How Kentucky and Eastern Michigan match up — with a game prediction
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UK vs. Eastern Michigan preview
Check below all week for coverage of the University of Kentucky football team leading up to its game against Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
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How Kentucky (1-0) and Eastern Michigan (1-0) match up at each position for Saturday night’s college football contest at Kroger Field — with a game prediction:
Quarterbacks
In Kentucky’s 38-24 win over Toledo, junior Terry Wilson got his 2019 off to a solid start. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound junior from Oklahoma City completed 19 of 26 throws for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Eastern Michigan’s Mike Glass III was a model of efficiency in the Eagles’ 30-23 win at Coastal Carolina. The 6-foot, 209-pound senior hit on 20 of 22 throws for 188 yards and three TDs. A dual threat, the St. Louis product had two games last season — Western Michigan (101), Toledo (125) — in which he ran for over 100 yards. Glass also had a rushing TD at Coastal Carolina.
Advantage: Kentucky
Running backs
Redshirt freshman Kavosiey Smoke led Kentucky rushers last week with 78 yards on seven carries, including a 40-yard TD jaunt. Starting tailback A.J. Rose ran 16 times for 74 yards. Redshirt freshman Christopher Rodriguez had 34 yards on five tries, but also fumbled twice, one of which was lost. A three-time Eastern Michigan team captain, Shaq Vann was granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA for 2019. The 5-10, 222-pound senior from South Bend, Ind., ran 22 times for 84 yards last week.
Advantage: Kentucky
Wide receivers
Though the non-Lynn Bowden contingent of UK wideouts were a major question mark entering the season, they acquitted themselves well vs. Toledo. Senior Ahmad Wagner (three catches, 57 yards), junior Josh Ali (2-yard touchdown catch), sophomore Allen Dailey (two catches, 31 yards) and redshirt freshman Bryce Oliver (acrobatic 32-yard TD grab) all made plays. Eastern Michigan sophomore Dylan Drummond had a big game (five catches, 52 yards, two TDs) vs. Coastal Carolina. Sophomore Quian Williams caught EMU’s final TD, which turned out to provide the game-winning margin. Senior Arthur Jackson caught 46 passes in 2018, but had only two receptions at Coastal Carolina.
Advantage: Kentucky
Tight ends
Kentucky junior Justin Rigg failed to catch a pass against Toledo, but the 6-6, 263-pound product of Springboro, Ohio, still scored his first college TD when he recovered a fumble in the end zone. Redshirt freshman Keaton Upshaw caught his first two college passes for 19 yards last week. Eastern Michigan’s Thomas Odukoya, a native of the Netherlands, was preseason Second Team All-MAC by Phil Steele. Backup Bryson Cannon caught three passes for 14 yards at Coastal Carolina.
Advantage: Kentucky
Offensive line
After missing all of 2018 with a knee injury, Kentucky left tackle Landon Young returned to game action last week. “I felt like I started off a little slow,” the former Lafayette High School star said. “I was sort of getting back into the season, being able to get back into playing. It definitely picked up as the game went along.” The strength of Eastern Michigan’s front is the left side. Tackle Steven Nielsen, a 6-8, 307-pound Denmark product, was First Team Preseason All-MAC by Phil Steele’s Yearbook, while guard Sidy Sow, a 6-5, 324-pound native of Bromont, Quebec, Canada, was Second Team.
Advantage: Kentucky
Defensive line
Kentucky end T.J. Carter, a 6-4, 287-pound senior, and tackle Calvin Taylor, a 6-9, 300-pound junior, each had a quarterback sack in the win over Toledo. Eastern Michigan is undersized (by SEC standards) along the defensive front. End Turan Rush, a 6-2, 247-pound junior, had three tackles and a crucial late QB sack vs. Coastal Carolina. Backup end Clay Holford, a 6-2, 256-pound senior, added an interception. Tackle Mikey Haney, a 6-4, 280-pound freshman, had three tackles.
Advantage: Kentucky
Linebackers
Kentucky’s young linebacking corps was the brightest spot of week one. Sophomore WLB DeAndre Square performed like a star (11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception). At OLB/rush end, redshirt sophomores Josh Paschal (four tackles, one sack) and Jordan Wright (six tackles, one TFL) were both productive. Sophomore backup WLB Chris Oats (five tackles) must sit out the first half vs. EMU after being called for targeting vs. Toledo. Eastern Michigan MLB Kobie Beltram, a 6-2, 226-pound senior, made a team-high 12 tackles at Coastal Carolina. WLB Terry Myrick, a 6-foot, 223-pound junior, had 11 tackles vs. the Chanticleers.
Advantage: Kentucky
Defensive backs
After a slow start, Kentucky’s fully revamped secondary held its own vs. Toledo. Sophomore free safety Yusuf Corker had seven tackles and senior strong safety Jordan Griffin six. Cornerback Brandin Echols, a junior-college transfer, broke up three passes. Eastern Michigan’s secondary picked off three passes at Coastal Carolina. Free safety Blake Bogan, hybrid safety Brody Hoying and boundary CB Kevin McGill all had picks. Backup rover Russell Vaden, a sophomore from Moore High School in Louisville, had two tackles last week.
Advantage: Eastern Michigan
Special teams
Kentucky punter Max Duffy was one of last week’s stars, averaging 54 yards on six kicks. Redshirt freshman place-kicker Chance Poore hit a 46-yard field goal on his sole attempt. EMU punter Jake Julien was also strong last week, averaging 48.3 yards on three kicks. Place-kicker Chad Ryland hit his only field-goal try at Coastal Carolina from 26 yards. Last season, he went 12-of-20 on field goals, including the game winner in the Eagles’ 20-19 upset of Purdue. Eastern Michigan has blocked 12 kicks — six field goals, four punts and two extra points — since 2014.
Advantage: Kentucky
Prediction
Kentucky 38, Eastern Michigan 21
This story was originally published September 4, 2019 at 7:22 AM.
