Kentucky (2-4) vs. Jacksonville State (5-1) Preview

Game Facts

Jacksonville State finished the 2010 season 9-3 including a 49-48 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford, MS.

Jacksonville State enters the game Saturday ranked No 10 in FCS.

UK is coming off a bye week and a four game losing streak.

Game will be played at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, KY

Game will be televised on ESPNU at 12:00pm EST.

Jacksonville State snapshot

For the second consecutive game, the Cats will take on the Gamecocks. JSU enters the game riding high and full of confidence. During his press conference this week, Jack Crowe (HC) said, “We have a handful of players that are just as good or better than they have at their positions.  We have some guys that will be overmatched.  The guys that can make plays, have to make plays.

Crowe is right. He has some very talented players on his team including Washaun Ealey (Georgia Transfer) and Clarence Jackson (Mississippi State Transfer). Crowe also called this game a “measuring stick” for his program. His team has a chance to win the OVC and this game against UK means nothing towards their season. However, it’s a chance for JSU to continue to their streak of beating SEC teams. Last season, they defeated Ole Miss 49-48 in Oxford. They view this as a very winnable game.

On offense the Gamecocks run the spread. However, they prefer to run the ball. On the season, they have run the football 285 times compared to 127 pass attempts. They like to spread out defenses to create running lanes for their running backs. Washaun Ealey is the team’s leading rusher with 99 YPG. He has five touchdowns on the season. However, Ealey is starting to find a rhythm and has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last three games. Coty Blanchard will line up under center. He too, is capable of making plays with his feet. He is averaging over four yards per carry. He is 67 for 113 passing with two interceptions. Blanchard spreads the ball around when he throws as the Gamecocks have five receivers with more than 10 receptions.

Clarence Jackson is a Mississippi State transfer who will line up at linebacker.  However, he doesn’t lead the team in tackles. That honor currently goes to Rashad Smith who has 28 solo tackles alone. JSU’s strength on defense appears to be their defensive line and linebackers. Their cornerbacks and secondary are not very athletic, however they have forced their share of interceptions. On the season, JSU has 10 interceptions on defense.

Kentucky snapshot

The Cats are coming off a bye week and traditionally play well when given two weeks to prepare for an opponent. While Joker Phillips doesn’t feel this is a “can’t lose game,” many UK fans would disagree. Many would argue this is Joker Phillips’ most important game of his young career. One week ago, Mitch Barnhart went public and stated his head coach would “absolutely” be back next season. I think most UK fans would like to see how the rest of the season plays out before giving any certainties. A win Saturday will be a step in the right direction, however a loss could seal the fate of this staff.

The Cats have spent two weeks preparing for JSU, so most feel the Cats will be ready to play. UK’s offense enters the game ranked 118^th in scoring with 13 PPG. Morgan Newton has struggled and so have the wide receivers. Joker Phillips has raved about Morgan Newton and Matt Roark during the bye week. Some feel this game is Brian Adams chance to step up and contribute in a big way. UK’s offense suffered another blow last week when Josh Clemons injured his knee. It appears the staff also used the bye week to allow the running backs to compete for playing time. Initial reports sounded positive for Brandon Gainer. However, it appears he continues to struggle with ball security. Raymond Sanders will carry the load with support from CoShik Williams and Jonathan George.

UK’s defense is much better than their stats currently show. They needed the bye week to rest as they continue to spend too much time on the field. One area the Cats need to improve on Saturday is putting pressure on the quarterback. Rick Minter’s unit ranks 9^th in the SEC in sacks. Collins Ukwu is expected to play on Saturday and he will provide a much needed boost. Danny Trevathan and Winston Guy continue to have huge senior campaigns. Both players rank No 1 and 2 in the SEC in tackles.

Joker Phillips acknowledged the Cats worked on special teams too. The bye week allowed the staff to evaluate players who can help the team in the return game. It appears Daylen Hall will receive a chance on Saturday to assert himself into a new role. They key for any return man is catching the ball first.  Too often players try to do to much too quickly and put their team in a bad spot by not securing the football.

Keys to the game

The Cats are averaging 13 PPG and the Gamecocks are averaging 31 PPG. So what needs to happen for UK to win? First off, the Cats must come out ready to play early. They must establish the ground attack and show they are a more physical team. Look for UK to attack JSU’s cornerbacks. While UK’s receivers have struggled, they are bigger and should be able to block well on the outside. If so, UK’s running backs should have a solid day. If the Cats are able to establish the ground attack, it should set up the play action pass for Morgan Newton to throw deep.

On defense, UK must tackle. As I mentioned above, JSU likes to spread teams out to create running lanes. This means Winston Guy, Danny Trevathan and Ronnie Sneed will be key. This is a game UK’s defensive line should dominate up front. The Cats must force turnovers and not allow JSU to hang around in the fourth quarter. If so, the Cats will find themselves in a battle until the very end.

As always, I like to point to turnover margin. JSU has shown the ability to force turnovers, however they have not played a Division I football team. On paper, UK should dominate this game. The Cats’ offensive line should be 100% healthy tomorrow, so there is no excuse for not running the football.

Cats win 23-17

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