Tag: Kentucky Wildcats

Dec 3, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats athletic director Mitch Barnhart speaks during the introductory press conference for head football coach Will Stein at Nutter Field House. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Report: Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart to retire after 24 years

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Longtime Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart is expected to announce his retirement in the “near future,” ESPN reported on Tuesday.

Barnhart, 66, has overseen the Wildcats’ athletic department since 2002 and is the longest-tenured athletic director in any of the Power Four conferences.

In August 2023, Barnhart signed an extension on his contract through 2028. According to reports, his deal includes a clause allowing him to step down in July 2026 to transition to a non-athletic role such as special assistant to Kentucky president Eli Capilouto.

The Wildcats have won six national championships during Barnhart’s tenure: men’s basketball (2012), women’s volleyball (2020) and the rifle team (2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022).

The Kentucky football program posted a pair of 10-win seasons (2018, 2021) on his watch, peaking with a No. 7 AP ranking during the 2022 campaign.

Barnhart was named the Division I Athletic Director of the Year by the Sports Business Journal in 2019. Before taking over in Lexington, he worked as the AD at Oregon State from 1998-2002.

–Field Level Media

Mark Stoops officially out after 13 seasons at Kentucky

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Kentucky parted ways on Monday with Mark Stoops, the winningest football coach in school history who “transformed the program and reset expectations” in Lexington.

Stoops, 58, compiled an 82-80 record of 13 seasons with the Wildcats. He guided them to 10-win seasons and Citrus Bowl victories in both the 2018 and 2021 seasons.

But Kentucky went 4-8 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025, most recently taking a 41-0 drubbing at the hands of rival Louisville on Saturday.

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart said on Monday the school decided to “go in a new direction.” Kentucky owes Stoops a buyout of about $37.7 million, or 75% percent of the salary remaining on his contract.

“I want to thank Mark for his dedication and leadership over the past 13 years, and as importantly, the friendship that is marked by walking these journeys together,” Barnhart said in a news release. “His tenure transformed the program and reset expectations. His time here was filled with memorable victories, a historic run of consecutive bowl appearances, and a commitment to developing young men both on and off the field.”

Stoops was asked after Saturday’s loss if there was any chance he might step down.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful to you,” Stoops said. “I mean, like I’m going to walk away? Are you kidding me? No, zero means zero.”

“Zero percent chance I walk away,” Stoops continued. “I’m going to be here as far as I’m concerned. Now, I can’t control what decisions that are made. If you’re asking me, I’ve said zero. Zero means zero. Zero percent chance I walk away.”

Kentucky is the fifth SEC team to fire its coach this year, and the move only comes after the other four — LSU, Arkansas, Auburn and Florida — already hired their replacements.

The Wildcats will be working in a thinner coaching market, with South Florida’s Alex Golesh, Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield already in line to join Auburn, Florida and Arkansas, respectively. LSU also hired Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss.

“Kentucky Football is positioned for success,” Barnhart said. “”We will continue to make the necessary investments to recruit an elite head coach, players, and support staff. That includes fully funding revenue-sharing and NIL opportunities, providing state-of-the-art facilities, and ensuring our student-athletes have every resource to thrive.

“Our mission is clear: to build a championship program for the people of Kentucky. We embrace this moment with optimism and determination, confident that the next chapter will see Kentucky Football reach new heights and achieve great success.”

School president Eli Capilouto released a statement supporting Barnhart’s decision to terminate Stoops.

“I want to thank Coach Stoops for his 13 years of service and leadership at the University of Kentucky,” Capilouto said. “He helped lead the revival of this program and achieved historic results. We are deeply appreciative of what he accomplished with this program and with the support of a committed staff throughout UK Athletics, outstanding young men and an incredible fan base.

“It is critically important that we are competitive and successful in football. That is our goal. It is our focus. We intend to be successful.”

Stoops led the Wildcats to eight consecutive bowl games from 2016-23, winning four of them. He was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2018. Kentucky peaked at No. 7 in the Associated Press during his tenure in 2022.

–Field Level Media

Louisville snaps skid with dominant shutout of rival Kentucky

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Miller Moss passed for 182 yards and three touchdowns, Shaun Boykins Jr. rushed for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown and host Louisville blanked Kentucky 41-0 for its second straight Governor’s Cup rivalry victory on Saturday.

Freshman Braxton Jennings had a career-high 113 rushing yards, and Moss also ran for a score as the Cardinals (8-4) rolled up 440 yards of total offense, 258 of which came on the ground.

Moss, who started the first 10 games, completed 12 of 20 passes without an interception after missing a 38-6 loss at SMU last week due to a reported foot injury sustained in a weight room accident.

He threw fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Dacari Collins and Jaleel Skinner.

Cutter Boley completed 14 of 27 passes for 107 yards and two interceptions for Kentucky (5-7), which failed to gain postseason eligibility for the second straight season after making eight straight bowls from 2016-23.

It was the first Governor’s Cup shutout since Louisville’s 28-0 victory in 2004.

Louisville’s Cooper Ranvier made two field goals to tie the school season record with 21.

The Cardinals broke a three-game losing streak. Kentucky had won three of four.

Kentucky had 147 yards of total offense, 40 rushing. Boley was sacked six times, two apiece by Clev Lubin and T.J. Quinn. Tayon Holloway had first two career interceptions.

Louisville established its dominance early, scoring on four of its first five drives for a 20-0 halftime lead.

Eric Hazzard blocked a punt to set the Cardinals up on the Wildcats’ 10-yard line, and Moss scored on a fourth-and-1 keeper for a 7-0 lead. Ranvier’s 34-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter made it 10-0.

Moss struck again on fourth down on the Cardinals’ next drive with a 43-yard touchdown pass to wide-open tight end Jacob Stewart with 8:18 left in the first half. It was Stewart’s fourth reception of the season and his first Louisville touchdown.

Ranvier’s 24-yard field goal made it 20-0 at half.

Boykins Jr. scored on a 5-yard run at 8:23 of the third quarter, two plays after Boley threw an incomplete pass when the Wildcats went for it on fourth-and-one from their 15.

–Field Level Media

Kentucky’s pass rush takes aim at DJ Lagway, Florida

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Florida and Kentucky will square off on Saturday night in Lexington, Ky., with their head coaching positions either interim or tenuously held amid swirling rumors.

In a losing effort last Saturday in a season that has already seen the firing of coach Billy Napier, the Gators (3-5, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) started fast in their yearly battle with standout Georgia. They led twice before yielding a late touchdown in a 24-20 setback to the Bulldogs.

Under interim coach Billy Gonzales’ guidance, Florida kept Russ Callaway as offensive coordinator but elevated quarterbacks coach Ryan O’Hara to the role of play-caller.

As for Kentucky (3-5, 1-5), its seven sacks in a 10-3 win over Auburn served as an eye-opener.

“Up front, they’ve always been big, and (coach Mark Stoops) has recruited length on the outside and edges,” Gonzales said on Monday. “They’ve been very aggressive. … It’ll be a great challenge for our offensive line, who didn’t give up a sack (last week).”

Sophomore DJ Lagway has completed 65.0% of his passes for 1,679 yards with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Jadan Baugh leads with 683 rushing yards on 132 carries (5.2 per rush) and has five of the squad’s six scores on the ground.

The Wildcats notched their first conference win on the road last Saturday in an ugly tussle that resulted in Auburn coach Hugh Freeze’s firing the next day.

But a win is a win, one that the Wildcats and Stoops — on the hot seat after an 0-5 start in the SEC — found to be desperately needed.

“It’s the same thing this week (as Auburn), playing Florida,” Stoops said. “I know Billy’s not there, but Billy’s assembled a very good football team, very talented, a very physical, good team, and it’ll be another great challenge for us and another opportunity.”

Freshman Cutter Boley has completed 65.8% of his passes for 1,376 yards with 10 TDs and seven interceptions. Seth McGowan has rushed for 529 yards on 114 carries with seven scores.

Kentucky has won three of the past four meetings, but its 20-13 victory in 2021 was expunged after the school vacated its wins due to NCAA violations.

–Field Level Media

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Perry Thompson (3) catches a pass as Auburn Tigers take on Kentucky Wildcats at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. Auburn Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats are tied 3-3 at halftime.

Kentucky’s defense shuts down Auburn in low-scoring win

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Cutter Boley threw for 161 yards and the game’s only touchdown Saturday night, while the Kentucky defense allowed only 241 yards and notched seven sacks in a 10-3 defeat of homestanding Auburn.

In winning their first Southeastern Conference game of the year, the Wildcats (3-5, 1-5) got a sack and a half each from Alex Afari and Kahlil Saunders. They posted 13 tackles for loss and gave up no play longer than 26 yards.

It was fitting that the key play on the Tigers’ final possession was the game’s last sack, as Sam Greene burst in around end to knock down Ashton Daniels for a 10-yard loss. With the clock running inside 10 seconds, Auburn (4-5, 1-5) got off one last snap, but Daniels’ Hail Mary throw into the end zone was picked off by Jordan Lovett as time expired.

Daniels completed only 13 of 28 yards for 108 yards while adding 48 yards on 15 rushes. The Tigers managed just 118 yards on 40 rushes and averaged a measly 3.4 yards per play.

Boley hit 18 of 29 passes for 161 yards and two interceptions but was able to complete the night’s only touchdown drive by finding Kendrick Law for 13 yards at the 9:27 mark of the third quarter, capping a 10-play, 75-yard march.

The key plays on that drive were a pair of Boley connections with Fred Farrier II. There was a 13-yard hookup on third-and-11 from the Kentucky 38, followed three plays later by a 32-yard strike that converted another third-and-11.

The teams combined for only six first downs and 111 total yards in a drab, scoreless first quarter. But each finally generated a bit of offense in the second quarter, kicking field goals to set up a 3-3 tie at the break.

Jacob Kauwe bombed a 48-yarder for the Wildcats at the 11:40 mark to finish off a 44-yard drive, and Auburn got a 27-yarder from Alex McPherson with two seconds remaining.

–Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Chris Brazzell II (17) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Braylon Staley (14) during the first quarter Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Joey Aguilar tosses 3 TDs as No. 17 Tennessee outscores Kentucky

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Joey Aguilar scorched Kentucky’s defense for 396 passing yards, Edrees Farooq recorded a pick-six and the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers claimed their border battle over the Wildcats in a 56-34 blowout on Saturday night in Lexington, Ky.

Aguilar went 20 of 26 with three touchdowns for the Volunteers (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference). The transfer quarterback had five passes that went at least 35 yards in the school’s fifth straight win in the series.

Chris Brazzell II had four receptions for 138 yards and a score. Mike Matthews caught six passes for 107 yards and a TD. Braylon Staley totaled 105 yards on six catches. DeSean Bishop logged two of Tennessee’s four rushing scores.

Cutter Boley was 26 of 35 for 330 yards with a career-high five touchdowns and an interception for the Wildcats (2-5, 0-5).

DJ Miller had five catches for 120 yards and two TDs, while Kendrick Law had two for 103 yards and a score. J.J. Hester caught two TD passes.

The teams combined for 980 yards of offense.

The Volunteers struck quickly in the matchup against their bitter rival, going 75 yards in just four plays to take a 7-0 lead. Aguilar tossed a 35-yard post pass to Brazzell.

Tennessee’s defense chipped in when Farooq made a spectacular play off the left edge. The defensive back deflected Boley’s pass then snared the ball that he brought back 45 yards for the squad’s fifth defensive score.

Boley redeemed himself 37 seconds later with a pass to Law, who sprinted 71 yards.

Ahead by the one touchdown, Tennessee proceeded to create separation with two more TDs for a 28-7 lead on short runs by Star Thomas and Bishop. The latter was set up by linebacker Jadon Perlotte’s fumble recovery deep inside Kentucky territory.

Lined up in the slot, Miller caught a 56-yarder from Boley to make it 28-14 just over a minute later. The Wildcats trimmed it to one score on the freshman quarterback’s 3-yard toss to Hester.

The explosive half ended with Aguilar zipping a 13-yard TD to Ethan Davis for a 35-21 halftime edge.

In the second half, Aguilar found Matthews on a 62-yard bomb before Peyton Lewis’ 2-yard TD run pushed the lead to a commanding 49-21.

Miller and Bishop swapped scores before Boley found Hester and the final three-touchdown advantage for the visitors.

–Field Level Media

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) throws the ball during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Alabama in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

With both teams in a ‘bad mood,’ No. 12 Georgia battles Kentucky

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Looking to begin a new home winning streak, No. 12 Georgia will try to overcome a disappointing loss ahead of a Southeastern Conference matchup with Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in Athens, Ga.

Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC) fell 24-21 to then-No. 17 Alabama last week to snap the Bulldogs’ FBS-best 33-game home winning streak.

After dropping seven spots in the latest Top 25 poll, Georgia will try to avoid losing two games in a row.

“We’ve got to go play a really good football team, so I’m not concerned about it,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of managing the emotions after the loss to Alabama.

History shows Kentucky is the right opponent for Georgia to get back on track, as the Bulldogs have won 15 straight in the series. That doesn’t mean Smart won’t have his team ready for the Wildcats’ level of toughness.

“We’ve had head-to-head battles many times with these guys. Coach (Mark) Stoops’ teams are always physical, so we know it’ll be physical,” Smart said. “They have a defensive head coach, Coach Stoops, who believes in running the ball. They have really good run schemes, and they have really big physical guys, and their backs match their O-line in terms of size.”

Georgia will look to revitalize its passing game after Gunner Stockton mustered just 130 yards through the air against Alabama, the fewest by a Bulldogs quarterback since Stetson Bennett threw for 116 yards in 2022 against Kentucky.

Following a 35-13 loss to South Carolina last week, Kentucky (2-2, 0-2) has dropped seven straight conference games since an upset of No. 6 Ole Miss on Sept. 28 of last season.

Stoops and company are getting Georgia at a bad time, but the Wildcats have their own score to settle Saturday.

“Another great challenge here this week, going on the road and playing a great Georgia team, always a very big challenge, as we know,” Stoops said. “Georgia coming off a loss, I’m sure they’ll be in a bad mood, like our players are.”

Stoops, who in his 13th season at Kentucky is the longest-tenured SEC head coach, is still looking for his first win over the Bulldogs. Last season marked one of Kentucky’s best chances, as the Wildcats held a fourth-quarter lead over No.1 Georgia before falling 13-12.

“Through the years, we’ve always tried to be very tough and very physical and play the game the right way,” Stoops said. “(Georgia) has been, certainly, on the right side of the wins and losses. They have a great team. They’ve beat a lot of people and they’ve had a great program for a long time.”

After seventh-year quarterback Zach Calzada went down with a shoulder injury in Kentucky’s 30-23 loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 6, Stoops inserted redshirt freshman Cutter Boley, who has thrown for 364 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions, through his first two career starts. Boley struggled against the Gamecocks, completing just 10 of 19 passes for 124 yards with two picks.

“Cutter will get better,” Stoops said. “The nice thing about him, he’s very resilient and has a strong belief in himself, and the players believe in him as well.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 27, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Rahsul Faison (1) rushes for a touchdown against the Kentucky Wildcats in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

South Carolina takes charge in 2nd quarter, rolls past Kentucky

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South Carolina scored two defensive touchdowns in a span of 45 seconds and Rahsul Faison rushed for two more scores as the Gamecocks routed Kentucky, 35-13, Saturday night in Columbia, S.C.

LaNorris Sellers completed 11 of his 14 pass attempts for 153 yards without an interception and rushed 14 times for a team-high 81 yards as South Carolina (3-2, 1-2) snapped a two-game losing streak.

It was a much-needed win for head coach Shane Beamer after the highly touted Gamecocks had reached No. 11 in the AP poll before sustaining back-to-back SEC defeats.

South Carolina grabbed the lead for good in the second quarter when Jatius Geer scored on a 41-yard fumble return. Then, on the Wildcats’ ensuing possession, Gerald Kilgore raced 45 yards with a pick-six to give the Gamecocks a 21-10 lead.

With six sacks, including two by Bryan Thomas Jr., South Carolina rattled Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley, who was making his first start both on the road and in the SEC.

The redshirt freshman committed the game-changing fumble and threw two interceptions, with all of his turnovers coming in a nightmarish second quarter as South Carolina outscored Kentucky 21-0.

Boley finished with 10 completions in 19 attempts for 124 yards.

Seth McGowan had 112 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries for Kentucky (2-2, 0-2), which lost to South Carolina for the third straight year after winning eight of nine games in the series between 2014 and 2022.

Kentucky started strong, needing just eight plays on its first possession to produce a touchdown. McGowan’s 20-yard scoring burst came just 3:33 into the game.

South Carolina answered on the ensuing possession with a 75-yard drive capped by a 12-yard sprint by Faison that tied it 7-7.

Early in the second quarter, Dylan Stewart jarred the ball loose from Boley on a blitz and Geer picked the ball off the turf and raced 41 yards for a touchdown to give the Gamecocks a 13-10 lead.

Moments later, Kilgore followed with his pick-six.

South Carolina upped its lead to 28-10 after an interception by Brandon Cisse set up a 6-yard touchdown run by Faison.

Matt Fuller added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the Gamecocks.

Vandrevius Jacobs had five catches for 108 yards for South Carolina.

–Field Level Media

Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8), left, celebrates his touchdown pass to Kentucky Wildcats tight end Willie Rodriguez (81) in the second quarter as the Wildcats are rolling in the football game against Eastern Michigan at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.

Cutter Boley fills in nicely at QB as Kentucky drops Eastern Michigan

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Cutter Boley threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns in his first start of the season and running back Seth McGowan rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns as Kentucky topped Eastern Michigan 48-23.

Starting for an injured Zach Calzada (shoulder), Boley completed 12 of 21 passes. Both of his touchdowns came in the second quarter, a 3-yard pass to Willie Rodriguez and a 4-yard pass to Josh Kattus.

McGowan carried the ball 18 times for the Wildcats (2-1), who continued their strong start on the ground by totaling 252 rushing yards.

Boley spread the ball around to seven pass-catchers, with Kattus’ three catches for 61 yards leading the way.

Kentucky’s Grant Grayton had an interception in the first quarter, the team’s fourth first-quarter interception in three games this season. For the game, the Wildcats had two sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.

Coming off a home loss to Long Island University last week, Eastern Michigan made things interesting by cutting the deficit to 28-16 at halftime.

Quarterback Noah Kim completed 25 of 42 passes for 330 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Eagles (0-3). Five receivers had more than 30 yards, led by Terry Lockett Jr.’s 90 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Dante McMillan tallied 83 yards on 13 carries as Eastern Michigan rushed for 131 yards.

Kentucky has a bye next week before playing at South Carolina on Sept. 27.

Eastern Michigan returns home next week to face Louisiana.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Dane Key (6) runs onto the field during the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Former Kentucky WR Dane Key set for transfer to Nebraska

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Former Kentucky wide receiver Dane Key, one of the top offensive players in the transfer portal, announced on social media Tuesday that he will transfer to Nebraska.

Key posted a photo of himself in a Nebraska uniform wearing the No. 6 he wore at Kentucky. The simple post contained the letters “GBR,” short for “Go Big Red,” with an emoji heart.

Key led Kentucky this past season with 47 receptions for 715 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games as the Wildcats finished 4-8.

In three seasons, the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder has 126 receptions for 1,870 yards and 14 TDs in 38 games (35 starts).

Key has one season of eligibility remaining after he was a four-star recruit in the class of 2022.

–Field Level Media