By Joshua Huff

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This Saturday will mark the first meeting between UK and UL Lafayette, and if the Cats hold true to predictions, the contest will be a lopsided affair in favor of UK.

The Ragin’ Cajuns, however, are not your typical mid-major opponent. Unlike UK, they have had four-straight nine-win seasons – joining Oregon as the only two teams to win nine games and a bowl game in four-straight seasons – and despite entering the 2015 season with more questions than answers, another nine-win season isn’t farfetched.

UL Lafayette’s journey back to nine wins will begin with a mountain of an obstacle. It will journey to face a UK team that is finally seeing the results of a vigorous recruiting campaign. Not only are its players physically larger, but the talent is nearing SEC caliber.

The Ragin’ Cajuns defense was ranked No. 74 in the nation in total defense last year. It allowed a four-game stretch where opponents torched UL Lafayette for 503 yards and 42-points per game, which means UK will be able to rev up offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s high-powered offense without much resistance.

The barometer for UL Lafayette’s new co-defensive coordinators, Melvin Smith and Charlie Harbison, will be set low as they face a UK team that trounced its 2014 mid-major opponents. Though UK’s offense in 2014 was ranked No. 12 out of 14 SEC teams in total offense, it racked up over 656 yards against UT Martin, 402 yards against Ohio, and 352 yards against University of Louisiana Monroe.

UL Lafayette’s projected defensive depth chart lists just one senior returning to the defensive line. Its task of replacing departed linemen Christian Ringo and Justin Hamilton will be tough, but a talented linebacker core will hide any deficiencies on the line.

“The first thing we have to do is identify what our guys can do, then come up with the best way for them to do that,” Smith told Luke Johnson of The Advocate. “We’re not changing our scheme – just tweaking our scheme. The first thing we do is identify our best players, then fit them in a scheme that fits them.”

Finding the talent will be an issue for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Other than running back Elijah McGuire and receiver Jamal Robinson, they face a 2014 season without a proven star. And with their quarterback situation still in flux, McGuire will be tasked with shouldering the load this season.

The contest at Commonwealth Stadium on Sept. 5 will be a glorified exhibition game for both teams. UL Lafayette will be testing out new schemes and molding a new quarterback, while UK will be testing out Dawson’s new offense, and fixing the kinks out of its new 3-4 (fluid) defensive scheme.

One thing will be certain, UK will open the offensive floodgates and enter SEC play with plenty of positive momentum.