Another Thursday is upon us and it’s time for another edition of the corniest article featured on the WBN. The wildcats return to Lexington for a week of practice and wound-licking before heading to what might be the prettiest campus in the SEC in Oxford, Mississippi to take on the Rebels of Ole Miss.
QUARTERBACK
Kentucky’s Mike Hartline started the season with a bang before struggling against Florida. He still managed to rattle off 242 yards through the air, but also threw two costly interceptions. Ole Miss QB Jeremiah Masoli has begun to put together a solid season for the Rebels, although in a much more subtle nature than he did as a duck. He’s been a true dual-threat quarterback and is averaging 183 yards passing per game and he’s also chipping in 55 yards per game on the ground. At first glance, Masoli has the type of athleticism few quarterbacks in the country posses and is only a year removed from being in consideration for the Heisman trophy. But looking into the performances for each, Hartline has been the better quarterback in every statistical category. The five interceptions Masoli has thrown thus far pushes Mike far enough ahead to get the nod here.
The Edge: KENTUCKY
RUNNING BACK
Although he wasn’t on the radar as a top back in the SEC before the season, Ole Miss’ Brandon Bolden has had a great season thus far. He’s managed to rack up 410 total rushing yards over four games while averaging 7.7 yards per carry. He managed to pile up over half of those yards in a 228 yard performance against Fresno State where he averaged a whopping 12 yards a carry. Kentucky has Derrick Locke slated to start again this week and he’ll be looking to put together his fifth straight 100+ yard game against the Rebels. Despite the performance Bolden put together last week, it’s tough to compete with the #8 overall rusher in the NCAA (yep, that would be Locke, look it up).
The Edge: KENTUCKY
WIDE RECIEVER/TIGHT END
Ole Miss doesn’t exactly employ a Mike Leach offense, but they do have eight players listed on their roster that are currently averaging over 11 yards per catch, led by big play man Markeith Summers whose averaging 23.5 yards per catch. The offense isn’t really that pass heavy though, and many of the long catches are the result of missed tackles on Masoli taking advantage of defenses creeping up to stop the run. Kentucky brings Randall Cobb, LaRod King, and Matt Roark to go along with a 6’5 big-play guy of their own in Chris Mathews. After being one of the few bright spots against Florida, Matthews should see plenty of balls his way this week will have every chance to assert his dominance.
The Edge: KENTUCKY
OFFENSIVE LINE
Kentucky’s offensive line hasn’t had the type of year they were hoping for, but they’ve been solid (for the most part) thus far. The Cats have amassed 1,844 total yards of offense through four games this year, and great play from the offensive line has made that possible. The Mississippi offense isn’t far behind, amassing 1,816 yards on the season. Both units have done a nice job of protecting the passer too, with Ole Miss allowing only three sacks through four games and Kentucky slowing two in that same time. The deciding factor for the offensive line units very well might be experience and believe it or not, the Wildcats have the Rebels’ number here. Ole Miss is projected to start two true freshmen against Kentucky, whereas Kentucky’s youngest player is sophomore Larry Warford, who split time with Christian Johnson last year as a freshman. Adding a healthy Stuart Hines in helps UK pull out in front of a very evenly matched group.
The Edge: KENTUCKY
DEFENSIVE LINE
The Rebels’ defensive line is lead by tackles Jerrell Powell and Ted Laurent. Both have had impressive seasons thus far and have combined for 15 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. They will be charged with clogging up the running lanes and forcing the Kentucky offense to the outside where their faster defensive backs and linebackers can make a play. Kentucky’s defensive line has struggled to stay consistent this year and while senior DeQuin Evans has failed to live up to expectations, junior walk-on Luke McDermott has been the surprise of the year. While UK’s defensive line is just as talented as Ole Miss’s, consistency is probably one of the most important aspects of defensive line play and Kentucky’s unit has been hot-and-cold all season long.
The Edge: OLE MISS
LINEBACKERS
Kentucky star Danny Trevathan has had a great year so far and even managed to play through a broken hand for half of the Akron game. Unfortunately he’ll be playing in a cast for the foreseeable future and no one else has really stepped up to help take some pressure off of him. Conversely, Ole Miss has a deep talented group of linebackers led by seniors Jonathan Cornell and Allen Walker who have tallied up 39 and 29 tackles respectively. Add to that the six sacks that the Ole Miss starting linebackers have piled up and they take this position easily.
The Edge: OLE MISS
DEFENSIVE BACKS
The Ole Miss defensive backfield is an experienced group of guys that have a history of making big plays. The only problem is, they haven’t really made one so far this year. Opposing offenses have averaged 233 yards passing per game and the unit has yet to pick off a pass through four contests. Kentucky’s group of DBs is far less experienced, but equally as talented. Junior Safety Winston Guy has all the physical tools to be an NFL draft pick, but he has to drop his habit of poor tackling. Kentucky’s taller cornerbacks will help them against the jump ball Ole Miss likes to throw, and Mychal Bailey’s lone interception against Louisville is enough to put Kentucky ahead. If the Cats can wrap up and tackle against Ole Miss, this group could be the difference in the game.
The Edge: KENTUCKY
SPECIAL TEAMS
While I consider Kentucky’s one-two punch of Derrick Locke and Randal Cobb as talented as a duo of kick returners as there is in the country, until Kentucky can get the kicking game squared away and go an entire game without missing a field goal or PAT, I’m automatically awarding this category to the opponent every week.
The Edge: OLE MISS
COACHING
Joker has proven over time that he can recruit and coach players to an NFL caliber level of ability. He’s governed one of the most dynamic offenses Kentucky has ever had (2007) and overseen one of the worst I can remember (2008). He’s officially 3-1 as a head coach after beating rival Louisville and cupcakes Akron and Western Kentucky, and a 75% winning percentage is pretty hard to argue with. But then again, I’m actually a fan of Houston Nutt and I thought Arkansas made a brash decision by getting rid of him. He’s been a proven winner in the past and has w
on three SEC west titles in his time as a headman. Despite his success, he’s still not viewed as one of the top coaches in the conference because of down years littering the time between big seasons. Production trumps potential here and Nutt gets the ever so slight edge over Joker.
The Edge: OLE MISS
Keep following www.http://wildcatbluenation.com for the best in Kentucky basketball and football news, rumors, and opinions. By Kentucky fans for Kentucky fans