Blue Preview: Can UK and Will Levis withstand U of L’s sack-happy defense?

Kentucky vs. Louisville

When: 3 p.m. Saturday.

TV: SEC Network

Announcers: Play-by-play, Dave Neal; analysis, Deuce McAllister; sideline, Andraya Carter

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1.

Satellite Radio: XM Channel 190, Sirius Channel 133, Internet Channel 961

Records: Kentucky (6-5, 3-5 SEC); Louisville (7-4, 4-4 ACC)

Series history: Kentucky leads 18-15 and has won three in a row and four of the past five meetings.

Most recent meeting: Kentucky quarterback Will Levis ran for 113 yards and four touchdowns as UK rolled to a 52-21 victory over Louisville on Nov. 27, 2021, at Cardinal Stadium.

Line: Kentucky is favored by 3.5 points.

The story line

Kentucky seeks to take some sting out of a disappointing season by defeating archrival Louisville for a fourth straight time. Against a U of L team that has won five of its past six games, UK will seek to extend its non-conference winning streak to 20 games.

Kentucky star running back Christopher Rodriguez (24) will play at Kroger Field for the final time when the Wildcats host archrival Louisville on Saturday in the battle for the Governor’s Cup.

The number to watch

Kentucky’s sacks allowed. The Louisville defense is No. 1 in the country in quarterback sacks with 41. The Kentucky offense is No. 125 (out of 131) in sacks allowed, having surrendered 40. You will rarely see a game in which the key matchup is more starkly drawn.

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis (7) takes one of four sacks the Wildcats surrendered in a 44-6 loss at No. 3 Tennessee. UK QBs have been sacked a whopping 40 times in the season’s first 11 games.

The big threat

Yasir Abdullah. The 6-foot-1, 242-pound linebacker is one of the most disruptive defenders in college football. Abdullah has 13 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks. Whether UK’s shaky pass protection can contain Abdullah may be the single biggest factor in the battle for the Governor’s Cup.

Louisville linebacker Yasir Abdullah (22) hits Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) in the backfield to force a fumble during U of L’s 24-10 victory over Pitt on Oct. 22. Abdullah has 13 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks in 2022.

On the spot

Rich Scangarello. The Kentucky offense has not been able to get out of its own way in 2022. In SEC play, the UK attack has put up meager averages of 306.4 yards and 17.5 points a game. One way that embattled Wildcats offensive coordinator Scangarello can change the tone at the end of a difficult season would be to preside over a scoring outbreak vs. Louisville.

Kentucky offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, center, and UK offensive line coach Zach Yenser, right, both came to Kentucky from the San Francisco 49ers’ coaching staff.

The mood

Is let down. Kentucky fans began the 2022 season believing the Cats could contend for the SEC East title and/or earn a berth in a New Year’s Six Bowl. Instead, UK is playing archrival U of L merely trying to secure a winning season. This is a disappointing Kentucky season whatever happens vs. Louisville — but retaining the Governor’s Cup for a fourth straight time would at least make the 2022 disappointment more palatable to the Big Blue Nation.