Tag: Wildcats

Reports: Kentucky plans to fire coach Mark Stoops

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kentucky is set to fire coach Mark Stoops on Monday, per multiple reports.

Stoops, 58, has spent the past 13 seasons at Kentucky and is the program’s winningest coach at 82-80. He guided the Wildcats 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.

Stoops was asked after that game if there was any possibility he would step down from his post.

“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.”

Stoops didn’t budge when a follow-up question was tossed his way.

“Zero percent chance I walk away,” Stoops said. “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.”

Stoops’ buyout is about $37.7 million, 75% of the salary remaining on his contract.

There is a team meeting scheduled for Monday to address the team’s coaching situation, according to multiple reports.

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 hired Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss.

–Field Level Media

Illinois forces four turnovers, holds off Northwestern in snowy rivalry win

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Ca’Lil Valentine ran for 74 yards and a touchdown Saturday night while the Illinois defense came up with four turnovers to secure a 20-13 win over visiting Northwestern in Champaign, Ill.

The Fighting Illini (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter to seal the result. Leon Lowery Jr. recovered Preston Stone’s fumble on a quarterback sneak at their 10 with 10:17 left in the game, followed by two Miles Scott interceptions in the final 5 1/2 minutes.

Luke Altmyer completed 10 of 15 passes for 136 yards for Illinois, which gained only 284 yards but avoided the major mistakes that have colored some of its losses this year. It committed just one turnover and had only five penalties for 44 yards.

Stone completed 19 of 36 attempts for 163 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. The Wildcats (6-6, 4-5) reached the Illini 44 on their last drive but a 4th-down incompletion with 36 seconds left ended their chances.

The only points in the second half came on field goals. David Alano hit kicks of 47 and 27 yards for the Illini, while Jack Olsen connected from 26 for Northwestern.

The pregame storyline concerned a late-fall storm that dumped heavy snow on central Illinois. The field at Memorial Stadium was covered by the time the teams kicked off the first November night game in the facility’s 102-year history.

But the cold weather and poor playing conditions didn’t affect the teams’ ability to move the ball. Northwestern initiated scoring with a drive of 9:18 that culminated with a 38-yard field goal by Olsen with 16 seconds left in the first quarter.

After being denied on its opening drive that chewed up nearly 5 1/2 minutes, Illinois took a 7-3 lead when Valentine scored on a 6-yard run with 11:27 left in the first half. Stone put the Wildcats up 10-7 via a 13-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Eligon II at the 5:50 mark.

But Stone tossed his first interception after the 2-minute timeout to set up the Illini with a 48-yard field. They cashed it in as Kaden Feagin powered in from the 1 with 30 seconds remaining for a 14-10 halftime edge.

–Field Level Media

Kansas State faces challenge whoever plays QB for No. 12 Utah

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Keeping quarterbacks healthy is once again a dilemma for No. 12 Utah as it heads into its final regular-season home game against Kansas State on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Starting quarterback Devon Dampier has been battling an ankle injury for at least a month. Dampier’s availability for the Utes on Saturday is still unknown. The junior already missed one game this season and his mobility has been noticeably limited in other recent games when he’s played.

“Day-by-day is (the way) we’re taking it, and that’s the best answer I can give you,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said, noting that Dampier is a physical runner by nature and his style of play takes a toll on his body.

Unlike last season, an injured quarterback hasn’t sent the Utes (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) into a downward spiral. Byrd Ficklin has flourished as Dampier’s understudy, keeping the offense humming with his speed and playmaking abilities.

Ficklin earned Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors after running for 166 yards and two touchdowns in Utah’s 55-28 victory over Baylor last week. He scored on runs of 67 yards and 74 yards against the Bears. His knack for ripping off big runs has Ficklin leading all Big 12 players with 9.4 yards per carry.

“He’s maturing and becoming more seasoned every single week,” Whittingham said. “He has not had a game where he was inserted where the stage was too big. He has responded every single time he’s been in the game.”

Ficklin’s emergence, coupled with dynamic running from Wayshawn Parker, have given Utah a running attack that is absolutely shredding one opponent after another. The Utes lead the Big 12 with 278.4 rushing yards per game. Utah has 380 or more rushing yards in two of its last three games.

Matching Utah’s potent offense will be a tall task for the Wildcats.

Kansas State (5-5, 4-3) needs a win in one of its two final games to get bowl eligible. The Wildcats moved to the brink of bowl eligibility with a 14-6 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla., where they forced five turnovers.

Moving the chains hasn’t been easy for Kansas State this season. The Wildcats are averaging 354.9 yards per game against fellow Big 12 teams, which ranks 13th in the league. And it only gets harder with them facing the Utes without top receiver Jayce Brown after he suffered a season-ending injury against the Cowboys.

Utah is allowing averages of only 15.6 points and 327.3 yards in 10 games this season.

Still, Kansas State coach Chris Klieman is 3-1 as a double-digit underdog in Big 12 play since 2019. Utah is a 17.5 point-favorite on Saturday.

“Maybe this is a challenge that comes at the right time,” Klieman said. “Maybe we can go carefree and just go and play really good football.”

This is the first meeting between these schools. Kansas State is 0-5 all-time in the state of Utah, with four losses to BYU and a setback to Utah State.

–Field Level Media

No. 25 Cincinnati controls path to Big 12 title game, starting vs. Arizona

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No. 25 Cincinnati controls its destiny, or at least its path to the the Big 12 championship game.

If the Bearcats finish the last three weeks of the regular season with wins against Arizona, BYU and TCU, they’ll be in the conference title game.

The first challenge for Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1 Big 12) is Saturday at home against Arizona (6-3, 3-3).

The Wildcats have won their last two games against Colorado and Kansas after losing in double-overtime at home against BYU and falling short at Houston on a last-second field goal.

Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield is especially concerned about Arizona’s defense.

The Wildcats rank third in the Big 12 in total defense, allowing 302 yards per game. Their pass defense is second in the league at 160.1 yards allowed per game, close behind leader Utah (156.8).

In Cincinnati’s last game before its bye week, the Bearcats lost 45-14 at Utah. Brendan Sorsby struggled, completing 11 of 33 attempts for 221 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“Everybody has to go out and execute at a high level,” Satterfield said. “When you’re playing really good defenses like Arizona’s, you have to execute. If one or two guys are not executing, then you’re going to have a much more difficult time moving the football.

“We’ve seen that from Arizona over this season, they do some great things on defense and shut down a lot of good offenses.”

Arizona coach Brent Brennan is equally impressed with Cincinnati’s offensive execution with Sorsby at quarterback.

Sorsby has the second-highest efficiency rating in the conference at 161.5. Sorsby has completed 144 of 237 pass attempts for 2,064 yards with 21 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

“The quarterback is the best quarterback we’ve seen so far,” Brennan said. “He’s a really, really clean passer, and he’s extremely athletic.

“This is the most team speed I think we’ve seen. … It is what we think is best football team we have played this year.”

Brennan added that Cincinnati receiver Cyrus Allen “is the best receiver we’ve played against.” Allen leads the Big 12 with 10 receiving touchdowns. He has 36 catches for 514 yards, an average of 14.3 yards per reception.

Cincinnati running back Evan Pryor, who missed the Utah game with an ankle injury, is questionable to play against Arizona. Pryor has rushed for 478 yards on 66 carries with three touchdowns.

“We’ll see where we’re at by the end of the week, but he’s making great improvement,” Satterfield said.

Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita enters the game with the opportunity to break the program record for the most career touchdowns in program history. His 67 touchdowns match the record held by Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama.

Fifita has completed 182 of 285 pass attempts this season for 2,200 yards with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Ismail Mahdi leads Arizona in rushing with 597 yards on 88 carries.

Quincy Craig, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, produced the game-winning 24-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds left last week in the 24-20 win over Kansas.

–Field Level Media

Kentucky dominates Florida for 31-point victory

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Cutter Boley passed for two scores, Seth McGowan ran for a pair and Kentucky notched its second straight win by walloping Florida 38-7 on Saturday night in Lexington, Ken.

The freshman quarterback was an efficient 18-of-23 passing for 168 yards, the two TDs with one interception for the Wildcats (4-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference), who took a 24-7 lead at the half.

Dante Dowdell rushed for 104 yards on seven carries, including a 65-yard touchdown run. McGowan had 92 yards on 22 attempts with scores on runs of 2 and 5 yards.

DJ Lagway had a poor performance for the Gators (3-6, 2-4). The sophomore from Texas struggled by going 11 of 19 for 83 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions, prompting his benching at halftime.

Freshman backup Tramell Jones Jr. was 9 of 17 for 60 yards in relief.

Running back Jadan Baugh rushed for 64 yards on 17 carries and caught a 10-yard TD pass in the first quarter for the Gators’ lone score.

Each team committed four turnovers in the lopsided contest.

On Florida’s first possession, Kentucky was set up when defensive back Ty Bryant intercepted Lagway and returned it 17 yards. Jacob Kauwe soon booted a 39-yard field goal at 6:42 for a 3-0 edge.

In their second game under interim coach Billy Gonzales, Florida recovered a muffed punt at Kentucky’s 13. Lagway found Baugh on third down, completing a 10-yard pass with 1:12 left in the quarter.

Boley hit J.J. Hester for a 29-yard score to cap a 75-yard drive at 12:39 of the second quarter.

The theme of points off turnovers continued when Cam Dooley recovered a Florida fumble. Boley hit a receiver for paydirt again when he connected with Jason Patterson from 15 yards for a 17-7 advantage.

McGowan rushed for a short score with 1:26 left, but the teams combined for four turnovers in the final seven plays before halftime as Kentucky led by 17.

In the third, the Wildcats went 75 yards in 13 plays. McGowan capped the strong series by taking a direct snap and scampering in from 5 yards out.

The 31-7 margin represented the Wildcats’ largest lead against Florida since 1979 (31-3) when the Gators were caught in what ultimately became an 0-10-1 season.

Dowdell streaked away on a 65-yard scoring run at 12:16 in the fourth quarter for the final points.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Defensively challenged Arizona, Colorado desperate for a win

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Optimistic fans at Arizona and Colorado are looking at their remaining schedules and trying to find enough wins to become bowl eligible.

It’s safe to suggest that Arizona (4-3, 1-3 Big 12) counts Colorado as a potential win while the Buffaloes (3-5, 1-4) are doing the same with the Wildcats as they prepare for Saturday’s showdown in Boulder, Colo.

Arizona, which comes off a bye week, wants to snap a two-game skid. Colorado spent last Saturday suffering a 53-7 loss at Utah.

Home field could be a big advantage for the Buffaloes. They’re 3-2 at home with the only setbacks near-upsets of Georgia Tech (27-20 loss in the season opener) and BYU (24-21 defeat on Sept. 27).

Meanwhile, Arizona has lost its only two road games this season against Iowa State and Houston.

“When I look at Colorado, I think they are a team that is incredibly tough at home,” said Arizona coach Brent Brennan, who is 1-6 on the road in his two seasons with the Wildcats. “We know going into this that we’re going to have to play in an incredible atmosphere. It’s homecoming. It’s sold-out.

“It’s going to be a really challenging atmosphere. Crowd noise, elevation, all that good stuff.”

Another concern for Brennan is the Wildcats’ rush defense, which yielded 490 yards on the ground in its losses the last two games — 258 to BYU and 232 at Houston.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Tuesday that he had yet to return to his home after the loss at Utah because of the amount of work needed in all phases after the blowout loss.

“Last week was a tremendous surprise because of the great practices we had,” he said. “These young men have responded tremendously, and I’m proud of them. I’m trying to push every button I can.”

Arizona’s hopes rest on quarterback Noah Fifita, who hit 24 of 26 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns on Oct. 18 at Houston. Fifita has completed 65.9% of his passes for 1,829 yards and 17 touchdowns with four interceptions in seven games this season.

“The kid, to me, is a pro,” Sanders said. “He can play.”

Fifita gets a chance to burnish his reputation against a Colorado unit that ranks No. 119 in team defense in FBS, yielding 427.6 yards a game.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) drops back to pass during the fourth quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Kansas favored to snap 16-year losing streak vs. Kansas State

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For the past 16 seasons, Kansas State and Kansas have squared off on the gridiron with the exact same result — a Kansas State victory. But for the first time in recent memory, Kansas is favored in the “Sunflower Showdown,” which the Jayhawks will host on Saturday.

Kansas State (3-4, 2-2 Big 12) comes into the contest off a bye, but there’s no advantage because Kansas (4-3, 2-2) is in the same situation.

Kansas State enjoyed maybe its best game of the season two weekends ago as the Wildcats easily handled TCU. The Wildcats used three Avery Johnson touchdown passes and two defensive scores to defeat the Horned Frogs, 41-28. The Wildcats scored 28 straight points in the middle quarters and never saw their lead dip below 13 the rest of the game.

But just like coaches like to say “don’t let a team beat you twice,” referring to allowing disappointment to affect the next game, Kansas State coach Chris Klieman knows his squad can’t rest on the laurels of their last victory — or the 16-game winning streak against their archrival.

“They’re really talented,” Klieman said. “As I’ve watched them, it really starts with (Jalon) Daniels. I’ve been really impressed with him for a number of years now. I’ve been impressed with how he plays. He’s the leader of the group. The thing that impressed me the most is that he stayed in the fight.”

Daniels leads a balanced Kansas offense. The Jayhawks are averaging 263.3 yards per game through the air and 155 yards per game on the ground.

Kansas ran into a buzzsaw two weekends ago when the Jayhawks suffered a 42-17 loss to No. 9 Texas Tech as the Red Raiders scored the final 21 points of the game. Daniels finished 27 of 33 for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

Head coach Lance Leipold knows his players will be ready for Saturday.

“Guys know if it’s a rival game and why,” he said. “Whether they got here six months ago or six years ago, they know that. If guys get extra fired up for those games, does it mean they’re not fired up for other games? You have a routine, and you should be playing at your fullest for each and every snap, regardless of who you’re playing against.”

–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

Oct 18, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Robert Fitzgerald (6) reacts after intercepting a pass against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Wildcats blank Boilermakers for first shutout in eight years

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Quarterback Preston Stone passed for two touchdowns and the Northwestern Wildcats piled up 232 rushing yards to extend their winning streak to four games with a 19-0 Big Ten victory over Purdue on Saturday afternoon in Evanston, Ill.

Joseph Himon Jr. had 87 yards rushing — one of three Wildcats with at least 50 — and Northwestern (5-2, 3-1) posted its first shutout since a 39-0 home victory over Minnesota on Nov. 18, 2017.

Purdue (2-5, 0-4), which lost starting quarterback Ryan Browne to injury on the first play of the second half, has lost 13 straight Big Ten games since earning a 35-31 victory over Indiana for the Old Oaken Bucket in the final game of the 2023 season.

Northwestern dominated from the outset, scoring on its first three drives for a 13-0 lead. Jack Olsen’s 27-yard field goal capped a 14-play, 66-yard drive with the opening kickoff.

Stone’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Welcing concluded a 14-play, 74-yard drive two minutes into the second quarter. The Wildcats ran 28 of the game’s first 31 plays.

Olsen’s 38-yard field capped a 60-yard drive to make it 13-0 with 8:38 left in the first half. The Wildcats had 16 first downs and 203 total yards in the first half while Purdue had two first downs and 57 yards.

Purdue quarterback Malachi Singleton completed 11 of 20 passes for 187 yards and one interception after replacing Browne at the start of the second half. Browne, who was 5 of 10 for 31 yards, was averaging 256.8 yards passing per game.

Stone’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Griffin Wilde made it 19-0 with 4:01 left in the third quarter, the only scoring in the second half. The Wildcats finished with 364 total yards and 37 minutes, 39 seconds of possession.

Calen Komofale had 67 yards rushing and Dashun Reeder added 51 for the Wildcats, who average 190.1 rushing yards per game.

The Boilers drove inside Northwestern’s 30 three times in the second half, but they turned over the ball on downs all three times as they sought touchdowns instead of field goals to accelerate a potential comeback. Purdue recorded 248 of its 305 total yards in the second half.

The Wildcats’ last four-game winning streak was in 2023, when they won their last four.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) intercepts a pass for a touchdown against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Streaks in the spotlight as Purdue meets Northwestern

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Purdue enters Saturday afternoon’s game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., on a 12-game losing streak in Big Ten play.

Although he has presided over only four of those defeats — all in the past four games — Boilermakers’ first-year coach Barry Odom feels the urgency to stop the skid.

“We’ve got to do it, I’ve got to do it, we have to do it as a staff, and then our team has to go out and execute and find a way to win a close game,” Odom said. “We had a lead going into the fourth quarter (last Saturday); we have to win those games.”

The Boilermakers (2-4, 0-3) were outscored 14-0 in the fourth quarter Saturday at Minnesota to turn a 20-13 lead into a 27-20 loss. The Golden Gophers scored the winning touchdown on Koi Perich’s 27-yard interception return with 7:40 to play, which came seven seconds after Minnesota tied the score.

One positive: A rushing attack that produced 253 of Purdue’s 456 total yards, led by Devin Mockobee’s 98 yards on 21 carries.

Now comes a test against Northwestern (4-2, 2-1), which is coming off a stout defensive effort during last week’s 22-21 victory at Penn State. The Wildcats limited the Nittany Lions to 274 yards — 137 on the ground — with linebacker Mac Uihlein leading Northwestern with 10 tackles.

Purdue, meanwhile, was even tougher against Minnesota, holding the hosts to 30 rushing yards. Linebacker Charles Correa ranks third in the conference in tackles with 55.

Northwestern’s first victory at Penn State since 2014 led to the firing of Nittany Lions coach James Franklin — and gave the Wildcats their first three-game winning streak since closing the 2023 season on a four-game run.

Still, Wildcats coach David Braun has cautioned players to maintain focus. Northwestern can’t increase its streak to four games by reflecting on previous victories.

“You wake up Sunday morning,” Braun said, “it’s time to get back to work. … And when you’re objective, there are glaring issues we need to get resolved. Right now.

“You can squeeze that enjoyment into that evening, but if you’re not on to the next step when you’re in the midst of a Big Ten schedule, you’re exposing yourself to a letdown in this league. There can’t be any letdowns.”

Running back Caleb Komolafe has piled up 266 yards and four touchdowns during the three-game winning streak while quarterback Preston Stone has thrown for five scores with no interceptions.

Wildcats kicker Jack Olsen, who connected on each of his three field-goal attempts at Penn State, earned Big Ten special teams player of the week honors.

–Field Level Media