JOE COX: One More Tune-up For Wildcats Ahead Of SEC Grind
Kentucky enters Saturday with one last chance to tweak the details and kick the tires of a promising 2022 squad before the grind of SEC action commences in full. While Kentucky’s 26-16 victory over Florida got the conference slate off to a promising start, Ole Miss looms on October 1st and there are plenty of other challenges ahead in conference play. But before that, Kentucky will face Northern Illinois in a final tune-up.
Defense hasn’t really been a problem for UK, as last week’s 31-0 win was the first Wildcat shutout since 2009. But Kentucky’s offense has been hit and miss, and it’ll be interesting to see whether offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello opens up the playbook or stays fairly vanilla ahead of Ole Miss next week.
Kentucky’s 74 rushing yards per game is 13th in the SEC and their 2.2 yards per carry is last. Admittedly, the loss of running back Chris Rodriguez, who will return for the Ole Miss game, has been part of the puzzle. But so has a disappointing offensive line that has allowed 11 sacks on QB Will Levis, which is also dead last in the SEC. Kenneth Horsey has moved to tackle, hopefully solidifying the edges, but even the interior line has been ho-hum. With a lack of continuity one of the big issues, the matchup with Northern Illinois will present a chance to at least address that situation.
Northern Illinois enters the game at 1-2, having lost to Vanderbilt 38-28 last week. The Huskies were not exactly fierce pass defenders, turning Vandy’s new QB starter, AJ Swann, into an immediate star with four touchdowns, 255 passing yards, and no interceptions. The Wildcats are favored by nearly as large of a margin as they were last week.
Kentucky should be able to have a get-well game on offense. Defensively, Northern Illinois will be a tougher test than Youngstown, particularly with edge rusher J.J. Weaver likely out for the game. As long as the Wildcats take care of the ball, they should take care of business. And as long as they take care of business, they’re setting up a showdown with a likely top 20 Ole Miss team on the road next week which could be the biggest UK football game since the Georgia matchup in 2018.
But while writers and fans can get ahead of themselves, players can’t. The assumption is that UK won’t.
UK 42-14
Other SEC Predictions:
Georgia 52, Kent State 6
Missouri 24, Auburn 21
Mississippi State 41, Bowling Green 14
Tennessee 28, Florida 24
Ole Miss 41, Tulsa 10
Arkansas 29, Texas A&M 28
Alabama 55, Vanderbilt 3
LSU 45, New Mexico 6
South Carolina 38, Charlotte 7
Joe Cox is contributing editor for KySportsStyle.com Magazine. He grew up in Letcher County and Bell County and has written or co-written nine books. His most recent, "A Fine Team Man: Jackie Robinson and the Lives He Changed," was released in February 2019 and can be ordered on Amazon or at many local bookstores. Joe is an attorney and lives in Logan County with his wife and children. You can reach him at jrcox004@gmail.com.
