First look at Kentucky vs. Alabama football game: Story lines, key players, odds and more

LEXINGTON — Brad White knows plenty of praise will be lavished upon D'Eryk Jackson's pick-six touchdown Saturday. For good reason: It was one of the most pivotal plays in Kentucky's 24-3 victory over Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium.

It came on the heels of the Bulldogs' previous drive: a methodical 20-play, 88-yard possession that lasted nearly an entire quarter. After all those plays, however, MSU could only manage a field goal. Which White said shouldn't go unnoticed.

"We had a lot of things go wrong on that drive where you could sort of hang your head at the end and then give up a touchdown," said White, Kentucky's defensive coordinator, "or you can battle and finish and force a field goal and basically say, 'Hey, we took your best shot, 19 plays all the way down, and all you can come away with is a field goal.'"

White said he thought it built his players' confidence. And it showed the next time they took the field when Jackson took it 28 yards to the house.

"You know, you may be tired on the sideline, but at least you're confident in the fact that 'OK, you know what? We bowed up when we needed to,'" White said, "At the end of the day, that's what this game is about."

Next up for Kentucky: national titan Alabama.

Here are three story lines to watch ahead of Saturday's SEC matchup at Kroger Field:

Can Kentucky make history in lopsided rivalry?

Kentucky has faced Alabama 41 times. The Wildcats have only two wins; the first was in 1922 (a 6-0 win in Lexington) and the second was in 1997 (a 40-34 overtime triumph, also in Lexington). The only other result that wasn't a loss: UK fought Alabama to a 7-7 tie in Birmingham in 1939.

The 1997 victory was one of the most memorable games in the history of Kentucky's program. Ending 75 years of futility, even if the Crimson Tide was only 3-1 at the time, was a Wildcat win for the ages.

An upset Saturday, with Alabama still unbeaten (6-0) in SEC play this season, would be even bigger.

Wildcats in SEC's rarified air with eight straight bowl bids

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops doesn't like to rank wins or consider one more important than another. Yet Saturday's victory over Mississippi State was noteworthy: It was UK's sixth on the year, ensuring a bowl bid for the eighth consecutive season.

There always will be critics who say modern day bowl streaks are meaningless, pointing out how many bowls populate the postseason compared to the early years of the sport.

But look at the company Kentucky is keeping: The only SEC teams with longer active bowl streaks are Georgia (27 straight seasons, which ranks No. 1 in the FBS) and Alabama (20). Mississippi State, which fell to 4-5 with its loss to Kentucky, will need to win at least two of its final three contests to extend its bowl streak to 14 seasons.

"We do have bigger goals (than just making a bowl)," Stoops said, "but it's not like you can just take that for granted. It's not easy. It's not.

"It's not an easy league, because you see it, you cover it. Physically and mentally, your teams get drained. You get challenged. That's the type of resolve that I like to see from our team. ... Hopefully we can build on that."

This season will be offensive coordinator Liam Coen's second bowl appearance with the program. (He also was the OC in 2021 before departing for the NFL.) He acknowledged that simply making a bowl is "no longer the standard" UK football holds itself to anymore.

"But I think any time you make a bowl game, you have a chance to win seven games, which is more than you're losing," Coen said. "And that's obviously above average. It's not our end game, but ... I think it's impressive.

"I think there (are) a lot of teams out there in the country that probably don't do that, especially to do it in this conference. And consistent as coach Stoops has been here (and) as this program has been, I think it's pretty impressive."

How will Kentucky finish in final three regular-season games?

No longer having to worry about the bowl streak thanks to the road win over the Bulldogs, the Wildcats now can focus on their final three games without that hanging over their heads.

Alabama is the home finale in 2023. Not the senior day opponent any SEC team would pick, of course, but the environment at Kroger Field should be electric Saturday afternoon, even with the Wildcats being a heavy underdog.

The road game at South Carolina seemingly grows easier with each passing week. South Carolina was tied with Group of 5 foe Jacksonville State until the 5:51 mark of Saturday's final period before USC pulled away to win 38-28.

Then there's Louisville. The Cardinals aren't only looking to end their run of bad luck in the Governor's Cup rivalry (the Wildcats have won four straight). But they'll potentially be playing to remain in position for a College Football Playoff berth. With only one loss this fall, everything is still in play for U of L.

Kentucky would love nothing more than to spoil the dream season of first-year Louisville coach Jeff Brohm.

Three Kentucky players to watch

Devin Leary, sixth-year senior quarterback: Leary has put together a stellar stat line the past two games: 528 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 67.2 completion percentage (41 of 61). He'll have little margin for error Saturday against an Alabama defense that ranks among the top four in the SEC in passing yards allowed and pass efficiency defense.

Ray Davis, fifth-year senior running back: Davis' touchdown streak finally came to an end in the win over Mississippi State. Prior to that game, he had scored at least one TD, via rushing or reception, in each of Kentucky's first eight outings in 2023. To upend the Crimson Tide, the Wildcats will need Davis to be an all-purpose threat. The league's second-leading rusher this fall with 903 yards through nine games, Davis will face a Crimson Tide defense permitting 119.6 yards per game, which ranks sixth (of 14 teams) in the SEC.

Deone Walker, sophomore defensive lineman: Considered the top NFL prospect on Kentucky's roster, Walker has combined for just five total tackles the past two games. A big game from the big man — he's 6-foot-6 and 348 pounds, per Kentucky's official roster — would go a long way toward helping the Wildcats stun the Tide Saturday.

Three Alabama players to watch

Jalen Milroe, third-year sophomore quarterback: Milroe leads the SEC (and ranks No. 3 in the FBS) in yards per completion at 16.1. He is No. 2 in the league in pass efficiency (171.1) to the quarterback he just defeated Saturday, LSU's Jayden Daniels, who tops the FBS in that category. Milroe beat the Tigers with his arm and his feet in the 42-28 victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium, rushing for 155 yards and four touchdowns and passing for an additional 219 yards.

Jase McClellan, senior running back: A native of Aledo, Texas, McClellan leads the Crimson Tide in carries (136), rushing yards (632) and is second to Milroe in rushing TDs (five; Milroe has nine). McClellan's total rushing yards and yards per game (70.2) put him among the top 10 in the conference in both statistical departments.

Dallas Turner, junior linebacker: There are few defenders in college football more disruptive than Turner, whose 0.78 sacks per game is second in the SEC. He has eight sacks on the year. Of his 38.0 tackles this fall, a team-leading 11.5 are for loss. That figure is tied for second most in the conference (alongside Arkansas' Landon Jackson) and trails only Texas A&M's Edgerrin Cooper (16.0 TFL).

Kentucky vs. Alabama odds

Kentucky is an 11-point home underdog against Alabama, according to the DraftKings college football odds.

WANNA BET? Top Kentucky sportsbooks and sports betting apps reviewed

How to watch Kentucky vs. Alabama football game

Who: Alabama (8-1, 6-0 SEC) at Kentucky (6-3, 3-3)

When: Noon Saturday, Nov. 11

Where: Kroger Field; Lexington

TV: ESPN

Radio: Tom Leach (play-by-play), Jeff Piecoro (analyst) and Dick Gabriel (sideline) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington and online at UKAthletics.com. The game also will be carried on satellite radio: Sirius (Channel 138), XM (Channel 190) and the SiriusXM app (Channel 961).

Streaming: Authenticated subscribers can access SEC Network via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.

'Just be grateful': What we learned in Kentucky's streak-snapping win over Mississippi St.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mark Stoops, Kentucky football vs Alabama odds, notes, keys: SEC game