Youngstown State vs Kentucky Prediction 9/5/2026 Today’s College Football Picks

In this article we will formulate a Youngstown State vs Kentucky prediction for this College Football game on Saturday, September 5th at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this Week 1 matchup. 

Youngstown State Penguins Betting Preview

The Youngstown State Penguins are 1-0 this year after they defeated Mercyhurst by a score of 43-10 last week. Youngstown State led 29-3 at halftime and they cruised to the easy win in the second half. The Penguins out gained Mercyhurst by a total of 484-241, went 9-13 on third downs, and won the turnover battle by a total of 2-1 in the game. Beau Brungard threw for 232 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, while Gardner had two receptions for 52 yards. Brungard also rushed 21 times for 119 yards and two scores in the game. 

Last season, Youngstown State went 8-5 (5-3) and they finished tied for third in the Missouri Valley with North Dakota and Illinois State. Youngstown State opened the season with a 24-15 win over Mercyhurst and a 56-17 win over Robert Morris, but lost 41-24 against Michigan State in week three. Youngstown State also lost to South Dakota State 35-30, North Dakota 35-17, and North Dakota State 38-30, before losing to Yale in the first round of the playoffs by a score of 43-42. 

Kentucky Wildcats Betting Preview

The Kentucky Wildcats went 5-7 (2-6) last season and they finished tied for 11th in the SEC standings. Kentucky started the season with a 24-16 win over Toledo, but they lost to Ole Miss by a score of 30-23 after that. The Wildcats defeated EMU to go 2-1, but they lost each of their next four games. Kentucky did get to 5-5 on the year, but lost their last two to end the season. The Wildcats scored 23.0 points per game in 2025, while they allowed 26.4 points against per game on defense. 

This year, Kentucky will have Kenny Minchey at quarterback, who transferred from Notre Dame. The Wildcats also have plenty of talent at wide receiver, but the offensive line may need some time to figure things out. Kentucky also brought in some new running backs and their ground game has to be better than last year. On defense, Kentucky also has a lot of new faces, but the biggest area of improvement needs to be the defensive line. 

Why the Kentucky Wildcats will win

• Kentucky has won 19 of its last 20 September home games against non-AP-ranked teams.
• Kentucky has covered the spread in four of its last five completed season openers as a favorite.

Why the Youngstown State Penguins will win

• Kentucky has failed to cover the spread in six of its last eight games as a favorite.

Total Points Facts

• Five of Kentucky’s last six games at Kroger Field have gone OVER the total points line.

Kentucky Wildcats Player Prop Facts

• Ty Bryant ranked T23rd amongst FBS players for interceptions (4) last season.

Matchup/League Facts

• Kentucky ranked 115th among FBS teams for average point differential in second quarters last season (-3.3).
• Kentucky ranked T108th among FBS teams for red zone percentage last season (77.8).

Youngstown State vs Kentucky Prediction 

Kentucky comes into this matchup with a brand new coaching staff and they are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season. The Wildcats have a lot of new pieces on their team, so it will be interesting to see how they play in this one. Youngstown State is a FCS team that has had plenty of success at the FCS level, but this will be a tough matchup. The Penguins do have the benefit of playing last week and they have 20 wins against FBS teams, but the most recent was back in 2012. I am going to take Youngstown State and the points here, as I think Kentucky could start slow.

David Racey's Pick: Youngstown State +22.5