Ranking Kentucky Football’s 2023 Road Trips

Road trips are fun. This especially applies to football Saturdays in the SEC. We ranked the Cats’ home games earlier in the week. So, I thought we’d do the same with the five, no four, road games in the 2023 season. I’ll explain that a little later. Let’s get started. 

No. 1: Georgia (October 7)

The road game against the defending national champions is sandwiched between home contests against Florida and Missouri. The Cats will go between the hedges to take on the likely top-ranked team in the country. UGA lost a bunch of players, but that doesn’t seem to matter to Kirby Smart. The Dawgs simply reload. 

Let’s go back several decades. I was playing for Kentucky and we played at Georgia. My family drove to the game and got lost in Athens and struggled to find a parking spot. A random Bulldog fan went out of their way to help my folks find the stadium and actually pointed out visitor parking as well. I’ll never forget that and am still grateful to this day. You’ll find that kind of hospitality in Athens.

The stadium is located on campus which is pretty neat. Athens is a beautiful college town. As I said earlier, the home crowd is hospitable but also loud and supportive of their beloved Dawgs. There will be a lot of barking. This is a bucket list trip of sorts if you’re a college football fan. Kentucky will probably be a significant underdog in this one. That’s okay. The trip is worth the time and money. I highly recommend this game if you’re making travel plans to follow the Wildcats on the road.

No. 2: Mississippi State (November 4)

Located in between home games against Tennessee and Alabama lies a road trip to Starkville, Mississippi. I differ from my Kentucky Sports Radio colleagues by appreciating the small college town that dearly loves its Bulldogs. Make hotel reservations quickly if you plan on attending this one. You’ll likely be staying at least an hour from the stadium, but that’s okay. The cowbells are loud and constant. While likely illegal noise makers, MSU’s cowbells and smaller stadium venue make for an inimitable atmosphere for a college football game. The fan base is mostly welcoming and will share barbeque with you before and after the game. 

Kentucky needs to get the W here. The Cats have to win an SEC road game or two and this one feels like it could happen. But, the Wildcats normally don’t play well in Starkville. The Dogs have owned K in the series while playing in the state of Mississippi. The late, great Mike Leach cherished the uniqueness surrounding the school, fan base, and program. He will be sorely missed and may he rest in sweet peace. 

Leach’s defensive coordinator Zach Arnett will be in his first season as a head coach. He seems to have strayed from the Air Raid offense, but his defense is normally stout.  Should be a fun one. If you’ve never been to Starkville, I recommend this trip. 

No. 3: South Carolina (November 18)

If you’re making this trip, good luck. Take all the niceness of the above Georgia experience and go 180 degrees. That’s the South Carolina home environment. Carolina fans are passionate; you have to give them that. The student section arrives a couple of hours prior to kickoff and is highly vocal. The rooster crows on the loudspeaker every five seconds and “Sandstorm” is played on a loop. The stadium’s pageantry is exciting, if you’re a Gamecock. The visiting fan experience is not so fun. I found some of the home crowd to be rude and confrontational at times. Not all mind you, but some. The stadium is at the state fair site and parking is okay. 

The football aspect of this game is important for the Wildcats. Carolina won in Lexington last season. Kentucky was without the services of Will Levis and the offense was pretty much stagnant. Shane Beamer has built momentum for that program and deserves credit for igniting that fan base. USC is annually praised by the media in the offseason. I normally take a differing stance, but I can’t say anything about it this offseason given the fact that Carolina whipped up on the Wildcats in 2022. 

This game will be heated. Both programs are trying to one-up the other while rising the SEC East’s ladder and view the head-to-head to be a must-win. If this game is at night, buckle up if you’re wearing blue and making the trip to Columbia. 

No. 4: Louisville (November 25)

Kentucky has whipped up on its in-state rival as of late. The Cardinals tried to make a game of it in 2022, but Kentucky still won by 13. That’s the closest that Louisville has been to keeping the Governor’s Cup respectable in the past four seasons. Matter of fact, since 2018 the average margin of victory for the Cats has been 45-14. Ouch. 

Enter Jeff Brohm. The Cardinals finally got their wish. The hometown hero finally returned to rebuild the Cardinals’ football program. I find it hard to hate Louisville because of Jeff. He’s a really good dude, but business is business. Remember, it’s not personal, it’s personnel. Scott Satterfield was perfect for the rivalry. He whined and cried a lot, but never won anything. He seemed more focused on a rivalry hand gesture than figuring out how to stop Will Levis or pick up a blitz. 

Louisville plays in the ACC. This means that by the time these two teams meet, Kentucky will have played against far superior players and teams. This can be good or bad. In fact, Kentucky will be coming off a road trip to South Carolina that’s preceded by hosting Alabama. It also means that UofL could gain momentum in that cupcake conference and be sitting pretty with a nice record going into week twelve. The Pizza Place should be lively by the time the Governor’s Cup rolls around. 

These two teams and fan bases really don’t like each other. I’d guess it’s pretty tough on both sides when traveling to the other’s home. Expect hostility if you make the short drive for this game. It’s a rivalry. Hatred will be in the air. Prepare accordingly. 

No. 5: Vanderbilt (September 23)

Be nice. Be kind. Love all. That’s what my faith tells me to do, so I will. Vanderbilt, I apologize and give you the respect that you earned. The Commodores won at Kroger Field last season and it wasn’t a fluke. VU physically beat up the Cats on their home field. That didn’t go over very well in Lexington. Former Vandy running back turned Kentucky Wildcat Ray Davis ran for over 100 yards on that day. It was an ugly game (for the Wildcats) from start to finish and pretty much summarized the 2022 season in this one outing. The Wildcats couldn’t score or capitalize in the Red Zone and the defense was on the field far too long. 

Now to this year’s matchup. That stadium is well, a stadium. They do sell beer there if that makes a difference to you. I’ve changed my tune on Nashville and have grown to appreciate Music City. But, I just can’t past that stadium. It’s old, the seats are too close together, and it’s normally void of Commodore supporters. You won’t have to worry about obnoxious smack talk there if that can be considered a positive. Parking is also atrocious. Kentucky fans that live in Western Kentucky can take advantage of proximity and usually fill the stands. That makes me happy. 

In essence, September 23 will be Kentucky’s eighth home game. The vast majority of spectators will be wearing blue and white. “Go Big Blue” chants will overwhelm any cadence or cheer shouted from the VU folks. The norm at Vanderbilt is for the SEC visitors to have the majority in the stands and that will likely be the case when Kentucky visits Nashville. 

Football-wise, Kentucky owes them one. Big time. Losing to Vanderbilt in consecutive seasons would signify a waiving of the white flag of surrender in the SEC East. Kentucky got their best player and should win this contest. I typed “should.” But, if last year taught us anything, nothing is guaranteed in the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky must win in Nashville. There’s no way around it. The Wildcats should be 3-0 prior to this game and could stretch their record to 4-0 with a win at that stadium. 

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What Does All This Mean? 

I ranked these road trips based on my fan experience at the venues. Georgia is first-class and Athens is beautiful. Mississippi State is unique because of the small-town vibe, cowbells, and dedication to its program. South Carolina is one of the loudest stadiums in the conference but their fans tend to get a little chirpy. The Governor’s Cup could actually be competitive this season with Brohm at the helm and Vanderbilt remains Vanderbilt. 

On a side note, I’ve lost all bragging rights for SEC Media Days. That’s what happens when Kentucky loses to South Carolina and Vanderbilt in the same season. I’ll eat crow with a touch of hot sauce in Nashville and look forward to kicking off the season in 136 days. 

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