LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The University of Kentucky football team has already beaten one top-10 opponent on the road this season.
Can the Wildcats do it again — and maintain a path to six victories while chasing their ninth consecutive bowl appearance?
That is the primary prize at stake this weekend as the Wildcats visit No. 3 Texas, which believes it is on a collision course with the College Football Playoff.
Coach Steve Sarkisian has directed the Longhorns into a tie for first place with Texas A&M in the Southeastern Conference — and the Longhorns and Aggies play next weekend. Maybe Texas will look past the Wildcats.
The Time: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119), Austin, Texas.
How to Watch/Listen: TV — ABC, WHAS Ch. 11 (Joe Tessitore, play by play; Jesse Palmer, analyst; Katie George, sidelines); RADIO — UK Sports Network, 840 WHAS (Tom Leach, play by play; Jeff Piecoro, analyst; Dick Gabriel, sidelines).
The Line: Point spread — Texas by 20.5 points; Over/under total points scored is 47.
The Last Time: It's been awhile. Texas outlasted the Wildcats, 7-6, in 1951, in front of 47,000 people in Austin. After scoring on a touchdown pass by Babe Parilli, the Wildcats failed to convert the extra point kick in the third quarter and lost, even though they outgained the Longhorns, 287-221.
The Series: That is the only UK-UT game.
The Records: Kentucky sit at 4-6 overall and 1-6 in the SEC. The Longhorns are 9-1 with a 5-1 SEC record. The teams have three common opponents: Texas beat Vanderbilt, 27-24 and Florida, 49-17, but lost to Georgia, 30-15. UK lost to Vandy, 20-13; to Florida, 48-20; and to Georgia, 13-12.
Player to Watch for Kentucky: Cornerback Maxwell Hairston. After missing five games with the shoulder injury, Hairston returned against Murray State last week. Hairston and fellow cornerback Jonquis Hardaway will be tested by the Texas passing attack that ranks first in the SEC with 30 touchdown passes.
Player to Watch for Texas: Quarterback Quin Ewers. Despite the clamor from some fans that Sarkisian should switch to backup Arch Manning, Ewers rallied from a poor performance against Vanderbilt to throw seven TD passes without an interception as the Longhorns defeated Vanderbilt and Arkansas the last two weeks.
Sideline Storylines:
- This will be UK's fourth game against an opponent ranked in the Top 7 nationally in the Associated Press poll. UK lost to No. 1 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee, but won at No. 6 Texas.
- UK's schedule ranks the sixth-most difficult in the nation in ESPN's Football Power Index and No. 23 in Jeff Sagarin's computer formula.
- The Wildcat defense ranks in the nation's top 25 in five categories - red-zone defense (6th), fewest first downs allowed (11th), punt return defense (12th), scoring defense (21st) and kickoff return defense (23rd).
- The Texas defense is even more formidable. The Longhorns rank first in total defense as well as first in passing yards allowed. Opponents are generating 249 yards and 11.9 points per game against Texas.
- Seven different Texas receivers have caught at least two touchdown passes this season. UT and Miami (Florida) lead the nation in that category.
- Texas has excelled at quick starts. The Longhorns have outscored opponents, 94-17, in the first quarter.
- Only Kirby Smart of Georgia and Dabo Swinney of Clemson have more lucrative contracts than Sarkisian. According to the USA Today salary data base, Sarkisian has a base salary of $10.6 million, with the opportunity to earn another $1.85 million in bonuses.
The Quote: UT coach Sarkisian has immense respect for UK coach Mark Stoops:
"Mark and I are very good friends. I tried to hire him, actually, when I got the job at Washington. He said yes, and then no saying he couldn't leave his brother. I have a ton of respect for him as a coach.
"It's a blue collar approach to what they do, they play the game the right way and he's instilled that in the program. They have an identity and they know how they want to play."
The Pick: Texas 28, Kentucky 7.
Kentucky Football Coverage:
- CRAWFORD | If Stoops isn't stepping down (and he isn't), Kentucky needs to step up
- CRAWFORD | Kentucky digs deep, but doesn't have enough in 28-18 loss at No. 7 Tennessee
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