3 things to look at against Akron

1) Concentration
-Can Kentucky play a game against an overmatched opponent without the mental mistakes?  Against Louisville it was horrendous penalties (false start and late hit) in the 2nd half that kept Louisville in the game.  Against WKU, it was giving up the long run and the kickoff return for touchdowns, as well as poor defense in the 2nd half.  Nearly all of Kentucky’s error have been mental in nature, and in a game where UK is likely to be significantly better, it would be nice to see these eliminated. 

Over/Under Penalties for UK: 5

2) Rush Defense
-Akron is averaging 139 ypg rushing.  Kentucky is giving up 188.5 ypg rushing.  That ranks 94th in the country.  Something has to give.  If Kentucky can not stop the rushing attacks of Louisville, WKU, and Akron, I don’t want to see how they perform against SEC opponents.  Add to that, Akrom has nearly ZERO passing attack, meaning Kentucky should be able to load the box and make it a point to stop the rush.  Again, I am slightly worried about the UK rushing defense, but if Akron gains 150 yards or more rushing then I will become fully worried.

3) Backups
-If this game goes as planned, UK should be able to play a ton of backups in this game.  Look for possibly all 3 quarterbacks to play, Donald Russell and Jonathan George at running back, and a plethora of wide receivers.  I had noted earlier in the week how impressed I was with many of UK’s younger skill players, and this will be another chance for those guys to shine.  I also think we will finally have it decided who will be the backup QB for the rest of the year.   

So, what are your keys coming into the game?  What do you want to see from the Cats in a game that is likely to be a 28-42 point win?