How Kentucky and Mississippi match up — with a game prediction
How Kentucky (0-1 SEC) and Mississippi (0-1 SEC) match up at each position — with a game prediction:
Quarterbacks
In his return to action after missing the final 11 games of 2019 with a knee injury, Kentucky’s Terry Wilson had a respectable showing (24-of-37 passing for 239 yards and a touchdown; a net-42 yards rushing) in UK’s 29-13 loss at No. 8 Auburn last week. However, the 6-foot-3, 202-pound senior threw an interception at the goal line that almost assuredly cost UK points and lost a fumble that gave Auburn a short-field touchdown. Now that the SEC has declared Auburn transfer Joey Gatewood eligible, it will be interesting to see if UK gets him into the game. New Mississippi Coach Lane Kiffin chose pocket passer Matt Corral over running QB John Rhys Plumlee to start in last week’s 51-35 loss to No. 5 Florida. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Corral made Kiffin look good, completing 22 of 31 passes for 395 yards and three TDs. Plumlee was used as an all-around weapon, running four times, completing one pass and catching one.
Advantage: Mississippi.
Running backs
A product of Wetumpka, Ala., Kavosiey Smoke returned to his homestate last week at Auburn and led Kentucky in rushing. Smoke ran for 62 yards, including a 35-yard TD jaunt, on only seven carries. Senior A.J. Rose did some good work in the UK passing game, catching four balls for 37 yards. Mississippi’s Jerrion Ealy is explosive. He ran for 79 yards with a TD vs. Florida and also had a 45-yard pass reception. Backup Snoop Conner ran for 26 yards on eight attempts against Florida.
Advantage: Even.
Wide receivers
After the Auburn loss, Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops called for improved play from UK’s wideouts. Stoops singled out senior Josh Ali (nine catches, 98 yards) and redshirt sophomore Akeem Hayes (two catches, 24 yards, one touchdown) for making some plays. Florida could not cover Mississippi slot receiver Elijah Moore. His 227 receiving yards (on 10 catches) vs. the Gators were the most ever in an SEC game for an Ole Miss player. Dontario Drummond caught only two balls against UF, but both went for touchdowns — one of 46 yards, one of 14.
Advantage: Mississippi.
Tight ends
Kentucky’s Justin Rigg caught one pass for 3 yards at Auburn. Keaton Upshaw was called for a costly holding penalty that sabotaged a promising UK drive. A graduate transfer from Temple, Mississippi’s Kenny Yeboah had a smashing SEC debut vs. Florida, catching five passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Advantage: Mississippi.
Offensive line
Kentucky had success early in the Auburn game running behind the right side of its offensive line, junior tackle Darian Kinnard and senior guard Luke Fortner. With a new coaching staff, Mississippi reshuffled its personnel along the offensive front. That included the Rebels moving their most talented lineman, 6-5, 315-pound junior Ben Brown, from guard to center.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Defensive line
Mark Stoops had high praise for the performance of junior end Josh Paschal (four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss) at Auburn. “He really, really played at a high level. I mean, really good,” Stoops said Monday. In his first game back after missing all last season, senior tackle Phil Hoskins had three tackles. On what was a rugged afternoon for the Ole Miss defense (642 yards, 32 first downs surrendered) against Florida, Mississippi end Tariqious Tisdale had an active stat line (five tackles, 1.5 TFL).
Advantage: Kentucky.
Linebackers
Kentucky’s inside LBs DeAndre Square and Jamin Davis each tied for the team lead at Auburn with five tackles. Each also had a stellar individual moment. On a fourth-and-1 from the UK 16-yard line in the second quarter, Square snuffed Auburn running back D.J. Williams behind the line of scrimmage. Davis, meanwhile, was the only UK defender to record a sack of Tigers QB Bo Nix. Three different Ole Miss linebackers — MLB Jacquez Jones (eight tackles. 0.5 TFL), WLB Lakia Henry (four tackles, one TFL, one QB hurry) and OLB Sam Williams (three tackles, one QB sack) — were credited with a stop behind the line of scrimmage vs. Florida.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Defensive backs
After giving up only nine touchdown passes all last year, the UK secondary surrendered three at Auburn. Kentucky free safety Yusuf Corker tied for the team high with five tackles and also had UK’s sole pass breakup. Cornerback Kelvin Joseph, the LSU transfer, had four tackles in his first game in a Kentucky uniform. The Ole Miss secondary was strafed for 446 yards passing by Florida. Cornerback Keidron Smith led the Rebels with 12 tackles and had a pass breakup.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Special teams
Kentucky’s Max Duffy averaged 53 yards on four kicks last week. Most impressively, the 2019 Ray Guy Award winner boomed a 75-yard monster out of the Auburn end zone. A failed Duffy run on a fake punt, however, gave Auburn a short-field touchdown. New UK long snapper Cade Degraw went unnoticed at Auburn, a sign of success. Ole Miss punter Mac Brown also had a good opening game, averaging 49 yards on three kicks vs. Florida. Place-kicker Luke Logan missed his sole field-goal try from 42 yards. After making 22 of 27 field goals in 2018, Logan is 11-of-20 since. Kickoff returner Jerrion Ealy averaged 24.4 yards a return in 2019.
Advantage: Kentucky.
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Prediction
Kentucky 31, Mississippi 28.
