How No. 23 Kentucky and No. 8 Auburn match up — with a game prediction
How No. 23 Kentucky (0-0, 0-0 SEC) and No. 8 Auburn (0-0, 0-0 SEC) match up at each position — with a game prediction:
Quarterbacks
Kentucky’s Terry Wilson returns after missing the final 11 games of 2019 with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. The 6-foot-3, 202-pound senior from Oklahoma City has a 66% career completion percentage and has thrown for 2,249 yards with 13 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions. In games started by Wilson, UK is 12-3. True freshman Beau Allen, the former Lexington Catholic star, is listed No. 2 on the depth chart for Mark Stoops. Auburn’s Bo Nix (57.6% completions for 2,542 yards with 16 TDs vs. six interceptions) was chosen SEC Freshman of the Year after leading the Tigers to a 9-4 record in 2019. The 6-2, 213-pound product of Pinson, Ala., enters 2020 with a streak of 191 straight passes without an interception.
Advantage: Auburn.
Running backs
Kentucky returns its top three running backs from 2019 in senior A.J. Rose (826 yards, six touchdowns, 5.5 yards per carry average) and redshirt sophomores Kavosiey Smoke (616, six, 6.1) and Christopher Rodriguez (538, six, 7.5). Auburn believes it has five high-level RBs. Sophomore D.J. Williams is the leading returning rusher (400, two, 4.8), but junior Shaun Shivers (286, three, 5.2) is listed first on Coach Gus Malzahn’s depth chart. True freshman Cartavious “Tank” Bigsby picked Auburn over Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State, among many other suitors.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Wide receivers
Kentucky senior Josh Ali (23 catches, 233 yards, three TDs in 2019) caught the game-winning touchdown in UK’s 37-30 come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech in last season’s Belk Bowl. The 6-foot, 193-pound product of Hollywood, Fla., has a chance to establish himself as UK’s primary receiver in 2020. Auburn returns its top three receivers from 2019. Junior Seth Williams (59, 830, eight) is a star-caliber player. Senior Eli Stove (37, 321, three) and junior Anthony Schwartz (41, 440, one) are also quality SEC receivers.
Advantage : Auburn.
Tight ends
Kentucky returns its top two TEs in senior Justin Rigg (11 catches, 128 yards) and redshirt sophomore Keaton Upshaw (seven, 78, one TD). Auburn junior John Samuel Shenker has only six career receptions, but two have gone for touchdowns. The three players behind him on the depth chart are all freshmen.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Offensive line
Kentucky returns four starters from one of the best offensive lines in school history. Senior center Drake Jackson, senior left tackle Landon Young and junior right tackle Darian Kinnard are All-SEC First Team contenders. Auburn junior center Nick Brahms is the only returning starter on the Tigers offensive front. Graduate transfer Brandon Council was a multi-year starter at Akron as a tackle but is listed as the starting right guard for Auburn.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Defensive line
Kentucky coaches have challenged 6-4, 357-pound senior nose guard Quinton Bohanna (three tackles for loss, one sack in 2019) to be more than a run stopper. UK must replace graduated starters Calvin Taylor and T.J. Carter. In junior Josh Paschal (9.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks in 2019 as an OLB) at end and senior Phil Hoskins (three sacks in 2018; missed 2019 due to injury) at tackle, UK has experienced replacements. Auburn end Big Kat Bryant (team-high nine QB hurries in 2019) is projected to be one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC as a senior. Nose tackle Tyrone Truesdell (five TFL, three QB sacks), another senior, makes plays in the middle.
Advantage: Even
Linebackers
Kentucky has proven performers in junior WLB DeAndre Square (69 tackles, four TFL) and junior MLB Jamin Davis (32 tackles, 25 of them in the final four games). However, the loss of expected starting MLB Chris Oats due to an undisclosed medical condition has left UK thin behind its starters. Senior OLBs Boogie Watson (11.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks in 2019) and Jordan Wright (six TFL, three sacks) should provide edge disruption. Auburn senior MLB KJ Britt made 69 tackles, including 7.5 TFL, in 2019 and is an All-America candidate. OLB Owen Pappoe was strong last year as a freshman (49 tackles, two sacks).
Advantage: Auburn.
Defensive backs
Kentucky returns every important player except safety Jordan Griffin from last year’s secondary that finished second in the nation against the pass (167.8 yards a game allowed). UK also adds ballyhooed LSU transfer Kelvin Joseph at cornerback and gets back starting nickleback Davonte Robinson, the former Henry Clay star, who missed all of last season due to a quadriceps injury. Auburn will break in four new starters in its defensive backfield. Junior safeties Jamien Sherwood (43 tackles, four TFL, five pass breakups) and Smoke Monday (20 tackles) have experience and are talented.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Special teams
Kentucky senior Max Duffy won the 2019 Ray Guy Award signifying the nation’s best punter. The product of Perth, Australia, led the nation with an average of 48.1 yards a punt and had 24 of 49 punts downed inside the 20. Senior Matt Ruffolo solidified the UK place-kicking late last season by making four of five field goals. Sophomores Chance Poore (kickoff specialist) and Cade Degraw (long snapper) will assume new roles for Kentucky. Auburn place-kicker Anders Carlson (18-of-25 FGs, all seven misses from outside of 42 yards) booted four field goals in the Tigers’ win over archrival Alabama last year. At punter, Oscar Chapman, a freshman from Australia, is battling Aidan Marshall, Auburn’s 2017 starter, for the job. Punt returner Christian Tutt (13.6 yards a return in 2019) is a weapon.
Advantage: Even.
Prediction
Kentucky 28, Auburn 26.
