Kentucky vs Akron football gameday guide: What to know ahead of Wildcats' first night game
LEXINGTON — Kentucky's defense has been a stingy unit ever since Brad White began coordinating it prior to the 2019 season.
The 2022 season was the latest testament, as the Wildcats ranked among the country's top 10 in two categories and among the top 25 in five others. While the UK defense is off to another solid start, one area has been a constant source of frustration for White and coach Mark Stoops.
The Wildcats can't get off the field on third down.
Through two games, opponents are converting 51.7% (15 for 29) of their third-down opportunities against UK, which is the worst percentage among the 14 schools in the SEC and tied for 122nd (of 132 teams) nationally.
It's a far cry from last season, when Kentucky ranked 22nd in the FBS in that category, allowing opponents to convert third downs 33.3%.
White compared excelling on third downs to creating turnovers: Sometimes they come in bunches, sometimes it's a struggle.
"I just feel like where we need to be better is in that third-and-medium," White said Tuesday. "It's a hard down-and-distance, right, that 3-to-6 (yards to go), because you want to get in man (coverage) and sticky. If they run all those mesh routes and picks — you saw what happened against South Carolina last year. We got a guy picked, and the next thing you know, it's a 45-yard gain on third-and-3."
Ultimately, White said, there "are a lot of variables" that go into being a top-notch unit on third down.
This week, White's group faces an Akron offense with its own third-down quandary: The Zips are tied for 113th nationally in third-down conversions, succeeding at a 30.7% (7 of 23) clip.
"We've got to keep (opponents) in some longer distances," White said. "That's what we did last year really well. That's why we played such good third-down defense. It was 7-plus (yards to go on third down) a large chunk. And we've got to get back to that."
Kentucky vs Akron football pregame notes
Saturday will be only the second time these two teams have met. In the first matchup, UK cruised to a 47-10 victory — powered by 166 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns from Derrick Locke — on Sept. 18, 2010.
With Alabama's loss to Texas last week, Kentucky now owns the nation's second-longest active win streak in regular-season outings versus nonconference competition. The Wildcats have won 18 consecutive nonconference games in the regular season, which trails only Georgia's 22.
This is UK's first night game of the 2023 season; the Wildcats are 16-4 in their last 20 night contests at Kroger Field.
Kentucky is 2-0 for the sixth time in the last seven years. It's the first time UK has accomplished that feat since a similar run from 1935-41.
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Kentucky vs. Akron football odds
Kentucky is a 25 ½-point favorite against Akron, according to the BetMGM college football odds.
Now available: Check out BetMGM's Kentucky Bonus Code
How to watch Kentucky vs Akron football game
Who: Akron (1-1) at Kentucky (2-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Kroger Field, Lexington
TV: ESPNU
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 ESPNU via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
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: How to watch Kentucky vs Akron football game, odds, Mark Stoops' team
