Kentucky Comes Home With Momentum
Kentucky returns to Lexington riding one of the biggest wins of the young season.
The Wildcats are 2-1 after going into College Station last week and defeating then-No. 9 Texas A&M 31-21. It was Kentucky’s first win over a top-10 team on the road in its first season under head coach Will Stein, giving the Wildcats plenty of confidence heading into Saturday’s matchup with South Alabama.
Now Kentucky will try to avoid a letdown against a South Alabama team that enters the game 2-1.
Minchey Continues to Impress
Quarterback Kenny Minchey has quickly become one of the biggest storylines surrounding Kentucky.
The Notre Dame transfer has made three starts and has thrown seven touchdowns compared with just one interception. Against Texas A&M, Minchey completed 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns, helping Kentucky take control of the game in the second half.
Kentucky scored all 21 of its points in the third quarter against the Aggies, turning a 7-7 game into a 28-7 advantage.
The Wildcats will now look for another efficient performance from Minchey while continuing to develop an offense that has shown flashes of being much more dangerous than expected.
South Alabama Brings a Dangerous Run Game
South Alabama should not be overlooked.
The Jaguars are also 2-1 after defeating Ohio 41-36 last week. South Alabama rushed for 266 yards in that victory, with Keenan Phillips leading the way with 116 yards and a touchdown.
Phillips, PJ Martin and Trae’von Dunbar have combined for 575 rushing yards and seven touchdowns through three games.
The Jaguars could present a significant test for Kentucky’s defense if they are able to establish that ground game early.
South Alabama could also be without starting quarterback Bishop Davenport, who missed the Ohio game with an undisclosed injury. Jared Hollins stepped in and threw for 192 yards and a touchdown in his first career start.
Can Kentucky Avoid a Letdown?
This is the biggest question heading into Saturday.
Kentucky just went on the road and knocked off a top-10 SEC opponent. Now the Wildcats return home to face a South Alabama team from the Sun Belt.
Those are the types of games where Kentucky will need to maintain its focus.
The Wildcats have already shown they can compete with high-level SEC competition. They led Alabama 17-13 at halftime earlier this season before the Crimson Tide scored 32 unanswered points in the second half. A week later, Kentucky finished the job against Texas A&M.
A strong performance against South Alabama would give Kentucky another opportunity to build momentum under Stein.
The Wildcats will host the Jaguars in the first meeting between the programs, with kickoff scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET on the SEC Network at Kroger Field.
After one of the biggest wins in the program’s recent history, Kentucky now has to prove it can handle expectations.
