Kentucky Football: Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl 2017 preview vs Northwestern

The battle of Wildcats takes place in the Music City Bowl with Kentucky football facing off against Northwestern in and SEC versus Big Ten matchup.

Both Northwestern and Kentucky will be looking to end their seasons on high notes as they face off in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. Some years there are more SEC versus Big Ten match-ups, but this season the Music City Bowl will be one of only two games where the conferences will square off.

Northwestern (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) enters bowl season smoking hot. After a 2-3 start that included losses against Penn State and Wisconsin, Northwestern looked like they were headed for an under .500 season. Their offense was inconsistent and letting their defense get worn down in games. After seven straight wins, they are now one of the hottest teams in the nation. While their offense is still middle of the road, the Northwestern defense has been solid, especially in the last three regular season games.

Kentucky (7-5, 4-4 SEC), on the other hand, looks to be traveling in the opposite direction. They started 5-1, but lost three of their last four games. The last two were not even close as Georgia and Louisville were lopsided losses. Kentucky on paper does not look like a strong team, but Northwestern should not underestimate them. Head coach Mark Stoops will have his team ready, hoping to get his first bowl victory as a head coach.

The two teams have only met each other once in football, a win by Northwestern in 1928. So this will be a fresh match-up for everyone involved.

Here’s how you can watch the Music City Bowl between Kentucky and Northwestern.

Date: Friday, Dec. 29
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Venue: Nissan Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

This will be the final game for Northwestern running back Justin Jackson, one of the best backs to ever play in Evanston. Jackson set a ton of school records and is 11th all time on the NCAA’s career rushing yards list. He was hot in the month of November, rushing for over 500 yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns.

Kentucky has a pretty nice running back of its own in Benny Snell Jr. The sophomore topped his 1,091 yard first year by running for 1,318 yards this season and scoring 18 touchdowns, a school record. Northwestern’s defense was fourth in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed. They have a solid front seven with their main objective being to contain Snell.

This seems like it will be a battle of running backs. Both defenses will aim to slow down the opposing running backs. Northwestern fans should take a little solace in the fact that quarterback Clayton Thorson is a little better than his Kentucky counterpart, Stephen Johnson.

Prediction

The Music City Bowl has a history of upsets, including the biggest one by a Kentucky team over Clemson in 2006. Kentucky is no stranger to this bowl, making a record fifth appearance in the game. Given the close proximity, they should have plenty of fans at the game.

Despite the game’s history, I think Northwestern will be too much for Kentucky. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald has his team playing with a ton of confidence and Justin Jackson wants to finish his collegiate career with a great game. Look for Jackson to score two touchdowns and Clayton Thorson to throw a pair as well.

Next: Predictions for all 41 bowls and College Football Playoff

Look for the game to be close at halftime, but Benny Snell will be Kentucky’s only offense and it will not be enough. Northwestern’s defense will find a way to shut him down in the second half and cruise to their 10th victory on the season.

Final Score: Northwestern 34, Kentucky 17