Kyle Pinnell and Barkley Truax discuss the Tigers and Wildcats’ Satuday game
Last year, Missouri football ended its five-game losing streak against Kentucky and will be looking to start their own streak against the Wildcats on the road Saturday night. The Tigers travel to Kroger Field to take on the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m.
“[Kentucky has] gotten really good, really fast offensively,” coach Eli Drinkwitz said.
Head coach Mark Stoops has put together a solid football team in Lexington, making the Tigers’ first SEC matchup an intriguing one. Both teams are talented on both sides of the ball, so which position battles stand out the most?
Connor Bazelak vs. Will Levis
Saturday features two talented quarterbacks pitted against each other, with sophomore Connor Bazelak and junior Will Levis. Bazelak put together a solid performance last weekend against Central Michigan, going 21-32, 257 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Under new offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who spent the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, the Wildcats shifted from a more run-centered offense in past years, to a more balanced attack. One reason why is because of Levis, who transferred from Penn State.
“Offensively, the quarterbacks are the straw that stirs the drink,” Drinkwitz said.
Levis lit up the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks with 367 passing yards and 4 touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 45-10 victory September 4.
Missouri’s secondary vs. Kentucky Receivers
The Tigers allowed 301 yards through the air last week, but were able to force turnovers with interceptions from both senior defensive back Akayleb Evans and sophomore defensive back Jaylon Carlies. Junior safety Martez Manuel was also active with a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry.
Of Levis’ 18 completions, 10 of those went to junior Wan’Dale Robinson and fifth year receiver Josh Ali for a combined 261 yards. Senior receiver Isaiah Epps caught 3 passes for 83 yards.
“On the outside, you look at their receivers,” defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said. “Robinson transferred from Nebraska. The guy is phenomenal [and] you know he can take the top off at any moment.”
Missouri’s front seven vs. Kentucky’s offensive line
The battle up front between the Wildcats’ offensive line and Missouri’s front seven is going to be interesting. The Tigers’ defensive front seven swarmed Central Michigan last week with 9 sacks, including 3.5 from graduate student linebacker Blaze Alldredge.
“We have to do a great job at controlling the line of scrimmage,” Wilks said. “It’s going to be a challenge for us, [because] they do have two outstanding tackles.”
Senior preseason first team tackle, Darian Kinnard, junior tackle Dare Rosenthal and fifth year guard Luke Fortner — the reigning SEC co-offensive linemen of the week, anchor a tough Kentucky front five.
“[Kentucky’s] offensive line is considered by some as one of the best in the country,” Drinkwitz said.
Wildcats’ junior running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. complemented their balanced attack with 125 yards against the Warhawks. Overall, it’s going to be a big challenge for Wilks’ defense.
“It’s a big test for us on who we want to be and how we want to perform and what we want to do on the road,” Wilks said.
Missouri’s running game vs. Kentucky’s defensive line
Drinkwitz wants the Tigers to do what they did last week against a solid Central Michigan defensive line by running the ball well.
One side is good at running the ball, while the other is good at stopping it. At home last week, the Tigers rushed for 211 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s defense held UL-Monroe to only 17 yards on the ground on 43 attempts.
“If you got any shot at winning football games in the SEC, you got to win at the line of scrimmage, especially on the road — you have to run the ball when you want to,” Drinkwitz said. “Defensively they’ve always been good, and Coach Stoops does a tremendous job.”
The Tigers are in search of their first win in Lexington since 2013. A victory over the Wildcats will not only end a nine-year drought at Kroger Field, but also get Missouri off to a great start in the SEC.
Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com