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SEC Kickoff: Everything you need to know about Kentucky vs. UL Monroe

Published: Oct 11, 2014 · 9:00 AM EDT

Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s non-conference showdown between Kentucky and Louisiana-Monroe in Lexington.

When: Today
Where: Lexington, Kentucky
Game Time: Noon ET
TV: SEC Network
Current Line: Kentucky (-21.5)

Game Buzz: The Kentucky Wildcats have won back-to-back SEC games for the first time since 2009, and have already matched their win total from the last two seasons combined less than halfway through the 2014 campaign. The Cats step out of conference this weekend for a showdown with the UL Monroe Warhawks, a team that has already beaten one power five conference opponent this season (Wake Forest). If Kentucky can win Saturday, it would match its highest win total since 2011 and would be one win shy of bowl eligibility with six games to play.

SATURDAY DOWN SOUTH PREVIEWS

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

Players to watch:

QB Patrick Towles
RB Jojo Kemp
RB Boom Williams
WR Ryan Timmons
WR Javess Blue
WR Demarco Robinson
DE Bud Dupree
DE Za’Darius Smith
LB Khalid Henderson
S A.J. Stamps

Keys for Kentucky:

Establish an aggressive pass rush. Louisiana-Monroe is a pass-first team, ranking 19th in the nation in pass attempts per game and just 113th in rushes per game. If the Cats play aggressive in the front seven and harass quarterback Pete Thomas often, it’ll neutralize the Warhawks’ best means on attacking on offense. Kentucky has enough of an advantage athletically to leave its secondary in one on one coverage throughout the game, especially if the pass rush can effectively get to Thomas. The one thing Kentucky cannot do is allow Thomas time to sit in the pocket and pick apart the defense. If the Cats can avoid that, they’ll be fine.
Keep running the ball until someone stops it. Kentucky runs the ball well for a team operating the Air Raid offense, and it was the run game (specifically the “wildcat” formation) that spearheaded a 14-point comeback against South Carolina last week. ULM is a middle of the pack defense when it comes to stopping the run, but the Warhawks haven’t faced an offense like UK’s this season. Kentucky must continue to establish the run early with Jojo Kemp, Braylon Heard and Boom Williams to wear down the ULM defense, leaving it vulnerable throughout the game.

Wildcats’ glaring weakness to watch: Kentucky has struggled to stop the run all season, allowing opponents to rush for 166 yards per game. Lucky for the Wildcats, UL Monroe is not a run-oriented team, but that’s no excuse for the Cats to lose focus on defense. This is an opportunity for UK’s front seven to gain some confidence as run stoppers heading into the second half of the season. Letting the Warhawks off the hook with a few successful runs could make this game tighter than it needs to be.

Most interesting part of this game: UL Monroe is no slouch, but this game should be a breeze for a Kentucky team riding high after two straight SEC victories. However, it could also be a trap game for the Cats as they begin to look ahead to a possible run at the SEC East title. It will be interesting to see if a young, hungry group of Wildcats remains focused this week, or if the team has already gained enough confidence to start looking past opponents after winning four games the last two years combined.

Team buzz: Kentucky only won two games all of last season, but has four wins in its first five games of 2014. It’s one triple-overtime loss in the Swamp away from an unbeaten record, and with Todd Gurley out indefinitely the Cats chances of winning the East have become very realistic. Commonwealth Stadium will be electric for a non-conference showdown with a noon kickoff, meaning John Calipari and the basketball team will just have to share the Big Blue Nation’s attention over the next few months.

LOUISIANA-MONROE WARHAWKS

Players to watch:

QB Pete Thomas
RB Centarius Donald
WR Ajalen Holley
WR Kenzee Jackson
WR Rashon Ceaser
DL Gerald Johnson
LB Ray Stovall
S Mitch Lane

Keys for UL Monroe:

Be aggressive in playcalling on offense. Kentucky’s defense is faster and stronger than the Warhawks’ offense, so operating as usual just won’t get it done for ULM. Louisiana-Monroe has three talented, productive wideouts in Ajalen Holley, Kenzee Jackson and Rashon Ceaser, and it should take some shots deep down the field or try running some trick plays in the first half to chip away at UK’s confidence while getting in defenders’ heads.
Do not let Kentucky succeed out of Jojo Kemp’s “wildcat” package. Kemp almost single-handedly beat the Gamecocks last week, and UK may win again Saturday, but it cannot be with the “wildcat.” If Kemp gets rolling early out of that package, the Warhawks’ hopes of an upset will fly out the window. However, if ULM can sell out and stop Kemp, forcing UK back into a more traditional offense, it would at least have a chance to force some turnovers to keep the game close.

Warhawks’ glaring weakness to watch: Louisiana-Monroe ranks 122nd out of 128 FBS teams in rushing at just 86 yards per game on the ground. With the athleticism Kentucky has on defense, the Warhawks’ offense is in big trouble if it plays as one dimensional as it has most of this season, which is why ULM must be aggressive in its playcalling to keep Kentucky guessing. Even if the Warhawks are able to pull off some trick plays, their lack of a rushing attack will come back to haunt them.

Most interesting part of this game: Louisiana-Monroe is not unfamiliar with playing power conference teams on the road, having already topped the Demon Decons this season in addition to falling 31-0 to LSU. Kentucky is the second of three SEC games on ULM’s schedule, as the Warhawks will visit Texas A&M on November 1. UK is paying Louisiana-Monroe a lot of money to host this game, and ULM really has nothing to lose, which could play a factor in Saturday’s outcome.

Team buzz: The Warhawks lost by two touchdowns to Arkansas State last week, and it will be tough for ULM to recover on the road against an SEC opponent this weekend. Louisiana-Monroe is not a helpless team, but it will be fighting an uphill battle all afternoon in the Bluegrass. Mark Stoops spoke highly of the Warhawks earlier this week, but the Cats could leave them looking foolish when Saturday is over.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.