Missouri Tigers vs. Kentucky Wildcats: Five things to know about this SEC East matchup
.JPG "Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz, right, talks to quarterback Brady Cook during the second half of Saturday’s game at South Carolina. MU beat the Gamecocks 23-10.")
A month ago, Missouri was in the midst of a three-game losing streak and Kentucky had climbed to No. 7 in the AP poll.
But the Tigers have won consecutive SEC games, and the Wildcats have dropped three of four to fall from the rankings. The teams meet on Saturday at Faurot Field.
Bowl eligibility is the mission for both Missouri (4-4, 2-3 in the SEC) and Kentucky (5-3, 2-3). Also the winner will stand in no worse than a tie for third place in the East.
Let’s dive a little deeper into the Mizzou-Kentucky matchup:
The details
Kickoff: 11 a.m.
Where: Faurot Field
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
Betting line: Kentucky by 2 1/2
Five things to know
1. Defense, led by Isaiah McGuire, guided Missouri’s best game this season: The Tigers’ 23-10 victory at South Carolina was a dominant as the score suggests. Mizzou held the Gamecocks to 203 total yards, a season-best mark for the Tigers, and 3.8 yards per play. Missouri ranks 19th nationally in total defense, one spot ahead of Kentucky. Tigers’ defensive end Isaiah McGuire, who matched personal records with three tackles for loss and two sacks, was named SEC defensive lineman of the week.
2. Hello Brady Cook: The Missouri quarterback’s effort is how the game separated and continued solid play gives the Tigers a chance in every remaining game. Cook led touchdown drives of 96 and 84 yards, and although Missouri settled for field goal attempts the rest of the way, they had enough cushion. Cook didn’t put up huge numbers, passing for 224 yards. But the offense didn’t have a giveaway, the offensive line had one of its better games, and wide receiver Dominic Lovett and running back Cody Schrader turned in player-of-the-game performances.
3. Doing the bowl math: Missouri needs two victories to become bowl eligible for the sixth straight year. The Tigers didn’t play in the postseason in 2019 after firing Coach Barry Odom. And in 2020, Eli Drinkwitz’s first year, Mizzou was headed to the Music City Bowl to face Iowa but the game was canceled when Missouri pulled out after a rise in COVID-19 cases in the program. Mizzou’s schedule after Kentucky: at Tennessee, New Mexico State and Arkansas. At least two victories are needed.
4. Kentucky has had Missouri’s number lately: The Wildcats have won five of the past six meetings against Missouri, including last season’s 35-28 decision in Lexington, Ky. Drinkwitz won his first matchup against Big Blue 20-10 in 2020, but the Wildcats won the previous five meetings. The two most recent games in Columbia were defensive battles, and don’t be surprised if that’s the case on Saturday.
5. What’s gone wrong with Kentucky?: Once 4-0, the Wildcats have dropped to 5-3. Two of the losses were to ranked teams on the road, Mississippi and Tennessee. The most troubling loss in this stretch came at home to South Carolina. In last week’s 44-6 loss to the Vols, Kentucky amassed a season-low 205 yards of offense. It’s been a difficult run for the program picked to finish second behind Georgia in the SEC preseason poll (Missouri was picked to finish sixth).
Bonus—kickoff times: Missouri knows the kickoff times of three of their last four remaining games, with Monday’s announcement that the Nov. 12 game at Tennessee will kick off at 11 a.m. (Central) and be televised by CBS or ESPN. The regular-season finale against Arkansas at Faurot Field will start at 2:30 p.m. (CBS). Only the Nov. 19 home game against New Mexico State doesn’t have a kickoff time.