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Stoops says defense best he's had at UK; high expectations for Snell

The season can't come soon enough for Kentucky Wildcat fans, many lining up for a chance to see their team practice during Fan Day and also getting to meet some of their favorite players.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WHAS11) – We’re just under a month until the start of the college football season.

For a lot of teams who want to earn first place in their conferences, now is the time to get that work in.

The season can’t come soon enough for Kentucky Wildcat fans, many lining up for a chance to see their team practice during Fan Day and also getting to meet some of their favorite players.

Expectations are high for the Wildcats, coming off of a 7-6 season and Head Coach Mark Stoops isn’t holding back when talking about this year’s defensive unit.

"There have been times we've had some pro defensive linemen but maybe not the second and third level. If you just look at the defense as an entirety, it's definitely been the strongest since we've been here. We have to go prove it and play better than we have and be more consistent. We've done good at times. We need to be more consistent," he said.

Running back Benny Snell Jr. could be looking at another big year after finishing last season with 1,333 yards and 19 touchdowns.

While Snell could be looking to run his way into UK's record books, Stoops says that isn't something the coaching staff will try and force.

"I would like to see that happen but we're not going to change anything for that. That's unfair for Benny and unfair for our team. We don't want to go out intentionally trying to do that," he said.

UK will take on Central Michigan in their home opener at Kroger Field on Sep. 1.

That game will air on ESPNU at 3:30 p.m.

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