THE GAME: The University of Alabama football team returns to Southeastern Conference action with a road game against the Kentucky Wildcats this week. The game marks the first meeting between the Crimson Tide and Wildcats since the 2009 season and will be broadcast on ESPN2 with kickoff set for 6 p.m. (CDT). Mark Jones will serve as the play-by-play announcer, with Brock Huard at his side as the color analyst. The two will be joined by sideline reporter Lewis Johnson.

SERIES HISTORY: The Crimson Tide won the last meeting, 38- 20, at Commonwealth Stadium in 2009. Alabama holds a 35-2-1 advantage in the series.

McCARRON ON TARGET: Alabama senior signal-caller AJ McCarron is not only the SEC’s leader in career winning percentage (.938; 30-2), but is also amazingly accurate during his career and more specifically his last four games. The senior from Mobile has connected on 67.4 percent of his pass attempts during his career and 71.4 percent of his passes in 2013 (90 of 126). McCarron’s numbers over the last four games are some of the best of his career, completing 77.7 percent of his passes (80 of 103) for 938 yards and nine touchdowns against only two interceptions.

UNDERCLASSMEN CONTRIBUTIONS: Alabama has needed contributions from 32 first- or second-year players early in the 2013 season. The Crimson Tide has played 13 true freshmen with TE O.J. Howard, CB Eddie Jackson, DL A’Shawn Robinson and LS Cole Mazza earning starts. Nine additional true freshmen have earned playing time including, DE Jonathan Allen, WR Raheem Falkins, LB Reuben Foster, RB Derrick Henry, OL Grant Hill, DB Jai Miller, CB Maurice Smith, RB Altee Tenpenny and LB Tim Williams, while nine redshirt freshmen have seen the field, including LB Ryan Anderson, WR Chris Black, TE Kurt Freitag, OL Brandon Greene, PK Adam Griffith, DL Korren Kirven, QB Alec Morris, OL Alphonse Taylor and DL Dalvin Tomlinson

ALABAMA HAS MOST WINS SINCE 2008: Dating back to the start of the 2008 season, Alabama has won 66 games, which is the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

10 POINTS OR FEWER: Under head coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide has held opponents to 10 points or fewer 44 times since the start of the 2007 season, with its most recent against Georgia State on Oct. 5, 2013. Alabama has held 4-of- 5 opponents to 10 points or less in 2013

DEFENSIVE SUCCESS: Alabama has led the Southeastern Conference in total defense for the last five seasons. In the 60 seasons prior, no team has led its respective league in total defense for more than two straight years.

THREE RINGS: Alabama has seven fifth-year seniors on the roster in 2013 and all are in possession of national championship rings from the 2009, 2011 and 2012 seasons. These seven players – AJ McCarron, Kenny Bell, Kevin Norwood, Tana Patrick, Anthony Steen, Ed Stinson and Kellen Williams – all redshirted during the 2009 season as the Tide captured the school’s 13th national championship at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. This group of seniors then helped secure Alabama’s 2011 and 2012 national championships.

Kentucky has played the nation’s top-ranked team 13 times in its history, having won three of those meetings. UK’s last win over a No. 1 team came during the 2007 season in a triple-overtime thriller at home vs. LSU. Individually, Jalen Whitlow took all snaps at quarterback for the first time this season against South Carolina and had his best game of the year. Whitlow finished 17-of-24 passing for 178 yards and two touch- downs, while rushing 17 times for 69 yards and a score.

• The Wildcat defense ranks fourth in the SEC and 41st nationally in third-down conversion defense. UK is allowing opponents to convert on third down only 36.1 percent of the time.
• UK’s pass defense ranks third in the SEC and 24th nationally in fewest passing yards allowed.
• Junior defensive end Za’Darius Smith ranks high nationally in sacks, sitting 15th in the nation and third in the SEC in sacks per game. Junior Alvin “Bud” Dupree ranks sixth in the SEC and 38th nationally in sacks per game.
• Senior linebacker Avery Williamson has picked up where he left off last season in tackles, ranking third in the SEC and 15th nationally with 10.2 tackles per game. Williamson has led Kentucky in tackles in four games this season.
• Kentucky’s “Air Raid” offense is averaging 388.8 yards per game and has a nice pass/run balance, completing 62.7 percent of passes while averaging 5.1 yards per rushing attempt.
• The UK offense ranks third in the SEC and 11th nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage at 72.7, while UK’s 28 points at USC was the third most by a opponent at Williams-Brice Stadium since 2007.
• With polls coming out Sunday, and the Kentucky football team set to play No. 1 Alabama, officially this is now the first time in school history that the Wildcats have taken on Top-20 ranked opponents in four consecutive games. Kentucky is in a stretch of four games against No. 7 Louisville, No. 19 Florida, No. 13 South Carolina and No. 1 Alabama.

HALL OF FAMER STEVE MEILINGER HONORED AT HALFTIME
At halftime of Saturday’s game, UK Athletics and the National Football Foundation will honor Steve Meilinger for his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Meilinger played at Kentucky from 1951-53 under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. The National Football Foundation will be represented by Will Rudd

Kentucky has seven players on its 2013 roster from the state of Alabama, including quarterback Jalen Whitlow (Prattville), wide receiver Daryl Collins (Gadsden), running back Jonathan George (Lincoln), safety Eric Dixon (Mobile), wide receiver Rashad Cunningham (Mobile), defensive end Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) and kicker Austin MacGinnis (Prattville). Alabama has no players on its 2013 roster from Kentucky

• Alabama is the fourth AP top-20 foe that Kentucky has played this season with all four opponents coming in consecutive games. It is the first time in school history that UK has played four top-20 teams in consecutive games.
• UK’s last win over a ranked team was Oct. 16, 2010 over No. 10 South Carolina (31-28) in Commonwealth Stadium.
• The Wildcats are 1-16-1 all-time against a ranked Alabama team.
• Kentucky has played the nation’s top-ranked team 13 times in its history, having won three of those meetings. UK’s last win over a No. 1 team came during the 2007 season in a triple-overtime thriller at home vs. LSU.

The Wildcats were one of the youngest teams in the nation last season and 2013 has started along the same path as 14 newcomers to the 2013 squad, including eight true freshmen, have seen action this season. UK only has 15 seniors this season, which is the 18th-lowest number in the nation

The Wildcats are in their 41st season at Commonwealth Stadium.
Since its opening in 1973, Kentucky has played 257 games within the friendly confines of Commonwealth Stadium. UK has a 137-118-4 record (.539) in Commonwealth.

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