Three Kentucky Wildcats Players to Watch vs. Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns face their third conference opponent of the season, taking on the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday.

Kentucky Wildcats running back Seth McGowan (3) gets past South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Vicari Swain (4) on his way to a touchdown in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns will have to reset after their big rivalry victory over the Oklahoma Sooners, with a trip to a place the Longhorns have never been. As Texas heads out on the road up to Lexington to face what can easily be called a trap game, to match up with the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Wildcats are set to host the Longhorns, coming off their bye week and currently on a two-game losing streak after falling in back-to-back SEC opponents, losing to South Carolina and Georgia prior to their weekend of rest.

While the Longhorns will certainly be heavy favorites on the road, in what should be a favorable matchup talent-wise for Steve Sarkisian's squad, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has talented players of his own who could make the game challenging. Here are three players that the Longhorns will have to key in on this weekend.

Seth McGowan, Running Back

Kentucky Wildcats running back Seth McGowan (3) runs against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

While the Wildcats' offense has struggled with quarterback play throughout the early part of the season, Kentucky has relied heavily on its rushing attack, with the Wildcats combining for a total of 797 yards while averaging 4.2 yards per carry and a rushing 10 touchdowns.

Leading the charge for Kentucky's ground game is senior running back Seth McGowan, who accounts for a good portion of the Wildcats' rushing attack's production. The senior has totaled 431 yards on the ground, averaging over five yards per carry, and accounts for over 50% of the Wildcats' rushing touchdowns with seven rushing scores to his name.

Alex Afari Jr., Linebacker

Kentucky’s Alex Afari (3) celebrates with teammate Daveren Rayner after they stopped the run play against Toledo Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field. | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the leaders of Kentucky's defense is senior linebacker Alex Afari Jr, who leads the Wildcats with plenty of production with a team-high 37 tackles (22 solo), 3.5 tackles-for-loss, and a sack. Throughout five games, the senior has pieced together impactful performances with two double-digit tackle outings and another two games with five or more tackles.

As Texas looks to build on its rejuvenated rushing attack, the Wildcats' rush defense has been one of the liabilities for Stoops' defense, as Kentucky has given up 12 rushing touchdowns, the second most in the SEC. Expect Afari to try and patch the holes in the Wildcats' defense when defending the run.

Ty Bryant, Safety

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver London Humphreys (16) catches a pass in front of Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Ty Bryant (14) at Sanford Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Through the air, Kentucky has been resoundingly better defending opposing teams' passing attacks than on the ground, as the Wildcats have allowed the third fewest passing touchdowns in the SEC while also generating six interceptions.

One of the biggest components of Kentucky's sitting secondary is junior safety Ty Bryant, who leads the team in interceptions, recording two of the six interceptions the Wildcats unit has. Bryant is also tied for second in total tackles on the squad, with 31 tackles (15 solo) and a pass deflection.