KSR Staff Predictions: Kentucky vs. Southern Miss

Kentucky opens the season on Saturday vs. Southern Miss, a 7:45 p.m. kickoff under the lights at Kroger Field. The Cats are a 28-point favorite over the Golden Eagles, who went 3-9 last season; however, history reminds us that eight years ago, Southern Miss came to Lexington and upset Kentucky 44-35 to begin the 2016 season. For that reason, Mark Stoops has his Cats on high alert.

There are plenty of new faces on both sidelines. Southern Miss replaced its offensive and defensive coordinators and added ten new offensive players from the transfer portal. Kentucky brought in a new offensive coordinator too, Bush Hamdan, who will call plays for quarterback Brock Vandagriff, who will make his Kentucky debut after three years at Georgia. The Cats’ defense may be stacked with talented veterans, but how quickly will the new guys on offense find their footing — especially with running back Chip Trayanum out?

The KSR crew is ready to weigh in with our predictions.

Tyler Thompson

I’m very excited to see the new-look Cats in Season 12 of the Mark Stoops era. Brock Vandagriff had a promising camp, forming chemistry with his new receivers and apparently watching so much film that he sleeps in the practice facility. If the Big Blue Wall holds, I can’t wait to see what he does with a talented trio of wideouts in Barion Brown, Dane Key, and Ja’Mori Maclin. The defense may be one of Stoops’ best, with two potential NFL first-round draft picks in Deone Walker and Maxwell Hairston, and another Georgia transfer, linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, who is inexplicably flying under the radar.

That said, this is Game 1 and Kentucky will be without starting running back Chip Trayanum. I expect there will be some kinks to work out, leading to fewer points than we may like to start the season. If eleven seasons of Stoops have taught me anything, it’s to be wary of big spreads. I’ll take the middle ground and go with a push.

Score: Kentucky 38, Southern Miss 10

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Nick Roush

From a wagering angle, I am in the camp that believes Kentucky can outclass the Golden Eagles by a wide margin. The most intriguing option is Southern Miss under 10.5 points. There’s one thing that slightly concerns me: will the second-team defense get leaky and give up a late score?

This game is much less about the defense. The offense will give us much more to chew on and I got a feeling we’ll see fireworks comparable to the 2021 opener. Yes, they got a non-offensive touchdown from Barion Brown to help them cover a big number against ULM, but more importantly, they got plenty of splash plays through the air.

As much as folks are concerned about Kentucky’s run game, the passing game might just light up the night skies at Kroger Field. Kentucky has a former five-star quarterback who is surrounded by a bunch of weapons. Bush Hamdan will make Big Blue Nation feel all warm and fuzzy inside during his play-calling debut.

Score: Kentucky 45, Southern Miss 10

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Adam Luckett

Football time in the Bluegrass has finally arrived. On Saturday night at Kroger Field, we will finally get to see Mark Stoops’ 12th team play a real football game. The wait has felt extra long this offseason.

Saturday will be the debut of Brock Vandagriff, Ja’Mori Maclin, and Jamon Dumas-Johnson. I believe each big transfer addition will perform well and we will see a balanced attack from Kentucky’s offense in game one under play-caller Bush Hamdan. Southern Miss could catch the Kentucky defense by surprise early, but the defensive front should overwhelm USM’s offensive line.

Covering the big number could be difficult in this spot. Kentucky gets out to a big lead in the third quarter and then sits on the football to close the game. The matchup to watch will be how UK the offensive line fairs against a good Southern Miss defensive front. If the Wildcats cannot get the traditional running game rolling there could be some frustrating offensive possessions in this game.

Score: Kentucky 34, Southern Miss 9

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Zack Geoghegan

Mark Stoops might just have his most talented team while at Kentucky, but that schedule is no joke. Saturday will be the perfect starting point to see just how far along Brock Vandagriff looks. I don’t expect new offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan to try and dive deep into his playbook though. What I’m hoping to see is efficiency in the passing game.

And I think we will. Vandagriff will show just enough to keep the Big Blue Nation optimistic about what lies ahead. I expect it to take him a drive or two before he finds his footing, but he’ll hit his stride in the second half when Kentucky really blows this game wide open. I fear Southern Miss will drive it straight down the field on the opening possession, but Brad White’s defense won’t allow another touchdown the rest of the way.

I’m staying away from the betting line, but I’ll be a bit surprised if Kentucky doesn’t win this game by at least three touchdowns. I’m predicting a big debut for freshman running back Jason Patterson.

Score: Kentucky 34, Southern Miss 13

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Jack Pilgrim

We meet again, Kentucky football staff game predictions. You’ve been missed.

The Cats take on a familiar foe in Southern Miss, taking on the Golden Eagles in back-to-back season openers in 2016 and 2017 — the first a 44-35 loss, followed by a 24-17 win for Stoops and the gang. They’ve been tricky, if not a thorn in our backside. But that’s not going to be the case at Kroger Field on Saturday.

It’s a Kentucky offense with firepower and defense with maulers. That’s a recipe for disaster for a Southern Miss program coming off a 3-9 season picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt West. The Golden Eagles lost 55-3 at South Alabama last October. FIFTY FIVE TO THREE. We’ve seen the Wildcats lay an egg against this team before, so there shouldn’t be any surprises when they meet again in the opener. They’re coming out to make a statement against a team they’re more talented than at every position.

What does that look like? I’m going with a five-touchdown advantage that shows off Brock Vandagriff’s arm with passing scores to Barion Brown, Ja’Mori Maclin and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, plus rushing scores for Vandagriff and Jamarion Wilcox. And how about a defensive touchdown for good measure? Give me a scoop-and-score for Jamon Dumas-Johnson in his debut in blue and white, negating the single score Southern Miss puts on the board in a 42-7 win.

Score: Kentucky 42, Southern Miss 7

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Drew Franklin

No Chip Trayanum, no problem. Kentucky will score nearly 50 points in Brock Vandagriff’s debut game on Saturday, relying on Vandagriff’s legs and his arm to score the bulk of the points against Southern Miss. Vandagriff will run for a touchdown and throw three others as the Wildcats shine in Vandagriff’s first career start and the offense’s first game under a new offensive coordinator. Bush Hamdan will coach a balanced and unstoppable attack, even without Trayanum, the team’s starting running back.

Hamdan’s offense will see a lot of time on the field against Southern Miss because the Golden Eagles won’t move the ball against Kentucky’s defense. Still, Kentucky will allow a field goal and a late touchdown by making an early-season mistake or three. The Cats cover, though.

Score: Kentucky 45, Southern Miss 10