How Kentucky football and Ohio match up — with a game prediction

How the Kentucky Wildcats (1-2, 0-2 SEC) and the Ohio Bobcats (2-1, 0-0 MAC) match up at each position for Saturday’s college football contest — with a game prediction:

Quarterbacks

▪ It’s been hard to make a valid evaluation on Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff (52.8 percent passing, 313 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions) as a passer because of the disruptive defensive fronts from South Carolina and Georgia he has faced. In UK’s 13-12 near miss against then-No. 1 Georgia last week, the former backup QB for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs completed 14 of 27 passes for 114 yards. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound product of Bogart, Georgia, also ran for 26 yards on 13 carries vs. the Bulldogs, but those are misleading numbers. Minus the 42 yards Vandagriff lost on three sacks, he ran for 68 yards on 10 rushes against Georgia.

▪ Ohio’s Parker Navarro (68.4 percent passing, 547 yards, two touchdowns, four interceptions) completed 12 of 15 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown last week in the Bobcats’ 21-6 win over FCS foe Morgan State — but also threw three interceptions. A 6-foot, 205-pound super-senior from Tempe, Arizona, Navarro began his college career at Central Florida. In Ohio’s previous meeting this season with a power conference team, a 38-22 loss at Syracuse in the season opener, Navarro completed 18 of 30 passes for 181 yards and threw a pick. Navarro can make plays with his legs; he has run for 107 net yards and two touchdowns.

Advantage: Even.

Running backs

▪ Kentucky’s Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (227 yards rushing, 4.8 yards a carry, one touchdown) was the Wildcats’ offensive MVP in the loss to Georgia. The 6-foot, 210-pound senior from Willingboro, New Jersey, ran for 98 yards on 22 carries against the Dawgs. In the first extended duty of his UK career, redshirt freshman Jamarion Wilcox ran for 43 yards on nine carries vs. Georgia and drew praise from UK head man Mark Stoops. “He ... really had some tough runs against a very good defense,” Stoops said of the 5-10, 197-pound product of Douglassville, Georgia.

▪ Ohio’s Anthony Tyus III is the seventh-leading rusher in the FBS, having run for 367 yards on 49 carries with four touchdowns. He also has five catches for 41 yards and a TD. A 6-foot-1, 226-pound transfer from Northwestern, Tyus III had a monster game in the loss at Syracuse, running for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Ricky Hunt Jr. had a 59-yard run in Ohio’s 27-20 win over South Alabama in Week 2. A 5-11, 210-pound product of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Hunt was last season’s Myrtle Beach Bowl MVP after scoring five touchdowns in Ohio’s 41-21 win over Georgia Southern.

Advantage: Ohio.

Wide receivers

▪ Kentucky juniors Dane Key (eight receptions, 119 yards) and Barion Brown (seven, 62, two touchdowns) each had three catches in the loss to Georgia. UK’s difficulty blocking pass rushers in 2024 has, obviously, lessened the opportunity for the Wildcats’ wideouts to impact games. Against an Ohio defense that has only two sacks and seven tackles for loss against FBS competition, perhaps Kentucky will get a chance to throw the ball down the field.

▪ Ohio’s Coleman Owen is tied for 18th in the FBS with 21 catches, which have produced 282 receiving yards. A 5-11, 191-pound super-senior who transferred from Northern Arizona, Coleman diced Syracuse for 10 catches for 137 yards. Chase Hendricks, a 6-foot, 200-pound sophomore from St. Louis, has eight catches this season for 96 yards and TD.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Tight ends

▪ Kentucky redshirt junior Jordan Dingle (four catches, 20 yards, one TD) had two catches for 17 yards vs. Georgia. Junior Josh Kattus, sophomore Khamari Anderson and true freshman Willie Rodriguez are all in the playing rotation for TE coach Vince Marrow. The need to aid in pass blocking has, so far, restricted the reception opportunities for the Wildcats’ tight ends.

▪ Ohio redshirt freshman Mason Williams, a 6-5, 257-pound product of Mogadore, Ohio, has five catches for 57 yards. He had a big game vs. Morgan State, with three receptions for 30 yards.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Offensive line

▪ Though pass protection was still an issue against Georgia, the Kentucky offensive line allowed the Wildcats to rush the ball effectively (170 net rushing yards). Mark Stoops singled out right tackle Gerald Mincey, who was a game-time decision due to injury but ended up playing every offensive snap vs. the Dawgs. “I was very unsure whether he would play and he played his tail off,” the UK coach said of the 6-6, 335-pound senior. Left guard Jager Burton was unable to play last week due to injury. Stoops said the Frederick Douglass High School product has a chance to go this week.

▪ Ohio center Parker Titsworth has started every Bobcats game since the beginning of the 2022 season. A 6-1, 290-pound product of Wexford, Pennsylvania, Titsworth anchors a mature offensive front that starts two super-seniors, two redshirt seniors and a redshirt junior. Former Ashland Tomcat Jordon Jones, a 6-3, 297-pound redshirt sophomore, is No. 2 on the Bobcats depth chart at left tackle.

Advantage: Even.

Defensive line

▪ Kentucky star tackle Deone Walker drew praise this week from Ohio coach Tim Albin. “He is a dude. He’s a (NFL) first-rounder. He is dynamic,” Albin said of the 6-6, 345-pound Walker. The junior from Detroit made four tackles and was credited with a defended pass vs. Georgia. End Tre’vonn Rybka made three stops vs. the Bulldogs.

▪ Ohio end Bradley Weaver had a QB sack in the loss at Syracuse. On the season, the 6-4, 262-pound redshirt junior from Hilliard, Ohio, has nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, four QB hurries and a forced fumble. Tackle Cam Rice, a 6-3, 290-pound super-senior who began his career at West Virginia, had five tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack in the win over South Alabama.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Linebackers

▪ Kentucky redshirt senior WLB D’Eryk Jackson had six tackles and successfully defended a pass vs. Georgia. On the season, the 6-1, 244-pound senior from Dublin, Georgia, is tied for the UK team lead with 15 tackles. OLB/rush end J.J. Weaver had four tackles, two of them solo, vs. Georgia. The 6-5, 255-pound super-senior from Louisville’s Moore High School leads the Cats with two sacks.

▪ Ohio WLB Blake Leake, a 6-2, 215-pound super-senior transfer from Bucknell, had a big showing in the win over Morgan State. Leake made 12 tackles, four of them solo, and had a tackle for loss. On the season, Leake has 22 tackles with a TFL and a QB hurry.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Defensive backs

▪ Kentucky strong safety Zion Childress played big vs. Georgia. The 6-foot, 195-pound Houston product tied for the UK team lead with six tackles and had a TFL and a pass defended. Childress also appeared to have a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown, but the pick was overturned on replay review. Sophomore safety Ty Bryant, the 6-foot-197-pound Frederick Douglass High School product, also made six stops vs. Georgia.

▪ Ohio strong safety Austin Brawley leads the Bobcats for the season with 23 tackles. A 5-9, 180-pound junior from Massillon, Ohio, Brawley had 12 tackles and broke up a pass in the loss at Syracuse. A product of Oxford, Mississippi, field corner Tank Pearson had an interception and four tackles vs. Syracuse. He has 10 stops, seven of them solo, for the season.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Special teams

▪ Kentucky place-kicker Alex Raynor had the game of his life vs. Georgia. The super-senior, in his second season with UK after transferring from Georgia Southern, hit 4 of 4 field goals. Raynor made two field goals from outside 50 yards, including a 55-yarder that set a Kentucky school record. Since coming to UK prior to the 2023 season, Raynor is 17-of-18 on field-goal attempts. Punter Wilson Berry has kicked 11 times for an average of 41 yards a punt in 2024 and has pinned opponents inside their 20 four times.

▪ Ohio place-kicker Gianni Spetic is 5-of-5 on field goals in 2024 with a long of 45. For his college career, Spectic is 23-of-31 on field-goal tries. Punter Jack Wilson is averaging 41.8 yards a kick on 12 punts. He has pinned foes inside their 20 three times. Kickoff returner Tank Pearson is averaging 20.1 yards on six returns.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Prediction

Kentucky 29, Ohio 13.

Where to watch, how to follow Saturday’s Kentucky football game vs. Ohio University

Did Mark Stoops’ in-game decision-making do in Kentucky football?

Five things you need to know from Kentucky’s agonizing 13-12 loss to No. 1 Georgia

An Eastern Kentucky basketball hero comes home to create ‘a treasure in the mountains’

Inspired by Jasper Johnson, which family can claim to be the ‘First Family of UK Sports’?