Players to Watch: No. 8 Kentucky-Northern Illinois

The No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats will welcome the Northern Illinois Huskies to Kroger Field on Saturday night, as the Cats look to improve to 4-0 on the season. Following a 31-0 shutout of Youngstown State, head coach Mark Stoops and his staff are looking for a much more complete performance on the offensive side of the ball. Ahead of tonight's contest, here are some players to watch for UK:

Tashawn Manning

Kentucky's starting right guard is expected to be back in the trenches tonight after sitting out last weekend against Youngstown State due to a potential foot injury. The Auburn transfer has played the most consistent football out of the UK offensive linemen along with veteran center Eli Cox. Kentucky's O-line has been subject to plenty of criticism thus far, and tonight will be just the second time that the best five will start alongside one-another. Manning's presence will be a powerful one against Northern Illinois' defensive line.

Kavosiey Smoke

With Chris Rodriguez set to return next weekend in Oxford against Ole Miss, tonight is a big opportunity for Kavosiey Smoke to show out in the starting role one final time. He's racked up 178 yards on the feet and one score, averaging 4.6 yards-per-attempt, which has been serviceable enough with UK's blocking issues. A big performance tonight could be one final pitch to earn him a few extra reps in the backup role while Rodriguez settles into the offense, if that takes long at all.

Secondary receiving core

A grand total of 10 players caught passes for UK last weekend. As a result, we saw a glimpse of young receivers like Dekel Crowdus and Chris Lewis. Along with the likes of Chauncey Magwood and DeMarcus Harris, Will Levis has a bevy of options to fire at that aren't named Tayvion Robinson, Dane Key or Barion Brown. If Levis is able to expose NIU's weak pass defense, it could be a big receiving day for a few non-starters.

Alex Afari Jr

You've heard all about the defensive machine that is freshman Alex Afari by now. With J.J. Weaver on the shelf for a week or two, Afari will slot into that strongside linebacker role, though he'll be all over the field all night regardless. Whether he's in the SAM position, over at nickel back or elsewhere lined up as a linebacker or defensive back, his athletic presence and ability is impossible to ignore. He'll have another opportunity to show that talent in a starting role tonight.

Jordan Lovett

It's the second start of the season over at free safety for the redshirt freshman Jordan Lovett. He's been solid since the moment he was called in to replace Jalen Geiger in Gainesville. Defensive coordinator Brad White implied on Wednesday that he was still looking for Lovett to take that next step, though no one thought he would have to do so in a starting role this season anyways. A couple of pass breakups or even an interception would do wonders for the RS freshman moving forward.

For how to watch and listen to tonight's game, click here.

For an update on the betting line between UK and NIU, click here.

Wildcats Today will have live coverage all night as Kentucky looks to improve to 4-0. Kickoff against the Huskies is set for 7 p.m EST. The game will air on ESPN2.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.