Kentucky football showed signs of life in its second season under head coach Mark Stoops. With a 5-1 start to the season, many thought that the Wildcats could be on their way to a bowl game for the first time since the 2010 season, but a six-game losing streak to end the season killed that momentum.

So what are we to expect from the Wildcats in their third season under Stoops? Will the wins of the last couple of recruiting cycles start showing on the scoreboard, or will Kentucky take a step back from its five-win season in the face of a challenging 2015 schedule?

Looking into the SDS crystal ball, here is how the Kentucky season will play out:

5 Predictions for Kentucky in 2015

5. QB Patrick Towles will perform to All-SEC standards

Quick, can you tell me who among the league’s returning passers threw for more yards than Wildcats starter Patrick Towles’ 2,718? The answer is Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott (3,449). That’s it. WR Ryan Timmons will return as his top target. Working under new coordinator Shannon Dawson, who left the same role at West Virginia to continue his fast-paced attack to Kentucky, should provide Towles with the opportunity to post even more impressive numbers in his second season as a full-time starter. His main competition for All-SEC honors, aside from Prescott, is likely to come from Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson, Missouri’s Maty Mauk and Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs. Whether he receives All-SEC recognition or not is uncertain, but he will be in the discussion.

4. “Boom” becomes a household name among SEC fans

Last year, Stanley “Boom” Williams gave Kentucky fans a taste the excitement he is capable of creating. As a freshman, the running back lived up to his nickname with three touchdown runs of 50-plus yards. But there is more to his game than just breaking long runs, as he finished as the team’s leading rusher and was an effective kick returner. While he returns to a crowded backfield that includes Jojo Kemp, who led the team in rushing in 2013, the opportunity will again be there for Boom to shine. Expect Boom to deliver again, picking up fans from around the league with the combination of his big-play ability and his awesome nickname.

3. The defense will continue to give up plenty of points

It isn’t what any Wildcats fan wants to here, but it is a likely scenario. Kentucky has allowed just over 31 points per game in each of Stoops’ first two seasons in charge. Kentucky allowed more than 40 points in five of the final six games last season. While there are several returning starters on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary, the Wildcats lost two of the program’s biggest playmakers in recent history (DEs Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith) to the NFL Draft. The fast-paced style of the Kentucky offense won’t do this unit any favors, and the Wildcats again will need to score plenty of points if they expect to win conference games this season.

2. Kentucky will win the Governor’s Cup

After taking it on the chin for the last four years in the bitter in-state rivalry, Kentucky will take a big step forward in its rebuilding efforts with a win over Louisville in the final game of the regular season. The Wildcats were a dropped interception away from making this a reality last season, and will make sure that the opportunity does not slip through their hands this time. Kentucky holds a slim 14-13 lead in the all-time series. A win in Lexington in November will ensure that Louisville does not tie the record for the first time in series history.

1. The Wildcats will play in a bowl game for the first time since the 2010 season

Kentucky’s collapse after a 5-1 start last season has served as motivation for a return to the postseason all off-season. But when it comes time to make good on that goal, the Wildcats will have to scratch and claw their way to the necessary six wins. Out-of-conference games against Louisiana, Eastern Kentucky and Charlotte seem like a promising three-win base on which to build the model, but finding the remaining three wins among an eight-game SEC slate and a clash with rival Louisville is difficult. The most likely path includes road wins over South Carolina and Vanderbilt, while also knocking off Louisville at home.