The Kentucky Wildcats had the Alabama Crimson Tide fans on the edge of their seats at the end of the second quarter on Saturday. The Cats took a 17-13 lead into the intermission.
While the Crimson Tide did roll Kentucky in the second half, it was a good testament for the Cats of what they're capable of doing and at what level they can compete. They showed enough to be excited about the future under first-year head coach Will Stein. Now, Kentucky will get another major challenge against the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, and hopefully, even if they don't come out on top, they can again put on a good show.
Looking back at the Cats' Week 2 performance, there is one player who really stuck out, and that's defensive tackle Tavion Gadson. Gadson ended
the game with five tackles, two of which went for a loss, and he also had a game-changing 1.5 sacks as well. It was an all-out effort from the Wildcats' star, and he was dubbed Pro Football Network's highest-graded defensive tackle of the week.
Our @PFN365 highest-graded DTs in Week 2:
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 13, 2026
Tavion Gadson, Kentucky: 90.7
Deuce Geralds, LSU: 88.9
Tae Floyd, Jacksonville State: 86.9
Ejiroghene Egodogbare, Houston: 86.7
Keishaun Calhoun, Indiana: 86.3
Joe Hjelle, Indiana: 85.8
Eli Coenen, Michigan State: 84.5
Kelten Mickell,… pic.twitter.com/hldw4qiSVp
Gadson changed the game in a positive way, and he was seen as one Kentucky's biggest X-factors coming into the season. The senior defensive lineman ended a season ago with 28 combined tackles and just 2.5 sacks, so clearly his performance on Saturday was one for his personal record books.
The Cats put ample pressure on Keelon Russell, forcing the Alabama quarterback into two interceptions and limiting him to just 188 passing yards. Kentucky will need to shore up its run-stopping precense, as they allowed over 150 yards on the ground. Nonetheless, Gadson and company had a phenomenal performance, especially helping keep things close until the second half rolled around.
The Cats will need another huge performance to not get blown out on the road Saturday in their Week 3 battle.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky Wildcats DT Week 2 performance dubbed best in the country
