First time under the lights: Kentucky football hosts Akron

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky football looks to move on from a stumbling start against Eastern Kentucky last week as it prepares to host Akron this Saturday at Kroger Field.

The Wildcats will play their first game under the lights when they host the Zips with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.

The Cats are 16-4 in their last 20 home night games, and they went 3-1 last season in night games at home. UK will host Akron for just the second time in program history, with the Wildcats topping the Zips, 47-10, in their lone meeting in 2010.

The high-powered Kentucky offense expected with the return of Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen, who is expected to return to the sidelines Saturday, has yet to reach its potential. How the game — and perhaps the rest of the season — will fare, may rest on the shoulders of transfer quarterback Devin Leary. Leary’s stat sheet is respectable, completing 60% of his passes for five touchdowns on two interceptions for the season. But the offense had stalled starts against both Ball State and EKU with him under center.

In his Monday press conference, head coach Mark Stoops acknowledged some missteps in the offense but noted Leary’s improved play in the second half against EKU. “I have a ton of confidence in him [Leary],” Stoop said. “He missed some throws. We mis-ID’ed a couple things we’ve got to continue to tighten down. We had a couple of drops and in the second half we didn’t.”

Kentucky has plenty of offensive weapons at its disposal. To fill the gap left by three-year starter Chris Rodriguez Jr., the Wildcats have turned to senior Ray Davis as their featured running back. Davis leads all rushers with 164 rushing yards on 26 careers and two touchdowns. JuTahn McClain and Ramon Jefferson have also taken handoffs from Leary, accounting for a combined 50 yards.

UK has a bevy of talented receivers to choose from as well. Senior Tayvion Robinson leads all receivers with 174 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore duo Dane Key and Barion Brown have also seen the end zone once each, with 138 receiving yards and 90 receiving yards, respectively.

Solid play from UK’s defense has been a balm for a stilted offense. The Kentucky defense has held both of its opponents to under 20 points. They held Ball State under 300 years and allowed just 311 total yards to EKU.

Akron is the second Mid-American Conference opponent to face the Wildcats at Kroger Field. The Zips are 1-1 on the season, with a win 24-21 win over Morgan State last week and a 24-21 road loss to Temple in Week 1.

One thing to look for will be who is under center for the Zips. Senior DJ Irons leads the team with 262 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception. Against Morgan State, fellow senior Jeff Undercuffler also saw some action, completing 72% of his passes for one touchdown and three interceptions. Irons is listed as QB 1 on the depth chart. 

So far, the Zips don’t have much of a ground game to speak of. Lead rusher Drake Anderson has 67 rushing yards on 13 carries and Akron has just 78 cumulative rushing yards for the season.

Kentucky will see some familiar faces on the opposing sideline Saturday. Ashland native Blake Hester is the kick returner for the Zips, with 139 yards on five kickoff returns, including a 47-yard return against Morgan State. Former UK tight end Nik Ognenovic transferred to Akron after two seasons with the Cats.

A win for Kentucky would be the program’s 19th straight nonconference win in the regular season and its 17th straight nonconference win at Kroger Field.