Kentucky vs Eastern Kentucky football gameday guide: What to know ahead of in-state matchup
LEXINGTON — Kentucky's defense won't find a two-game stretch later this season that can rival what it faced in Week 1 — and what lies ahead in Week 2.
The two opposing quarterbacks are the most experienced players the Wildcats will see in 2023. Ball State starter Layne Hatcher entered last week's game with 10,080 career yards and 84 touchdowns through the air. Saturday's foe, Eastern Kentucky's Parker McKinney, needs just 105 passing yards to reach 10,000 as a collegian.
UK neutralized Hatcher in last week's 44-14 romp, as he finished with only 36 yards on 6-of-8 passing while splitting time with Kadin Semonza.
The Wildcats hope to put what they learned last week to good use at 3 p.m. Saturday, when McKinney and the Colonels come to Kroger Field.
"He's a playmaker. He does a great job of extending plays," UK defensive coordinator Brad White said Wednesday. "He knows where to go with the ball. He's all kinds of savvy in that regard. Even when he runs the ball in the zone read, I don't think people don't realize how fast (he is). He'll run away from defenders. If he's got a one-on-one, he can make a defender miss. So he's far more athletic than people give him credit for."
McKinney's ability to make something out of nothing is a gift and a curse for his position coach, Maxwell Smith, who started 11 games under center for the Wildcats from 2011 through 2013. McKinney can improvise with the best of them, but he bites off more than he can chew at times.
The Colonels will need him to have the best game of his career — while still playing within himself and the game plan — for the visitors to have any shot of pulling off a monumental upset.
"He comes off the sidelines (sometimes) like, 'Ah, I got greedy there,'" Smith said. "And what can you really say as a coach, right? It's just like, 'Yeah, you did. Let's try and not get too greedy.' But sometimes he gets greedy and he makes explosive plays happen."
Kentucky vs EKU football pregame notes
UK aims to continue a notable streak Saturday. The Wildcats have won 17 straight regular-season contests against non-conference opponents. That's the third-longest active streak in the FBS behind national powers Alabama (57) and Georgia (21).
This will be the sixth meeting between Kentucky and EKU. The Wildcats have won the five previous matchups, all held in Lexington. The last meeting was Sept. 9, 2017, when UK won 27-16.
Saturday's game is the program’s annual "Heroes Day." Discounted tickets are available for military, law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services and government employees.
Two Kentucky players won SEC weekly awards thanks to their efforts in the win over Ball State. Junior linebacker Trevin Wallace captured the league's defensive player of the week award while sophomore wide receiver Barion Brown earned special teams player of the week. Wallace had a game-high 12 tackles, which matched his career best. Brown returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. He finished with 117 yards on kick returns, the only SEC player to surpass the century mark last week.
UK vs. EKU football pregame reading
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Devin Leary: Kentucky's starting QB struggles with consistency in debut as Wildcats roll to victory
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Kentucky vs Eastern Kentucky odds
Kentucky is a 31 ½-point favorite against Eastern Kentucky, according to Vegas Insider.
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How to watch Kentucky vs Eastern Kentucky football game
Who: Eastern Kentucky (0-1) at Kentucky (1-0)
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Kroger Field; Lexington
TV: Saturday's game will not air on television. It will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
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+.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How to watch Kentucky vs Eastern Kentucky football game, odds and more
