For the most part, the Big Blue Nation had very little idea of what to expect watching their Wildcats take the field on Saturday.
The football gods drew up perfect weather as fans were treated to unseasonably cool weather at Kroger Field in Lexington.
The 2025 season opener featured a slew of new players battling against a capable opponent in Toledo.
The first half was a roller coaster of week one blunders and emotions. The Cats had multiple instances where they would make a big play, only for it to
be negated on a self-inflicted error shortly after. Frustrating football
Zach Calzada’s one-yard keeper was the only touchdown of the first half after both sides looked sloppy at times. The Rockets took advantage of poor offensive execution and secured a safety, which resulted in their only points.
UK took a 10-2 lead into the break.
The third quarter provided excruciating moments from the offense as the Cats struggled to get anything going on the ground or through the air. Thankfully, the Wildcat defense answered the bell, which allowed UK to cling to their one-possession lead heading into the 4th quarter.
Blame it on the early kick-off or whatever else you may attribute to the poor start, but Kentucky did finally wake up in the last period of the game. Two quick scores, including a 79-yard home run rushing score from Dante Dowdell, the Cats jumped out to a 24-9 lead and hung on for the win.
I wouldn’t describe it as a Grove Street Party, but a win is a win. Kentucky beats Toledo 24-16 and will face a top-25 opponent and conference foe, Ole Miss, next week at 3:30 PM EST on ABC.
Box Score:
MVP:
Today wasn’t the easiest of days to pick a game MVP, so I went with a player on both sides of the ball.
It’s pretty deflating to see such a lackluster offense performance in a season opener against a Mid-American Conference opponent. But where the offense stumbled, the Brad White defense was there to pick them up.
The Wildcat at defense was led by a familiar face in Alex Afari Jr. The senior linebacker was all over the field on Saturday, tallying 13 total tackles, nine of them being solo. Appearing in his 39th game, UK fans have grown accustomed to watching #3 work. Today, his contributions made a difference in the outcome of the game.
The offense sputtered for much of the day against Toledo, but Dante Dowdell’s 79-yard touchdown run was without question the highlight of UK’s season-opening win. The Nebraska transfer would finish the game with 129 rushing yards on 14 carries. His home run threat will be a big asset for this offense moving forward.
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