Tag: Kentucky

Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley (8) scrambles with the ball during a NCAA football game against Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky on Oct. 25, 2025.

Freshman QB leads Kentucky into Auburn with Tigers at crossroads

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Auburn re-opened a quarterback competition thought to be wrapped in August when Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold took the reins.

Ashton Daniels tagged in for Arnold as the Tigers (4-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) dispatched Arkansas last week, prompting head coach Hugh Freeze to open the competition entering Saturday’s game against visiting Kentucky (2-5, 0-5).

He went to Daniels for the Tigers first SEC victory of the season, a 33-24 victory over the Razorbacks. Arnold was pulled after an interception and 89-yard return. But Freeze wasn’t ready to make a call on his starter this week, calling open competition a great motivator.

“It’s an open competition to see who prepares and plays the best. They both will split reps and then we’ll make a decision,” Freeze said.

Kentucky spun out in a high-scoring loss to Tennessee last week, 56-34. The defeat followed losses to ranked SEC foes Texas and Georgia. The Wildcats have lost four in a row, and head coach Mark Stoops wasn’t shy about sharing the pain of disappointment,

But he said there is no concern in his mind about players losing motivation or “letting go of the rope” the final month of the season.

“These guys have had a very strong mindset and their attitude has been right the entire time. It is difficult. Let’s be honest,” he said. “The guys have worked very hard, and that’s why we’re all disappointed, one way or another. A loss is a loss, and it doesn’t feel good, and your pride gets bruised and hurt, and you get battered up as the year goes on, but you have to pick yourself back up.”

The Wildcats average 24.1 points per game, ahead of only Florida and South Carolina in the conference, and close behind Auburn (24.6).

Kentucky wouldn’t be afraid of a field-position game if the Wildcats were confident running back Seth McGowan can return. He “tried like heck” to get on the field at Tennessee but has battled a shoulder injury since exiting the loss to Texas.

“It has to do with whether he is physically strong enough to hold the ball in certain locations where he is at,” Stoops said.

McGowan leads the team with 476 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Without McGowan, freshman quarterback Cutter Boley threw five TD passes and racked up 330 yards in the loss at Tennessee. He was 57-of-74 passing for 588 yards the past two weeks.

Boley has been the starter since Sept. 22, replacing the injured Zach Calzada. The next assignment — a primetime visit to Auburn — won’t be easy. The Tigers are deep and talented in the secondary with a strong defensive line. While Boley was putting up big numbers in the previous two games, Auburn’s defense snagged five interceptions.

If the Tigers make the switch at the position, Freeze said “zero” will change with the offensive playcalling, reasoning the similarities between his quarterbacks can be a plus.

Saturday is a huge crossroads game for Freeze. Auburn still has games against top-10 ranked Vanderbilt (Nov. 8) and Alabama (Nov. 29).

Daniels didn’t shy away from the competition, and wants a chance to perform on the primetime stage this week.

“Iron always sharpens iron, and at the end of the day whoever is playing on Saturday is going to be prepared to get the win for us,” Daniels said.

Auburn’s unsettled backfield expects a jolt from sophomore running back Durell Robinson. He’s pegged for his first appearance in six weeks after practicing for two weeks and receiving medical clearance from a leg injury.

Jeremiah Cobb has four consecutive 100-yard games and remains the featured back, but the Tigers are in need of rotational options since Damar Alston was dismissed from the team. Cobb had a career-high 28 carries (and 153 yards) last week.

His physicality and the demeanor of the offensive line caught Stoops’ attention.

“They’re very physical and he breaks a lot of tackles and is very talented,” Stoops said of Cobb. “He has great vision, he has great balance, he has great strength and so he can run through some tackles. So to your point, I don’t want to be sitting here next week talking about tackling. It’s about team defense, being in great position, being very physical at the point of attack, and bringing your legs with you and wrapping it up. He’s very talented. He makes a lot of people miss.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks to pass during the second quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

After goal-line stand in OT, Mason Shipley’s FG lifts No. 21 Texas over Kentucky

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Mason Shipley booted a game-winning 45-yard field goal in overtime after the Texas defense made a goal-line stand as the 21st-ranked Texas Longhorns Texas escaped with a 16-13 victory over upset-minded Kentucky on Saturday evening in a Southeastern Conference matchup in Lexington, Ky.

Shipley and Kentucky’s Jacob Kauwe traded field goals from 39 and 45 yards, respectively, in the final minute of regulation to send the game to overtime.

Kentucky got the ball first in the extra period and drove to the Texas 1 before eschewing a sure field goal and deciding to try to punch the ball into the end zone with runs up the middle on both third and fourth down.

Dante Dowdell was denied both times by Texas safety Michael Taaffe, with the latter stop turning the ball over on downs and all but handing the win to the Longhorns.

Texas (5-2, 2-1 SEC) began its possession with a holding penalty and gained just eight yards on its next three snaps before Shipley pounded home the deciding points. Arch Manning passed for 132 yards to lead a scuffling Texas offense.

The Wildcats (2-4, 0-4 SEC) did about everything correct except win. They outgained the Longhorns 395-179, had a whopping 26-8 edge in first downs and nearly doubled Texas in time of possession.

Cutter Boley passed for 258 yards and ran for the Wildcats’ only touchdown in the loss, which was the ninth straight in conference play for Kentucky.

The Longhorns utilized their special teams to set the table for the first half’s only touchdown when Ryan Niblett returned a Wildcats’ punt 45 yards to the Kentucky 5-yard line. Three plays later, Quintrevion Wisner scored on a 1-yard plunge just before he fumbled at the goal line, giving the Longhorns a 7-0 lead at the 6:22 mark of the second quarter.

The Wildcats had a chance to cut into the Texas lead with a final possession before halftime, but Kauwe’s 53-yard field goal attempt drifted wide left.

Kauwe made amends when he drilled a 46-yard field goal with 4:09 to play in the third quarter at the end of a 15-play, 53-yard march. Shipley countered with a 53-yard field goal on the ensuing possession to extend the Longhorns’ lead to 10-3.

Boley got loose for a 16-yard scoring run with 12:04 to play in regulation to tie the score at 10 and set the stage for athe furious finish.

–Field Level Media

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks to throw a pass in the first half of the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025.

No. 21 Texas eager to build resume in rare trip to Kentucky

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 21 Texas will look to add to its resume and build on perhaps its best overall performance of the season when it travels to the Bluegrass State for the first time since 1993 to battle Kentucky on Saturday night in a Southeastern Conference clash in Lexington.

Texas owns a 2-0 lead in the all-time series against the Wildcats, with both games played in Austin, most recently a 31-14 victory in 2024. The Longhorns’ only other game in Kentucky was a 41-10 loss at Louisville 32 years ago.

The Longhorns (4-2, 1-1) posted their first conference win of the season when they beat then-No. 6 Oklahoma 23-6 on Saturday in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas. The victory pushed Texas, which began the season as the top-ranked team in the Associated Press poll, back into the poll after a week’s absence.

Quarterback Arch Manning showed improvement in the victory over the rival Sooners, completing 21 of 27 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown while better managing the game.

“One thing that Arch has done is he’s been very even-keeled,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. “He’s continued to work at his craft. Last week, he had a ton of third-down conversions. Some of them were off schedule, and that’s a strength of his. What he’s doing better is keeping his eyes up and keeping his vision up.”

Texas’ Quintrevion Wisner added 128 total yards (94 on the ground), and Ryan Niblett secured the win over Oklahoma when he returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Texas’ defense returned to form after a lackluster performance on Oct. 4 in a 29-21 loss at Florida, grabbing three interceptions and posting five sacks while allowing Oklahoma just 258 yards of total offense.

“It doesn’t matter what people write or say — it’s about what we do,” Sarkisian said. “It’s a lesson learned for us, and that’s where I talk about the maturity of our team. This is a great week for us to show our maturity for how far we’ve come as a team.”

The Wildcats (2-3, 0-3) will try to regroup after a bye week that followed a 35-14 loss at then-No. 12 Georgia on Oct. 4. Cutter Boley threw for 225 yards and two scores and was intercepted once in the loss as Kentucky fell for the second straight outing.

“We had a really good, productive bye week,” Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said Monday. “We needed to get some guys healthy and needed to get better, and I feel like we got a lot of work done.

“We looked a lot at ourselves, all the coaching pieces and what can we do better, how can we put our players in better position (to win). Sometimes it is just flat-out execution and you have to be able to carry over things.”

The Wildcats have a huge chance to find footing in the conference race. Kentucky has dropped eighth straight SEC games since beating Ole Miss on Sept. 28, 2024.

“(This team) is a hard-working group,” Stoops said. “We know what we want our football teams to look like, what I want them to look like each and every year. I feel like this team is very united, working extremely hard and very much passionate about getting better each and every day. And if we stay that way, then we’ll see the results eventually.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops shown on the sidelines during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Mark Stoops says ‘zero chance’ he steps down from Kentucky

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Mark Stoops isn’t going anywhere.

The Kentucky head coach denied a report that he told athletic director Mitch Barnhart that he wanted to leave the program after a loss in November last season to Tennessee.

“There’s zero chance I’m walking away. Zero,” Stoops told reporters after Saturday’s 35-14 road loss to Georgia to fall to 2-3 overall and 0-3 in the Southeastern Conference.

He added: “That’s unequivocally 100 percent false, and anyone who says anything else is lying.”

Kentucky has been roughed up in SEC play of late, falling to 1-10 in its last 11 league games after the team’s blowout defeat to the Bulldogs. The Wildcats have been outscored 312-163 in that span.

They’re also 20-23 overall since a 10-3 campaign in 2021. Kentucky is 69-76 and made eight consecutive bowl appearances from 2016-23 under Stoops, who’s the SEC’s longest-tenured head coach after beginning his tenure with the program in 2013. The team went 4-8 last season, 1-7 in the SEC.

If the Wildcats were to fire Stoops, they’d owe him 75 percent of his remaining salary. He currently has a $38-million buyout.

Kentucky won’t catch a break after its bye, as it has back-to-back games against ranked Texas and Tennessee.

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Dillon Bell (86) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Gunner Stockton leads No. 12 Georgia past Kentucky

Posted on | by Field Level Media

ATHENS, Ga. — Gunner Stockton completed 15 of 23 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 48 yards and two scores as No. 12 Georgia breezed past Kentucky 35-14 in Southeastern Conference play Saturday.

Dillon Bell had four catches for 68 yards and added two scores on the ground, while Chauncey Bowens had 70 rushing yards for the Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1), who beat the Wildcats (2-3, 0-3) for the 16th straight time.

Cutter Boley completed 25 of 41 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception, for Kentucky, which dropped its eighth straight conference game since beating Ole Miss on Sept. 28, 2024.

Leading 21-7 after halftime, Georgia recovered its first fumble of the season as CJ Allen forced and recovered Seth McGowan’s fumble at Kentucky’s 38-yard line. Stockton then hit Oscar Delp for a 36-yard gain before Bell’s 3-yard touchdown rush extended Georgia’s lead to 21 at the 10:54 mark of the third quarter.

After Kentucky’s fourth punt, the Bulldogs added to their lead on Stockton’s 16-yard passing touchdown to Cash Jones with 4:23 remaining in the quarter, giving Georgia a 35-7 advantage.

Grant Grayton intercepted Georgia backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi late in the fourth, leading to Boley’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Kendrick Law with 1:51 to play.

In the first quarter, Georgia struck first with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive, stamped by Stockton’s 7-yard rushing score at the 8:51 mark of the first quarter.

After Kentucky’s first punt, Georgia doubled its lead after Stockton engineered a 13-play, 96-yard drive that ended with Stockton’s 6-yard rushing touchdown.

Kentucky found its offensive rhythm on the next drive, as Boley’s 38-yard pass to Law was followed by Boley’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Josh Kattus, slicing the Wildcats’ deficit to 14-7 with 14:21 left in the second quarter.

Stockton then threw his first interception of the season as Jordan Lovett picked him off and returned the ball to the Wildcats’ 28-yard line.

Kentucky then punted on consecutive drives before Bell’s 3-yard rushing score gave Georgia a 21-7 lead with 2:45 remaining in the first half.

Kentucky’s Jacob Kauwe missed a 26-yard field goal as time expired before halftime.

–By Jack Batten, Field Level Media

Sep 20, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) runs the ball against the Missouri Tigers during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Kentucky readies backup quarterback traveling to South Carolina

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A challenging atmosphere awaits Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley, as he gets his first start against a Southeastern Conference opponent in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday night.

With both teams seeking their first SEC victory, there is urgency for Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC) and particularly for South Carolina (2-2, 0-2), which was ranked No. 11 before losing to Vanderbilt, 31-7, and falling last week at Missouri, 29-20.

“Going on the road, in the SEC, playing at night is never easy,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “It’s gonna be a great challenge, a game that’s important to both of us.”

Boley, a redshirt freshman, made his second career start in a 48-23 win over Eastern Kentucky two weeks ago, completing 12 of 21 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

Boley was playing for injured Zach Calzada, who started Kentucky’s first two games. After a bye week, and with Calzada not yet fully recovered from a shoulder issue, Boley has risen to the top of the depth chart.

“We’ve been very confident in Cutter,” Stoops said. “I also told him the whole time, ‘You’re gonna get that opportunity.”

South Carolina also has had to deal with an injury situation at quarterback as preseason Heisman Trophy candidate LaNorris Sellers was knocked out on a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first half of the loss to Vanderbilt.

Sellers returned last week at Missouri and completed 18 of 28 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

But the Gamecocks were no match for the Tigers at the line of scrimmage. While Missouri gained 285 yards on the ground, South Carolina netted minus 9 yards rushing.

“We’ve got good offensive linemen. We’ve got good running backs. We’ve got a quarterback that can run,” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said. “There’s a running threat. We’re just not executing well enough.”

Negative plays were crippling for the Gamecocks as they yielded five sacks for 46 yards and committed 14 penalties covering 98 yards.

“We’ve got what we need. We’re just not doing it well enough right now as a whole,” Beamer said. “We haven’t gotten the best out of this team.”

South Carolina has won the last three meetings after Kentucky won seven of eight games in the series from 2014 to 2021.

– Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

QB change expected for Kentucky against Eastern Michigan

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kentucky reportedly is making a quarterback change ahead of Saturday’s showdown against Eastern Michigan in Lexington, Ky.

Multiple reports Thursday indicated that the Wildcats (1-1) will start Cutter Boley over Zach Calzada, who sustained a shoulder injury in last week’s 30-23 loss to then-No. 20 Ole Miss.

Calzada has struggled in the early going and the seventh-year signal-caller was absent from practice to begin the week.

“Zach understands there are things that we all can do better, that he can do better,” Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said. “He’s a little beat up right now, but he has to get himself healthy and get back out there as soon as he can. He’ll be fine.”

Calzada has completed just 47.2 percent of his passes through Kentucky’s first two games, throwing for 234 yards with an interception and no touchdowns.

Boley came in for Calzada in the fourth quarter against Mississippi, completing one of his three pass attempts for 38 yards. He played in four games for the Wildcats in 2024, completing 26 of 53 passes for 338 yards, two TDs and four interceptions.

Eastern Michigan (0-2) has struggled through its first two games, losing 52-27 at Texas State in the season opener and 28-23 at home last weekend against Long Island — its first loss to an FCS school in 13 years.

“It was a tough night for us on Saturday night,” Eagles head coach Chris Creighton said. “When it doesn’t go your way, can you learn from it, flush it, and move on to the next week?”

The Eagles are led on offense by quarterback Noah Kim (437 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions) and running back Dontae McMillan (204 yards from scrimmage and two TDs), with defensive back Bryce Llewellyn (12 tackles) anchoring the defense.

Eastern Michigan and Kentucky have played twice before, with the Wildcats winning both meetings at home in 2017 and 2019.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive lineman Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace (90) reaches for Mississippi Rebels running back Kewan Lacy (5) while tight end Dae'Quan Wright (8) attempts to block during the fourth quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kewan Lacy carries No. 20 Ole Miss to win over Kentucky

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Kewan Lacy rushed for 138 yards and had one of Ole Miss’ three rushing touchdowns as the No. 20 Rebels held off Kentucky 30-23 in both teams’ SEC opener Saturday in Lexington, Kentucky.

Damien Taylor and Austin Simmons, who passed for 235 yards but was intercepted twice before leaving midway through the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, had the other rushing touchdowns for Ole Miss (2-0).

Seth McGowan rushed for 93 yards and had both touchdowns for the Wildcats (1-1), but Zach Calzada passed for just 149 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter because of a shoulder injury.

Lucas Carneiro’s 28-yard field goal midway through the third quarter increased Ole Miss’ lead to 20-13, but on the ensuing possession, McGowan ran 8 yards for a tying touchdown.

Simmons answered with a 7-yard touchdown run that gave the Rebels a 27-20 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Kentucky reached the Ole Miss 20 before turning the ball over on downs midway through the fourth quarter. Cutter Boley replaced Calzada and moved the Wildcats to the Rebels’ 26 but was sacked on fourth-and-7 with 4:11 remaining.

Carneiro kicked a 36-yard field goal for a 10-point lead before Kentucky’s Jacob Kauwe kicked a 39-yarder with eight seconds remaining.

Ty Bryant intercepted Simmons late in the first quarter, giving the Wildcats the ball at the Ole Miss 32. McGowan eventually ran 9 yards for a touchdown to give Kentucky a 7-0 lead.

Wallace was intercepted again by Bryant as the Wildcats took over at the Rebels’ 32, and the 7-0 lead held through the end of the first quarter.

On the second play of the second quarter, Kauwe kicked a 33-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.

Simmons’ 55-yard completion to Harrison Wallace III, who finished with 117 receiving yards, on 4th-and-1 set up Lacy’s 1-yard touchdown run to trim the lead to 10-7.

The Rebels took a 14-10 lead on their next possession thanks to Taylor’s 1-yard touchdown run. Kauwe’s 31-yard field goal and Carneiro’s 43-yarder left Ole Miss with a 17-13 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Aug 30, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Kewan Lacy (5) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss, Kentucky head into conference play after warm-up wins

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ole Miss had an easy time winning its season opener.

Kentucky had more difficulty but won its opener, too.

One game is all the two Southeastern Conference rivals get before jumping into conference play when the No. 20 Rebels face the Wildcats in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday afternoon.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was mostly happy about a team featuring 15 players making their first start for the program that rolled to a 63-7 victory against visiting Georgia State last week.

The Rebels’ offense gained 695 yards — 400 passing — and the defense allowed just 69 passing yards.

But Kiffin doesn’t have to look far back to show his players that non-conference success doesn’t necessarily translate into SEC success.

The 2024 Rebels rolled to a 4-0 start against non-conference opponents, outscoring them 220-22. Then came the SEC opener, and visiting Kentucky upset Ole Miss 20-17.

“Look back to last year and we’re trying to do more preparation this year because of that jump from non-conference to SEC play,” Kiffin said. “Us not playing well the first time out last year, hopefully it’ll help us this year.”

Ole Miss’ point total against Kentucky last season matched its season low, but the Rebels bounced back to win five of their last seven, finishing 10-3 and narrowly missing the College Football Playoff.

“It’s been a long season and a long offseason since we played them last,” Kiffin said. “We just need to play better than we did last year.”

Kiffin noted a couple of ways in which his team can play better than it did last week. The Rebels turned the ball over twice, and the coach said defense’s tackling can use improvement.

One of the players making his Ole Miss debut last week was Missouri transfer Kewan Lacy, who rushed for 108 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. Redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons took over as the quarterback after watching Jaxson Dart for two seasons and completed 20 of 31 passes for 341 yards.

Defensive lineman Zxavian Harris had five tackles, including the Rebels’ only sack, an interception and two quarterback hurries.

The Wildcats unveiled a new starting quarterback of their own in a 24-16 victory over visiting Toledo in the opener, but three-time transfer Zach Calzada wasn’t as productive as Simmons was for the Rebels.

“I think Zach was really pressing,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “He did some good things. He put the ball in some places that we needed to convert, then he missed some. There’s a lot that he can improve on.”

Calzada completed 10 of 23 passes for 85 yards, but Dante Dowdell rushed for 129 of the Wildcats’ 305 total yards and a touchdown while the defense limited the Rockets to 59 yards rushing. Kentucky had three sacks and six tackles for loss.

The victory over Ole Miss last season improved Kentucky to 3-2, but the Wildcats won just one more time and didn’t win another SEC game, finishing 4-8 and 1-7.

“It’s not easy to put last year in the rear-view mirror,” Stoops said. “But that’s what we all do. You always learn from every game, good or bad.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 30, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Zach Calzada (5) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Toledo Rockets at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Zach Calzada, Kentucky open with win over Toledo

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Dante Dowdell ran untouched for a 79-yard touchdown with 9:22 to play, and Kentucky made Zach Calzada’s debut successful with a 24-16 victory over Toledo on Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Ky.

A transfer from Nebraska, Dowdell ran for a career-high 129 yards on 14 attempts. He scored Kentucky’s third rushing TD to give the Wildcats (1-0) some breathing room when Toledo (0-1) scored with 1:55 left.

After Toledo cut its deficit to 17-9 on a 9-yard TD run by quarterback Tucker Gleason with 9:38 left, Dowdell raced untouched down the right sideline on the first play of the subsequent drive.

Calzada rushed for a short touchdown in the first half of his debut with his fourth school after stints with Auburn, Texas A&M and Incarnate Word. Kentucky’s Seth McGowan added a 6-yard rushing TD while contributing 78 yards on 18 attempts, including 27 on his team’s second TD drive.

Calzada completed 10 of 23 passes for 85 yards and often had trouble completing deep passes before Kentucky shifted to a heavier running attack in the second half.

After Calzada struggled with deep throws in a bid to expand a 10-2 lead, he guided a 12-play, 76-yard drive spanning 6:27. The Wildcats ran nine times on the drive and expanded their lead on McGowan’s TD with 12:30 remaining.

Gleason completed 23 of 40 passes for 270 yards for Toledo. Junior Vandeross III was targeted 11 times and had seven catches for 88 yards, including a 20-yard TD with 1:55 remaining to pull the Rockets to 24-16.

Toledo scored its first points by sacking Calzada in the end zone with 13:08 remaining in the second but sabotaged its upset bid by committing 11 penalties for 94 yards. The Rockets committed two crucial pass interferences to set up Kentucky’s first two TDs.

Calzada’s 1-yard plunge with 6:27 left in the first quarter opened the scoring, and Jacob Kauwe’s 45-yard field goal with 2:04 left in the second put Kentucky ahead 10-2 by halftime.

–Field Level Media