Kentucky football: Five things to know about the Alabama Crimson Tide

Five things to know about Kentucky football’s Saturday opponent, the eighth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide:

1. Jalen Milroe has turned the Tide

After losing the starting quarterback job after two games of the 2023 season, Jalen Milroe reclaimed it for Week 4. And, according to Kentucky coach Mark Stoops, Milroe has been a “monster” ever since.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound sophomore from Katy, Texas, has completed 114 of 176 passes (64.8 percent) for 1,836 yards and 13 touchdowns compared to five interceptions. He’s carried the ball 97 times for 297 yards (3.1 per carry) and nine more scores.

In the first half of Alabama’s 42-28 victory over LSU last week, Milroe was 10-of-16 passing for 165 yards while rushing for 102 yards. He finished the game 15-of-23 passing for 219 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns while gaining 155 yards on 20 carries.

Milroe appears much more confident than early in the season, when he was tabbed as the successor to No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Bryce Young. Milroe is calm in the pocket, loves to throw the deep ball and has great acceleration. On his 21-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Milroe cut up field and turned on the jets. He’ll be hard to handle Saturday.

2. Alabama killed LSU on third down

Before the win over Brian Kelly’s Tigers, Alabama had converted 26 of 64 third-down situations in their five SEC games. That’s 40.6 percent. Not awful, but not great either.

Against LSU, Alabama was beyond great on third down. The Tide converted 11 of 14 third downs for 78.6 percent. Bama did a great job of staying out of third-and-long. Just four of the 14 were third-and-8 or longer. But the Crimson Tide converted all four. Three were off Milroe scrambles; an 11-yarder on third-and-10; that 21-yard TD scramble on third-and-9 and an 18-yard scramble on third-and-10. Milroe also made a shot putt pass to running back Jase McClellan, who motored for a 42-yard gain on a third-and-8.

Alabama enters Saturday now 19th nationally in third down conversions at 47.5 percent. The Kentucky defense ranks 100th nationally in stopping third downs. Opponents are converting 42.5 of their third-down opportunities against the Cats.

3. Alabama’s offensive line has been shaky

One area where the Crimson Tide has struggled is pass protection. Heading into Saturday’s game, Alabama has allowed 37 sacks in nine games, an average of 4.11 per game. That is tied for 126th nationally.

Alabama does start a true freshman at left offensive tackle in Kadyn Proctor. The 6-foot-7, 360-pounder was a five-star prospect out of Des Moines, Iowa. He’s started all nine games for the Tide.

And who coaches Alabama’s offensive line? That would be Eric Wolford, who was Mark Stoops’ offensive line coach in 2021 before leaving for Tuscaloosa last season.

Wolford and UK defensive coordinator Brad White were on the same staff that 2021 season. Does either coach have an advantage in that situation?

“I don’t think it’s any necessarily different than when you face the same opponent every single year,” White said Wednesday. “If there’s consistency in coordinators, you’re going to say, ‘How did he attack me last year? How did he attack me two years ago? Has there been a shift?’ There’s obviously little pieces back and forth.”

4. Alabama has been a second-half team

At least of late, Alabama’s defense has grown stronger as the game progresses.

On Oct. 18, the Tide trailed Tennessee 20-7 at Bryant-Denny Stadium before blanking the Vols in the second half on the way to a 34-20 victory. Last week, LSU scored a touchdown on the first drive of the second half for a 28-21 lead. Alabama shut out the Tigers the rest of the way.

LSU’s final four possessions went punt, interception, punt and turnover on downs. The final two possessions were, for all but one play, without the Tigers’ star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was knocked out of the game by a roughing the passer call on Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner.

Before the LSU game, Alabama had gone five straight conference games without allowing the opponent to score more than 21 points. Combine the Tennessee and LSU games, and Bama has allowed just seven points in the final four quarters.

5. Will Reichard is almost automatic

No sooner had CBS play-by-play broadcaster Brad Nessler praised Will Reichard for being 15-of-15 on field goals this season than the Alabama kicker missed a 47-yard field goal wide right in the second quarter against LSU. Reichard later missed a 42-yard attempt in the fourth quarter.

That’s not the norm. For his career, the senior from Hoover, Alabama, is 77-of-92 on field goals for 83.7 percent. He’s 7-of-10 from 50 yards and beyond; 24-of-33 from 40 yards and beyond. He’s 46-of-49 from inside 40 yards. That’s 93.9 percent.

As for extra points, Reichard is 271-of-273 for 99.3 percent for his career. He has not missed an extra point since the 2021 season.

This story was originally published November 10, 2023 at 6:00 AM.

John Clay

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-472-4218

John Clay is a sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Central Kentucky, he covered UK football from 1987 until being named sports columnist in 2000. He has covered 20 Final Fours and 42 consecutive Kentucky Derbys. Support my work with a digital subscription