Georgia’s not the only team dealing with fallout from injuries this Saturday. Kentucky’s got its share, too.
The No. 11 Wildcats will be without normal starters Josh Ali, Marquan McCall and Octavious Oxendine for the matchup between undefeated teams with first place in the SEC East on the line. None of the trio were listed on UK’s pre-Georgia depth chart released Monday.
McCall and Ali both missed the LSU win with leg injuries. Oxendine will miss the rest of the 2021 season after suffering a lower leg injury against LSU. Before his injury, Oxendine recorded two sacks in that game.
With Ali, a super senior wide receiver, out versus LSU, Kentucky made heavy use of two tight end offensive sets. That strategy is likely to carry over to Georgia as Stoops dropped the third wide receiver position from UK’s depth chart in favor of listing tight ends, Justin Rigg and Brenden Bates, as starters.
Life in the SEC, y’all. UK’s problem is that Georgia’s depth is much greater and the Dawgs are the home team, meaning the Wildcats’ travel roster is capped at 70.
They ran the ball 45 times against LSU, at better than seven yards a pop. I’m sure they’ll try the same this week, but Georgia’s defense against the run ain’t LSU’s.
Get The Picture 
What is the thinking behind the 70 man travel roster? Was it initially put in as a way to limit travel costs? I don’t think that’s an issue for SEC teams these days. Not only do you have to play in a hostile environment but you have limited numbers? In blowouts, do 70 or more players normally see the field?
LikeLiked by 1 person
$$$$$
LikeLiked by 1 person
i thought the exact same thing. Both teams should be competing with the same max reserves allowed on the sidelines.
LikeLike
If they think they’re going to line up and man ball right at Georgia they are setting themselves up for a public ass whipping. I know Kentucky is pretty good. But they aren’t good enough to just run the ball right at this defense and dare them to stop it.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Yeah, not all day. What a total recipe for disaster Saturday for KY.
I’d love it! 🙂
LikeLike
The real key for Kentucky is stalling UGA’s offense. That’ll keep the score low enough that they have a chance.
LikeLike
They’ll try to man-ball us to sleep and then throw over the top to Wandale. That’s about their only hope.
LikeLike
Yeah I think they’ll try that too. But I don’t their quarterback is good enough to consistently do it.
LikeLike
All big losses for them but, Oxendine seems the most impactful to me. He was SEC co-defensive lineman of the week last week, even with getting hurt. And I think McCall had been pretty good on their DL too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gives a new meaning to “our team bus is an ambulance”…
LikeLike
Is that 70 max travel limit an SEC rule, or an NCAA rule?
LikeLike
SEC
LikeLike
Junior Wan’Dale Robinson leads the SEC with 467 receiving yards, but he and Ali have combined for 46 of the team’s 55 catches from wide receivers.
That’s now 527 for Robison with a 14.2 average per catch. Took that right out of a Kentucky article. Robinson is the Nebraska transfer. Not big – 5’9″ 175 coming out of HS. Will assume he’s 10 pounds heavier.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. (McDonough by the way) – 759 yards on 120 carries with a 6.3 average. He’s 5’11” 224.
Smoke is the 2nd leading rusher with over 200 years – he is 5’9″ 201.
Levis is 6’3″ 224 pounds – is the QB and third on the team in rushing with about 160 yards. His completion rate against top 25 teams is 42%, He has 87 yards and one touchdown. (In other words – Florida).
Against South Carolina (Away), Rodriquez rushed for 144 yards, Robinson had 65 yards and Levis through for 102. 332 total yards to South Carolina’s 216.
Against Florida (Home), Rodriquez rushed for 99 yards, Robinson had 65 yards and Levis passed for 87. And while I”m glad they won this game, UF went up and down the field on them. 382 yards to 224.
Against LSU (Home), Rodriquez rushed for 147, Robinson had 67 yards and Levis passed for 145. Kentucky has 475 total yards to LSU’s 408. Johnson passed for 261 and Davis ran for 147 (and LSU’s running attack is awful this year).
Conclusion: Kentucky plays tough, physical football. Their last two games are their best games played so far this season – both at home. They struggled at South Carolina and should have lost to Florida. Georgia is more physical, more athletic, who’s strength on defense is stopping the run. Kentucky’s best receiver is 5’9″ and very good once the balls in his hands, but he isn’t a true deep threat.
Games are about match-ups and I think Kentucky matches up very poorly here. You begin to understand an opening line of over 23 that quickly moved above 25.
This game is just going to showcase Georgia and put another wanna be in their place.
Dawgs 48- Kentucky 13 (maybe)
LikeLiked by 3 people
I like this matchup for our defense. My only hesitation is that this will be a very physical matchup for our D, so injuries piling up before the bye week.
UK is respectable, but I think Arkansas was a tougher matchup.
LikeLiked by 1 person
UK’s last 3 games have been very tough physical SEC matchups: USC, Florida, and LSU. I know some people are going to chuckle about me including USC, but when they played UGA I heard a lot of pops and impact.
LikeLike
Guessing USC is more physical than UF – agree. LSU’s players have quit.
LikeLike
Not to get too far ahead of myself here, but we may not have to throw at all against Mizzou. That is an atrocious run defense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cats going to be in a lot of 3rd & longs with no solution for that. Dawgs cruise. Cover / Under again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
All of these replies are about right. I’m a UGA grad from Kentucky, so I follow both teams closely. UK will be the best team UGA has played so far. But they’ve really benefited from rowdy, home night-game crowds against UF and LSU, and the losses on their DLine will probably mean they’ll have less punch at the point of attack.
They’ll probably have more success running the ball than anyone else UGA has played, but likely not near enough to keep them out of 3rd and long situations.
At full strength in Lexington I think they could present some real challenges, but not under these circumstances. I wouldn’t be surprised if they cover the spread though.
LikeLike