When the rubber meets the road Saturday night in College Station, Kentucky will find itself an underdog for the fourth time in six games this season, but looking to keep an undefeated season intact and possibly move into the AP top ten. Meanwhile, A&M has fared pretty well again ranked competition, playing a respectable game against Alabama and coming an eyelash from upsetting Clemson. But the Aggies have nothing to show for those games except two losses. Is this the week they break through? We’ll break down the game and give you some bold predictions as to what we might see.

1. Trayveon Williams is money in this one

Kellen Mond has shown up against some of football’s best, but A&M needs Williams to keep the heat off Mond (more on this later). Williams is the SEC’s No. 2 rusher with 582 yards. He’s averaging 6.1 yards per carry and will be pivotal in this game. A&M leads the SEC in time of possession, so Williams getting 20 carries for 100 yards shouldn’t surprise.

2. Don’t forget about A.J. Rose

Benny Snell is the Kentucky back who (deservedly) gets national attention, and he will get his carries, but don’t forget backup A.J. Rose, who has 231 rushing yards and 4 scores off the bench. He was a critical factor in Kentucky’s past two wins, averaging over 5 yards per carry against Mississippi State and South Carolina. Rose will get 40-50 yards and a touchdown, and that could be the difference.

3. Jace Sternberger will be a tough matchup for Kentucky

Much of Kentucky’s early defensive success has come from the linebacker spot, in part because opposing tight ends have rarely been a big threat in the passing game. Not true for Sternberger, whose 17 catches for 256 yards and 4 touchdowns attest to how dangerous he is, especially in the red zone. Look for him to have 75 yards and a touchdown.

4. Lynn Bowden will be big

Kentucky won’t be able to live off the run, and will utilize a lost of east-west passing in an attempt to spread out A&M’s defense. One key player in that will be sophomore receiver Lynn Bowden. Bowden had 4 catches for 79 yards against Florida, and while he might not eclipse that yardage mark, don’t be surprised if he hauls in 6 or 7 passes.

5. A&M holds Kentucky to a season low in rushing

Much of Kentucky’s success has been built on the SEC’s top rushing attack. That said, when that group faces the SEC’s top rushing defense, something has go to give. Kentucky’s worst rushing effort so far was 46 carries for 195 yards last week against Carolina. Between keeping the ‘Cats off the field and forcing more passes, A&M will hold the ‘Cats to a season low on the ground …

6. But Kentucky will top all previous rushers against A&M

But the converse of this is that because of A&M’s issues against the pass, nobody has rushed more than 32 times against A&M, or for more than 125 yards. Sure, A&M is good against the run. But Clemson and Alabama were too busy passing for 300 or 400 yards to worry about denting the Aggies on the ground. Kentucky will top both of A&M’s previous season worsts, rushing 40 times for 150 yards.

7. Mond will do his damage from the pocket, and will get plenty

In past seasons, Mond’s mobility would have been Kentucky’s biggest problem. But given the Wildcats’ putting the clamps down on prior mobile QBs, Mond is probably a bigger threat from the pocket. Kentucky has not allowed more than 232 yards passing against any QB this year, but Mond will eclipse that mark in this game.

8. Terry Wilson will have his best game as a Wildcat

For much of Kentucky’s season, Terry Wilson feels like an extra component standing by and not being used. He hasn’t thrown more than 25 passes or for more than 163 yards. Look for him to throw 25-30 passes Saturday night, and even if most are short, safe throws, he’ll break that 163-yard mark. He’ll also rush for a score on the ground.

9. Can A&M protect Mond? The answer tells the story …

One big question for the Aggies is protecting Mond. A&M has allowed 17 sacks in 5 games — admittedly, 7 came against Alabama, but that’s still a lot. Kentucky has 12 sacks in 5 games, including 6 from SEC leader Josh Allen. If Kentucky can sack Mond 4 times, they can probably steal this game in College Station. If not, the Aggies will likely string together enough first downs to win.

10. Can Wilson avoid turnovers? That answer tells the rest of the story …

Kentucky was lucky against Florida, in that while Wilson had his best game, he also got by with 2 turnovers, each with Kentucky in field-goal range. If Wilson turns the ball over twice or more, it’s hard to see Kentucky winning. The good news for Wildcat fans is that while A&M is stout defensively, the Aggies have forced only 2 turnovers in the first 5 games.