Kentucky Opens SEC Play Against Alabama
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
The Will Stein era got off to a great start in his Kentucky debut this past Saturday with a 32-point win over Youngstown State. The Penguins came into that game ranked seventh in FBS football. This Saturday, the Wildcats remain at home; however, they start SEC play. They’ll do so with a bang as one of the perennial powers in not only the conference but the nation. Let’s break down both teams, give you some series history and a prediction as Kentucky opens SEC play against Alabama.
Kentucky Opens SEC Play Against Alabama
Building On Week One
Kentucky did a lot of great things against Youngstown State. Starting his first game since he was a senior in high school, Kenny Minchey looked every bit the QB1 the Big Blue Nation was hoping for. The junior completed 18 of 27 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns. In addition, his average yards per throw was a nice 11.1 on the day.
Minchey spread the wealth around, hitting nine different receivers. He even got the tight ends involved in the offense, something the BBN has wanted to see for years. One score went to Mikkel Skinner, who got his first career score on his first college catch. The second score was a two-yard pass to Willie Rodriguez.
On the other side of the ball, the defense did pretty well against Beau Brungard, the reigning Walter Payton Award winner as the best player in FCS football. For the game, Brungard completed 23 of 35 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown. However, UK took away his rushing game, allowing him only 29 yards.
One thing that needed some work was third-down conversions. Overall, Youngstown was 8-15 on third down. That’s something that can’t happen against Alabama. UK was playing without two of their top secondary guys as neither Teryhon Nichols nor Hassan Sykes played.
Kentucky will be fully healthy on Saturday, and they’ll need it. Let’s now look at their opponent as Kentucky opens SEC play against Alabama.
Scouting The Crimson Tide
Kalen DeBoer’s squad comes into Saturday with an identical 1-0 record. They had no trouble dispatching East Carolina 48-10. They are led by quarterback Keelon Russell. Many were surprised when the number two player in the 2025 class beat out Austin Mack in training camp. However, he showed why he won the job, accounting for 335 total yards against the Pirates.
Russell completed 17 of 29 passes for 249 yards. In addition, he rushed for another 86 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target is Ryan Coleman-Williams, who had 130 receiving yards on only five catches. Running back Daniel Hill added 47 yards and found the end zone twice.
Over on the other side of the ball, the defense is led by one of the best secondaries in the nation. They include safeties Keon Sabb and Bray Hubbard. The latter was a third-team All-American last season. If that wasn’t enough, they have a couple of great cornerbacks in Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee Jr.
Up front, edge rusher Yhonzae Pierre picked off a pass last week and took it to the house. Minchey and the Wildcat offense definitely have their work cut out for them on Saturday.
That’s a look at both teams. Let’s now look at the rather lopsided rivalry between the two schools as Kentucky opens SEC play against Alabama.
Series History
Saturday marks the 43rd time the Wildcats and Crimson Tide have met. Saying it’s been dominated by Alabama is an understatement. Overall, ‘Bama leads the series 39 wins to two for Kentucky and one tie that happened back in 1939.
The Wildcats’ two victories came in 1922, and in 1997 Tim Couch hit Craig Yeast in overtime to give UK a 40-34 win. Since then, Alabama has won eight in a row. Obviously, two teams don’t play every year. The last meeting came in 2023 when the Tide won in Lexington 49-21.
Can the Wildcats pull the upset? It’s prediction time as Kentucky opens SEC play against Alabama.
Who Wins On Saturday?
Alabama comes into Lexington as only a 10.5-point favorite. That seems low for a squad that’s dominated the series. However, the perception is the Crimson Tide program isn’t quite what it used to be. It should be a great atmosphere on Saturday at Kroger Field as it’s a “Stripe Out.” The SEC Nation crew will be on hand for the game, and Stein told the BBN he wants to make it “the loudest game in the history of Kentucky football.
Currently, we don’t have Alabama in our bowl playoff projections. Furthermore, a Wildcat win will certainly put them in a post-season game. Alabama is very strong on defense, which, as we mentioned earlier, means offensive coordinator Joe Sloan has his work cut out for them. Look for a very hard-fought game that stays close into the fourth quarter. In the end, the Crimson Tide win their ninth straight against the Cats.
Alabama 28-20
How To Watch
Opponent: Alabama
Date and Time: Saturday, September 12th, 3:30 PM EDT
Location: Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky (Capacity 61,000)
Television: ABC
Spread: Alabama is a 10.5-point favorite with the over/under at 49.5
Main Image: Arden Barnes-Imagn Images
Related Content:
Storylines for Buckeyes Against the Longhorns
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos