How Kentucky and Missouri match up — with a game prediction
How the Kentucky Wildcats (1-0, 0-0 SEC) and Missouri Tigers (1-0, 0-0 SEC) match up at each position — with a game prediction:
Quarterbacks
▪ Will Levis (18-of-26 passing for 367 yards with four touchdowns and one interception) put the long ball back into the Kentucky offense while leading UK past Louisiana Monroe 45-10 last Saturday. In his first career start for the Wildcats, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound graduate transfer from Penn State completed passes of 62, 58, 57 and 33 yards. Levis was not as proficient on shorter throws. “Accuracy and maybe a little bit of touch are things (Levis) is going to continue to work on,” UK Coach Mark Stoops said.
▪ Connor Bazelak established himself as one of the SEC’s best young quarterbacks in 2020 (2,366 passing yards on 67.3 completion percentage). In Mizzou’s 20-10, streak-busting victory over Kentucky last year, the 6-3, 212-pound Dayton, Ohio, product completed 21 of 30 passes for 201 yards and helped the Tigers possess the ball for a whopping 43:10. In Missouri’s 34-24 season-opening win over Central Michigan, the redshirt sophomore completed 21 of 32 passes for 257 yards and two TDs.
Advantage: Missouri.
Running backs
▪ Kentucky’s Christopher Rodriguez made his first career start vs. ULM and amassed the seventh 100-yards-plus rushing game of his UK tenure. Even while adjusting to Kentucky’s new outside-zone rushing scheme, the 5-11, 224-pound junior rumbled for 125 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Kavosiey Smoke (five carries, 26 yards) had a rough go vs. Monroe, losing a fumble and dropping a pass that potentially would have yielded a long gain.
▪ Missouri’s Tyler Badie was named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for his stellar showing against Central Michigan. The 5-8, 194-pound senior ran 25 times for 203 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 40 yards and a score. In last year’s victory over UK, Badie ran 13 times for 52 yards.
Advantage: Even.
Wide receivers
▪ Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson, a transfer from Nebraska, had a stellar return to the commonwealth vs. ULM. The 5-10, 183-pound junior, a former Western Hills High School star, caught five passes for 125 yards and two TDs. Super-senior Josh Ali also performed like a star. The 6-foot, 190-pound product of Hollywood, Fla., had five catches for 136 yards and a score. Ali accounted for UK’s only TD in last year’s loss at Mizzou on a 26-yard TD catch.
▪ A transfer from Angelo State, Keke Chism had a team-high four catches (for 47 yards) vs. CMU. He led Mizzou in receptions last season with 35. Former walk-on D’ionte “Boo” Smith had two receptions for 69 yards, including a 63-yard catch vs. Central Michigan.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Tight ends
▪ UK had four different tight ends — super-senior Justin Rigg, redshirt sophomore Brenden Bates, redshirt freshman Izayah Cummings, and true freshman Jordan Dingle — catch one pass vs. ULM. Dingle’s catch was a contested, 31-yard reception. Bates’ catch was a 4-yard TD, the first of his college career.
▪ Missouri junior Niko Hea (19 career catches for 168 yards and three TDs) had two catches for 8 yards vs. CMU but one of his receptions went for a touchdown. Senior Daniel Parker has 29 career catches for 240 yards and a TD.
Advantage: Even.
Offensive linemen
▪ Kentucky’s Dare Rosenthal, LSU’s starting left tackle in 2020, made his first career start for UK last week. “He did some good things,” Mark Stoops said. “There’s a lot to build on there.” Center Luke Fortner, in his first game transitioning from guard, was named SEC co-Offensive Lineman of the Week for his play vs. ULM. The 6-6, 297-pound super-senior had four knock-down blocks and did not allow a sack.
▪ Missouri’s Michael Maietti, a graduate transfer from Rutgers, started 43 games for the Scarlet Knights. In his annual college football preview, Phil Steele tabbed the 6-1, 290-pound super-senior from West Orange, N.J., as the third-best center in the SEC. Right guard Case Cook, a redshirt senior, has started 21 straight games.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Defensive linemen
▪ Kentucky senior end Josh Paschal had a team-high seven tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack vs. ULM. Redshirt freshman tackle Octavious Oxendine, a North Hardin product, had five tackles and a TFL.
▪ Missouri redshirt junior end Trajan Jeffcoat led the Tigers in sacks (six) in 2020 and had one of the nne QB sacks Mizzou recorded vs. Central Michigan. “(Jeffcoat is) a talented kid. Long, athletic and can really rush the passer,” said UK offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Tackle Kobie Whiteside contributed half of a quarterback sack against CMU.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Linebackers
▪ Kentucky WLB DeAndre Square started his senior season with a flourish (six tackles, 3.5 TFL and a sack) vs. ULM. OLB/rush end J.J. Weaver had two sacks in 14 snaps vs. Louisiana Monroe. The 6-5, 231-pound redshirt sophomore from Moore High School in Louisville has returned from a torn ACL suffered in the next-to-last game of the 2020 regular season.
▪ Missouri MLB Blaze Alldredge, a graduate transfer from Rice, received raves for his Mizzou debut. The 6-1, 235-pound product of Kissimmee, Fla., had 10 tackles, including a whopping six TFL, with three sacks and a QB hurry vs. Central Michigan. WLB Devin Nicholson chipped in eight tackles and a sack vs. CMU.
Advantage: Even.
Defensive backs
▪ UK nickel back Davonte Robinson (six tackles, one TFL) looked like his pre-injury, 2018 self vs. ULM. Mark Stoops said it was the best the super-senior from Henry Clay had played since suffering a season-ending right quadriceps injury in the 2019 preseason. “He kind of got back to where he was,” Stoops said. Senior free safety Yusuf Corker had five tackles and a sack vs. ULM.
▪ Missouri sophomore free safety Jaylon Carlies had six tackles and an interception vs. Central Michigan. Nickel back Kris Abrams-Draine had four stops and broke up two passes against CMU.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Special teams
▪ Kentucky punter Wilson Berry averaged 35.5 yards on two kicks vs. ULM in his college debut. Place-kicker Matt Ruffolo cashed a 45-yard field goal and is now 17-of-20 on field-goal attempts in his career.
▪ Missouri punter Grant McKinniss is playing his second season at Mizzou after graduate transferring from UK. Against Central Michigan, McKinnis averaged 42.5 yards on six kicks and pinned CMU inside its 20-yard line fpur times. Place-kicker Harrison Mevis made field goals of a career-long 53 and 44 yards last week. For his career, Mevis is 19-of-22 on field goal tries.
Advantage: Missouri.
Prediction
Kentucky 35, Missouri 30.
This story was originally published September 9, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
