The No. 21 Texas Longhorns travel to Lexington to face off against the Kentucky Wildcats in a game featuring two teams with seemingly very different season trajectories. The Wildcats head into the contest
fresh off a bye week with a two-game losing streak after compiling a 2-3 overall record and 0-3 record in conference play while the Longhorns handled the then-No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners in a emotion-filled victory last week in the Cotton Bowl.
The Wildcats’ struggles this season are a continuation of the disappointment from last season, a campaign that ended in a 4-8 record and a seven-game losing streak in SEC play. This season, that streak has been extended to 10 games thanks to losses against Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Georgia. Overall, Kentucky is 2-14 in their last 16 SEC games.
The disappointment in the product on the field and with the coaching staff has grown significantly among Wildcat faithful, but the tenure and buyout of head coach Mark Stoops complicates the issue — if Kentucky fires him at the end of this season, the school would owe Stoops $38 million within 60 days. The longest-tenured coach in program history, Stoops revived a football program that hasn’t won a conference championship since 1976 and had remained at the bottom of SEC standings year in and year out. His previous streak of eight straight bowl games is the most in Kentucky history, as are his 69 career wins.
Despite the success Stoops has fostered, things seem to have fallen apart the last two years. After an opening victory against Toledo, Kentucky battled in a back-and-forth game against Ole Miss before ultimately dropping the contest. A sizable victory against Eastern Michigan seemed to turn the page, but two uncompetitive losses followed — 35-13 against South Carolina and 35-14 against Georgia.
While the differences are vast between Florida and Kentucky, both squads face Texas after a bye with reeling seasons and a coach fighting for their job. This Kentucky game is not one that Texas can take lightly, especially given the inconsistencies in how the Longhorns have performed throughout the season. Calling this a trap game may be a bit extreme, but the Wildcats will surely be looking to use this game as an opportunity to turn their season around.
“They’ve got a real style in how they want to play the game — they want to play great defense, Tthey want to minimize the explosive plays, they want to run the football and then create explosives off of the run game,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday. “They do a very good job of that. They’ve played very good defense all year. They run the football really well. And as we know, playing on the road in the SEC at night, it’s going to be a tough environment, so we’ve got to buckle up. We’ve got to be ready to go. This is a tough challenge.”
Offense
The Kentucky offense has struggled this year to move the ball and put up points, ranking 109th at 331.6 yards per game and 93rd with an average of 24.4 points per game. Underneath second-year coordinator Bush Hamdan, the offense was expected to take a step forward thanks to system continuity and the addition of a few key players in the transfer portal, but that simply hasn’t happened.
For the second year in a row, Hamdan’s methodical system has struggled against competent opponents. Preferring to utilize a pro-style system, Hamdan relies on a strong rushing attack to set up the rest of the offense. The Wildcats will also use a no huddle look frequently.
The struggles are complicated by the talent added to the roster on the offensive side of the ball. The Wildcats are starting new transfer players at quarterback, running back, wide receiver (two), left tackle, right tackle, and left guard. These players were frequent starters or talented recruits at other universities with eight incoming offensive transfers averaging more than 25 snaps per game at their previous school.
Journeyman quarterback Zach Calzada was brought to Lexington as a veteran player capable of managing the offense. With stints at Texas A&M, Auburn, and Incarnate Word, Calzada earned the starting job, but left with a throwing arm injury in the fourth quarter of the Ole Miss game and has not returned since.
With Calzada’s injury, redshirt freshman Cutter Boley has taken over the reins of the offense. At 6’5, 220 pounds, Boley has noteworthy size and has grown as a decision maker since he faced the Longhorns last season. Boley was born and raised a Wildcat, attending high school in Lexington before opting to commit to the hometown team.
Texas fans should expect Boley to stand tall in the pocket and deliver. He’s amassed 627 passing yards with a 57.1 percent completion percentage against four touchdowns and three interceptions. With both quarterbacks, the Kentucky passing game has struggled.
Catching passes from Boley is a dynamic wide receiver room with a handful of talented transfers. Leading the group is Alabama transfer Kendrick Law, a former four-star recruit who saw action in 34 career games at Alabama. This season, he’s already surpassed previous career highs in receptions (19) and yards (174). He’s also added a touchdown.
The supporting cast behind Law are senior Ja’Mori Maclin and sophomore Hardley Gilmore IV. Maclin is in his second season as a Wildcat after following in the footsteps of his cousin, former professional wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and attending Missouri out of high school. Maclin spent the last two seasons at North Texas, including a prolific campaign a year ago that included over 1,000 receiving yard and 11 touchdowns. He’s caught eight passes for 135 yards this season.
Gilmore is a Wildcat for the second time in his short college career after opting to transfer to Nebraska before being kicked off the team and returning to Lexington. He is tied for the second most catches on the team.
The tight end room has bolstered the passing attack with senior Josh Kattus and sophomore Willie Rodriguez both making significant contributions as pass catchers. Each tight end has the exact same number of catches (15) and yards (141), a trivial but entertaining stat, while Kattus has two touchdowns to Rodriguez’s one. Both tight ends have the size and speed to make plays.
Kattus and Rodriguez are both viable blockers in the run game, a bright spot for the Kentucky offense. The Wildcats use the ground attack to shorten the game and set up explosive plays.
Senior running back Seth McGowan is the lead back and has rebuilt his life in a big way. Once facing up to a decade in prison for a robbery he committed during his freshman year at Oklahoma, McGowan’s journey back to major college football is nothing short of remarkable. The 6’1, 215-pound back spent three months in jail, one year at an NAIA school, one year in junior college, and a season at New Mexico State before landing at Kentucky. It’s been a long road and a risky bet for every coach along the way, but McGowan seems to have turned things around and is treating his final year of college football like a second chance.
That perspective has paid off for the Mesquite Poteet product and Kentucky — he leads the team with 431 rushing yards on 79 carries (5.5 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. McGowan isn’t a pure home-run hitter, but his shiftiness and ability to make defenders miss make him a tough cover in space.
Supplementing McGowan is junior Dante Dowdell, an established back who rushed for 12 touchdowns last season at Nebraska. He’s toted the ball 56 times for 247 yards and a touchdown as Wildcat this year, although his last 20 carries have resulted in just 33 yards.
As mentioned, the offensive line features new faces brought in from the portal. Left tackle Shiyazh Pete is a New Mexico State transfer who stands at a whooping 6’8, 320 pounds, while left guard Joshua Braun comes in at 6’6 338 pounds. Braun spent time at Florida before transferring to Arkansas where he was recognized as second-team All-SEC in 2023.
Jager Burton is the center for the Wildcats and boasts more experience in Lexington than anyone else on the offense. After committing to Kentucky as a four-star prospect, Burton was Freshman All -SEC at guard before moving over to center. He’s started 34 games heading into this season and uses his experience to direct the rest of the line.
Rounding out the line are right guard Jalen Farmer and right tackle Alex Wollschlaeger. Farmer is an impressive 6’5, 318 pounds, while Wollschlaeger continues the trend of tall Kentucky lineman with a height of 6’7.
Overall, the offense for Kentucky has been unable to move the ball effectively. While the run has looked solid at times, the inability of the passing game to complement the ground attack has led to little momentum, particularly when the Wildcats have fallen behind. Forcing Kentucky into obvious passing situations and getting Boley out of system will be key for the Texas defense.
Defense
The Kentucky defense is in the bottom half of the SEC in key categories like scoring defense, total defense, third-down conversions, and sacks. The Wildcats have forced a respectable six interceptions, a bright spot for the defense.
The defense primarily uses three down linemen with a standing edge that will roam and line up in a variety of different locations. The next level is a two-linebacker look with five secondary players on the backend. The standing edge allows Kentucky to simulate pressures from a wide range of pre-snap looks, something that the Longhorns have struggled with.
Leading the entire defense from his weak0side linebacker spot is senior Alex Afari Jr. A three-year letter winner for the Wildcats and preseason Butkus Award Watch List honoree, Afari is on pace for the best season of his career despite it being his first full season at linebacker. Afari started his career in the secondary before transitioning to a more hybrid safety/linebacker role. A successful transition to that position was enough proof of his versatility that the coaching asked Afari to make the full-time move to linebacker.
The versatile player started the final four games last season at inside linebacker. With a full offseason to learn the position, Afari looks like a man on a mission this year, recording 37 tackles, the most on the team, and a sack.
Next to him is sixth year senior Daveren Rayner, who is in his third year at Kentucky and has waited for his opportunity to shine at inside linebacker. Last year, Rayner opted to use a redshirt with the goal of putting on more weight and building strength. He’s shown potential this year in route to 28 tackles and an interception.
Up front, the Wildcats are talented. Senior Kahlil Saunders and sophomore Tavion Gadson handle interior defensive line duties, stepping into larger roles this season in which they have been highly effective. Saunders has 17 tackles, 10 of which were solo, while Gadson has recorded 16 tackles and a sack. Their play up front sets the tone for the defense.
At edge, Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace has a nice combination of strength and quickness. He’s tied for the team lead in sacks with two and has recorded 15 tackles.
On the back end, Kentucky’s secondary has struggled with tackling and pursuit angles. Opposing offenses have accrued 692 yards after the catch and created an average of 11.8 missed tackles per game. The group features three playmakers that are willing to rally to the ball and make tackles, albeit with some challenges this year.
Senior JQ Hardaway was a highly-touted transfer who started all 12 games for the Wildcats a year ago. He mans the boundary corner spot, is tied for the second most tackles on the team with 31, and has an interception to his name.
The next playmaker in the secondary is strong safety Ty Bryant, a third-year player who has produced in each of his first two seasons, amassing 31 tackles and two interceptions this year. Bryant is an athletic player with noteworthy twitchiness and acceleration.
The final player to keep an eye on in the secondary is senior Jordan Lovett. A three-year letter winner for Kentucky, the 6’2, 208-pound free safety has started 35-plus games as a Wildcat. Lovett’s range and leadership help the entire defense make plays.
Overall, the Kentucky defense has struggled to stop opposing offenses and create disruption. Their defensive line is the strongest unit on the defense while the secondary provides more experience and has found success intercepting passes.
Special teams
The kicking duties are handled by freshman Jacob Kauwe, a true freshman from Billings, Montana. Demonstrating that kicking is kicking regardless of the level, Kauwe has made 8-of-9 field goals and is perfect on extra points. Kauwe’s range hasn’t been tested much but he is perfect from 40-plus yards.
Punting for Kentucky is senior Aidan Laros. Laros averages 46.3 yards per punt, fifth best in the SEC.
Bryant handles punt returns. He’s chosen to return just four punts on the season, instead opting for a fair catch a majority of the time. He will be also be back on kickoffs, but wide receiver Law is the primary kickoff returner. Law and the Wildcats average 15.44 yards per kickoff return, 15th in the SEC.
The Wildcats come off their bye week at a crossroads. With seven games remaining, this team faces an uphill battle to reach bowl eligibility. Backup quarterback Boley and the offense have struggled to move the ball while the Kentucky defense has been unable to keep opposing offenses out of the end zone. However, the matchup against the Longhorns is an opportunity for the Wildcats to emerge from the week off with a renewed sense of pride in turning the season around and a prime chance to do so against a quality opponent. The matchup kicks off at 6 p.m. Central on ESPN from Commonwealth Stadium.
