Seth McGowan will be a Game-Time Decision vs. Tennessee

Despite some reassuring words from the Kentucky football program, there’s a chance the Wildcats may be without their most reliable offensive weapon against Tennessee.

On3’s Pete Nakos reports Kentucky running back Seth McGowan is expected to be a game-time decision on Saturday at Kroger Field. The talented athlete was listed as “questionable” on Thursday night’s availability report.

McGowan ranks in the Top 10 in the SEC in rushing yards (476) and rushing touchdowns (7). The last time we saw him on the field, he led Kentucky in receptions (7) and receiving yards (68). He did it all, despite missing a good chunk of the second half.

It’s unclear exactly when or how he got injured, but doctors wanted to get a second look at his chest. That’s when he hopped on a golf cart and took a ride to a nearby hospital.

“We were passing the fans and all the tailgaters,” McGowan recalled. “They had their TVs up. They were looking up like, ‘Damn, I’m pretty sure he was just on the screen. Seth, what’re you doing?‘”

Ultimately, he was cleared to return to the action. McGowan came through in the clutch, catching a short check-down from Cutter Boley and taking it 16 yards to set up the Wildcats’ game-tying field goal.

Seth McGowan took a wild ride to the hospital and back to help Kentucky force OT. https://t.co/pfLlsU7x7F pic.twitter.com/sVTP38ltCk

— KSR (@KSRonX) October 23, 2025

There’s been a sense of belief all week that McGowan will be available against Tennessee. He participated in interviews on Tuesday, something injured players don’t do, and Mark Stoops was confident that McGowan would give it a go.

“He is a tough young man, and he really wants to play,” Stoops said on Monday. “The fact that he was at the hospital, came back, and finished (the game) says a lot about him, as I mentioned postgame. He’s banged up, but we expect him back.”

Hopefully, that’s the case. Knocking off Tennessee will be a tall task without McGowan. We’ll learn during warm-ups if he’s feeling well enough to give it a go on Saturday night.

Kentucky vs. No. 17 Tennessee: How to Watch/Listen

• Kickoff: 7:45 p.m. ET
• TV: SEC Network (Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic)
• Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Jeff Piecoro, Dick Gabriel)
• AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
• FM: 98.1 WBUL
• Online: iHeart Radio
• Sirius XM: 106 or 190 (UK)

You can also follow along on the KSR LIVE BLOG, which will start a few hours before tipoff, and join the conversation on KSBoard.

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