UK Athletics Photo
By Jordan Abrams, Contributing Writer
Kentucky Football is coming off a massive win after beating Florida, the No. 12 team in the country at the time. The Wildcats are now ranked in the top-10 for second time since 2007 and are facing a very good FCS team this weekend against top-25 Youngstown State. Although, No. 9 Kentucky has opened as a 25.5-point favorite.
Most people know Youngstown State as Mark Stoops and Vince marrow territory. Youngstown is known to be a place with great people who have a ton of grit and work ethic. I think Kentucky needs to make sure to not look past them as the Penguins are going to come to play. Stoops is supposed to have around 150 people in town for the game. So, let’s get into how Kentucky can avoid being upset by the Penguins.
1. Control the line of scrimmage
Kentucky is bigger, more athletic and in theory, just better in the trenches. Kentucky’s worst starting offensive lineman should be the best on Youngstown State. The Wildcats have struggled on the right side of the offensive line and this will be a good game to fix those issues. If you can’t win the line of scrimmage this weekend, there is no way you can win it against SEC teams. This will be a game for Tashawn Manning and Jeremy Flax to step up and showcase who they are. It may also be a good game to break in top-50 prospect Kiyaunta Goodwin. The Wildcats shouldn’t lose the line of scrimmage battle, but if they did then the game could be close.
2. Bring the pressure on defense
Youngstown State is very strong on offense. They will run the ball down your throat with a lot of physicality. They average over 250 yards/game on the ground and over 200 yards in the air. This Youngstown State team also has a familiar name on the roster, Bryce Oliver. Oliver transferred from Kentucky to Youngstown State this past spring and already has a couple of receiving touchdowns for the Penguins this season. Oliver is quick and is a playmaker. If Kentucky can contain the rushing attack as well as Oliver on the outside at receiver, the game could be over quick. If Kentucky can’t do that, then it could come down to the wire.
3. Don’t over-look the Penguins
The Penguins are not a nobody team. YSU is averaging 450+ yards of offense and only gives up 15 points per game on defense. They are a well-coached team that plays with a lot of heart and grit. Kentucky has better players and a bigger fan-base but if they over-look the Penguins, it can be a game going into the 4th quarter. Most polls have Youngstown as a top-25 team in FCS. Remember Austin Peay – Kentucky barely won that game. This YSU team is better than that team by a very wide margin. Kentucky needs to stay focused on beating the Penguins and worry about NIU and Ole Miss after this game.
Kentucky should win this game with no issues. The Wildcats opened up as a 25.5 favorite but that spread has moved to 27.5. I’m ready for UK to start 3-0 and hopefully move closer to a top-5 ranking in the next couple weeks. As long as Kentucky plays their game, this should de an easy win for the Wildcats.
Prediction: Kentucky 45, Youngstown State 10
