt freshmen and an uncertain incoming freshman to choose from in filling two spots.

He hasn’t ruled out converting tackles, linebackers or any other position players to plug the holes on the ends, according to a report in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

“We’re just going to have to see when camp starts. We always try to get our best players on the field,” Brooks told the newspaper.

Otherwise, Kentucky is loaded with experience on defense.

Linebacker Micah Johnson and All-American cornerback Trevard Lindley both have NFL talent. Big defensive tackle Corey Peters and strong safety Ashton Cobb also provide leadership at their area of the field.

All are seniors, and all should help the Wildcats do better than allowing 21.5 points per game, which allowed them to hover in the middle of the pack in 2008.

“We have established that we can compete with the best teams in the country, now we need to show that we can consistently beat the best teams in the country,” Brooks told USA Today. “We all know where a lot of those teams are, and they happen to be in our league, and particularly in the SEC East.“

Just like seemingly every team in the SEC this season, the Wildcats’ biggest question mark on offense is at quarterback.

Athletic sophomore Randall Cobb, who flashed signs of perhaps being Kentucky’s mobile quarterback of the future in games against Georgia and Vanderbilt last season, has officially been moved to wide receiver. Mike Hartline was the more traditional quarterback and played in 11 games last season, but did not exactly seize the job this spring.

Sophomore Will Fidler, who threw for two touchdowns and led the winning team at Kentucky’s spring game, and true freshmen Ryan Mossakowski and Morgan Newton could also have a shot at the job during the early goings-on of fall practice.

Whoever can get the ball to Cobb with the best efficiency will likely win the job.

Cobb will be looked at as the go-to sparkplug for the rebuilding Wildcats’ offense, which averaged just 14 points per game in its final five conference games.

“Randall Cobb’s addition to the receiving corps gives us a big-time playmaker,” Brooks told USA Today. “His long-term future is at wide receiver.”

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