LEXINGTON — Kentucky football started the season the way it wanted: It cruised to a 31-0 victory over Southern Miss in a game that ended in the third quarter because of lightning.
But the past two weeks brought Mark Stoops ' club back to Earth. The first was a shocking 31-6 loss to South Carolina that might go down as the worst of Stoops' dozen years at UK . Then Kentucky dropped to 0-2 in SEC play Saturday, falling in agonizing fashion — by one point, 13-12 — to Georgia.
Perhaps this week's foe is just what the doctor ordered for the Wildcats .
UK hosts Mid-American Conference representative Ohio . The Bobcats are 2-1 this season and enter with consecutive victories after topping South Alabama and Morgan State , respectively. Ohio's lone setback, however, occurred against the only power-conference foe it’s faced: Syracuse won, 38-22, in the opener for both teams Aug. 31.
The Wildcats and Bobcats have squared off six times, with Kentucky owning a 4-2 advantage. UK won the most recent meeting , 20-3, in 2014.
Here are three things to watch heading into Saturday's nonconference contest versus the Bobcats :
Here are the numbers for Kentucky's offense against Southern Miss — bearing in mind the game was called with more than a quarter and a half remaining, which would have enhanced these statistics: 317 yards (169 passing, 148 rushing), four touchdowns, 31 points.
Here are the combined numbers for Kentucky's offense against South Carolina and Georgia: 467 yards (309 rushing, 158 passing), zero touchdowns, 18 points (all field goals).
Let's be clear: There is no scenario in which UK should lose this week. But if the Wildcats barely hold off the Bobcats, and the Kentucky offense fails to find much semblance of rhythm — and explosive plays continue to be absent from first-year coordinator Bush Hamdan 's group — it will put pressure on the defense and kicker Alex Raynor to be as close to perfect as possible.
It will make it difficult to foresee a path to six wins and bowl eligibility this season.
Put another way: It's hard to win games when an offense can't muster many points.
Prior to kickoff against the Bulldogs, the Wildcats had enough injured players to field a separate lineup: 11 players were on the final availability report. Nine UK players sat out, while two game-time decisions (defensive back Maxwell Hairston and offensive lineman Gerald Mincey ) went on to suit up in the loss to UGA.
Kentucky should ease past Ohio without much issue this week.
Getting through it unscathed — and preventing more names from being added to future availability reports — is critical.
On the one hand, some might argue a team such as Kentucky, entering off back-to-back losses, can't afford to take any team lightly no matter how overmatched the opponent might theoretically appear. Conversely, there's a reason UK is paying Ohio to play a football game Saturday — and it's not for a MAC team to waltz into town and leave with the money and the win. (Though Toledo didn't get that memo against Mississippi State on Saturday.) It would be understandable if Kentucky catches itself looking ahead to next week's matchup at Ole Miss.
The challenge is to make sure that doesn't happen.
"Our guys have to understand that it takes that kind of commitment and that kind of sacrifice to take care of themselves all throughout the week," Stoops said, referring to his team's preparation leading into the Georgia game. "These guys are going to be sore (Sunday), and they're going to be sore Monday, and we're going to put full pads on Tuesday, and we're going to go hit each other and they're going to hurt. And that's what we have to do.
"I think our guys need to understand that mentality. I hope we learned some things through the first three weeks of the season."
Brock Vandagriff, fourth-year junior, QB: Vandagriff threw for 169 yards and three touchdowns in the opener. He's failed to toss a TD the past two weeks, combining for 144 yards and an interception. He'll look to get back on track against the Bobcats.
Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, senior, RB: While those around him have had ups and downs, the Wildcats' steadiest performer offensively has been Sumo-Karngbaye. He ranks first on the team in carries (47) and rushing yards (227). He's run for at least 59 yards in all three games.
J.J. Weaver, senior, LB: The final season in Lexington for the former Moore star is off to a solid start. Weaver has nine tackles through the first three weeks, which includes two tackles for loss. His two sacks are tops on the team.
Parker Navarro, senior, QB: After a rough start to the season (two touchdown passes against four interceptions) in Ohio's first three games, Navarro aims to have the best outing of his career to aid the Bobcats' upset bid Saturday.
Anthony Tyus III, senior, RB: A transfer from Northwestern, Tyus III is the engine that powers Ohio's offense. He's run for 367 yards and four touchdowns on 49 carries, an average of 7.5 yards per attempt. He rushed for 203 yards in the season-opening setback at Syracuse, becoming the first Bobcat to eclipse the 200-yard threshold on the ground in a game since 2021.
Austin Brawley, junior, DB: An Ohio native, Brawley paces the Bobcats in tackles this season. He has 23 tackles (15 solo, eight assisted) and a pass breakup.
Kentucky is a 19-point favorite against Ohio, according to the DraftKings college football odds .
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Who: Ohio (2-1) at Kentucky (1-2)
When: 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21
Where: Kroger Field; Lexington
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Tom Leach (play-by-play), Jeff Piecoro (analyst) and Dick Gabriel 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 .
Streaming: Authenticated subscribers can access SEC Network via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com , the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
You also can stream SEC Network on Fubo, which offers a free trial here .
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky vs Ohio football first look: Odds, keys to game, players to watch, more
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