It is all in regards to the return of Chris Rodriguez Jr for Kentucky’s offense because it prepares to tackle Ole Miss.
The sixth-all-time main rusher in program historical past is lastly set to make his 2022 debut on Saturday in Oxford because the Wildcats look to enhance to 5-0.
On Monday, head coach Mark Stoops spoke in regards to the return of Rodriguez, saying that the Cats do not want him to come back in and be a “savior” for the offense, however relatively simply be himself.
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Offensive coordinator Wealthy Scangarello echoed these sentiments following UK’s observe on Tuesday, although he is not denying the sheer luxurious will probably be to have him within the backfield as soon as once more:
“It is good to only have him within the conferences making ready, realizing he is aside of this complete factor,” Scangarello mentioned. “He is such a great man and such a great participant, he makes us a lot a greater offense simply having him…his complete persona, the best way he carries himself, he is a veteran on this league, he is very tough-minded, tremendous proficient.”
Rodriguez pled responsible to a DUI cost in July, and rumors have additionally circulated surrounding an “off-the-field” challenge that coincided with him not seeing the sphere for the primary few video games of the season. Experiences revealed that an investigation was launched by the College of Kentucky in February, wanting into gamers on the Kentucky soccer staff for allegedly submitting inaccurate time playing cards whereas working underneath UK HealthCare. The names of the gamers have been redacted. It was lastly introduced on Sept. 12 that Rodriguez would make his return this coming Saturday.
Whereas Scangarello would’ve liked to have had the senior in for the primary 4 video games of the 2022 marketing campaign, he can not less than relish in the truth that C-Rod will convey contemporary legs to a considerably overwhelmed up working again room.
“Doubtless. He is stayed energetic, however he hasn’t been taken all the way down to the bottom in a month both,” Scangarello mentioned. “I am not nervous about that, he is been very dependable and sturdy, he is in nice form. He is dealt with issues very, very effectively in a really tough scenario so i am very proud of how he is carried himself mentally, taking himself to the place he must go.”
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Kavosiey Smoke has been serviceable within the beginning working again function, incomes 263 yards and one landing. Kentucky’s RB room has handled accidents this season as effectively, as senior switch Ramon Jefferson tore his ACL within the season-opener, whereas JuTahn McClain has additionally missed two video games.
One other distinctive factor that Rodriguez will convey to the backfield is his astounding capacity to interrupt tackles. So lots of his 2,739 yards have come after shedding off a defender or two.
“He ran for lots of yards as a result of he isn’t gonna go down on contact,” Scangarello mentioned. “It is why he is gonna be a extremely good NFL working again.”
“It’s totally uncommon that he would not make the primary one miss,” UK quarterback Will Levis mentioned. “If you’re in conditions like that, the place you suppose the play could also be damaged, it may be a optimistic game-winning play with a man like that. So, it is a matter of getting the ball in his arms at any time when we are able to.”
If that is not sufficient, Rodriguez will even add a layer to Scangarello’s passing assault, one thing that none of his different RB compatriots have been capable of convey up to now this season.
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“It has been very pleasing to me, his capacity to run routes, his capacity to catch, his really feel for the cross recreation, I feel Will (Levis) likes throwing to him. It offers him nice worth on third downs, actually good in safety, he is massive, sturdy,” Scangarello mentioned.
Whereas he hasn’t been working with the starters all through the season, C-Rod has nonetheless been collaborating in observe. Levis has seen the development of the veteran RB, and has even seen an uptick in his prep as his last season debut as a Wildcat approaches:
“He is undoubtedly taking his preparation as much as a brand new degree realizing that he is taking part in this week and that there is a gameplan he has to give attention to critically now,” Levis mentioned. “He is an electrical playmaker that we’re excited to have again.”
Seeing No. 24 on the sphere inside Vaught Hemingway Stadium will formally flip a brand new web page on Kentucky’s season, because it seems to stay undefeated in its second hostile surroundings of the 12 months.
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All eyes will probably be on the backfield in Oxford on Oct. 1.
Kentucky Soccer Information
Kentucky launched its week 5 depth chart on Monday, welcoming again Chris Rodriguez Jr
Outdoors linebacker J.J. Weaver shouldn’t be anticipated to play this weekend in opposition to Ole Miss
SEC Nation will probably be in Oxford for the upcoming matchup between the No. 7 Wildcats and No. 14 Rebels
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Kentucky vs. South Carolina will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 8
Barion Brown has been named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week
Need the newest on nationwide soccer and basketball recruiting, together with Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the newest information, blogs, and updates in regards to the nation’s finest prospects.
Sports activities Illustrated additionally presents perception, info and as much as the minute particulars for gamblers. Test it out right here.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rivalry week has finally arrived. The Louisville and Kentucky football program are set to do battle once again, facing off in Lexington for the annual Battle for the Governor’s Cup.
Here are the depth charts for both the Cardinals and Wildcats:
Changes from Louisville’s Depth Chart vs. Pitt:
Quarterback
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9 Tyler Shough (6-5, 230, Gr.) 10 Pierce Clarkson (6-1, 190, R-Fr.) OR 15 Harrison Bailey (6-5, 230, R-Sr.) OR 12 Brady Allen (6-6, 220, R-So)
Running Back
25 Isaac Brown (5-9, 190, Fr.) 21 Donald Chaney Jr. (5-10, 210, R-Jr.) 26 Duke Watson (6-0, 180, Fr.) 22 Keyjuan Brown (5-10, 210, R-Fr.)
Wide Receiver
0 Chris Bell (6-2, 220, Jr.) 81 Cataurus Hicks (5-10, 180, R-Fr.)
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (3-2) at Kentucky Wildcats (5-0)
Lexington, Kentucky; Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wildcats -22.5; over/under is 164
BOTTOM LINE: No. 8 Kentucky takes on Western Kentucky after Koby Brea scored 22 points in Kentucky’s 108-59 win over the Jackson State Tigers.
The Wildcats have gone 4-0 at home. Kentucky is 10th in college basketball averaging 12.6 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 42.3% from downtown. Brea leads the team averaging 4.0 makes while shooting 74.1% from 3-point range.
The Hilltoppers are 0-1 in road games. Western Kentucky ranks third in the CUSA shooting 37.4% from 3-point range.
Kentucky scores 97.0 points, 24.2 more per game than the 72.8 Western Kentucky allows. Western Kentucky averages 9.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.8 more made shots on average than the 6.0 per game Kentucky gives up.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Brea is shooting 74.1% from beyond the arc with 4.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Wildcats, while averaging 16 points.
Julius Thedford averages 2.4 made 3-pointers per game for the Hilltoppers, scoring 11.4 points while shooting 54.5% from beyond the arc.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Mark Stoops owns a five-game winning streak in the Governor’s Cup series. The Wildcats have won three games in a row at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium and have not lost to Louisville at Kroger Field since 2017 when Bobby Petrino was holding the call sheet and and Lamar Jackson was playing quarterback. The Wildcats have also covered a lot of spreads in this series.
Stoops is 7-2-1 against-the-spread (ATS) in this series with with covers as a double-digit dog in 2014 and 2016. Kentucky has beaten Louisville outright as a dog three times since 2016 and has covered five straight in this series. Those are not the only trends going in Kentucky’s direction heading into this Week 14 contest.
Louisville is 0-4-1 ATS as a road favorite under Jeff Brohm with outright losses to Pittsburgh and Stanford. Kentucky is 5-0-1 ATS as a dog in its last six outing including four games this season. Kentucky covered numbers as a double-digit dog against Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas this season.
The visitor is 11-3-1 ATS (5-10 outright) in the last 14 meetings of this series with 10 outright wins but Kentucky has won the last two meetings at Kroger Field covering each times as a three-point favorite. In 2019, Kentucky ran away for a 45-13 victory and cruised to a 26-13 victory in 2022.
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Kentucky has consistently overachieved pregame expectations in this series. The Wildcats are currently a 3.5-point dog with a total of 48.5. That’s a projected final score of 26-22.5. Will UK exceed expectations again against Louisville? A win would equal four outright upsets for the Big Blue in the last eight meetings of the series.
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