Blue Preview: Storyline, odds, who to watch for Kentucky football opener vs. Ball State

Kentucky vs. Ball State

When: Noon Saturday (Sept. 2)

TV: SEC Network

Announcers: Play-by-play, Dave Neal; analysis, Derek Mason; sideline, Taylor Davis

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1

Satellite Radio: XM Channel 190, Sirius Channel 134, Internet Channel 961

Records: Kentucky (7-6, 3-5 SEC in 2022); Ball State (5-7, 3-5 MAC in 2022)

Series history: Kentucky leads 1-0.

Most-recent meeting: Shane Boyd threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns to lead Kentucky over Ball State 28-20 on Sept. 8, 2001, at the venue then known as Commonwealth Stadium.

Line: Kentucky is favored by 26.5 points.

The storyline

Kentucky opens its 2023 season vs. Mid-American Conference opponent Ball State seeking to run its regular-season win streak over non-Southeastern Conference foes to 17 games in a row. North Carolina State transfer Devin Leary, a super-senior, makes his Kentucky debut at quarterback. After a one-year hiatus spent in the NFL, Liam Coen returns to again coordinate the UK offense.

The number to watch

Kentucky’s sacks allowed. In last season’s opener, Kentucky allowed a different MAC foe, Miami (Ohio), to sack its quarterback four times. Even though UK won the game 37-13, the struggles to protect Will Levis foreshadowed a season that saw the Wildcats surrender more QB sacks (47) than all but two FBS teams. Having worked the transfer portal hard for blocks to rebuild “The Big Blue Wall,” it could be a positive omen for the remainder of 2023 if Kentucky can keep new QB Devin Leary upright vs. Ball State.

The big threat

Marquez Cooper. The star of Ball State’s offense a year ago, tailback Carson Steele, parlayed a banner season of 1,556 rushing yards into a transfer opportunity at UCLA. To fill his shoes, Ball State head man Mike Neu successfully worked the portal himself, luring Cooper, who starred at running back last season for MAC rival Kent State, to the Cardinals. A 5-foot-6, 184-pound redshirt junior, Cooper ran for 1,205 yards and 11 TDs last season. He does not figure to be intimidated by facing an SEC defense, either. Last season, Cooper ran for 90 yards and a touchdown against the defense of eventual national champion Georgia in a 39-22 Kent State loss to the Bulldogs.

On the spot

Liam Coen. The Big Blue Nation has a lot of hope invested in Coen’s return to Kentucky as offensive coordinator after he spent last season as the Los Angeles Rams OC. Contrary to the axiom, Saturday will be Coen’s second opportunity to make a “first impression” on UK fans. In 2021, Coen’s initial game calling the offense for Kentucky yielded a robust 564 total yards, 419 passing yards and a 45-10 season-opening victory over Louisiana Monroe. Anything close to that Saturday would be a salve to Cats backers who suffered through an offensive slog in 2022 in Coen’s absence.

The mood

Is excited. Kentucky backers showed their enthusiasm for the Wildcats’ 2023 football prospects by buying all available season tickets. UK announced Aug. 18 that it had sold all 40,200 season tickets and all 6,500 student season passes it had available. It would generate goodwill with the Cats’ fan base if Mark Stoops and troops could reward that show of BBN confidence with a decisive showing vs. a MAC foe.

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