Razorbacks Take To The Road Against Wildcats  

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DATE & TIME: Saturday, October 18th, 7:00 p.m. (et).

FACTS & STATS: Site: Commonwealth Stadium (67,530) -- Lexington, Kentucky. Television: ESPNU. Home Record: Arkansas 2-2, Kentucky 3-1. Away Record: Arkansas 1-1, Kentucky 1-1. Neutral Record: Arkansas 0-0, Kentucky 0-0. Conference Record: Arkansas 1-2, Kentucky 0-2. Series Record: Kentucky leads, 3-2.

GAME NOTES: The Kentucky Wildcats and the Arkansas Razorbacks are set to do battle in an SEC clash in Lexington this weekend. Arkansas opened the season with back-to-back wins over weak opponents before getting crushed in three straight games versus Top-25 foes. The Razorbacks played their fourth consecutive ranked opponent last weekend, and they somehow found a way to beat Auburn on the road by a 25-22 final. Coach Bobby Petrino and his Hogs are now 1-2 in conference play, and a win on Saturday would do wonders for the team's bowl aspirations. As for Kentucky, it opened the season with four consecutive wins against non-league opponents, but the club has since dropped two straight versus SEC competition. After falling to national powerhouse Alabama by three points on the road, the Wildcats lost to South Carolina at home last weekend by a 24-17 final. Clearly, a win this week is critical to avoid a disastrous 0-3 SEC record. Kentucky owns a 3-2 series lead over Arkansas thanks to a 42-29 decision over the Hogs last season.

Michael Smith ran for 176 yards on 34 carries, including a 63-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winning score, as Arkansas knocked off Auburn last time out. Casey Dick threw for 222 yards on 17-of-32 passing, and although he was intercepted twice, Dick ran for a score to help his squad end the three-game skid. The Hogs were able to overcome three turnovers by racking up 416 yards of total offense. They held the ball for over 35 minutes and were a respectable 8-of-17 on third down conversion attempts. Considering that Arkansas scored 31 combined points in a three-game stretch against Texas, Florida and Alabama, it was nice to see improved production against Auburn. Smith has rushed for 599 yards and four touchdowns this season, and he is averaging 5.5 ypc. Dick has completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 1,422 yards and five scores with seven interceptions, and D.J. Williams paces the receivers with 28 catches for 315 yards and two scores.

Give the Arkansas defense a ton of credit for the victory over Auburn last weekend. Sure, the Tigers finished with 22 points, but they scored on a kickoff return and did have a safety as well. The only touchdown scored by the Auburn offense was the culmination of a five-play, 24-yard drive, and Arkansas permitted a mere 193 total yards in the contest. The Hogs limited the Tigers to 1.7 yards per rush and 4-of-15 success on third down. Opponents are generating 355.5 total ypg against Arkansas, which has struggled against both the run and the pass. Of the 23 touchdowns that the Razorbacks have surrendered to opposing offenses, 14 have come on the ground. Jerry Franklin leads Arkansas with 48 tackles, and Adrian Davis has five TFLs, including three sacks.

Kentucky only scored 17 points against South Carolina last weekend, and the offense simply did not do enough to win the game. The Wildcats finished with just 218 total yards in the clash, including a 62-yard rushing output. They averaged 2.8 ypc, but did score their only offensive touchdown of the afternoon on the ground. Mike Hartline, the quarterback of the Wildcats, did not play well, as he managed a mere 152 yards on 23 completions and was intercepted twice. Derrick Locke caught eight balls for 57 yards, and he also led the club with 51 rushing yards. Kentucky is averaging 26.2 ppg and 317.0 total ypg this season. Locke has run for 269 yards and is second on the roster with 22 catches. Dicky Lyons paces the receivers with 33 catches, but he is out of the lineup indefinitely with a knee injury. Hartline has completed 55.3 percent of his passes for 1,026 yards and five touchdowns with four picks, numbers that won't scare many opponents.

In the fourth quarter of the game against South Carolina last week, the Kentucky defense looked tired. The Gamecocks were able to drive 60 yards in 12 plays to tie the game with a field goal. Then, South Carolina drove 58 yards in six plays to score the game-winning touchdown. Kentucky yielded 348 total yards, and although the club did come up with four takeaways, those big plays simply were not enough. Although the players and coaches can't be happy about the play of the defense in that final period, the fact that Kentucky is only yielding 10.5 ppg this season suggests that the unit has been outstanding for the most part. The Wildcats are permitting a mere 274.2 total ypg with five touchdowns surrendered to opposing offenses in six outings. Braxton Kelley paces Kentucky with 38 total tackles, and he has three sacks and a forced fumble as well.

Expect Kentucky to play well in this clash after the disappointing loss to South Carolina. The Wildcats will protect their home field by knocking off the Razorbacks, who are unlikely to win two in a row on the road.

Predicted Outcome: Kentucky 24, Arkansas 13

Web Producer- Brett Haas

Copyright 2008 WAAYTV.com, The Sports Network contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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