Kentucky football (4-6, 1-6 SEC) will be heading out west for a clash with No. 3 Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) on Saturday.
The only time these two teams have ever faced off on the gridiron was in 1951 when Texas came out with a 7-6 win in Austin.
Fast forward to 2024 and Kentucky is entering the matchup on a four-game conference losing streak, whereas Texas is coming in with a three-game conference winning streak.
The Wildcats’ lone SEC win came on the road against then No. 6 Ole Miss, however, they have dropped games to Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia and South Carolina.
For the Longhorns, their lone loss came to the Georgia Bulldogs and they have knocked off Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Florida and Arkansas.
Looking at the two teams’ overall offense, Kentucky averages 340.5 yards per game, which is 14th in the SEC. When it comes to points scored per game, the Wildcats and their 21.9 points per game ranks last in the conference.
Texas ranks fourth in the SEC as it is averaging 450.2 yards of offense per game. The Longhorns are scoring 37 points per game, which ranks third in the SEC.
Sticking with offense, the quarterback matchup will feature Brock Vandagriff squaring off with Quinn Ewers.
For the visiting Vandagriff, his 1,542 passing yards places him 12th in the SEC. The Cats’ starter has also thrown nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Ewers missed two games earlier in the season, but has thrown for 1,898 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. The yardage places him eighth in the SEC.
Both teams rely on a balanced running attack in the backfield.
For the Wildcats, it’s the tandem of Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and Jamarion Wilcox. Sumo-Karngbaye leads the Wildcats with 505 rushing yards and five touchdowns while Wilcox is just behind him with 474 yards and two touchdowns. The duo places 16th and 19th in the SEC in rushing.
The Longhorns rely on the duo of Quintrevion Wisner and Jaydon Blue, who place 21st and 22nd in the SEC with 468 and 459 rushing yards respectively. In terms of touchdowns, Wisner has two compared to Blue’s five on the year.
Looking at pass catchers, Dane Key has separated himself in terms of yards for the Wildcats as he is 10th in the conference with 686 yards and two touchdowns.
Like at running back, Texas has two pass catchers very close to each other on paper. Tight end Gunnar Helm leads the team and is 20th in the SEC with 493 receiving yards. Helm has hauled in three touchdowns.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond is just behind Helm at 22nd in the conference with 483 yards and five touchdowns.
When it comes to both defenses, Kentucky is ninth in the SEC as it is allowing 321.9 yards per game. The Wildcats are allowing 19.3 points per game, which is eighth in the conference.
For the home Longhorns, they are first in the SEC when it comes to both yards and points allowed per game as they are giving up just 249 yards and 11.9 points per game this season.
When looking at predictions, ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Wildcats just a 5.3% chance to pull off the upset on the road.
With the stage now set, Texas and Kentucky will square off on Saturday, Nov. 23, with kickoff from Austin, Texas set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The contest will air live on ABC and ESPN+.
