For Kentucky football fans, the hopes and fears about UK’s game vs. Auburn
What Kentucky football backers should hope for and what they need to fear as the Wildcats (3-4, 1-4 SEC) prepare to play SEC rival Auburn (2-5, 0-4 SEC).
Kickoff is at 7:45 EDT Saturday, Oct. 26, at Kroger Field (capacity 61,000) on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
The game will be telecast by the SEC Network.
Hopes
▪ With Kentucky forced by injuries to likely start promising redshirt freshmen Jamarion Wilcox at running back and Malachi Wood at right tackle, the Wildcats get an infusion of energy from the “new blood” inserted into prominent roles.
▪ It is hard to envision a realistic path to bowl eligibility for Kentucky in 2024 that does not include defeating Auburn Saturday night. With UK’s eight-year bowl streak — not to mention bowl swag for this year’s UK players — essentially on the line, the Wildcats summon up a big effort.
▪ Auburn will enter Saturday’s game ranked 126th out of 133 FBS teams in turnover margin. The Tigers will come to Lexington a horrid minus-10 in that category. UK backers will hope Auburn’s generosity to its opponents this season can continue for at least one more week.
Fears
▪ On paper, Auburn bears some resemblance to Florida — which crushed Kentucky 48-20 last week.
Like the Gators, coach Hugh Freeze’s Tigers have a big-play passing game. Wideouts KeAndre Lambert-Smith (averaging 20.2 yards on 26 receptions) and Cam Coleman (averaging 25.9 yards on 10 catches) are especially effective at stretching the field.
Also like Florida, Auburn has disruptive pass rushers on the edges of its defense. Rush end Jalen McLeod, a 6-1, 236-pound senior, has made five sacks and 9 1/2 tackles for loss. Defensive end Keldric Faulk, a 6-6, 288-pound sophomore, has recorded five sacks and seven tackles for loss.
Given Kentucky’s struggles last week defending Florida’s vertical passing game and the problems UK has had all year blocking edge pass rushers, Auburn’s strength in those areas should be worrisome for Cats fans.
▪ After throwing six interceptions in his first four games of 2024, Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has not thrown a pick in the Tigers’ previous two contests.
If that trend continues Saturday night, Kentucky’s odds of victory will be substantially reduced.
▪ On multiple fronts, Kentucky will have to overcome a seeming home-field disadvantage.
UK will enter play having lost 10 of its last 12 SEC home games.
In seven tries, Kentucky has never beaten Auburn in the venue now known as Kroger Field (which opened in 1973 as Commonwealth Stadium).
UK has not beaten the Tigers in Lexington since a 17-7 win in 1966 at Stoll Field.
