Strength vs. Strength: UK Defense Looking Forward to Mizzou Matchup
Only a brief look at the stats will tell you something has to give.
On one side of the football will be the Missouri offense, averaging 501.1 yards and 38.6 points per game. Both totals land the Tigers in the top 20 nationally.
On the other side will be the Kentucky defense, holding opponents to 301.9 yards and 12.9 points per game. That places the Wildcats as the No. 12 ranked unit in terms of total defense and No. 2 in scoring defense.
That means two elite groups will be going head to head in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday at 4 p.m.
“I definitely think there’s some pride there and that’s why this week is so important,” defensive coordinator Matt House said. “This is the most explosive offense we’ve faced and we’re going to find out a lot about ourselves Saturday.”
In other words, the defense for these No. 12/14 Wildcats (6-1, 4-1 SEC) is eager to take on the challenge the Tigers (4-3, 0-3 SEC) will present.
“This is going to be a good matchup for our defense,” star senior linebacker Josh Allen said. “I feel like it’s going to help solidify our defense in college rankings and SEC rankings. It’s a good matchup for both sides. We’re the number two scoring defense in all of college and they’re up there in offense, so it’s going to be a good matchup.”
Missouri has long been known for its potent offense and the pace with which the Tigers play. UK has faced some tempo this season against the likes of South Carolina, but Missouri will be a different animal altogether.
“You take every new week as a challenge,” linebacker Kash Daniel said. “Teams are different, obviously, and Missouri is definitely an offense that’s definitely different than what we’ve seen so far. They’re highly explosive; they’re very fast paced, very fast tempo; and they got a bunch of athletes out in space that can run. Obviously they got many threats to hit us with so it’s going to be a challenge for us to get lined up fast and see our keys and play well.”
A season ago, the Wildcats won a 40-34 shootout against Missouri, with the Tigers rolling up 586 yards of total offense. Quarterback Drew Lock passed for 355 yards and three touchdowns, adding another on the ground, and the senior is even better after bypassing an opportunity to enter the NFL Draft.
“He’s probably, on film, one of the most dynamic quarterbacks I’ve seen,” Daniel said. “The guy can run, can sling it anywhere, can throw it sidearm. Anything and everything. It’s going to be hard to keep him corralled.”
As much attention as Lock gets – and deservedly so – he is surrounded by a plethora of weapons, including three running backs in Larry Rountree III, Damarea Crockett and Tyler Badie who combine to give Missouri a potent ground game.
“You better be very, very conscious of their running game because they put a lot of pressure on you with their running game and their backs are very, very talented and that sets up their RPO game and gives them some space to throw the football,” Mark Stoops said. “So, I felt that way a year ago and I certainly feel that way right now, that they’re more physical than people give them credit for. They’re really talented and run the ball and it puts a lot of pressure on your secondary.”
UK’s secondary and defense as a whole have responded well to whatever pressure has been put on them this season. The Cats have embraced every chance they’ve had to prove themselves, and that’s no different this weekend.
“It’s always nice to have a challenge up against you each week, to prove yourself each and every week to people that don’t believe in the hype or don’t believe that we’re this or we’re that,” Daniel said. “I’m glad we’re getting challenged every week and I’m glad people are still not putting any faith in us. Keep it up.”
Daniel was referencing the fact that UK is the underdog heading into Saturday in spite of the Cats’ lofty ranking, impressive defensive statistics, bruising offensive line and star running back Benny Snell Jr. That might be a surprise to some, but not the Cats. The good news is they’re well practiced at performing in the role.
“It is what it is,” Allen said. “At this time, we’re not really worried about that because we’ve been underdogs the whole season. Our wins speak for it. We just take it as extra motivation, I feel like, and we just go from there.”
