Murray State Racers at Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky steps away from SEC grind to host FCS Murray State. Both teams look to halt losing streaks

Murray State (2-5) at Kentucky (3-6), Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Line: None listed by College Football Odds.

Series: Kentucky leads 2-0.

What’s at stake Kentucky has lost four in a row since upsetting Ole Miss, including a 28-18 loss at No. 7 Tennessee nearly two weeks ago, and needs to win out to become bowl eligible for a school-record ninth consecutive season. That’s no easy feat considering No. 3 Texas and No. 22 Louisville follow this non-league, in-state matchup, but the Wildcats come off a bye with a break from the SEC grind. FCS-level Murray State looks to halt a seven-game slide under first-year coach Jody Wright, including last week’s 59-31 loss to Missouri State in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Racers seek their first SEC win in 11 tries.

Key matchup Kentucky has the SEC’s lowest-rated offense in scoring (19 points per game) and yardage (313.67) but has an opportunity to improvement against a Murray State defense rebuilding with no returning starters. The Racers allow 45 points and 500.1 yards per outing and yielded 59 points and 579 yards last week to Missouri State.

Players to watch Murray State WR Justice Hill. Two years after helping the Racers basketball team go 31-3 and beat San Francisco in the NCAA Tournament, he’s their No. 2 receiver. He joined the team two weeks before the season and has 22 catches for 319 yards and two touchdowns, including 13 receptions for 103 against Indiana State to post the school’s first 100-yard receiving effort in two years. Hill has five catches for 64 yards last week.

Kentucky linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson has contributed to several areas since transferring from Georgia. His 54 tackles and 3.5 sacks for 26 yards lead the Wildcats, with seven tackles for loss ranking second. Dumas-Johnson’s total includes a career-high 14 stops at Tennessee, a sack and recovery of his own forced fumble. The senior has at least seven tackles in four of the past five contests and he intercepted a pass in the opener against Southern Miss.

Facts and figures The schools are meeting for the first time since 2018, a 48-10 Kentucky victory. … Wright spent two seasons as a South Carolina assistant and was an Alabama staffer on four national championship squads. … Sophomore K James London has a career-best seven field goals over 50 yards, including two last week against MSU. … Kentucky WR Dane Key ranks ninth in the SEC with 630 yards and 41 receptions and is tied for seventh with 70 yards per game. … The Wildcats’ 22 sacks are tied for fifth in the SEC. … Kentucky is ninth in SEC defense (328.9 yards per game). … Wildcats player development director Dean Hood guided Murray State from 2020-23 before retiring from coaching.

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