(By Keith Taylor) 

Kentucky steps out of Southeastern Conference play and will take on the University of Louisiana-Monroe in a 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcats have played four consecutive conference games and two of the next three games will be against non-conference opponents.
Although Kentucky has won 16 consecutive non-conference games, the Cats survived with a 42-40 win in the last meeting between the two teams in 2006.

Kentucky is coming off a 21-14 win over Auburn and ULM handed Arkansas State a 16-10 loss in its last game on Oct. 13.
The following are things to ponder leading up to the contest.

1.       The quarterback situation: Look for freshman Morgan Newton to get his second collegiate start, while back Will Fidler will see action, too. Kentucky will continue to use receiver Randall Cobb in the “Wildcat” package. Kentucky coach Rich Brooks indicated that he may flip flop Newton and Fidler earlier than he did a week ago.

2.       The “trap” factor: Although Kentucky is considered an overwhelming favorite, the Wildcats can’t afford a letdown following last week’s triumph at Auburn. Putting the guests away early will be a key for the Wildcats. Kentucky lost to ULM by the score of 21-14 in 1994.

3.       Running game: Derrick Locke’s status has been a big question mark this week, but it appears he will be ready to play despite early indications that he would miss the contest.  The Cats need to put Monroe in a hole early in order for Locke to get more rest. Kentucky is averaging 186.5 yards per game.

4.       Passing game: Kentucky had just 75 yards passing last week, but those numbers need to get higher in order to balance the offensive production. Brooks said the Cats will need to throw the ball better to be more successful in the future.

5.       Kentucky’s defense: Needs to build on last week’s win at Auburn. The Cats limited the Tigers to 315 total yards, led by Danny Trevathan with 14 tackles. Micah Johnson also had 14 stops and was named defensive player of the week in the SEC. Paul Warford has helped ease the absence of Travard Lindley in the secondary.

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Last Updated (Thursday, 29 October 2009 14:14)