LSU got its first SEC win of the season last week, topping Florida 30-27. The Tigers go for their second straight conference victory against the Kentucky Wildcats in Tiger Stadium on Saturday. Here’s a look at some of the crucial numbers in the matchup.

THE GOOD

  • 9-2. LSU has dominated its Eastern division foes under Les Miles, with a 17-7 total record and a 9-2 mark since 2009. Kentucky, meanwhile, hasn’t beaten an SEC West team since 2011, and hasn’t done it on the road since 2009. Additionally, LSU has the best home record in the SEC since 2009 at 36-3. A win in Tiger Stadium would easily be the biggest of Mark Stoops’ career, but Kentucky doesn’t have the track record to suggest they’ll pull the upset. We’ll find out if this is a new era for Kentucky football.
  • 4. Despite the shaky quarterback situation, LSU has only thrown 4 interceptions this season. That’s good news against a sticky-handed defense like Kentucky. The Wildcats have 11 picks on the season, three of which they’ve taken back for touchdowns. Anthony Jennings, making another start for the Tigers, will have to continue to avoid defenders’ hands to avoid a catastrophic play.
  • 4. In 56 total meetings between these two teams, Kentucky has only won four times in Baton Rouge, with a 4-24-1 record when going on the road against the Tigers. Not coincidentally, LSU enters this game as a double-digit favorite.

THE BAD

  • 11. The Wildcats have busted out 11 more “explosive” plays (20-plus yard runs, 30-plus yard passes) than their opponents have, and they’ve been very good at limiting those plays by their opponents. The Wildcats have only allowed 12 explosive plays, bad news for an LSU offense that thrives on the big play (LSU ranks first in the SEC in explosive plays).
  • 34.8. LSU hasn’t been good on third downs this season. Against Auburn, they didn’t convert a single one of their 13 third down attempts, and were just 7-for-18 against Florida. Kentucky is allowing conversions on only 34.8 percent of third down tries, about 2 percent lower than LSU’s meager conversion rate.
  • 3.9. Kentucky limits its opponents to under 4 yards per carry, giving up only 3.9 yards on average, and they’ll certainly be loading up to stop the run against LSU. There’s not much threat of the Tigers consistently moving the ball through the air, so the Wildcats won’t feel threatened putting extra men in the box. How will LSU respond? Will they try to hammer the Wildcats with Leonard Fournette, or will Jennings make some magic happen?