They call it Death Valley for a reason.Tiger Stadium, no matter who you ask, is among the most difficult places to play in college football. When LSU plays at night, winning becomes becomes an even tougher proposition for visitors.On Saturday, Kentucky will face exactly that challenge. But the sense of dread opponents are supposed to have ahead of a trip to Baton Rouge, La., it’s not there for the Wildcats.”I’m excited about getting down there and really just chalking it up and seeing where we’re at,” quarterback Patrick Towles. “They’re a really good football team. I’m excited for the environment. I’m sure it’s going to be packed.”It’s not a lack of respect for Tiger Stadium or the crowd of 100,000-plus expected to pack it for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on the SEC Network that’s prompting that excitement. The Cats (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) don’t see weakness in LSU (5-2, 1-2 SEC), a team coming off a win at Florida, either.The attitude is all about viewing challenges as opportunities. That starts at the top.”I love the atmosphere. I’ve been down there before,” said head coach Mark Stoops, who lost 45-3 at LSU in 2006 as Arizona defensive coordinator. “They are passionate fans, and it’s a hostile environment, and that’s why we play. That’s why we coach. We want to continue to win games to put ourselves in position to play in big games.”UK-LSU will have an unmistakably big-game feel.The Cats, winners of three straight and two in a row in conference, are in the thick of the SEC East race. LSU, meanwhile, is a young team still setting its sights on winning the treacherous SEC West. The Tigers have lost twice, but to Mississippi State and Auburn, teams currently ranked No. 1 and No. 6 in the AP Top 25. Les Miles’ team is as athletic as ever, particularly on defense. “They’re inexperienced at certain positions, but very talented,” Stoops said. “They’re extremely talented in the secondary. You know, that’s something that I noticed right away in watching them. Just have great appreciation for the way they cover people. They’re big and long and athletic, and obviously very well coached with Coach (John) Chavis being around forever, doing a great job.”Of the 13 players listed on LSU’s depth chart at cornerback and safety, only one is shorter than 6 feet. Sophomore corner Rashard Robinson is the tallest of the bunch at 6-3, but the whole group – which Neal Brown called the most talented UK has played – will present problems.”We’ve got to be able to stick our releases and we must keep their hands off of us,” offensive coordinator Neal Brown said. “And we’ve got to take into effect that they’re a little bit longer than the average guy we’re going against.”UK will have its hands full closer to the line of scrimmage as well. Brown likened 6-6 defensive end Danielle Hunter to Florida star Dante Fowler and called Kwon Alexander the best linebacker UK will have faced.”Athletic, long and fast,” Towles said of the LSU defense. “A lot like Florida and how they were. I mean, they’re tough. I mean, they’re good everywhere, so it’s going to be a challenge for us.”It’s a challenge the likes of which Towles has responded to before. The sophomore’s high-school reputation for playing his best when it matters most has followed him to college, with Towles turning in a 369-yard effort through the air at Florida in UK’s lone loss and showing few ill effects from the most hostile atmosphere he’s faced to date.”We always got to answer the bell when it calls,” Towles said. “The Florida game it called. Whenever it does, you’ve got to answer. That’s how really we’ve been all year. When somebody throws a shot at you, you’ve got to throw one back. That’s kind of been the big difference between this year and years past. Yeah, I mean, if I’m going to have to make a play there’s no doubt in my mind I’m going to make the play.”Towles’ production this season has fluctuated based on what his team has needed. He had a big statistical day at Florida, making multiple downfield throws, but played it closer to the vest in wins over South Carolina and Ohio. The dynamic has prompted the “game-manager” label to be thrown around this week. Towles didn’t cringe when the phrase came up and Stoops actually called it a positive, but both head coach and quarterback know Towles going to have to come up big at LSU.”I know he’s going to have to throw the ball well for us to win some games,” Stoops said. “And this week it’s not going to be easy, and he has to be more than a manager in this game. His talent has to show and he’s gotta play confident and he’s gotta throw the ball and he’s gotta play aggressive.”The same is true for UK’s defense.The Cats, after a rough start against ULM, bounced back and pitched a shutout over the final 45 minutes. UK allowed just 77 yards on 40 carries, shoring up a run defense that struggled against South Carolina and Florida. LSU gets it done differently than the Gamecocks and Gators, but no less effectively, especially with the emergence of true freshman Leonard Fournette.”LSU is almost exclusively a pro-style offense,” defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot said. “Florida and South Carolina, they did a lot of different things and different looks, and LSU is a pro-style offense, so you mainly see pro-style runs. You see an I backfield. You see the quarterback under center. You see power. You see iso plays, where the fullback’s (isolating) up on the linebackers.”At quarterback, LSU has rotated between sophomore Anthony Jennings and freshman Brandon Harris. Miles named Jennings the starter this week, but that hasn’t affected UK’s preparation a great deal.”Both are very athletic,” Eliot said. “You got to keep them contained. If they get out, they can get some yards. Strong arms. So there’s not really much difference between the two.”Believe it or not, the atmosphere the Cats will walk into on Saturday hasn’t affected their preparation much either. They feel like they’re ready for it.”The game plan we’ve got, it really carries and it works everywhere,” Towles said. “For the really good teams, that loudness is not a distraction. Really, for me, I love playing on the road because it really helps me focus better. If I got a lot of people yelling, I know that, ‘Hey, I gotta really focus right now.’ So I like it. I hope they get as loud as they can.”