Southern Miss football opens the season as an underdog at Kentucky on Saturday at Kroger Field.

The Golden Eagles have a retooled roster in a key season for coach Will Hall. Southern Miss’ quarterback situation will be a fascinating development throughout the game on Saturday, as Tate Rodemaker and Ethan Crawford are listed as co-starters at starting QB on the recently released depth chart.

Kentucky could be a darkhorse CFP team or simply a member of the SEC’s middle class. Either way, it’ll take a big effort for Southern Miss to compete for a victory on Saturday night against a much more talented roster than the one the program faced in the 2016 upset.

Here’s how to watch the Southern Miss football vs. Kentucky game today, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:

Watch Southern Miss vs. Kentucky live on Fubo (free trial)

Kentucky vs. Southern Miss will broadcast nationally on the SEC Network in Week 1 of the 2024 college football season. Tom Hart and Jordan Rodgers will call the game from the booth at Kroger Field, with Cole Cubelic reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. 

SCOUTING REPORT: Southern Miss football vs. Kentucky: Score prediction, scouting report in season opener

• Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
• Start time: 6:45 p.m. CT

The Southern Miss football vs. Kentucky game starts at 6:45 p.m. CT Saturday from Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

Hattiesburg American reporter Sam Sklar’s pick: Kentucky 38, Southern Miss 17

Reminder, Southern Miss was supposed to play this Week 1 game at Ohio State. Instead, Akron plays at Ohio State and is about a 50-point underdog. Kentucky is a much more beatable team and Southern Miss should be able to put up a fight for at least two quarters, but I have concerns about Southern Miss’ offensive line in this matchup.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Aug. 29

• Odds:  Southern Miss +28
• O/U:  49.5 points
• Money line: Southern Miss +2000, Kentucky -10000

• Aug. 31:  at Kentucky, 6:45 p.m. on SEC Network
• Sept. 7:  SE Louisiana, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
• Sept. 14:  South Florida, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
• Sept. 21:  at Jacksonville State, 2 p.m. TBD
• Sept. 28:  OPEN DATE
• Oct. 5:  Louisiana, TBD
• Oct. 12:  at UL Monroe, TBD
• Oct. 19:  Arkansas State, TBD
• Oct. 26:  at James Madison, TBD
• Nov. 2:  OPEN DATE
• Nov. 9:  Marshall, TBD
• Nov. 16:  at Texas State, TBD
• Nov. 23:  South Alabama, TBD
• Nov. 30: at Troy, TBD
• Dec. 7:  Sun Belt Championship Game, TBD
• Record: 0-0

• Aug. 31:  Southern Miss, 6:45 p.m. on SEC Network
• Sept. 7:  South Carolina, 2:30 p.m. on ABC
• Sept. 14:  Georgia, 6:30 p.m. on ABC
• Sept. 21:  Ohio, 11:45 a.m. on SEC Network
• Sept. 28:  at Ole Miss, 11 a.m. on TBD
• Oct. 5:  OPEN DATE
• Oct. 12:  Vanderbilt, TBD
• Oct. 19:  at Florida, TBD
• Oct. 26:  Auburn, TBD
• Nov. 2:  at Tennessee, TBD
• Nov. 9:  OPEN DATE
• Nov. 16:  Murray State, 11:30 a.m. on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
• Nov. 23:  at Texas, TBD
• Nov. 30:  Louisville, TBD
• Dec. 7:  SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, 3 p.m. on ABC
• Record:  0-0

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VERSAILLES, Ky. (LEX 18) — “You know we have Woodford Reserve, we have Castle & Key, we have a castle, and now we are going to have another world class distillery in Versailles,” said Woodford County Judge Executive James Kay of the recent announcement made by Saga Spirits Group.

The group just recently announced plans to develop a project centered around bourbon and tourism. The 92.5 million dollar project includes a distillery, visitor center, an on-site retail and event space, as well as improvements to the Kentucky Castle.

“The Kentucky Castle has been fully transformed,” said Kay. “It is an amazing hotel, but it also has a working farm on the property. And another big deal for us is that Woodford county farmers are going to be supplying the grain and products to make this new bourbon.”

Kay said adding a world class bourbon maker in the heart of the bourbon capital of the world is a game changer.

“It’s going to bring 90 great paying jobs, it’s going to bring people from all over the world,” he said. “It’s going to add another stop on the bourbon trail and it’s a really big deal for us.”

The project is expected to break ground in Versailles this fall, just down the road from the Kentucky Castle. The distillery will sit on the 150-acre Edgewood property, behind Kroger on Lexington Rd.

“They’re going to try and be one of the first bourbon crafters and creators that try’s to keep down all of the other things that happen, the bi-products, things that cause the black mold…they are going to work in ways using technology and innovation to make sure it doesn’t create situations that we have dealt with, with other distilleries,” Kay said.

This project will also cater to visitors exploring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Keeneland.

“They are coming into our community, they want to be apart of who we are, they want to showcase us to the world and they also want to respect Woodford county, our land, and our citizens,” said Kay.

It’s been a tough week for many former Kentucky Wildcats, as NFL teams cut their rosters to 53 players. It didn’t take long for several to find new homes — or, in a few cases, learn they didn’t need to pack their bags at all.

After being waived by the Washington Commanders on Tuesday, Chris Rodriguez was added to their practice squad on Wednesday. The former Kentucky running back was selected by the Commanders in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Last year, he appeared in 13 games, finishing with 51 carries for 247 yards and two touchdowns before an ankle injury cut his rookie season short. He struggled this preseason, totaling four carries for 4 yards and four catches for 39 yards on 14 snaps.

Devin Leary isn’t going anywhere either. After waiving him on Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens signed the former Kentucky quarterback to their practice squad. The Ravens drafted Leary in the sixth round in April. He had a shaky preseason, turning the ball over three times in Baltimore’s preseason finale, but clearly, the club wants to see more.

Two more former Cats are moving closer to the Bluegrass. Offensive lineman Tashawn Manning and defensive tackle Justin Rogers were signed to the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad. Manning finished his college career at Kentucky in 2022 after five seasons at Auburn. He signed with Baltimore in 2023 and spent his rookie season on the Ravens’ practice squad. Rogers started his career at Kentucky and finished it at Auburn. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Dallas Cowboys in April and waived on Tuesday.

Bryce Oliver, who played for Kentucky for three seasons before transferring to Youngstown State, was waived by the Tennessee Titans but chose to stick with the franchise on the practice squad despite interest from other teams. Oliver caught two touchdown passes in the Titans’ third preseason game on Sunday. Defensive tackle Phil Hoskins also has a new home, joining the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad after being released by the Arizona Cardinals.

Yesterday, the New York Jets claimed Brenden Bates off waivers after the former Kentucky tight end was waived by Chicago. Lonnie Johnson is headed to the Carolina Panthers after being released by the Houston Texans.

Here is a running list of where the rest of the former Cats are as of today. We’ll update it as more news comes out.

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Kentucky Wildcats on NFL teams