No. 7 LSU is rolling into Lexington as a 10.5-point favorite this Saturday, but don’t let that spread fool you: this road trip to Kentucky has been a nightmare for the Tigers before, with their last two visits in 2021 and 2007 both ending in losses. Coach Lane Kiffin knows these next few weeks against potentially overlooked competition are absolute must-wins if his Tigers are serious about the College Football Playoff this season. And Kentucky, with four wins already under first-year coach Will Stein, is coming in hot off a wild comeback that should have everyone taking notice.
Wildcats Are Rolling the Dice Under Stein
Kentucky is still chasing its first home victory over an AP Top 25 team since 2023, and their record against ranked opponents at home isn’t exactly stellar, sitting at 2-8 over their last ten games. Against top-10 teams, they’re 0-3 in that stretch. But man, these Wildcats are playing with a whole new mentality under Will Stein. Ranked at No. 24 last week, they pulled off the largest road comeback in program history, erasing a 17-point deficit at South Carolina to win in overtime. And get this: they became the first AP Top 25 team to win on the road and then *get dropped* from the ensuing AP poll since way back in 2012. You gotta respect Stein’s guts, too, rolling the dice in extra sessions with a successful two-point conversion after Kenny Minchey found Willie Rodriguez for the score. That kind of swagger is dangerous.
LSU’s Defense Is Straight Up Balling, But Kentucky’s Red Zone Is Nasty
Alright, let’s talk about the No. 7 Tigers’ defense, because it is legit. LSU ranks No. 2 nationally in yards per play allowed this season at 3.90, sitting right behind Georgia. This unit tackles well, takes proper angles under Blake Baker’s guidance, and that offseason talent infusion from the front four to the back seven is absolutely noticeable. Former Ole Miss edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen is leading the SEC with eight sacks, and freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geralds is right there in fourth place with five. That’s serious pressure.
However, Kentucky has some serious juice in the red zone. They’ve made 21 trips inside the 20 this season and punched it in for 16 touchdowns, plus three field goals. That’s top-tier SEC production, and it’s a huge credit to Minchey’s command under quarterback coach and play-caller Joe Sloan near the goal line, along with the consistent production from dual ball carriers CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson. These are the kinds of matchups that make you grit your teeth.
This one kicks off Saturday, October 10 at 7 p.m. ET from Kroger Field, live on ESPN. Both LSU and Kentucky already have a ranked loss in conference play, which means another setback makes the margin for error zero for any shot at the CFP or an SEC Championship. LSU’s been “virtually flawless” since their Week 3 loss at Ole Miss, even downing Texas A&M by 29 points before last week’s game. But this road trip to Lexington is no joke, especially if Kentucky can hold their own at the line of scrimmage and get their running game going early to keep LSU’s explosive offense off the field. You know Kiffin is telling his guys this is a “must-win” for a reason. Get ready, this one’s gonna be a fight!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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