LSU’s trip to Kentucky on Saturday night might come with more than just a ranked road test. The weather at Kroger Field in Lexington could turn the matchup into a wet, windy mess, with remnants of Hurricane Isaias expected to roll in by Saturday afternoon.
The National Weather Service said Friday afternoon that Lexington could see wind gusts up to 32 mph and as much as a quarter inch of rain by kickoff for the 6 p.m. game on ESPN. The forecast also called for an 88 percent chance of rain at kickoff, along with a 10-20 percent chance of thunder and lightning.
That could become a bigger issue as the night goes on, with the chance of thunder rising to 30 to 50 percent during the game. Rain chances do not dip below 70 percent until 11 p.m.
The Weather Channel was a little less aggressive, listing a 41 percent chance of light rain at 6 p.m. with higher odds earlier in the day. Either way, the setup points to a game that could be shaped by the elements.
No. 10 LSU enters as a 10.5-point favorite over No.
25 Kentucky, but the weather may put extra weight on what both teams can do on the ground. Surface winds of 20 mph at kickoff and steady rain would make the run game and run defense especially important.
That’s not a bad spot for LSU on paper. The Tigers rank No. 4 nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 58.4 yards per game, and they’re No. 15 in rushing offense at 237.6 yards per game. Kentucky is No. 75 against the run, giving up 144.2 yards per game, while its offense sits at No. 44 with a 187.2-yard average.
LSU’s ground attack is led by Dilin Jones, who has 94 carries for 426 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Sam Leavitt has added 220 yards and six scores on 45 rushing attempts.
Behind them, Stacy Gage and Harlem Berry have battled for the No. 2 running back job, though Berry entered the Kentucky trip holding that spot. Berry has 196 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, while Gage has 166 yards and two touchdowns on 21 attempts.
Kentucky leans on a three-back rotation led by CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson. Baxter has 361 yards and six touchdowns on 68 carries, while Patterson has 355 yards and three scores on 45 attempts. Javontae Barnes gives the Wildcats another option with 126 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.
Even with LSU’s bigger overall production, Kentucky holds a slight edge in rushing efficiency. The Wildcats are averaging 5.17 yards per carry as a team, compared with LSU’s 5.06. The same pattern shows up at the top of the backfield, where Jones’ 4.53-yard average trails Baxter’s 5.31 and Patterson’s 7.89, even though Jones ranks fifth in the SEC in yards per game and Baxter and Patterson are eighth and ninth.
The weather could make that split even more important. Rain can limit push up front, and it can create problems for both passing games as well.
Both teams are also dealing with injury issues at linebacker. LSU will be without starter Whit Weeks and No. 4 linebacker Charles Ross, while Kentucky is missing its third, fourth and fifth most-used interior linebackers - Alex Afari Jr., Tavion Wallace and Antwan Smith.
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