Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Crimson Crossover: UK looks for winning recipe

Kentucky - 2013

Record: 1-4
Conference Record: 0-2 (SEC Eastern Division)
Last Game: South Carolina 35 Kentucky 28

Alabama - 2013

Record: 5-0
Conference Record: 2-0 (SEC – Western Division)
Last Game: Alabama 45 Georgia State 3

History lesson

Series: Alabama leads series 35-2-1 (First meeting in 1917)
Most Recent Meeting: Alabama 38 Kentucky 20 (2009)

Setting the scene

Alabama vs. Kentucky
Commonwealth Stadium – Lexington, Kentucky
Betting Line: Alabama -27.5 (as of 10/8)
Beat writers of the week

Brett Dawson - Covering Kentucky basketball and football for Rivals.com and Yahoo! Sports as Publisher of Cats Illustrated.

Twitter: @BDawsonRivals

Kyle Tucker - The Courier-Journal's beat writer covering University of Kentucky athletics after almost eight years covering Virginia Tech for The Virginian-Pilot.

Twitter: @KyleTucker_CJ

Follow Brett and Kyle via Twitter to get the latest (breaking) news concerning the Kentucky Wildcats as they prepare for Alabama.

Kentucky on the wire

>>Tide close out Kentucky football's tough stretch against four top-20 teams

>>Stoops Recaps South Carolina Game, Prepares for No. 1 Alabama

>>Horse racing vs. football: Alabama-Kentucky game not a sellout as Keeneland meet hits second weekend
The weekly quotable
Stoops goes on verbal tirade after practice

Prior to Kentucky's game at South Carolina, UK head coach Mark Stoops called a spade a spade. During a postpractice press conference, Stoops refused to pull any punches and gave his team "the business" in front of the media.

---STORY and VIDEO---

While the 'Cats did fall to South Carolina, Stoops' squad played inspired football. One can only imagine what Kentucky's new head coach has up his sleeve to motivate his players for the contest with Alabama.

The Crimson Elephant verdict

For yet another week, Alabama will be facing Alabama...for it is the Saban way. Play to the standard, play until the whistle blows, and play to win each and every down.

Will Kentucky be able to play to Alabama's standard? Yes. For a quarter...

Currently listed as a 27-point favorite, expect Alabama to simply grind the game away, and grind the Wildcats into the ground.

Mark Stoops is the best football coach Kentucky has had in many, many moons, but Rome wasn't built in a day. UK is no match for the Crimson Tide, but Stoops is probably the ideal match for the 'Cats in respect to building a solid foundation.

As far as Saturday's "final verdict" is concerned, Halloween is just weeks away, and nothing is scarier than Nick Saban after sunset.

Boo!

Alabama 38
Kentucky 10

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