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Kentucky vs. Georgia: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Betting Odds/Predictions

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2 months ago

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IMAGN

Back to a .500 record after a win against Ohio, the Kentucky Wildcats will go on the road for the first time this season to take on the sixth-ranked Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.

Lane Kiffin in his fifth season as head coach of the Rebels may have the most talented roster he’s had with Ole Miss. With a solidified Heisman candidate in Jaxson Dart leading a “video game offense” and multiple elite transfers on both sides of the ball, they are one of the favorites to make the College Football Playoff. Beating their first four opponents by an average of 49.5 points per game, they’re looking the part.

That said, their strength of schedule is among the worst in college football this season. Playing an FCS team and three FBS teams, their toughest opponent thus far is Wake Forest, who ranks 86th in ESPN’s power index rankings. Therefore Kentucky will not just be their SEC opener, but a different level of opponent.

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Under Mark Stoops, Kentucky is 0-3 against Ole Miss, but they have played them closer than any other opponent with an average margin of defeat of just 2.3 points. The most recent came in 2022 after a Kentucky touchdown in the final minute was called back for illegal motion.

Prior to that game, Kentucky was 19-7. Since that game, Kentucky is just 12-14. A win over a top-10-ranked Ole Miss team could certainly push things back in the right direction.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Elite Offense vs Elite Defense

“It feels like we’re going against the Super Bowl Rams, the Greatest Show on Turf,” Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White said on Wednesday, holding the Ole Miss offense in high regard and for good reason as they lead or are atop the nation in most statistical offensive categories:

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  • Points Per Game: 55.0, 1st
  • Yards Per Game: 670.8, 1st
  • Passing Yards Per Game: 422.8, 1st
  • Yards Per Play: 8.85, 1st
  • Offensive Success Rate: 55.5%, 1st
  • Plays of 10+ Yards: 100, 1st
  • Plays per Game: 75.8, 7th
  • Rushing Yards Per Game: 248.0, 12th

Again, Ole Miss hasn’t played a defense as tough as Kentucky’s, which ranks sixth in total defense. Lane Kiffin knows that, likening the Wildcats’ defensive unit to an “NFL defense”.

It will be a battle of two strengths. For Kentucky to have a chance to win, they are going to have to play their best on defense. Fortunately, they have already shown they are capable of that, limiting a Georgia offense to just one touchdown.

Battle In the Trenches

One of the biggest issues for Ole Miss in recent seasons has been their weakness in the trenches. This offseason, they made a concerted effort to fix that.

For the defensive line, things look vastly improved. However, question marks still remain with the offensive line, in large part due to injuries. That same could be said of Kentucky this season, however, they have the advantage of being tested in the trenches by Georgia.

If Ole Miss’ offensive line meets the play of Kentucky’s defensive line, they could win this game comfortably. If the Kentucky D-Line is able to overwhelm the Rebels and slow down their offense, it will give the Wildcat offense a shot at an upset bid.

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Injuries

On Wednesday’s injury report, Ole Miss listed twenty-six players. Yes, 2-6. In comparison, Kentucky had just seven players listed.

That said, fourteen of those players are listed as “probable”. By SEC standards, that means they have a greater than 75 percent chance of playing. That number will likely get smaller as the report is updated leading up to Saturday’s contest.

The unit that has been hurt the most has been the Ole Miss offensive line, which has just seen one of three projected starters play a snap this season. While they have a lot of weapons on offense, if Kentucky were to have an advantage on the Ole Miss offense, it would be there.

Kentucky Wildcats (2-2) vs. No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (4-0)

  • Game Time: 12:00 PM ET on September 28th, 2024
    Location: Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
    TV Channel: SEC Network will have today’s coverage.
    Announcers: Dave Neal, Aaron Murray, and Ashley ShahAhmadi will call the action.
    Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
    Radio: Tom Leach and Jeff Piecoro have the UK radio call on the UK Sports Network.
    Satellite Radio: XM Channel 203, Sirius Channel 98, Internet Channel 966
    Replay: ESPN+ and SEC Network (check local listings).
    Rosters: UK | MISS
    Stats To Know: UK | MISS
    Advanced Stats
    Weather.com Forecast
  • Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky as a 17.5-point underdog with an over/under of 53.5. ESPN gives the Wildcats less than a 10 percent chance of victory.
  • Predictions: TeamRankings has Kentucky losing by three scores 35-18. OddsShark projects them to lose in a close contest 31-29. DRatings.com picks the Cats to lose 33-21. I’m going with the Cats to cover the spread, but ultimately lose 31-17.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

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8 hours ago

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November 16, 2024

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

Published

6 days ago

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November 11, 2024

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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National College Football Personality Calls Out Kentucky Football Program, “They’re Spiraling Out of Control”

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2 weeks ago

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November 4, 2024

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College football personality Paul Finebaum calls out Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats for poor season. "They're spiraling out of control."
Saul Young | Imagn

From hope to despair, that has been the tale of the 2024 Kentucky football season.

Entering the season with what many believed was one of Mark Stoops’ most talented rosters, at least on paper, to a 1-6 record in the SEC and most likely missing a bowl game for the first time since 2015.

“Kentucky seems like they’re spiraling out of control,” longtime SEC radio personality Paul Finebaum said this weekend.

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Yet, it’s not just this season. The regression has been apparent since Kentucky won 10 games in 2021. Rather than taking the next step, the program seems to have taken two steps back. They are just 4-7 against Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt, all programs that Kentucky was consistently beating. Even more embarrassing, they are just  2-11 in its last 13 SEC home games.

“I know some people have blamed it on injuries,” Finebaum said. “But, I don’t go that way. I just think there’s a malaise in that program that’s been there for almost two years. I’m not overly optimistic it’s going to be corrected.”

You can call Mark Stoops a victim of his own success, but in the last three seasons he has not met the expectations that he has set, nor the potential that his rosters have had.

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