By Ryan Ernst
The Cincinnati Enquirer

About Rich Brooks

Born: Aug. 20, 1941. Education: Oregon State (1963) College head coaching experience: University of Oregon (1977-94) NFL coaching experience: St. Louis Rams, head coach (1995-96); Atlanta Falcons, assistant head coach, defensive coordinator (1997-2000)

LEXINGTON - Football fans need only see Jared Lorenzen lined up in the slot to notice that things have changed in Lexington.

The 6-foot-4 quarterback from Highlands looks much more like an offensive lineman than a deep threat. His weight is the most tightly guarded information in the commonwealth since the Colonel's secret recipe, although it seems to be more than the 260 pounds listed in the media guide.

But the Wildcats' first-year coach, Rich Brooks, has a vision for this season. It involves a new 3-4 formation on defense; and on offense it involves the biggest quarterback in the nation becoming the biggest quarterback/halfback/wide receiver/tight end in the nation.

Brooks, the former head coach of the St. Louis Rams and the national coach of the year with Oregon in 1994, arrives just as Kentucky comes off NCAA sanctions that prohibited bowl games. With a new philosophy in place and the punitive measures of past NCAA infractions behind them, the Wildcats are thinking bowl game after last year's 7-5 season.

Offense

The offseason two-quarterback experiment appears to be more than just an experiment. Brooks and offensive coordinator Ron Hudson insist both Lorenzen and Shane Boyd will see plenty of action in every game. Unlike many two-quarterback systems, however, both signal callers will be on the field at the same time for many plays.

Boyd, a junior, is one of the Wildcats' best athletes, and the staff believes Lorenzen's abilities as more than a drop-back passer are underestimated. Lorenzen, a starter for most of his three years of eligibility, said he liked the idea as soon as he heard it.

"I loved it," he said. "We were sitting in a meeting and they said, 'Shane we want you in on this play.' Eventually it turned into, 'We want both of you in on this play.' We've both embraced it. It's good to have another set of eyes out there."

The system is designed to keep defenses on their toes and to help on reads. Whether it works or not is one thing. If nothing else, it should be exciting.

"I think both Shane and Jared are having a little fun with it," Brooks said.

Lorenzen confirmed his coach's inkling.

"You see me or you hear about me and you think, 'He definitely can't move, he can't run, he can't scramble,' " he said. "But you know, I caught a pass yesterday. I play a little receiver. I can do a couple things for us."

As for the more traditional receiving corps, Derek Abney is back to lead the Wildcats. The 5-10, 175-pound senior was a first-team All-America selection as a kick returner, but he is also the team's leading returning receiver. Abney averaged 14.2 yards per reception in 2002 and finished with 569 yards receiving.

The Wildcats should rely heavily on the passing game with the loss of Southeastern Conference rushing leader Artose Pinner, who was drafted by the Detroit Lions. His two backups battling for this year's job - sophomores Alexis Bwenge and Arliss Beach - combined for only 192 yards last season.

Given the lack of experience in the backfield, Kentucky will look to overcome the problem with a seasoned offensive line. The five returnees up front, including four-year starter and All-SEC right tackle Antonio Hall, have a combined 86 starts.

Defense

New defensive coordinator Mike Archer, a former linebackers coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has implemented the 3-4 defense. The move is a drastic departure for a team whose strength has been on the line in recent years.

Defensive ends Jeremy Caudill and Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns make up half of the returning starters on defense. The new defense will subject them to double-teams and force most of the action to the linebackers, who in turn will be able to help on pass coverage. Burns said the news of the scheme came as a surprise, but he was more than willing to give it a shot.

"You never can knock something until you try it," the second-team All-SEC selection said. "Plus, the thing about defense is, it doesn't matter how you set up. It's the players that are going to make it work. The only difference in this is we have to go out there and communicate a lot more."

Sophomore Dustin Williams leads the inexperienced group of linebackers. He had 35 tackles last season. The remaining two returning starters for the Wildcats come in the defensive backfield. Mike Williams recorded 53 tackles as strong safety, and two-year starter Leonard Burress, returning from an offseason hernia operation, is the team's top cover corner.

Special teams

Abney gives the Cats a huge advantage. In 2002 he set an NCAA record for most kicks - four punts and two kickoffs - returned for touchdowns in a season.

Sophomore kicker Taylor Begley was solid last season, making good on nine of 14 attempts, and has improved his leg strength. The departure of All-America punter Glenn Pakulak has left a big hole, and Brooks is still narrowing the list of candidates to fill it.

Coaching

Brooks has had success at the college level before, as have many of his assistants. And the players seem to be buying into the new philosophies and schemes, but only time will tell. The team is adjusting to its third head coach in the last four years.

Intangibles

If nothing else, this Wildcats team is better conditioned than it has been in years past. Longtime observers of the program say they've never seen a UK team run this much.

"If they're not limping at the end of practice, something's wrong," Brooks said. "Even I'm limping."

Lorenzen is in his fifth year in Lexington after a redshirt freshman season and has shown improved decision-making every year. Last season, he threw 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Make-or-break games

In the words of Lorenzen: "I gotta beat Louisville (Aug. 31). We haven't beat them on our own turf since I've been here."

State rivalries aside, the Wildcats have plenty of important games in their own conference. They'll look to a Sept. 27 home matchup with Florida to avenge last season's narrow loss at the Swamp.

Another home game, Nov. 29 against Tennessee, could mean the difference between a bowl game and a long offseason.

E-mail rernst@enquirer.com