Joel Klatt is leaning Alabama in Saturday’s trip to Kentucky, and he’s pointing straight at the Crimson Tide defense as the separator.
Kentucky has some momentum after a 45-14 win over Youngstown State, and the Wildcats will get Alabama in Lexington with home-field advantage on their side. Head coach Will Stein also has a few new pieces to work with, and Klatt likes enough of what Kentucky brings to make this a real test. Still, he sees too much proven force on the Alabama side.
“ Kenny Minchey transfers in from Notre Dame. He had a good start last week,” Klatt said on his podcast.
“Youngstown State came to town for Kentucky. Kentucky handled them.
Minchey had 300 yards and four touchdowns for Will Stein. Kentucky’s got the former Texas running back CJ Baxter, who I thought a lot of before he got injured in his Texas career.
They brought in Jay Bateman from A&M. Can he pressure (Keelon) Russell, the Alabama quarterback?
I just come down to this: the Bama defense was great.
“I know we’re all going to be talking about what we expect from their offensive line and what Keelon Russell can do at quarterback. But the real strength of this team, and I think the identity of this team is their defense.
I just don’t know if Kentucky is going to be able to move the ball and sustain enough drives … so I’m going to go with Bama here. I got Bama on the road, 28-17.”
Minchey’s first outing for Kentucky was productive, as he finished 18-of-27 for 301 yards and four touchdowns. But Alabama is a different level of challenge. The Crimson Tide held East Carolina to just 162 total yards last week, and only two of those came on the ground.
That’s why Klatt’s read makes sense: Kentucky may have some answers on paper, but sustaining drives against this Alabama defense looks like the toughest part of the assignment.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Lexington. ABC and Disney+ will carry the game.
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Kentuckys New Offense Just Unlocked A Weapon Fans Havent Seen Enough
Will Stein wasted little time putting his stamp on Kentuckys offense, and one of the clearest signs came through the tight end room. In the season opener, three tight ends combined for nine catches, 140 yards and two touchdowns, a workload and production level that stood out sharply from what the Wildcats had leaned on in recent years under Mark Stoops. It was the kind of shift that gives an offense a different shape, especially for a team trying to find more answers in the passing game.
The encouraging part for Kentucky is that this did not look like a one-off wrinkle. Players and coaches praised the tight ends performance and pointed to their value as real pieces of the system, which suggests Stein sees them as more than just check-down options or red-zone targets. If that usage holds, it could change the way defenses have to prepare for the Wildcats, and it may only be the beginning of how often these weapons show up. [Read more 🡒]
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Rosser, ranked No. 2 nationally by 247Sports, brings the kind of profile Kentucky has long targeted at the frontcourt: a 6-foot-10 forward with versatile skills and plenty of upside. He has visits lined up with several schools, but the chance to see the program in one of its most electric settings gives the Wildcats an important early opportunity to make their case and keep building momentum in a recruitment that figures to stay closely watched. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Heads Into Alabama Opener With Big Availability Questions
The first SEC test of the season is already taking shape as both Kentucky and Alabama sort through a long list of availability concerns heading into their Week 2 matchup. The second report of the week left each side dealing with significant uncertainty, with Alabama carrying several players on the out or doubtful lists and Kentucky also trying to piece together who will be ready for a road opener that suddenly looks a lot more complicated than a standard conference debut.
For Kentucky, the biggest concern is the mix of uncertainty along the offensive line and in the secondary, the kind of personnel questions that can change both protection plans and coverage looks in a hurry. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has already pointed to the Wildcats' offensive front and his familiarity with Will Stein's schemes, which only adds to the intrigue as both teams try to keep their cards close and survive the week with as many healthy bodies as possible. [Read more 🡒]