Kentucky hosts Northern Illinois on Saturday in Lexington. 14Powers.com previews this SEC football game and predicts the final score.
By 14Powers.com SEC Football
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Team Schedules/Results
Kentucky
| Date | Opp. | Time/Result | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/03 | Miami (OH) | W 37-13 | Home |
| 09/10 | Florida | W 26-16 | Away |
| 09/17 | Youngstown State | W 31-0 | Home |
| 09/24 | N Illinois | 7:00 pm | Home |
| 10/01 | Mississippi | 12:00 pm | Away |
| 10/08 | S Carolina | 8:00 pm | Home |
| 10/15 | Miss State | 8:00 pm | Home |
| 10/29 | Tennessee | 8:00 pm | Away |
| 11/05 | Missouri | 1:00 pm | Away |
| 11/12 | Vanderbilt | 12:00 pm | Home |
| 11/19 | Georgia | 12:00 pm | Home |
| 11/26 | Louisville | 12:00 pm | Home |
Northern Illinois
| Date | Opp. | Time/Result | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/01 | E Illinois | W 34-27 | Home |
| 09/10 | Tulsa | L 35-38 | Away |
| 09/17 | Vanderbilt | L 28-38 | Home |
| 09/24 | Kentucky | 7:00 pm | Away |
| 10/01 | Ball State | 12:00 pm | Away |
| 10/08 | Toledo | 3:30 pm | Home |
| 10/15 | E Michigan | 8:00 pm | Away |
| 10/22 | Ohio | 8:00 pm | Away |
| 11/02 | Central Mich | 7:00 pm | Home |
| 11/09 | W Michigan | 7:00 pm | Away |
| 11/16 | Miami (OH) | 12:00 pm | Home |
| 11/26 | Akron | 12:00 pm | Home |
College Football Ratings
| Rating | Kentucky | Northern Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN FPI | 26 | 113 |
| Sagarin | 18 | 107 |
| Massey Composite | 11 | 105 |
| PiRate Ratings | 23 | 82 |
Key Stats
| Stat | Kentucky | N. Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring Offense | 31.5 | 32.3 |
| Scoring Defense | 14.5 | 34.3 |
| Total Offense | 312.5 | 372.7 |
| Rushing Offense | 60.0 | 154.7 |
| Passing Offense | 252.5 | 218.0 |
| Team Passing Eff. | 152.9 | 158.27 |
| Total Defense | 284.5 | 432.7 |
| Rushing Defense | 123.5 | 148.3 |
| Pass Yards Allowed | 161.0 | 284.3 |
| Team Pass Eff. Def. | 88.13 | 172.6 |
| Turnover Margin | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| 3rd Down Conv. Pct | 0.286 | 0.486 |
| 4th Down Conv. Pct | 0.000 | 0.250 |
| 3rd Down Conv. % Def. | 0.233 | 0.538 |
| 4th Down Conv. % Def. | 0.571 | 0.667 |
| Red Zone Offense | 0.800 | 1.000 |
| Red Zone Defense | 1.000 | 1.000 |
| Net Punting | 34.710 | 38.1 |
| Punt Returns | 8.25 | 3.5 |
| Kickoff Returns | 60.5 | 15.9 |
| First Downs Offense | 37.0 | 55 |
| First Downs Defense | 29 | 69 |
| Penalties/Game | 3 | 7.0 |
| Penalty Yards/Game | 20 | 65.7 |
Players to Watch
Kentucky
QB Rocky Lombardi, RB Antario Brown, WR Cole Tucker, WR Kacper Rutkiewicz, K John Richardson, LB Izayah Green-May, DL Michael Kennedy.
Northern Illinois
QB Will Levis, WR Tayvion Robinson, OL Eli Cox, DB Jalen Geiger, RB Chris Rodriguez, LB DeAndre Square, OL Kenneth Horsey, DL Octavious Oxendine, P Colin Goodfellow
Injuries
Kentucky
[RB] Jutahn McClain (Undisclosed) – Questionable
[DE] Sam Anaele (Undisclosed) – Questionable
[WR] Rahsaan Lewis (Undisclosed) – Questionable
[RB] Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Suspension) – Out
[RB] Ramon Jefferson (Knee) – Out
Northern Illinois
[QB] Rocky Lombardi (Knee) – Questionable
Source: statfox.com
Kentucky vs. Northern Illinois Football Series History
First meeting
Comments
NIU is without their starting quarterback Rocky Lombardi, a fifth-year starter. I don’t see any way the Huskies win this game without Lombardi. Even if Lombardi was playing I’d still predict UK to win this game. Kentucky’s just gotten too good and I think the Huskies are down some this season after winning the MAC title last season.
14Powers Preseason Prediction
N Illinois 13, Kentucky 39
14Powers.com Gameweek Prediction
Kentucky 34, Northern Illinois 13
Saturday‘s game kicks off at 6:00 PM CT (7:00 PM ET ). You can watch this SEC football game on the ESPN2 Network.
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