Tag: Kentucky Wildcats

Nov 16, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrates after making a final first down to end the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Texas won 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

No. 3 Texas keeps focus on defeating Kentucky

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 3 Texas will celebrate its senior class while it looks to keep its collective focus on a chance at a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship during a matchup against Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas.

It’s the first time the teams have met as members of the SEC, the first time the Longhorns and Wildcats have squared off on the gridiron since 1951 and only the second matchup in the programs’ histories. Texas beat Kentucky 7-6 in Austin in the only other meeting.

The Longhorns (9-1, 5-1 SEC) held onto the third spot in the latest CFP rankings that were revealed on Tuesday night. They head home after a 20-10 win at rival Arkansas last week that kept them tied atop the SEC standings and in the running for a bye in the CFP playoffs.

Texas’ defense was the story against the dangerous Razorbacks, surrendering just 231 yards (74 of those in the first half). That stinginess allowed quarterback Quinn Ewers to take what the Arkansas defense allowed as he passed for 176 yards and touchdowns early and late to Matthew Golden.

Texas also got 83 yards on 13 carries from Jaydon Blue and flexed its muscle down the stretch. Up 10 points with 9:05 to play, the Longhorns forced a fumble and then held on to the ball over the final 6:55 to secure the victory, their third straight after their lone loss, at home to Georgia on Oct. 19.

It will take more of the same defensive intensity to beat Kentucky.

“To watch (the defense) play the way they’re playing right now has been great,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “They’re stopping the run, they’re minimizing the explosive plays. They’re getting after the quarterback. They’re just doing a lot of really cool things.

“I’m very proud of them, very proud of our coaching staff of what they’re doing, and they’re doing it at a high level.”

Expect more points this time than 73 years ago, although the Wildcats (4-6, 1-6) would love for this to be a defensive battle. Kentucky needs to beat the Longhorns and then in-state rival Louisville at home on Nov. 30 to become bowl-eligible for the ninth straight season.

That would be a tall task, especially the first leg of that sequence is against the stocked and hungry Longhorns.

“There’s no weaknesses on (Texas),” Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said Monday. “(As far as) the eye test, (the Longhorns are) as strong as anybody in the country. Tell me one group (where there is a weakness). Really deep, really big. You put that together — pretty solid team.”

The Wildcats head to Austin after a 48-6 home win over Murray State that snapped a four-game losing streak, all in SEC play. Jamarion Wilcox rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries while Brock Vandagriff passed for 183 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats, who racked up 582 yards of offense, 269 of those on the ground.

In the four losses prior to the win over Murray State, Kentucky was outscored 120-61. The Wildcats rank last in the SEC and 109th in the country in scoring (21.9 points per game) and 14th in the SEC and 107th in the FBS in total offense (340.5 yards per game).

“I would certainly love to have some continuity like we’ve had great defensive continuity, offensively,” Stoops said. “We have been competitive against some of the best teams in the country — we just have to be more consistent.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) is forced out of bounds by Murray State Racers linebacker Justice Cross (7) during the second quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky scores early, often to beat Murray State for fourth victory

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jamarion Wilcox rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries to help lead Kentucky to a 48-6 win over Murray State in Lexington on Saturday.

Brock Vandagriff went 12-of-19 passing for 183 yards for the Wildcats.

Kentucky (4-6) snapped a four-game losing streak and kept its hopes for bowl eligibility alive entering games at Texas and home to Louisville to end the season.

Jim Ogle went 10-of-24 passing for 156 yards and an interception in defeat for Murray State (1-10), which lost its eighth straight game.

James London hit field goals of 32 and 36 yards to provide the only points of the game for the Racers.

The Wildcats amassed 582 yards of total offense, 269 rushing yards and 31 first downs and scored at least 20 points for the fifth time this season.

The game was filled with penalties. Murray State committed 15 penalties for 112 yards, while Kentucky had nine penalties for 87 yards.

Kentucky got going on offense in the first quarter, taking a 14-0 lead on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Vandagriff to Hardley Gilmore with 11:09 remaining and a 3-yard TD run with 1:00 to go by Demie Sumo-Karngbaye.

Following Alex Raynor’s 32-yard field goal with 5:27 left in the second quarter, Kentucky took a 24-0 lead with 11 seconds before halftime on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Vandagriff to Ja’Mori Maclin.

Kentucky had 318 yards of total offense in the first half.

The Wildcats kept it rolling in the second half, taking a 31-0 lead with 11:42 remaining in the quarter on Wilcox’s 4-yard touchdown run.

In the fourth quarter, Kentucky went up 48-6 on a pair of touchdown passes from Cutler Boley to Anthony Brown-Stephens, one from 22 yards out and another from 14 yards.

The Racers’ JK Carter finished with seven receptions for 130 yards, an 18.6-yard average.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter (27) carries the ball during the second quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Jarquez Hunter runs wild on Kentucky, leads Auburn to victory

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Jarquez Hunter rushed for a career-high 278 yards and scored two touchdowns to help Auburn rally to a 24-10 victory over Kentucky on Saturday night in Southeastern Conference play at Lexington, Ky.

Hunter rushed 23 times and had a 45-yard touchdown run in addition to non-scoring runs of 50 and 46 yards as the Tigers (3-5, 1-4 SEC) halted a four-game slide. Hunter’s output is the fourth-best rushing performance in school history behind Curtis Kuykendall (307 yards in 1944), Tre Mason (304 in 2013) and the legendary Bo Jackson (290 in 1985).

Hunter (3,033 yards) also became the sixth player in Auburn history to top 3,000 career rushing yards.

Payton Thorne completed 20 of 26 passes for 172 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Auburn, which won for the 10th consecutive time in Lexington. Kayin Lee hauled in a key interception and KeAndre Lambert-Smith had a scoring catch for the Tigers.

Brock Vandagriff completed 9 of 17 passes for 120 yards and an interception for Kentucky (3-5, 1-5) before being benched for the second half. Gavin Wimsatt played the second half and was 3-of-10 passing for 34 yards and one interception.

Jamarion Wilcox rushed for a touchdown and Dane Key had four catches for 87 yards for the Wildcats, who lost their third straight game.

Auburn outgained Kentucky 302-79 in the second half to finish the game with a 498-224 edge in total yards.

Auburn overcame an early 10-point deficit with 24 unanswered points.

The Tigers struck on Thorne’s 6-yard scoring pass to Lambert-Smith with 10:56 left in the first half. Auburn knotted the score on Alex McPherson’s 27-yard field goal with 3:57 remaining.

The Tigers opened the second half with a dominant 14-play, 75-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes. Hunter capped it by scoring from the Kentucky 1 with 7:53 left in the third quarter as Auburn took the lead for good.

On the Tigers’ next possession, Hunter broke loose for a 50-yard run to the Wildcats 35-yard line. But the drive stalled, and McPherson was wide left on a 47-yard field-goal attempt.

In the fourth quarter, Hunter got free for a 45-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a 24-10 lead with 12:11 left in the game.

The Wildcats had a chance to cut their deficit, but Wimsatt had a fourth-down throw intercepted by Lee at the goal line and returned to the Auburn 9 with 4:39 remaining.

Hunter then got loose for a 46-yard run to help put the game away.

Kentucky scored the first 10 points of the game on Alex Raynor’s 46-yard field goal and Wilcox’s 2-yard scoring run.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Damari Alston (0) is tackled by Missouri Tigers cornerback Ja'Marion Wayne (25) during the second half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Struggling Auburn aims to halt slide at Kentucky

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Auburn and Kentucky sit near the bottom of the 16-team Southeastern Conference standings.

Prospects of a late-season turnaround don’t look great.

But one of the teams will end their losing streak this Saturday night when the Tigers visit the Wildcats in Lexington, Ky.

The Tigers (2-5, 0-4 SEC) are tied for last place and have dropped four games in a row. Auburn is coming off a 21-17 loss at Missouri. The Tigers squandered an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter.

“It seems like every winnable game has not gone our way,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said on Tuesday. “Not a single one. Obviously, I hate the result for the players, our incredible fans, the administration and you guys who cover us. I hate it. It makes you sick, physically ill, when you don’t get across the finish line.”

Kentucky (3-4, 1-4) was routed 48-20 by host Florida last weekend, its second straight loss with looming matchups in the next 30 days against No. 7 Tennessee and fifth-ranked Texas.

The critics are out in full force and their target is Mark Stoops despite the 12th-year coach having led the program to eight straight bowl games. That streak would be in jeopardy if the Wildcats lose to Auburn for the 10th straight time.

“The outside noise, I can’t bother myself, zero, with that,” Stoops said. “I think you know that I’ve been around here a long time. You can face a bad day and tough times with a good attitude and that’s what I’ll do. We’ll go to work and I think you know that. I’m not going to sit up here and flinch.”

The bright spot against the Gators was a 99-yard kickoff return by Barion Brown. It is his fifth career kickoff return score to set a new SEC record.

Brown, who is averaging 27.9 yards per kickoff return, also had a 45-yard touchdown reception in the contest.

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff has thrown for 1,116 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.

The Wildcats rank 12th nationally in total defense at 283.6 yards per game.

Auburn has scored 17 of fewer points on four occasions with quarterback Payton Thorne passing for 1,414 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Jarquez Hunter has rushed for 585 yards and three touchdowns for the struggling Tigers.

“We have a young team, and they’re learning and they’re growing,” Freeze said, “but I do think we still play not to lose instead of ‘man, let’s play to win.’ Truthfully, we probably are coaching that way some, too.”

Stoops can relate but he isn’t willing to fold.

“We’ll be fine. Again, it’s a tough business, it’s a tough league,” Stoops said.

–Field Level Media

Florida Gators wide receiver Elijhah Badger (6) hauls in a pass for a huge gain while being pursued by Kentucky Wildcats defensive back JQ Hardaway (6) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 19, 2024 against the Kentucky Wildcats. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]

Jadan Baugh’s five TD runs carry Florida past Kentucky

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Jadan Baugh produced three of his five touchdown runs in the second quarter and Florida went on to defeat Kentucky 48-20 on Saturday night in Gainesville, Fla.

Florida’s DJ Lagway threw for 259 yards on 7-for-14 passing. He was intercepted once. Elijhah Badger caught three passes for 148 yards to help the Gator (4-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) win for the third time in four games.

Baugh finished with 106 yards on 22 carries. Florida’s Cormani McClain returned a fourth-quarter interception 29 yards for a touchdown.

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff was 12-for-26 for 165 yards with a touchdown. He threw two of the team’s three interceptions as the Wildcats fell to 3-4, 1-4.

Florida scored on 98- and 1-yard possessions within a 26-second span as part of its 24-point second quarter. There was a dizzying stretch of scoring that involved both teams before the Gators held a 27-13 halftime advantage, aided by a 313-157 gap in total yardage.

Kentucky’s Barion Brown had two long touchdown plays, including a 99-yard kickoff return, in the first half.

The Wildcats turned the ball over on downs in Florida territory on the three possessions in the fourth quarter.

Lagway moved into the first-string QB role for the Gators after Graham Mertz sustained a season-ending knee injury a week earlier at Tennessee.

Trey Smack made field goals from 29 and 33 yards for the Gators before Kentucky pulled even when Vandagriff connected with Brown on a 45-yard pass play in the second quarter. The extra-point attempt failed.

The Gators were back in front less than four minutes later on Baugh’s 7-yard run. He tacked on a 10-yard run with 2:10 left in the half when the Gators needed only four plays to cover 98 yards.

That came after Kristian Story’s interception and 63-yard return gave the Wildcats the ball at the Florida 11, only to have the Gators stop Demie Sumo-Karngbaye’s fourth-and-1 run short at the 2-yard line.

Kentucky’s next possession ended when Vandagriff was picked off by Devin Moore, who made a 52-yard return to the Wildcats 1. Brown scored on the next snap.

Kentucky was back on the board on Brown’s kickoff return, meaning the teams combined to score 21 points in 40 seconds.

–Field Level Media

Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff runs for a first down against Georgia’s Chaz Chambliss Saturday night. Sept. 14, 2024

Lagging Kentucky offense expects challenge from Ohio

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The question will be obvious for Kentucky going into a home contest against Ohio on Saturday in Lexington.

How will the Wildcats respond to such a crushing defeat against the then-No. 1 team in the nation?

The Wildcats were oh-so-close to earning a victory over Georgia last weekend in what possibly would have been the biggest win in program history.

But following the 13-12 loss, Kentucky (1-2) has to pick up the pieces somehow and move on following consecutive Southeastern Conference losses at home. Kentucky lost in Week 2 to South Carolina.

The biggest issue for the Wildcats the past two weeks has been their offense.

Quarterback Brock Vandagriff is 29-for-55 passing for 313 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. All three TD passes came in the season-opening 31-0 win against Southern Mississippi.

Kentucky only managed 183 yards of total offense in a 31-6 loss to the Gamecocks on Sept. 7 and 284 against the Bulldogs.

The Wildcats didn’t score a touchdown in either of those games, so coach Mark Stoops is headed back to the offensive drawing board.

Stoops said the challenge of doing so against Ohio’s defense will be bigger than people realize.

“Defensively, they are very, very tough,” Stoops said. “They play very hard and they mix things up front. They play both four-down and three-down. They make you earn every yard. It goes back to what I always say: it’s about us. Just like last week, it’s about us and our preparation and what we do to put ourselves in a position to win.”

Ohio (2-1) arrives after back-to-back home wins over South Alabama and Morgan State, which followed a 38-22 season-opening loss at Syracuse.

The Bobcats have a potent rushing attack led by Anthony Tyus III, who rushed for 203 yards against Syracuse and already has 367 yards and four touchdowns on the season.

Ohio coach Tim Albin said running the ball will be tougher against a Kentucky defense that he praised.

“They’re big everywhere and physical,” Albin said. “Their defense, I don’t see a weakness. We’re going to have huge matchup problems.”

–Field Level Media

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) dropped back for a pass during the Kentucky Wildcats' Blue White scrimmage at Kroger Field on Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Kentucky. April 13, 2024

Ex-Georgia backup leads Kentucky against Southern Miss

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Kentucky doesn’t know what to expect from Southern Miss in the season opener Saturday night in Lexington, Ky.

That’s because the Golden Eagles have new coordinators on both sides of the ball and a new starting quarterback.

“You don’t know exactly what you’re going to get so we have to be prepared for quite a few things,” Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said. “We’ve got to handle things in stride. Nothing ever goes as smooth as you want it to. We have to be able to adapt and make adjustments and have nobody panic.”

Kentucky, 7-6 a year ago, has made some changes as well. Stoops brought in Bush Hamdan from Boise State as offensive coordinator and three-year Georgia backup Brock Vandagriff arrives as a graduate transfer to start at quarterback.

“You have to worry about yourself and how you execute, how you play, how cleanly you operate,” Stoops said.

Southern Miss is coming off its second three-win campaign in coach Will Hall’s three seasons. Hall is counting on new defensive coordinator Clay Bignell and offensive coordinator Chip Long and the arrival of former Florida State quarterback Tate Rodemaker to spur a dramatic improvement.

Rodemaker is expected to open against the Wildcats, although the Golden Eagles’ roster also lists sophomore Ethan Crawford atop the depth chart. Both could play as Crawford would provide a running complement to Rodemaker’s pocket passing. In four seasons with the Seminoles, Rodemaker started twice and played in 23 games.

“I think we’ve got a chance to be explosive on offense,” Hall said.

One of Rodemaker’s relief appearances came against Southern Miss last season when he completed all three of his passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns in FSU’s 66-13 romp. The Eagles had five other losses in which they allowed more than 40 points.

“I think we’re not a completed product yet,” Hall said, “but I really think it’s going to be a competitive bunch week in and week out that has a chance to do some really good things.”

–Field Level Media

Georgia Bulldogs quarterbacks Carson Beck (15) and quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) react on the field prior to the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia QB Brock Vandagriff bows out for Kentucky

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Quarterback Brock Vandagriff committed to Kentucky as a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.

A backup to Carson Beck in 2023, Vandagriff will be in the running to replace Devin Leary, a one-year starter who transferred to Kentucky from NC State, as the Wildcats’ starter in 2024.

Vandagriff arrived in Athens as the No. 17 overall recruit in the Class of 2021, per the 247Sports composite.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Georgia native completed 12 of 18 passes for 165 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions while backing up Beck in 2023.

Vandagriff confirmed he was leaving Athens in a farewell to the Bulldogs on Monday.

“Dawg Nation, thank you for the unwavering support over the past 3 years,” Vandagriff posted on X. “I was able to accomplish a huge goal of mine, which is graduating from the University of Georgia.”

Leary is out of eligibility and Beck is expected to return to Georgia in 2024 unless he’s convinced the NFL is an immediate option.

The Bulldogs hold a standing commitment from five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola in Georgia’s celebrated 2024 recruiting class.

–Field Level Media

Nov 25, 2023; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Dane Key (6) catches a touchdown pass under the pressure of Louisville Cardinals defensive back Storm Duck (29) during the first half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky strikes late to take down No. 10 Louisville

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Ray Davis raced 37 yards for the winning touchdown with 1:02 remaining to give visiting Kentucky a wild 38-31 victory over No. 10 Louisville on Saturday afternoon.

Davis also caught two touchdown passes and Barion Brown returned a kickoff for a score as the Wildcats (7-5) won the Governor’s Cup for the fifth straight time. Devin Leary threw three touchdown passes and J.J. Weaver recovered two fumbles, forced one and also recorded a sack as Kentucky won for just the second time in its past seven games.

Jack Plummer completed 24 of 33 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Cardinals (10-2), who had a four-game winning streak halted. Jahwar Jordan rushed for 67 yards and two scores and Joey Gatewood and Ahmari Huggins-Bruce had touchdown catches.

Louisville’s last shot came up empty when Plummer’s deep throw was intercepted by Jordan Lovett in the end zone with two seconds left.

Davis rushed for 76 yards to move over 1,000 for the season. He has 1,066. Leary completed 12 of 22 passes for 206 yards and an interception. Dane Key caught a touchdown pass.

The contest was tied at 24 in the fourth quarter when Kentucky’s D’Eryk Jackson punched the ball out of Plummer’s hand and Weaver chased it down at the Louisville 22-yard line. Two plays later, Davis caught a swing pass from Leary and raced 20 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 31-24 with 8:37 left.

Six minutes later, Plummer connected with Huggins-Bruce on the tying 21-yard scoring pass with 2:33 left.

Davis then broke free to the left on his decisive scoring dash.

The Cardinals received the kickoff to start the second half and possessed the ball for 9:10. Jordan scored from the 1 to cap the 15-play, 75-yard drive and give Louisville a 17-7 lead with 5:50 left in the third quarter.

Kentucky struck immediately on Brown’s 100-yard kickoff return. It is Brown’s second kickoff return score this season and the third of his career.

Louisville responded with Plummer’s 11-yard pass to Gatewood to make it a 10-point margin with 2:48 left in the third quarter.

Just 59 seconds later, Leary connected with Davis on a 20-yard touchdown pass to bring Kentucky within 24-21.

A short time later, Weaver forced Jordan to fumble and recovered the ball at the Louisville 48. That set up Alex Raynor’s tying 46-yard field goal with 10:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Jordan began the scoring when he rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead with 3:40 left in the first quarter.

Kentucky tied the score on Leary’s 9-yard scoring pass to Key with 8:07 left in the first half. Brock Travelstead booted a 46-yard field goal with 4:25 left as Louisville led 10-7.

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) waves to fans as he walks off the field during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Milroe (six total TDs) fuels No. 8 Alabama past Kentucky

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Jalen Milroe became the first player in Alabama history to pass for three touchdowns and run for three scores in the same game while leading the No. 8 Crimson Tide to a comfortable 49-21 victory over Kentucky on Saturday in Southeastern Conference play at Lexington, Ky.

Milroe completed 16 of 23 passes for 240 yards with one interception and added 36 yards on the ground. The quarterback, who was benched for a Week 3 game at South Florida, has rushed for seven touchdowns over the past two games and thrown for 10 in the last five contests.

Amari Niblack, Kobe Prentice and Roydell Williams caught touchdowns passes for the Crimson Tide (9-1, 7-0 SEC), who clinched a spot in the conference title game against No. 2 Georgia.

Alabama improved to 39-2-1 all-time against Kentucky.

Ray Davis rushed for two touchdowns for the Wildcats (6-4, 3-4), who have lost four of their past five games. Davis had just 26 yards on 12 carries.

Devin Leary completed 17 of 31 passes for 158 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Kentucky. Tayvion Robinson caught a touchdown pass.

Alabama outgained the Wildcats 450 to 253.

The Crimson Tide scored three first-quarter touchdowns to ensure this wouldn’t be a competitive contest.

Milroe tossed a 26-yard scoring pass to Niblack to cap Alabama’s opening drive and later threw a 40-yarder to Prentice to make it 14-0 with 5:32 left in the period.

Twenty seconds later, Milroe scored from the 1-yard line. The touchdown was set up by Caleb Downs’ 12-yard fumble return to the 1.

Leary threw a 6-yard scoring pass to Robinson to get Kentucky on the board with 1:30 left in the first quarter.

Milroe threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Williams to make it 28-7 with 10:14 left in the half.

The Wildcats pulled within 14 on Davis’ 2-yard run with 10:53 left in the third quarter. Milroe tacked on a 3-yard scoring run later in the third and added a 1-yard keeper 12 seconds into the final quarter to make it 42-14.

Jamarion Miller tacked on a 3-yard run to push Alabama’s lead to 35 with 9:46 left in the game. Davis scored from the 1 two minutes later.

–Field Level Media