Kentucky returns to Kroger Field Saturday following its 31-21 road win over No. 9 Texas A&M.

The Wildcats are 2-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play, while South Alabama enters at 2-1. Kickoff is set for 12:45 p.m. on the SEC Network.

The Jaguars present a different challenge than the Wildcats saw in College Station, but South Alabama has several strengths Kentucky will have to account for.

South Alabama Wants to Run the Football

South Alabama’s biggest strength is its rushing attack. The Jaguars are averaging 229.7 rushing yards per game and have amassed 689 rushing yards through three games. They ran for 266 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 41-36 win over Ohio.

Keenan Phillips leads the team with 226 rushing yards, while PJ Martin has 222 and Trae’von Dunbar has 127. The trio has combined for 7 rushing touchdowns.

South Alabama ranks second nationally in time of possession at 36:46 per game. The Jaguars have run 228 offensive plays compared to 147 for their opponents and have not committed a turnover this season.

That puts pressure on Kentucky’s defense to get off the field.

The Quarterback Situation Is Still Unclear

The biggest question surrounding South Alabama is who will start at quarterback.

Bishop Davenport started the first two games before missing the Ohio game with an undisclosed injury that has lingered since the Jaguars’ loss at Tulane.

Applewhite said after the Ohio game that Davenport was improving and could have played in some capacity, but the staff decided not to push him.

Davenport has completed 40 of 59 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns without an interception this season. He has also rushed 20 times for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Jared Hollins made his first career start against Ohio, completing 13 of 20 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed six times for 19 yards.

Head coach Major Applewhite has not announced a starter for Kentucky, meaning Jay Bateman’s defense has to prepare for either quarterback.

Brendan Jenkins Is Another Player to Watch

Kentucky cannot focus entirely on stopping the run.

Brendan Jenkins leads South Alabama with 15 catches for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

The Jaguars want to use their running game to create opportunities for their receivers, making it important for Kentucky to avoid selling out against the run.

Kentucky’s Defense Faces Another Test

Kentucky’s defense is coming off its best performance of the season against Texas A&M, forcing 2 interceptions and making several key stops.

Jordan Castell leads the Wildcats with 29 tackles and has two interceptions. Sam Greene also intercepted Marcel Reed and recorded a fourth-down stop against the Aggies, the two biggest plays of the game. Both came early in the game in College Station.

Ty Bryant also appears to be on track to play after dealing with a shoulder injury against Texas A&M. Stein said Bryant returned to the game after getting hurt, and Kentucky expects him to be available Saturday. Bryant was also at practice Tuesday, as Stein alluded to during his press conference.

Another player who dealt with an injury was tight end Henry Boyer, and Stein said he practiced Tuesday as well.

Minchey and Baxter Look to Keep Rolling

Kenny Minchey is coming off his best game at Kentucky.

He completed 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns against Texas A&M without throwing an interception.

CJ Baxter will also be critical. He has rushed for 164 yards and 4 touchdowns this season and had 87 yards and two touchdowns against Texas A&M.

Jason Patterson added 58 yards on 6 carries last week and has rushed 28 times for 189 yards this season, averaging 6.8 yards per carry.

Kentucky needs to establish the run and avoid giving South Alabama control of the game.

Applewhite Has South Alabama Playing With Confidence

Applewhite is in his third season as South Alabama’s head coach after previously working at Texas, Alabama and Houston.

The Jaguars were picked near the bottom of the Sun Belt before the season, but they are 2-1 with wins over Southeastern Louisiana and Ohio and a 4-point loss at Tulane.

Applewhite also knows what Kentucky is capable of after watching the Wildcats beat Texas A&M.

“What they did to A&M, I don’t honestly think I’ve seen that before. They just pushed them around,” Applewhite said.

Stein Wants Kentucky to Ignore the Noise

Kentucky has spent the week receiving plenty of attention after beating a top-10 opponent.

Stein does not want his team getting caught up in it.

“Oh yeah, I got the rat poison up right now. A lot of rat poison,” Stein said. “Don’t eat the cheese.”

Stein also made it clear he respects South Alabama and Applewhite.

“Major Applewhite can coach, like he can coach, and he’s got good players,” Stein said. “And so we have to have that mindset.”

That is the biggest challenge for Kentucky this week.

South Alabama wants to run the football, control possession and stay efficient in the red zone. Kentucky needs to get off the field, create turnovers and establish its own rushing attack.

My Prediction: Kentucky 34, South Alabama 17

I’m taking Kentucky to win 34-17, but I think this will be a lower-possession game and a more dominant performance than the final score suggests.

South Alabama wants to run the football and plays at a slower pace. If the Jaguars can keep the chains moving and Kentucky cannot consistently force 3-and-outs, there may not be a ton of possessions in this game.

I still think Kentucky builds a comfortable lead and eventually pulls some starters to get younger players and backups meaningful reps. There are 8 big-time games remaining on Kentucky’s schedule, including 7 SEC games and the Louisville game, so getting some guys rest and giving younger players experience could be valuable.

Offensive MVP: DJ Miller

Miller is coming off a big performance against Texas A&M, catching 5 passes for 96 yards in Kentucky’s 31-21 win over the Aggies. I think he builds off that performance and becomes an even bigger focal point of the Kentucky offense against South Alabama.

Defensive MVP: Grant Godfrey

Godfrey is the Mike linebacker and the green-dot player for Kentucky, meaning he is responsible for making the defensive calls and checks. With South Alabama expected to run the football a lot, I think Godfrey will be all over the field and stack up tackles.

If Kentucky can consistently get South Alabama off the field and prevent the Jaguars from controlling the pace of the game, I think the Wildcats pull away and put together a much more dominant performance than the 34-17 final score indicates.

For more Kentucky news and coverage, follow me on X @DrewByousBBN.