The Missouri Tigers can keep pace in the SEC East with a win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. The Tigers are just one loss behind Georgia for the lead in the division, which is kind of amazing when you consider how much Missouri has struggled on offense.
How to watch Kentucky vs. Missouri: Game guide, TV/streaming schedule, odds
Can the Tigers keep grinding, or will Kentucky pick up their first conference win on the road since 2009?
Joe Robbins
The Tigers are scoring a hair over 29 points per game this season, which doesn't sound that bad, but it's down a full 10 points from where they were last year. Maty Mauk, in particular, has struggled after a promising 2013. Even so, they're still in a position where a SEC Championship Game appearance isn't particularly far fetched, but they need to keep winning to get there.
Missouri will have a tough time on their hands with Kentucky. The Wildcats have made significant steps forward in year two of the Mark Stoops regime, and are one win away from being bowl eligible for the first time since 2010. They gave top-ranked Mississippi State all they could handle last week, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see them stroll into Columbia and leave with a win.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network (Brent Musburger/Jesse Palmer/Maria Taylor)
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Our blogs on these schools
The numbers
Rankings and records: Kentucky is 5-3 (2-3 SEC) and unranked headed into their matchup with Missouri. The Tigers are 6-2 (3-1 SEC) and also unranked. These teams are 2-2 head to head all time, with Missouri winning the last two games since they joined the SEC.
Vegas: The Tigers opened as seven point favorites, but that line has since slid up to -8. The over/under is 46.5.
Weather forecast: Sunny with a high of 50.
Two things at stake
Kentucky: Bowl eligibility
The Wildcats haven’t gone to a bowl game since 2010, and haven’t finished with a winning record since 2009. Three of their final four games are on the road, so it won’t be easy, but the Cats need to find a way to pick up a win.
Missouri: SEC East title hopes
It’s kind of crazy considering how ugly the Tigers have looked along the way, but they are just one slip up from Georgia away from being alone in first place in the SEC East. Now granted, that doesn’t mean a ton, and it also requires the Tigers keep winning, but it’s all still in front of them.
One big matchup
Patrick Towles vs. the Missouri pass rush
Led by Shane Ray and Markus Golden, Missouri once again has one of the best pass rushes in the country. They should get into the backfield often against Kentucky's offensive line, which has allowed 22 sacks through eight games. Patrick Towles can move pretty well, however, so the Tigers will need to be disciplined and not get too far upfield, otherwise they'll get burned.
Further reading
For more on the Wildcats, check out A Sea Of Blue. For more on the Tigers, head over to Rock M Nation. For all things SEC, click over to Team Speed Kills.
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