Monday Huddle: One final Group of Five test

Kentucky is off to a 3-0 start and has climbed to No. 8 overall in the latest AP Top 25. Supporters of the program are chomping at the bit to get into the meat and potatoes of the SEC schedule. Starting in October, the Cats will play eight consecutive games against Power Five competition.

But first Kentucky must get by the defending MAC champs.

Northern Illinois is set to make the seven-hour drive to Lexington this weekend to face Kentucky on what is expected to be a beautiful fall Saturday night in the Bluegrass. KSR’s Monday Huddle is here to set the table for the football week as all eyes are starting to look ahead to one of the most anticipated SEC road trips in recent Kentucky football memory.

First Down: Still looking for consistent rushing success

Every team in college football has played at least three games. Currently, Kentucky ranks No. 126 nationally in yards per rush (2.23). Boston College is the only team in the Power Five below the Wildcats.

Sacks are baked into this number — and those are also a big issue for the offense — but Kentucky has simply not established the run through 12 quarters this season. That’s a concern.

One week after finally making some progress against Florida in the second half, we look up and see that USF rushed for 286 yards on 6.2 yards per rush in a near upset bid in The Swamp. Meanwhile, Youngstown State went into Kroger Field and logged six non-sack tackles for loss and limited Kentucky to 129 non-sack rushing yards on 32 attempts.

Kavosiey Smoke leads the team in attempts (39), yards (178), and yards per rush (4.6), but the redshirt senior now has a very high stuff rate (20.5%) after taking a bunch of tackles for loss on Saturday. Meanwhile, the injury bug has hit the tailback room, and redshirt freshman La’Vell Wright put the ball on the turf when Kentucky was in an important four-minute drive to end the second quarter.

The tailbacks need to play better, but the offensive line deserves some blame. The front five isn’t generating much push upfront, and it appears the injury bug has not left this group since fall camp when injuries started to arise. Against YSU, Tashawn Manning was fully dressed but didn’t play, and Jeremy Flax missed some time with an in-game knee injury.

But there also needs to be some schematic help. It appeared that Kentucky ran into the teeth of Youngstown State’s defense a few too many times, and the offense has yet to get off to a good start in a game on the ground this season.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. is expected to miss just one more game this season, and his return will help. But Kentucky is having all kinds of issues on the ground. On Saturday, UK will face a Northern Illinois defense that ranks No. 84 nationally in yards per rush allowed. The offense could use some momentum before Rodriguez returns.

We’ll see if Rich Scangarello’s offense can find a better rhythm. Creating some good plays early in the ground game could go a long way.

Second Down: Digging into the injury report

Mark Stoops usually provides us with the bare minimum when it comes to in-season injuries to his roster. However, the Cats are banged up heading into Week 4.

Secondary starters Jalen Geiger and Vito Tisdale both appear to be out for the season. Just one week after getting Jordan Wright back in the lineup, Kentucky lost EDGE J.J. Weaver on the first series against Youngstown State to what appears to be an elbow injury. Tashawn Manning and defensive lineman Tre’vonn Rybka did not play on Saturday.

There could always be some unknown losses that we’re not aware of. KSR will do our best to uncover some intel as the week goes on, but do not expect a huge update from the head football coach on Saturday. For now, Weaver seems unlikely to play on Saturday. Yet again, top-250 recruits Alex Afari and Keaten Wade will have a big opportunity.

But it’s not just Kentucky who is dealing with injuries. Michigan State transfer Rocky Lombardi is in year two at Northern Illinois, and the super senior quarterback had a big say in the Huskies claiming a conference crown last season. However, the former high three-star recruit was injured against Vanderbilt, and his status is unknown for Saturday. This comes after NIU lost top wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph (51 receptions for 892 yards) for the season during fall camp. The Huskies are scrambling on offense, and redshirt freshman Ethan Hampton could be making his first career start on Saturday night.

Both Kentucky and NIU are dealing with some significant injuries.

Third Down: Classic sandwich spot

There was a lot to look forward to when Youngstown State rolled into Kroger Field on Saturday. It was a homecoming moment for Mark Stoops and many others within the Kentucky football program. After laying an egg last year in Week 3 against Chattanooga last season, the Cats were determined to avoid a letdown against an FCS foe.

The defense certainly played very well, and the offense had a big passing day that helped eliminate some of the mistakes made on the ground game. The result was never in doubt on Saturday afternoon as Kentucky cruised to a five-possession win.

For most in the Big Blue Nation this week, the talk will be centered around the upcoming road trip to Ole Miss. The top-15 matchup should get excellent television treatment, and many fans are making the trip as the Cats head to The Grove for the first time since 2010. But a football game against a quality opponent must be played first.

Northern Illinois does nothing but play close games under head coach Thomas Hammock as 13 out of the last 18 games for Huskies have been decided by one score. The MAC West program wants to establish the run and use a ball control offense to help protect its defense. That leads to a lot of close games.

If Kentucky does not come out locked in early, the Cats could find themselves in a dogfight with a team that knows how to hang around and play late into the fourth quarter. The matchup is a clear sandwich spot.

We’ll see if Kentucky can avoid the trap as a 25.5-point home favorite for a night game at Kroger Field.

The week ahead at KSR

Kentucky’s two-game non-conference homestand comes to an end on Saturday night when the Wildcats host Northern Illinois. KSR will be here all week to help get you ready for last game against a non-power conference foe this season.

KSR will have full coverage of Mark Stoops’ press conference on Monday and provide any news on J.J. Weaver’s injury if it becomes available. There will be practice reports throughout the week and new podcast episodes from The KSR Football Podcast on Monday and 11 Personnel on Wednesday. Pick 3 will then go live on Thursday as KSR’s gambling trio provides some more locks.

Kentucky is 60 minutes away from a 4-0 record and a big boy showdown with Ole Miss in Oxford.