This Saturday, the Wildcats will take on Louisiana State University at a sold-out Kroger Field for one of the biggest games of the season. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin had a lot to say about Kentucky, Will Stein and his Tigers as they prepare to travel to Lexington.

Kiffin spoke about the current state of his team in a press conference on Monday. He said that he would feel “really good if it weren’t for the injuries,” alluding to tight end Tray’Dez Green and linebacker Whit Weeks, who will not play the Wildcats. He described both as “dynamic leaders on the field.”

Green is currently out with a knee injury that took place during the LSU vs. Ole Miss game, Kiffin’s old school. This injury is a key factor in Saturday’s game considering Green’s powerful stature at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds. Playing without Weeks will also lighten the load on the Wildcats, reigning as was a team captain and wore the “green dot” for the defense.

One reporter asked Kiffin about his thoughts on the resilience and success of Stein’s Wildcats. He spoke quite highly, saying things like “they’re really well coached” and they’re “very sound.”

When asked about facing Jay Bateman’s defense, the offensive mastermind credited the former Texas A&M coordinator for his group’s attitude.

“They play really hard…they don’t screw up a lot,” Kiffin said. “I actually think there’s a lot of similarities to the Kentucky defenses of the past. He (Bateman) does a great job.”

It’ll be interesting to see how these two teams match up given the limited personal history, but the program history has its own side of the history books. The last time LSU won in Lexington, it was all the way back in 2002, when ‘The Bluegrass Miracle’ took place and the Tigers barely escaped with the win.

Can Stein keep the streak alive this Saturday? Kentucky will kickoff against No. 10 LSU at 7:00 p.m. ET on Oct. 10, looking to pull off the shocking upset at Kroger Field.

The Wildcats’ next matchup is one that the entire nation will be tuning in to. So much is on the line, not only in regards of national respect and conference prestige, but there’s talks of this being Kentucky’s ticket for the College Football Playoff.

We’re talking about the postseason in October? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but we all know what comes with No. 10 LSU. This is a program, now led by Lane Kiffin, who has proven over and over again that it will be present in any elite discussions moving forward.

For Will Stein and the Wildcats to pull this one off would be historic, instantly making it one of the all-time games at Kroger Field. Unfortunately, the blue and white are severely banged up heading into this cat fight with the Tigers.

The following players are listed as OUT on Saturday, Oct. 10: ILB Antwan Smith, ILB Alex Afari Jr., DB Jaden Smith, ILB Tavion Wallace, DB Grant Grayton and OL Aba Selm. Along with that, RB Jordan Colbert, LS Cole Marszalek and DL Kalen Edwards are listed as QUESTIONABLE.

Standing as the only true positive here, WR DJ Miller has been upgraded to PROBABLE after missing last week’s game down in Columbia.

Stein hinted that the Wildcats would be extremely thin once again on the defensive side of the ball, a main reason that the team struggled so much on the road against the Gamecocks. Like any great team, this wasn’t going to be an excuse and they still fought for the win, but depth at such important positions is something you cannot go without in back-to-back games.

“We’ve dealt with some injuries as of late that aren’t, hopefully, season-ending, but that will show up on the injury report,” Stein said at his Tuesday press conference. “It’s scary, there’s no doubt about it. We’re practicing other people, you know, guys that are down the line, because there’s really nobody left. We’ve got to find a way.”

Kentucky has beat the odds before this season. Who would’ve thought that No. 9 Texas A&M would be upset at Kyle Field by the Wildcats? How probable is a 17-point comeback on the road in the SEC nowadays?

Beating the No. 10 ranked LSU Tigers will be a challenge with the recent injuries to the team, but this setback isn’t something that Stein and his other studs can’t handle.

For the first time since 1946, Kentucky Football has started a season with a 4-1 record through five games under a first-year head coach. The most recent victory for the Cats came on the road against a hostile South Carolina crowd in dramatic fashion, winning on a two-point conversion in overtime.

There are many star-studded players on UK’s roster, but one has been standing out in particular: freshman wideout Kenny Darby. Against the Gamecocks, Darby posted a career-high 12 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown.

The true freshman from Bossier City, Louisiana, has certainly made a name for himself during the beginning of the season. Through the first five games, Darby has tallied 25 catches for 322 yards and three touchdowns.

Darby’s performance this past weekend earned him a spot on On3‘s Charles Power True Freshman Standout list. Power praised Darby for his impact on Kentucky’s second-half comeback: “Darby helped spark a second-half comeback, finding the end zone early in the third quarter. The Louisiana native got open while working out of a bunch formation, easily tracking the football for the score.”

Kentucky found themselves trailing by 17 points in the second quarter, but thanks to the help of Darby’s performance, they clawed their way back to notch the largest comeback road win in program history. Alongside Darby on the list was Xavier Griffin (Alabama), Jonaz Walton (Notre Dame), Jesse Legree (Oregon State) and Luke Wafle (USC).

No. 19 will look to have another standout game on Saturday, Oct. 10, when the Wildcats welcome the No. 10 ranked LSU Tigers. This primetime matchup, set to air on ESPN, is turning out to be one of the most anticipated home games in recent history.