LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky takes its No. 7 national ranking and unbeaten record into Oxford to face No. 14 Ole Miss at noon Saturday, and the Wildcats — despite having their highest national ranking in 40 years — find themselves looking for respect.
The Rebels are gaudy seven-point favorites heading into the game.
Oddsmakers apparently are turned off by Kentucky's offensive line struggles, sacks allowed and paltry rushing output through the season's first four games.
The return of All-American running back Chris Rodriguez won't change all of that but it could change enough of it to make Kentucky a dangerous play in this game.
Never underestimate the presence of one talented player (or person).
Ole Miss does bring an improved defense into the meeting, and the No. 4 rushing attack in all of college football. Its quarterback, USC transfer Jaxson Dart, will be the best passer UK has faced yet this season by a long shot.
But Kentucky has its own guy who can sling it around a little.
The game marks Kentucky's first trip to Oxford since 2010, and it'll be the first meeting in which both teams are ranked since 1958. A look at the details:
TIME: Noon, Saturday, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi
HOW TO WATCH: ESPN (Sean McDonough, play-by-play; Todd Blackledge, analyst; Molly McGrath, sidelines). Streaming on ESPN-Plus.
HOW TO LISTEN: UK Radio Network, WHAS-840 AM in Louisville (Tom Leach, play-by-play; Jeff Piecoro, analyst; Dick Gabriel, sidelines). Streaming at ukathletics.com.
LIVE STATS: UKathletics.com.
THE LINE: Ole Miss is favored by seven. The over/under for points is 54.
THE SERIES: Ole Miss leads 29-14-1, has won the past two meetings and is 8-2 in Oxford. Ole Miss has won the past six meetings in Mississippi (Including one game in Jackson). UK's last win in Oxford came in 1978.
THE RECORDS: UK is 4-0 for a second straight season, and looking to improve to 5-0 for the third time under head coach Mark Stoops. A win would push UK's overall winning streak to nine games, tying the third-longest streak in school history. UK is 49-207-5 all-time against ranked opponents, but has won four of its past five. Ole Miss is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2015. The Rebels are a study in the transfer-portal era: Of their 125 players, 56 are newcomers this season (45%).
OLE MISS PLAYER TO WATCH: Running back Quinshon Judkins is elusive, to say the least. He has forced 33 missed tackles this season, a stat that leads the nation. His 107.2 yards per game leads a potent rushing attack, with help from Zach Evans (91.2 ypg). Judkins is No. 2 in the SEC and No. 12 in the nation in rushing. The true freshman from Pike Run, Alabama, is coming off a 27-carry, 140-yard performance against Tulsa.
KENTUCKY PLAYER TO WATCH: Running back Chris Rodriguez is set to return from a four-game suspension and will need to make an immediate impact for a team that is averaging less than 2.5 yards per carry through four games. Rodgriguez has the ability to make something out of nothing, which he may need to do on occasion behind an offensive line that has been less effective than Kentucky lines over the past few years and which has given up more sacks than all but a pair of teams at the FBS level. A solid performance from Rodgriguez — or even the threat of it — could force defenses to play UK a bit more honestly and provide quarterback Will Levis a bit more breathing room.
SIDELINE STORYLINES: In his third season in Oxford, Lane Kiffin has Ole Miss on a 12-game home winning streak, the school's longest since the early 1960s. Kentucky has lost 14 consecutive road games against teams from the SEC West. Its last win on the road against a team from the West was in 2009, a 21-14 win over Auburn. A win for Kentucky would be its third-straight against a ranked opponent, something the program hasn't done since beating five straight ranked teams in 1977-78. Ole Miss has one Kentucky native on its team: Louisville transfer wideout Jordan Watkins. The Louisville native and former Butler High School standout has started two games and is fourth on the team with six receptions for 69 yards.
THE PICK: Kentucky 31, Ole Miss 28.
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