With two games left, Kentucky keeps rare and common company in the SEC
For a litany of reasons, the University of Kentucky’s depth chart ahead of its trip to Florida stands out from the eight editions that have preceded it.
Chris Rodriguez, a co-starter at running back, and starting tight end Justin Rigg, neither of whom made the trip to Alabama, are both absent. So, it appears, the Wildcats for a second straight week will be without their leading rusher and one of their five players this season who’ve caught a touchdown pass.
Also out this week is DeMarcus Harris, a starting wide receiver who suffered a head injury after getting sandwiched between two Alabama defenders on an attempted catch in the second quarter; Isaiah Epps or Bryce Oliver will start in his place in Gainesville, Fla.
Both defensive end Josh Paschal and tackle Phil Hoskins have new backups listed — true freshmen Octavious Oxendine and Tre’vonn Rybka behind Paschal and sophomore Qua Mahone behind Hoskins — and redshirt freshman J.J. Weaver has overtaken incumbent starter Jordan Wright, a junior, at outside linebacker. Head coach Mark Stoops said Wright isn’t 100 percent healthy but that Weaver has played well enough to move up.
“Some changes on the defensive line have to do with performance,” Stoops said. “Others have to do with other issues.”
“Other issues” in most years could be a stand-in for many things, and it could still be here, but often in this 2020 season it’s been a euphemism for “COVID-19,” and lately it’s been thrown around more by UK’s skipper. Stoops remains steadfast in his program’s willingness to play despite a roster, and coaching staff, that’s more severely felt the impact of the pandemic in the latter half of the season.
Kentucky has not been affected to the point of postponement, making it one of just three Southeastern Conference programs able to make that claim (Arkansas and South Carolina, UK’s last scheduled opponent, are the others). It does have something in common with the majority of the league, though: UK is one of nine SEC programs with three or fewer wins, and is among the half with losing records heading into this week.
Only Alabama (7-0), Florida (6-1), Texas A&M (5-1), Auburn (5-2) and Georgia (5-2) have winning records. Missouri and LSU are both 3-3.
“What’s that word you put in front of show? It’s a blank show,” Stoops said. “I don’t have coaches. Whatever. I don’t even want to say it ‘cause I don’t want anybody attacking me for excuses. It sucks. It’s very difficult to pick your players up each and every day but we’re gonna try our best and we’re gonna continue to fight, and again, we will be there. We’ll play. There’s issues that we’re dealing with, but we’ll be there.”
More depth chart
Rigg’s absence means sophomore Keaton Upshaw will start a second consecutive game for the Wildcats. The 6-foot-6 tight end is tied with receiver Allen Dailey for the third-most receptions on the team this season (behind Josh Ali and Harris) and leads the team with two touchdown catches.
He’s the only pass-catcher other than Ali (who leads the team with 395 yards) to have at least 100 receiving yards (he has 134).
“He has definitely grown, that’s for sure. He’s getting better,” Stoops said. “We had high expectations for Keaton the entire year and I finally feel like he is taking steps. Keaton’s a big target and we like that. I feel like he’s working harder in practice, he’s working harder in games. He’s getting open. He can be a weapon for us and we need to continue to look at him.”
Kavosiey Smoke for the first time this season was listed as a possible starter along with senior A.J Rose, who after the Alabama game questioned UK’s play calling.
Jamin Davis, who did not travel to Alabama, was listed as a starter at inside linebacker. Punter Max Duffy, who’s missed UK’s last two games, also was on the depth chart.
Notes
▪ The SEC on Monday did not announce game times for Dec. 5, on which Kentucky is scheduled to play South Carolina in its regular-season finale. The possibility of games being shuffled to make up postponements resulted in a delay of that announcement.
▪ Former UK place-kicker Grant McKinniss, now the punter at Missouri, was named Special Teams Player of the Week by the SEC after punting seven times for 305 yards in a 17-10 win over South Carolina.
▪ Kyle Pitts, Florida’s star tight end, missed the Gators’ last two contests but is expected to play against Kentucky this week. Pitts, who’s caught eight touchdowns this season, underwent surgery on his nose after an injury suffered against Georgia.
▪ Kentucky’s offensive line on Monday was one of 22 named to the Joe Moore Award’s Midseason Honor Roll. UK last year was a finalist for the award.
