Kentucky vs. Alabama football gameday guide: Can Wildcats upset Nick Saban, Crimson Tide?
LEXINGTON — Tied 3-3 with South Florida at halftime Sept. 16 in Tampa, Florida, rumblings started about Alabama.
About how the Crimson Tide, 1-1 at the time and coming off a home loss to Texas, had fallen off. That this Alabama team, struggling to beat a South Florida squad coming off a 1-11 season and having five total victories since the beginning of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, was a shell of the mighty, peerless program Nick Saban had forged over the previous 15 years.
That feels like a long time ago now.
The Crimson Tide went on to beat the Bulls, 17-3, and has not lost since that home setback to Texas. Alabama (No. 8 in the coaches, Associated Press and College Football Playoff rankings) enters Saturday at Kentucky on a seven-game win streak, which includes triumphs over a trio of ranked foes in Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU.
As the Wildcats try to topple the Crimson Tide for only the third time in history, UK coach Mark Stoops knows the challenge his team is up against.
“Alabama is a team that you can see that is getting better and better," Stoops said. "A typical Nick Saban team that is very big, very physical, very talented and extremely well coached.
"They seem to be getting better and stronger as the year goes on. ... Just to match their physicality and improve and have a little better, more disciplined execution here this week — in particular, offensively — it’s going to take a total team effort."
Since taking over Kentucky's program prior to the 2013 season, Stoops is 0-3 against Saban and Alabama. During his tenure with the Crimson Tide, Saban has captured six national championships, eight SEC titles and owns an on-field record of 202-28 (the NCAA recognizes his record as 197-28 because Alabama was forced to vacate five wins in Saban's first season, 2007).
"When I think of Nick, the first thing that comes to my mind is respect. I have a ton of respect for coach," Stoops said. "He has been successful for a long, long time. He has his methods and his way. ... I have known him for a long time but never worked with him. But I think of respect and how he has done things consistently.
"He is like a machine.”
Here's what to know about Kentucky's home finale against Alabama:
Kentucky vs. Alabama football pregame notes
Given the one-sided nature of the series, it's hard to call this a rivalry: Kentucky is 2-38-1 against Alabama all time. The Crimson Tide has won seven straight meetings since the Wildcats' 40-34 overtime victory in Lexington in 1997.
Thanks to last week's win over Mississippi State, UK will head to a bowl for the eighth straight season. It lengthens what already is the longest run of bowl bids in program history. It also is the third-longest active streak in the SEC behind Georgia (27 seasons) and Alabama (20).
The Wildcats' four defensive touchdowns in 2023 are tied for most in the country (with seven other teams).
Kentucky running back Ray Davis ranks among the top three in the conference in total rushing yards (903), rushing touchdowns (nine), rushing yards per game (100.3) and yards per carry (6.10). Davis stands among the top 20 nationally in all four of those statistical departments.
Davis did not score a touchdown last week, snapping a school-record streak. He had been the the first Wildcat with at least one TD in each of the team's first eight games to start a season (per UK's single-game statistics, which date back to the 1940s).
Davis has 14 total touchdowns (nine rushing, five receiving) this fall, which puts him within striking distance of UK's single-season mark. Benny Snell scored 19 TDs (all rushing) in 2017.
Wildcats defensive back Maxwell Hairston has five interceptions this season, most among SEC players and tied for second most nationally behind Notre Dame's Xavier Watts (seven) for the FBS lead.
Crimson Tide wide receiver Jermaine Burton is No. 1 in the league in yards per reception at 20.65.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is top two in the SEC in three passing categories: passing efficiency (171.1), yards per completion (16.11) and yards per pass attempt (10.43).
Dallas Turner, a junior linebacker for the Crimson Tide, averages 0.78 sacks per game, which ranks second in the conference. He has eight sacks and 38 tackles this fall, boasting a team-best 11.5 tackles for loss.
Kentucky has a former Alabama player on its roster: fifth-year senior offensive lineman Tanner Bowles joined the Wildcats as a transfer last spring. A Glasgow native, he appeared in 19 games for the Crimson Tide over four seasons (2019-22). Bowles has played in all nine contests for the Wildcats this season as a reserve.
Alabama offensive line coach Eric Wolford spent the 2021 season in the same capacity at Kentucky before joining the Crimson Tide's staff in January 2022.
UK vs. Alabama football pregame reading
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Kentucky vs. Alabama odds
Kentucky is an 11-point home underdog against Alabama, according to the DraftKings college football odds.
WANNA BET? Top Kentucky sportsbooks and sports betting apps reviewed
How to watch Kentucky vs. Alabama football game
Who: No. 8 Alabama (8-1, 6-0 SEC) at Kentucky (6-3, 3-3)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Kroger Field, Lexington
TV: ESPN
Radio: Tom Leach (play-by-play), Jeff Piecoro (analyst) and Dusty Bonner (sideline) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington and online at UKAthletics.com. The game also will be carried on satellite radio: Sirius (Channel 138), XM (Channel 190) and the SiriusXM app (Channel 961).
Streaming: Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How to watch Kentucky vs Alabama football: Odds, notes for SEC game
