Cats Return Home for Pivotal SEC East Battle Against Missouri
After a soggy slugfest between the hedges at Georgia last Saturday, Kentucky returns to the friendly confines of Kroger Field for an SEC East matchup with Missouri on Saturday night. The game is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff and will air on the SEC Network.
The Cats are seeking to go into their second bye week of the 2019 season with a win, which would be their fifth straight over the Tigers. Both teams will be breathing fire after tough losses last week. UK stood toe-to-toe with 10th-ranked Georgia for much of a rain-soaked night but couldn’t generate enough offense, while Missouri had a close loss at Vanderbilt.
Should junior athlete Lynn Bowden Jr. draw his third straight start at quarterback, he will be looking to continue what has been a brilliant effort at the position thus far. In two starts there he has registered 295 rushing yards and fell just a single yard shy of recording back-to-back 100-yard ground games.
The UK defense also has shown stark improvement and continues to give the team a chance to win despite its inexperience on that side of the ball, particulary in the secondary. It allowed just 270 total yards to Georgia last weekend.
 |
||
| Kentucky vs. Missouri | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 26 – 7:30 p.m. ET Kroger Field Lexington, Ky. Game Notes: UK  | MU Digital Gameday Program Gameday App |
||
| Coverage | ||
|
TV: SEC Network |
||
| UK | Team Stats | MU |
| 3-4 | Record | 5-2 |
| 1-4 | Conference Record | 2-1 |
| 20.1 | Scoring/game | 35.3 |
| 354.7 | Total offense/game | 448.4 |
| 187.7 | Rushing yards/game | 192.9 |
| 167.0 | Passing yards/game | 255.6 |
| 24.7 | Kickoff returns (avg) | 16.8 |
| 9.9 | Punt returns (avg) | 12.4 |
| 48.2 | Punting (avg) | 43.9 |
| 30:47 | Time of possession/game | 31:17 |
| 35.1% | Third down conversion | 40.4% |
| 41.7% | Fourth down conversion | 71.4% |
| 23.3 | Points allowed/game | 16.6 |
| 364.9 | Total yards allowed/game | 270.1 |
| 182.0 | Rush yards allowed/game | 114.0 |
| 182.9 | Pass yards allowed/game | 156.1 |
Cat Scratches: UK to Count on Improving Defense against Mizzou
Kentucky’s defense had a lot to live up to this season.
The Wildcats fielded one of the best units in America in 2018. Headlined by Josh Allen, Jordan Jones and a secondary full of seniors, Kentucky’s defense was consistently outstanding and often dominant.
Now, all those seniors are gone. In their absence, their successors have begun to find a rhythm.
“The way the defense is improving, certain guys are improving,” Mark Stoops said. “That is very good to see. I feel like there were some inconsistencies at times this year with our standards as far as how hard we play. I think these guys are understanding that, playing very hard and playing more and more confident, and so I’m pleased with that progress.”
In each of UK’s last four games, its defense has allowed fewer total yards than its previous outing. Kentucky yielded a season-high 438 yards in a loss to Florida on Sept. 14, but just 270 on the road against a top-10 Georgia team last weekend.
“They played hard,” first-year defensive coordinator Brad White said. “That’s what we’ve told these guys, we’ve preached. We want them to play hard. We want them to play physical, and they did that.”
Relying on that physical play, UK held Georgia scoreless for the first two-and-a-half quarters last weekend until D’Andre Swift took advantage of a short field and busted a 39-yard touchdown run. The Bulldogs would add two more scores, due in part to mistakes the Cats are working this week to clean up, but UK’s improvement on defense is unmistakable…Read More
Scouting Missouri
• Missouri is 5-2 on the season, including a 2-1 start in league play.
• The Tigers are coming off a 21-14 loss at Vanderbilt in their first SEC defeat of the season.
• The Tigers have shown an explosive offense this season and the defense has really shined, allowing only 270 yards per game. That total is good for seventh in the nation in overall defense.
• Mizzou also is excellent in holding opponents in the red zone, ranking seventh nationally in red zone defense.
• Quarterback Kelly Bryant is a graduate transfer from Clemson, where he had an accomplished career. Bryant has compelted better than 63 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns against just five interceptions and 245.0 yards per game. He also has rushed for 209 yards and a score.
• Running back Larry Rountree is averaging 83.0 yards per game and has eight touchdowns on the ground.
• Missouri has 13 sacks on the season, paced by four from Kobie Whiteside. Mizzou has 47 tackles for loss, including eight by Jordan Elliott.
Series vs. Missouri
• Kentucky leads the all-time series 6-3, including 3-1 in Lexington.
• The SEC East rivals have met every year since 2012 with Mizzou winning the first three meetings and UK the past four.
• Only one of the past four meetings have been decided by more than a possession, UK’s 35-21 win at Missouri in 2016.
• Each of the past two games came down to the closing minutes – even final play, with UK winning 40-34 in 2017 and 15-14 last season on one final untimed down.
• Biggest UK win: 14 (35-21) in 2016 in Columbia.
• Biggest Mizzou win: 31 (48-17) in 2013 in Lexington.
• Games decided by eight points or less: UK leads 5-0.
• Last season’s meeting was an instant classic, as Terry Wilson connected with C.J. Conrad for a touchdown on the final play of the game to give the Cats the victory.
• UK trailed 14-3 with under six minutes remaining when the comeback started with Lynn Bowden Jr. returning a punt 67 yards for a score to cut the deficit to 14-9.
• The Cats got the ball back on their own 19-yard line with 1:24 remaining and quickly made their way down the field. With four seconds left, Wilson lofted a pass to the back corner of the end zone where Ahmad Wagner caught it but couldn’t stay in bounds. However, Missouri was flagged for pass interference, setting up the final untimed down.
• UK dominated the yardage, out-gaining Mizzou 385 to 249 for the game.
• Bowden set career-bests with 13 receptions for 166 yards in the game.
• UK coach Mark Stoops is 4-2 vs. Missouri during his tenure.
Kentucky-Missouri Connections
• Neither program has a player from the other state.
• UK offensive coordinator Eddie Gran spent a season at Southeast Missouri State in 1989, his third year of coaching.
• Defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc spent two seasons at Missouri State (2006-07).
• UK co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw spent three years (2010-12) on Mizzou offensive coordinator Derek Dooley’s staff while he was head coach at Tennessee.
A UK Win Would…
• Extend UK’s winning streak in the series to five games.
• Be UK’s third straight win in the series in Lexington.
• Give coach Mark Stoops 40 career victories at UK, moving him within one of Jerry Claiborne (1982-89) and Blanton Collier (1954-61) for third on the school’s all-time list.
• Even UK’s record in October games under Stoops to 12-12.
Don Franklin Auto Countdown to Kickoff Show
All-Southeastern Conference defensive end Jeremy Jarmon and former quarterback Dusty Bonner will be alongside host Christi Thomas for the Don Franklin Auto Countdown To Kickoff, the two-hour pregame show that airs prior to each UK football game in 2019.
A live video broadcast of Countdown to Kickoff will air on UKAthletics.com, the UK Athletics mobile app and the Kentucky Football Facebook page.
For home games, Countdown to Kickoff will broadcast live in front of Nutter Field House outside Gate 1 of Kroger Field with special guests and giveaways. The set of the show is conveniently located near the Coke Fan Zone in Nutter Field House and the Cat Walk presented by Chevy.
**Reminder to fans – As per city Ordinance, masks are not allowed: With Halloween approaching, fans are reminded that as per Lexington city ordinance, masks may not be worn in public. Therefore, fans may not enter Kroger Field with masks or wear masks on game day. Also, for safety and security purposes, costume props will not be permitted inside the stadium on game day.**
