After losing season openers in 2012 and 2013, Kentucky finally won its opener last year, and it led to one of the best early-season runs in recent memory.

Kentucky won five of its first six games. The Wildcats are now on the cusp of a potentially great season, one that could start the ascent of Mark Stoops’ career. They just need a nice Week 1 win to start them off and get the ball rolling.

Louisiana-Lafayette is coming off its fourth straight nine-win season under coach Mark Hudspeth. They surpassed expectations last year, but don’t look as ready to continue their nine-win tradition this year. Player turnover has affected them at quarterback and on the defense. However, the Cajuns still have reliable offensive players, and they still have the coach that has brought them all these victories, a fact that surprised them since most coaches leave for better programs after finding that kind of success.

The Cajuns would love to start adding toward their nine wins, but the Wildcats are no pushover SEC team in 2015, with a reloaded Air Raid offense and a solid 3-4 defense. Here are five impact players to watch in this game:

1. QB Patrick Towles (Kentucky)

It shouldn’t be a surprise that offensive expectations will fall heavily onto Towles’ shoulders. How he commands his offense during this game is going to inspire belief in or disappointment for the season ahead. Towles is also one of the few veteran quarterbacks in the SEC, throwing for 2,718 yards last season and 14 touchdowns. His performance will be compared to other quarterbacks in the conference, which is extra reason why he needs a flawless game with huge numbers.

2. RB Stanley “Boom” Williams (Kentucky)

The time has finally arrived for us to truly see what Boom Williams is capable of. Because Louisiana-Lafayette lost so many veteran defensive players from last year, Williams could very well have a field day after carving up the Cajuns defense. During his freshman year, he rushed for 486 yards on 74 attempts and 5 touchdowns. All signs point to a Wildcats breakout star.

3. RB Elijah McGuire (Louisiana-Lafayette)

The Cajuns equivalent to Williams is McGuire, who has had more playing time and more proven productivity. Last year, he rushed for 1,264 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also caught the ball for 468 yards and 2 touchdowns. While he is used to gaining yardage and making plays, he may be slowed by an inexperienced quarterback and the Kentucky defense.

4. NG Melvin Lewis (Kentucky)

Trying to stop McGuire and the rest of the Cajuns offense is one of Kentucky’s strong defensive line players. Lewis will be attempting to draw the attention of two offensive linemen in order to free up other Wildcat defenders to get into the opponent’s backfield. He had 37 total tackles last season, along with 2.5 tackles for a loss and 1 forced fumble.

5. WR Jamal Robinson (Louisiana-Lafayette)

In 2014, Robinson entered what he thought was his last year of college football before he got injured. Now he’s back in action. As a junior, Robinson racked up 862 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. Robinson’s height and catch radius make him a reception machine, and a crucial weapon on the Cajuns offense. Kentucky’s secondary will have a healthy challenge when it comes to defending him.