Oklahoma's Banged-Up Line Is Kentucky's Opening Tonight in Norman

No. 15 Kentucky walked into Norman with a 5-1 record and a chance to make a real statement on the road. Here's the game-day report as it stood before kickoff, followed by how the matchup we flagged actually played out.

THE SETUP
The Cats, 3-1 in the SEC, visited Oklahoma (3-2, 1-1 SEC) at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff was 7:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. MT) on SEC Network. Oklahoma opened the week as a 6.5-point favorite per DraftKings (via ESPN), with the total at 43.5.

THE INJURY REPORT TILTED TOWARD UK
Friday night's SEC availability report was rough for the Sooners. Starting left tackle Michael Fasusi, out since Week 1 with a shoulder injury, was downgraded to doubtful, and guards Eddy Pierre-Louis and Heath Ozaeta were doubtful too. Starting cornerback Eli Bowen was out, along with linebacker Taylor Heim, receivers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone, running back Xavier Robinson, tight end Trynae Washington and cornerback Jacobe Johnson.

Our pre-game take was that a patched-together Oklahoma offensive line was the opening. If Kentucky's front could win early downs and keep the Sooners behind the chains, the noise in Norman would get a lot quieter.

UK'S STATUS CHECK
Running back CJ Baxter was questionable and a true game-time decision. If he couldn't go, Jason Patterson (7.68 yards per carry, second in the SEC per On3) and Jovantae Barnes, facing his former school, would carry the load. Linebacker Alex Afari was off the report, and receiver Nic Anderson and cornerback Hasaan Sykes were removed from it. Defensive lineman Tyler Thomas, cornerback Grant Grayton, linebacker Antwan Smith, nickel Jaden Smith and linebacker Tavion Wallace were out.

OUR THREE KEYS
1. Pressure the rebuilt OU line early and often.
2. Run the ball, whoever is in the backfield, and win time of possession.
3. Make the Sooners' thin secondary cover for four quarters.

HOW IT PLAYED OUT: KENTUCKY 21, OKLAHOMA 13

*Key 1: Pressure the line. Result: delivered.* This was the story of the night. Kentucky sacked John Mateer five times. Tavion Gadson, Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace and Cedric Works each finished with 1.5. Oklahoma ran 31 times for just 76 yards, and Mateer, usually a threat with his legs, was held to 9 yards on 13 carries once sack yardage counted against him. With the line collapsing, Mateer was forced into hurried throws. He went 24 of 40 for 270 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Kentucky's secondary picked him off four times in all, counting a pick on a fake field goal.

*Key 2: Run the ball. Result: mixed.* Baxter didn't play. Will Stein held him out to, in his words, "protect CJ from CJ." Kentucky ran 26 times for 72 yards, and Patterson led the way with 38 yards on 12 carries. The ground game wasn't explosive, but it was steady enough to keep the offense on schedule, and Kentucky didn't turn the ball over once.

*Key 3: Test the secondary. Result: efficient, not explosive.* Kenny Minchey went 21 of 28 for 158 yards and two touchdowns, both to Willie Rodriguez, who caught five passes for 38 yards. Nic Anderson led UK with five catches for 48 yards. It was a careful game plan, short and accurate, and it worked because the defense was winning the game.

The finish
Oklahoma led 13-7 late in the third quarter. Minchey's 12-yard touchdown to Rodriguez with 12:53 left put Kentucky ahead, Humphrey-Grace was in on two sacks on the next series, and Jordan Castell's 41-yard pick-six with 1:17 left sealed it. Ty Bryant added a second late interception. Castell and Bryant each finished with two picks, and Grant Godfrey made 15 tackles.

Our Take: Sometimes the injury report really does tell you what's coming. Kentucky identified the weak spot, kept attacking it, and the defense's five sacks and four takeaways turned a road underdog into a 6-1 team. The ground game still needs Baxter, but this was a statement win built on the front seven.

Sources: On3, SEC availability report (Kentucky-Oklahoma) · Yahoo Sports, injury report · On3, CJ Baxter pre-game clarity · ESPN game page and box score · 247Sports, Stein on Baxter · UK Athletics schedule