Kentucky’s offense is getting a serious improve on the sphere this weekend in Oxford towards Ole Miss.
Star working again Chris Rodriguez Jr is lastly again for the Wildcats after lacking the primary 4 video games of the season. When you’ve someway missed the drama surrounding the senior, here is a small breakdown:
Rodriguez pled responsible to a DUI cost in July, and rumors have additionally circulated surrounding an “off-the-field” concern that coincided with him not seeing the sphere for the primary few video games of the season. Stories revealed that an investigation was launched by the College of Kentucky in February, trying into gamers on the Kentucky soccer workforce for allegedly submitting inaccurate time playing cards whereas working beneath UK HealthCare. The names of the gamers had been redacted.
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On Sept. 12, Stoops introduced that the senior would make his return on Oct. 1 towards Ole Miss, in the end ending his hiatus/suspension at 4 video games.
Here is what Stoops needed to say about getting Rodriguez again into the offense:
“For Chris, it was a mattering of managing him whereas he was out…for Chris, he simply must be himself, he would not want to come back in and be our savior. We simply want him to be him.”
Whereas Stoops is not searching for a savior, that simply is perhaps what he will get. In 135 makes an attempt, UK has acquired 326 yards on the bottom, a measly 2.4 yards-per-carry. Rodriguez however, enters his season debut at sixth on UK’s all-time speeding record with 2,739 yards on 417 makes an attempt, a big-time 6.6 yards-per-carry.
“We’re excited. We all know that whether or not he was with us or not, we had been going to have the ability to get issues carried out and we have now been, however he’s such a fantastic weapon to incorporate within the offense,” Will Levis stated of Rodriguez on the Paul Finebaum Present on Monday. “He’s been itching to get again on the market, practising his butt off and getting ready mentally as exhausting as anyone. Staying in form and ensuring he’s prepared for his return.
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Kavosiey Smoke has been serviceable within the beginning working again position, incomes 263 yards and one landing. Kentucky’s RB room has handled accidents this season as properly, as senior switch Ramon Jefferson tore his ACL within the season-opener, whereas JuTahn McClain has additionally missed two video games.
Redshirt freshman La’Vell Wright has added 76 yards of his personal on 29 makes an attempt in a backup position, however nobody has been in a position to match the anticipated manufacturing that Rodriguez will possible deliver upon his arrival.
We aren’t speaking about simply any outdated working again, right here. If Rodriguez was accessible to play at first of the season, there’s an opportunity he would finish his profession because the top-rusher in program historical past. His capacity to interrupt tackles and prolong performs is second-to-none and can add multiple layer to Kentucky’s offense.
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Offensive coordinator Wealthy Scangarello had this to say about Rodriguez after UK’s 31-23 win over Northern Illinois:
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“He is particular. C-Rod, I imply, you simply do not do what he did final yr. I see it each day in follow,” Scangarello stated. “He is a distinction maker, distinction makers are what they’re, and I believe that simply supplies you one thing completely different and I am excited to get him again. I believe it’s going to be a shot to everybody and you realize, he is arguably pretty much as good as any again within the SEC.”
Kentucky faces arguably its tallest job of the season this weekend in Oxford, as Ole Miss may also enter the competition at 4-0. The Rebels are presently 6.5-point favorites, regardless of the return of the Wildcats’ high offensive weapon.
Kentucky Soccer Information
Kentucky launched its week 5 depth chart on Monday, welcoming again Chris Rodriguez Jr
Outdoors linebacker J.J. Weaver isn’t anticipated to play this weekend towards Ole Miss
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SEC Nation will probably be in Oxford for the upcoming matchup between the No. 7 Wildcats and No. 14 Rebels
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 most recent on nationwide soccer and basketball recruiting, together with Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the most recent information, blogs, and updates in regards to the nation’s finest prospects.
Sports activities Illustrated additionally gives perception, data 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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