The Leach Report: Alabama

When Kentucky faced Florida, I could envision a possible upset because the Gators weren't that great on offense. Last week, South Carolina's defense wasn't nearly as good as Florida's so you could generate some hope if the Cats' offense could find its best form, which it did. But this week, Bama is without weaknesses on either side of the ball and this is going to be the toughest of the four challenges UK has faced against Top 20 teams. With that said, Bama's defense isn't any better than Florida's and Kentucky had a few chances to make some plays against the Gators--and the offense looks better now than it did then. Defensively, UK must keep the Tide from using first-down runs to constantly find themselves in second-and-four or less for Kentucky to have any chance to stay in this game. This is a "Rocky" game for the Cats--it's all about going the distance and letting the chips fall where they may. = = = KEY STORYLINES/MATCHUPS Can the UK offense build on its fourth-quarter performance last week? UK finally started to find some rhythm against South Carolina and I thought it was a sign of a growing confidence in Jalen Whitlow that the coaches called for two downfield throws on the final scoring drive. Whitlow has minimized turnovers and that's imperative to have any chance to hang close to the Tide in this matchup. Can Kentucky hit some big plays? Sustaining drives without getting a large chunk of yards at some point will be difficult against this defense. Kentucky already has three more pass plays of 25-plus yards than it had all of last season but Bama's defense is one of the nation's best at limiting those kinds of big plays. Can the Cats find a way to rattle A.J. McCarron? It's a task that is much easier said than done. McCarron, to me, is underrated. Saban doesn't ask him to put up big numbers but when they need the quarterback to win the game, McCarron can do it, as he showed in the victory at Texas A&M. Forcing some turnovers is crucial to any hope Kentucky has but McCarron is a veteran who is not prone to taking unwarranted risks. = = = NUMBERS GAME -- Alabama has committed only four turnovers this season. That's tied for fifth in the nation. -- Kentucky gave up a few big plays last week but overall, that's one area where the UK defense has made significant strides over recent years. Opponents have completed only six passes for 20-plus yards and that's tied for third-lowest in the nation. -- Kentucky's pass defense in the red zone has been quite good, limiting opponents to 43 percent completions. That will be tested by McCarron, who is 10/11 this season inside the opponents' 20-yard line. -- Alabama may be the most physical team UK will face this season. And the Tide averages six yards per attempt when they run it on first down. (stats courtesy of cfbstats.com) = = = THIS WEEK IN BIG BLUE HISTORY In his second year on the job, Kentucky's new coach recorded his first shutout, a 26-0 rout of Georgia. The year was 1947 and the coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, whose name will come up a lot this weekend as the Alabama program that became legendary under Bryant's leadership pays a rare visit to the Bluegrass. The story about Bryant leaving because he got a cigarette lighter for a gift while coach Adolph Rupp got a new car is false but it's become an urban legend over the years. Those close to the programs then will tell you that the two coaches were good friends, although it's certainly plausible to think each was a little jealous of the acclaim the other got for his accomplishments. --listen to Tom each weekday morning at 9:06am eastern on "The Leach Report" radio network --check out tomleachky.com for more of Tom's coverage of the Cats and follow Tom on Twitter @tomleachky and via Facebook for "The Leach Report"