Blue Preview: Storyline, odds and the player to watch in UK football vs. Alabama
Kentucky vs. No. 8 Alabama
When: Noon (EST) Saturday.
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Play-by-play, Joe Tessitore; analysis, Jordan Rodgers; sideline, Katie George.
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1.
Satellite Radio: TBA.
Records: Kentucky 6-3, 3-3 SEC; Alabama 8-1, 6-0 SEC.
Series history: Alabama leads the all-time series 38-2-1 and has won the past seven games in a row.
Most-recent meeting: DeVonta Smith caught nine passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns as Alabama throttled Kentucky 63-3 on Nov. 21, 2020.
Line: Alabama is favored by 9.5 points
The storyline
Seeking to make a late-season push to flip the narrative of its year from so-so to memorable, Kentucky will pursue a season-defining upset of Alabama. While Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide is battling to secure the SEC West title, Mark Stoops and troops — now that bowl eligibility is secured — are fighting to rise in the SEC postseason pecking order. In its final home game of 2023, UK will honor 16 seniors.
The number to watch
The turnover margin. Alabama has lost four regular-season games over the past three seasons combined. In every one of those defeats, the Crimson Tide were on the negative side of the turnover ledger. So far this year, Alabama is plus-three in turnover margin, while Kentucky is plus-two. To have any chance at a program-uplifting upset, UK will probably need a decisive victory in the turnover battle.
The big threat
Jalen Milroe. On a massive stage last week, the Alabama quarterback outdueled LSU Heisman Trophy candidate Jayden Daniels by running for 155 yards and four touchdowns and completing 15 of 23 passes for 219 yards in a 42-28 Crimson Tide victory. For the season, Milroe, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound redshirt sophomore from Katy, Texas, is completing 64.8 percent of his throws for 1,836 yards and 13 touchdowns vs. only five interceptions and has run for 279 yards and nine TDs.
On the spot
Brad White. The Kentucky defensive coordinator’s unit has struggled against the most-potent offenses UK has faced — Georgia (No. 6 in the FBS in total yards), Tennessee (No. 13) and Missouri (No. 36). In losses to those three teams, the UK “D” has surrendered an average of 40.7 points and 473.7 yards a game. Alabama is 70th in the FBS in total offense — but the Crimson Tide attack is trending upward. Can White coax an effective showing from the Wildcats defense against a high-level offense?
The mood
Is relieved. Kentucky’s victory last week at Mississippi State locked in bowl eligibility for the Wildcats and kept alive the prospects for a winning season. Still, to keep this season from being viewed as a disappointment, UK probably needs to win two of its final three games vs. No. 8 Alabama, at South Carolina and at No. 11 Louisville.
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