UK looks to improve to 5-1 when Missouri comes to town

Kentucky+running+back+Benny+Snell+Jr.+runs+out+of+the+tunnel+before+the+game+against+Eastern+Michigan+on+Saturday%2C+September+30%2C+2017+in+Lexington%2C+Ky.+Kentucky+won+24-20.+Photo+by+Chase+Phillips+%7C+Staff

Kentucky running back Benny Snell Jr. runs out of the tunnel before the game against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, September 30, 2017 in Lexington, Ky. Kentucky won 24-20. Photo by Chase Phillips | Staff

Jordan Colquitt

UK’s football team will look to celebrate Homecoming and Family Weekend with a win when they take on the Missouri Tigers on Oct. 7 at Kroger Field.

The Cats are coming off a close 24-20 win against the Eastern Michigan Eagles. The game was tied at 14 at halftime until kicker Austin MacGinnis drilled a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter and running back Benny Snell Jr. ran in the end zone for a 12-yard run touchdown.

With a record of 4-1, the Cats have played well this season. The team’s only loss comes from the one-point loss to Florida. The Cats are 2-1 at home, while this will be Missouri’s first road game of the year.

The Tigers are 1-3 on the season, their only win coming against Missouri State. They last played against the Auburn Tigers where Auburn had already built a 31-7 lead at the half. Senior wide receiver J’Mon Moore scored his third touchdown reception of the season in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough as Missouri fell in a 51-14 loss. 

Before that, the Tigers played against the Purdue Boilermakers where they were held to 203 total yards of offense in a 35-3 loss. Missouri is now 0-2 in the SEC while the Cats are 1-1 in conference play.

Missouri will be without their sophomore starting wide receiver Dimetrios Mason for the rest of the season. He was dismissed from the team on Sept. 30 because of disciplinary reasons. He was second on the team with 13 catches and third with 119 receiving yards. Mason had 100-yard receiving games last year against Delaware State and Kentucky.

Last year when these two teams met, it was a battle in Columbia, Missouri. The Cats were the first to get on the scoreboard with a touchdown by former Wildcat Boom Williams and UK didn’t look back from there. Snell also rushed for 192 yards scored two touchdowns.

Kentucky’s defense held Missouri’s offense to 386 yards, while Kentucky’s offense racked up a total of 582 yards. Kentucky beat Missouri 35-21.

The Wildcats will face the Tigers at Kroger Field on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m.