After what they experienced last week in Athens, Ga., one might assume that the Kentucky Wildcats would like to avoid another soggy Saturday on the gridiron.

The Cats were shut out for the first time in seven years and did not complete a pass until late in the fourth quarter in their 21-0 loss to No. 10 Georgia. The two teams combined for 52 yards passing on a drenched, windy night between the hedges.

No one would want to try his luck with that scenario again, right?

Think again.

As they prepare to face Missouri on Saturday at Kroger Field with a forecast that includes heavy rain in the Lexington area, some Kentucky players say they would welcome another chance to splish-splash through a game.

"I love it," junior defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna said with a laugh. "I'm a D-Lineman, so that means they're just going to run right at me. I hope it rains all the rain. Just no lightning so the game is delayed or anything."

"We love it because it makes the offense one-dimensional and it just comes down to stopping the run," added sophomore linebacker Chris Oats.

Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White noted that it's not the rain that usually has the biggest effect in adverse conditions. "Wind is the big factor, especially in the throw game," he said.

It's easier for the UK defense to dismiss the forecast, though. That unit did not experience the same kind of struggles that the offense went through in Georgia. Instead, they kept the powerful Bulldogs scoreless for almost 40 minutes of action and held them to 234 yards under their season average.

How do the Cats feel about it on the other side of the ball?

"As an offensive line, I don't think we care," added UK center Drake Jackson. "As long as it's cold, and we're not sweating as much, we don't care... It's kind of fun to play in the rain."

Jackson did offer one caveat.

"Bad snaps," he said. "That's kind of in the back of your head."

Wet or dry, it's all about execution, UK offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said.

To wit, Gran noted that athlete/quarterback Lynn Bowden Jr., starting his second straight game in an emergency role to an injured Sawyer Smith, threw some good passes against the odds in the Georiga game that were not hauled in by teammates.

Ahmad Wagner dropped a potential first-down reception on a go-route down the sideline in the first half, and Chris Rodriquez could not come down with a would-be touchdown pass in the second half. In a game that was just 7-0 with two minutes left in the third quarter, those plays loomed large.

The Cats also wiped out three first-down runs with penalties and had a non-weather related fumble at their own 31 that contributed to their offensive woes in Athens, so don't just blame the goose egg on the rain.

"Hopefully we can execute a little bit better this week," Gran said.

"I'm looking forward to it, showing what we can do," junior running back A.J. Rose said.