With both teams coming off consecutive losses, the Auburn Tigers and the Kentucky Wildcats look to bounce back in their matchup this weekend in Lexington.
Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky is on a two-game losing streak, with a pair SEC losses coming against Vanderbilt and Florida.
In last week’s matchup, Kentucky’s defense allowed the Gators to score 48 points on six touchdowns, with five coming from UF freshman running back Jadan Baugh alone.
On offense, the Wildcats continue to struggle. Their offense is currently ranked 15th in the SEC, averaging roughly 319 yards a game. On the other side of the ball, Auburn averages over 100 yards more at about 422 YPG (9th in SEC).
However, in the midst of the struggles, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops says his team remains ready to compete this weekend.
Auburn Tigers
On the other side of the ball, the Auburn Tigers sit second-to-last in the SEC, with an 0-4 conference record and 2-5 overall record. Additionally, the team is in a slump, having lost its last four games. This matchup will be Auburn’s third consecutive game on the road.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze recognizes the difficulty of the game ahead with an SEC road atmosphere.
Interestingly enough, the Auburn Tigers have never lost a game at Kentucky in the 34-game matchup history between the two schools. Kentucky will have to compete hard to change this.
Bowl stakes are high for this matchup. However, neither the Wildcats or the Tigers are expected to be at full strength. Here is a look at the injury report as of Wednesday night.
Auburn at Kentucky Wednesday night injury report pic.twitter.com/JzuouuIhhs
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) October 24, 2024
Current odds favor the Wildcats to win the game. However, it should be a close one; according to ESPN Bet, the Wildcats are favored by just 1.5 points. Additionally, ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Kentucky a 51.2% chance to come up on top.
While both teams have been all but eliminated from playoff contention, the Tigers and Wildcats hope to keep their respective bowl dreams alive with a win on Saturday.
The game will kick off from Kroger Field in Lexington at 7:45 pm on Saturday. The matchup will be televised on SEC Network.