Kentucky and Ole Miss: How to watch, live stream, TV channel, odds
- time: 12 p.m. ET on October 1, 2022
- location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, MS
- TV channel: ESPN
- announcer: Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Molly McGrath and Todd McShay
- online stream: WatchESPN, ESPN+the ESPN appor you can use a free trial version of fubo.tv.
- radio: Tom Leach and Jeff Piecoro have the UK radio network on 630 AM, 98.1 FM in Lexington and the British sports network.
- repetition: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings for playback schedule).
- weather: Sunny sky. High 77F. Winds from the N at 9-10 mph, per weather.com.
- rosters: United Kingdom | Om
- Worth knowing statistics: United Kingdom | Om
- Opportunities: DraftKings Sportsbook has Ole Miss as a 7-point favorite, with ESPN’s matchup predictor favoring the Rebels with a 78.5% chance of winning.
- score projection: TeamRankings has the Rebels win 31-24.
- game notes
If you’re a Kentucky football fan, Saturday’s game in Oxford is as big as it gets.
The Wildcats #7 will clash with Ole Miss #14 at noon ET and the game can be seen on ESPN.
SEC Nation will be there and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network three hours before kick-off.
There’s been a lot of talk about the 11 a.m. local time kickoff, but most agree that sacrificing a primetime slot ultimately gives the Cats the best chance of getting off the streets upset.
Despite being rated higher, the challenge of playing on the road has rated Britain as a 6.5 underdog via DraftKings.
It’s unclear how much weight oddsmakers are placing on Chris Rodriguez’s return. But there’s no denying that adding an all-SEC caliber running back into the crease should help Kentucky’s chances of improving their record to 5-0 significantly.
Until they emerge with some continuity for four quarters, the talk of British football will remain the shaky play of the offensive line.
Will Levis was sacked five times against Northern Illinois and appeared to be pressured all night.
If you’re not protecting your star quarterback, this is a great recipe for ruining what could be an extremely special season. Therefore, finding out this element must be priority number one.
The British offensive coordinator made it very clear this week that he is not intimidated by the idea of his opposition continuing to press.
“I hope they do. This offense was literally designed to coerce.” said Scangarello lightheartedly.
You can only expect the cats’ average 2.4 yards per rush to improve if C-Rod steps in to increase some of the workload. Assuming he’s some form of the Chris Rodriquez of the past, it’s all but certain to open up the passing game even more than it has to date.
The wide receiver trip from Tayvion Robinson, Barion Brown and Dane Key has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. It will be very interesting to see how Ole Miss decides to match Britain’s speed on the outside.
Ideally, it will allow Rich Scangarello to establish the running game to implement some effective game action sets that will reach the far reaches in space.
One thing I personally think has been somewhat overlooked since the Florida game is the fact that Kentucky hasn’t fully opened up its playbook. I would expect to see some new wrinkles on Saturday.
In four games, Will Levis has thrown for nearly 1,200 yards with little to no help from the rushing game. Giving him a little support in the backfield could catapult the British offense to new heights.
Brad White’s defense had been absolutely impenetrable in the 2022 season, but Saturday’s game against NIU started with the Huskies marching 75 yards down the field and scoring seven points.
All in all it wasn’t a terrible effort but the defending unit was showing signs of vulnerability so seeing how they react against a much better opponent down at Oxford will be crucial.
Bet on UK – Ole Miss and other sporting events at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Unfortunately, Kentucky will continue to operate without a key veteran on the field. JJ Weaver will miss another game after suffering an arm injury against Youngstown State two weeks ago.
Looking at this game at a high level, it’s funny to think about how schemes are reversed.
Last year, it was Lane Kiffin who based his offense on throwing the ball all over the field, while Mark Stoops remained committed to a brute, snooze-proof running game.
Now in 2022, the Cats are looking to air out while the Rebels are likely to be riding their duo of running backs.
Kiffin really seems to have found something with his freshman running back Quinshon Judkins.
The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder has carried the ball 70 times for 429 yards and five touchdowns. His 6.1 yards per carry is nearly three times Kentucky’s overall team average.
Judkins has taken on more and more work as the season has progressed. In his last three games, he carried the ball 10, 19, and most recently 27 times against Tulsa.
One of the reasons the freshman had so many touches Saturday was an injury sustained by his fellow running back.
Zach Evans, another legitimate threat in the Rebels’ backcourt, left the game against Tulsa with an injury.
The junior is also over six yards per carry and has four TDs of his own.
Evans is expected to play against Kentucky.
It would be quite a twist for UK to regain the services of their best running back while Ole Miss has their running game curbed.
We all have to see how it ends on Saturday.
The Rebels also have major game threats from the outside. Thanks to an effective rushing attack, Ole Miss has four players with a reach of over 30 yards.
Senior wideout Jonathan Mingo, a household name in the SEC, leads the team with 257 receiving yards and one score, followed by another senior, Malik Heath, who has caught three touchdown passes on 13 receptions.
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart has been described as a gunslinger who isn’t afraid to throw it deep or tuck it and run. Last week against Tulsa, the Southern Cal transfer rushed 13 times for an impressive 116 yards, including a long 25-yard run.
Bottom line – Kentucky needs to be a lot sharper on both sides of the ball than we’ve seen in the last two games. When dealing with a hostile crowd, focusing on execution is crucial.
When the Cats are 5-0 up next Saturday afternoon, it’s officially time to dream big.
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