As the Wildcats prepare for the season-opener against Louisville on Sept. 4, they know it is important for the team?s defense to step up and become play makers.

One of the keys to having an improved defense this season will be the linebackers. They will be counted on to help stop the run, as well disrupt the opponent?s passing game with their coverage skills.

This year?s UK linebackers will be young, with only one senior returning in Raymond Fontaine. Youth aside, first-year linebackers coach Chuck Smith believes this talented unit has really progressed since last spring and has the makings of a strong corps.

?I?m really pleased at how much our linebackers have progressed,? Smith said. ?Our freshmen, especially the ones that went through spring practice, have really built on what they started in the spring. They?ve made good progress and I?m impressed with their work ethic so far.?

One of the strengths of this young unit that has stood out to Smith has been the players? speed.

?They all run really well,? Smith said. ?When they do make a mistake they have the speed to make up for it.?

Fontaine, an Ottawa, Ontario native, also has been impressed by the speed of the young players.

?The young guys have great speed and the ability to catch on to our schemes quickly, which really helps us a lot,? said Fontaine, who had 33 tackles last season. ?They have also shown a lot of athleticism on the field.?

Taking first-team reps along with Fontaine this fall has been a mix of freshmen and sophomores.

Hard-hitting sophomore Joe Schuler, along with freshmen Braxton Kelley and Ben McGrath, have been vying for time at the middle linebacker spot. Schuler, who has fought through some injuries early in camp, has shown the same promise he did during his freshman year. Kelley and McGrath have been steady all fall and have been making big plays against the run and the pass.

At the outside linebacker spots, Wesley Woodyard, Johnny Williams, and Mikhail Mabry have all flashed speed and have proven to be hard hitters. They will all be pushing for playing time this year.

Even though this group of linebackers is young, Woodyard believes one of the unit?s greatest strengths will help them on defense.

?I think a big strength of this group of linebackers is that everyone has heart,? Woodyard said. ?Everybody come out and plays as hard as they can and leaves everything out on the field. What you don?t leave out there you lose forever. That?s our motto.?

It?s with this passion, to go along with great speed and ability to learn quickly, that has Smith confident that his linebackers are going to establish themselves as a quality unit this year.

?These linebackers want to be good,? Smith said. ?When somebody comes out and gets better than the day before, you know they are going to be a good football player and that?s what our guys are doing.?

UK Preview Coming Soon on Big Blue Sports Network: A preseason special on Kentucky football will be televised on the Big Blue Sports Network. Here is the schedule:

 Bowling Green WBKO Sat. Aug. 27, 5:00 p.m. CT Evansville, Ind. WTVW Sun. Aug. 28, 10:30 a.m. CT Hazard WYMT Tue. Aug. 30, 8:00 p.m. ET Hopkinsville WKAG Fri. Sept. 2, 7:00 p.m. CT and Sun. Sept. 4, noon CT Huntington, W. V. WSAZ Sat. Sept. 3, 1:30 p.m. ET Lexington WKYT Tue. Aug. 30, 8:30 p.m. ET Lexington UPN Sat. Sept. 3, 8:30 p.m. ET Louisville WAVE Sun. Sept. 4, 12:30 p.m. ET Paducah WDKA Sun. Aug. 28, 10:30 a.m. CT

Wildcats Featured on Fox Sports Net South: A 30-minute preseason special on the Kentucky football team will be showed on Fox Sports Net South cable channel on Sun. Aug. 28 at 3:00 p.m.

Jefferson-Pilot SEC Preview Airing Saturday and Sunday: The annual ?2005 SEC Football Preview,? compiled and distributed by Jefferson-Pilot Sports, will air around the South this week. Here are the times and dates for stations serving Kentucky markets:

 Bowling Green WBKO Sat. Aug. 27, 1:00 p.m. CT Cape Girardeau, Mo. KFVS Sat. Aug. 27, 11:00 a.m. CT Cincinnati, Ohio WSTR Sun. Aug. 28, noon ET Evansville, Ind. WTVW Sun. Aug. 28, 5:00 p.m. CT Hazard WYMT Sat. Aug. 27, noon ET Lexington WKYT Sat. Aug. 27, noon ET Louisville WAVE Sat. Aug. 27, 1:30 p.m. ET Nashville, Tenn. WUXP Sat. Aug. 27, 5:00 p.m. CT Paducah WQWQ Sat. Aug. 27, 2:00 p.m. CT