Kentucky offensive outburst is not enough as Tennessee's big-play offense runs wild

Tennessee entered Saturday’s contest with Kentucky averaging veraging 35.7 points per game on 3.11 points per drive in the last four meetings against the Wildcats. Those numbers only grew on Saturday night at Kroger Field.

The Wildcats had no answers for the best offense in the SEC.

Josh Heupel‘s spread attack scored 49 offensive points on 57 non-kneel snaps in 11 possessions. The road team also got a defensive touchdown in the first quarter. Joey Aguilar threw for a season-high 390 yards. UK did not force any turnovers. Despite getting almost nothing from the traditional running game, the Cats had no answers for the Vols.

Tennessee will make the drive down I-75 with a 56-34 victory in their back pocket and still alive in the College Football Playoff race. Kentucky has fallen to 2-5 (0-5) this season. This program has now lost 11 consecutive home games to power conference foes. The Cats have lost 10 consecutive SEC games. UK is just 3-19 against power conference competition since starting the 2023 with a 5-0 record after a blowout home win over ranked Florida.

The trends are all pointing in the wrong direction. What happens next? We’re all still playing the waiting game on that, but first, let’s recap yet another loss against Tennessee as the Vols are now 11-1 against the spread in their last 12 games versus Kentucky in Lexington.

Kentucky has a Josh Heupel problem in this series

In home games against Tennessee since 2021, Kentucky has scored 45, 27, and 34 points. The Wildcats have produced some of their best offensive games of the season against the Big Orange. Will Levis, Devin Leary, and Cutter Boley all cleared over 300 passing yards in each of these games at Kroger Field. Yet, UK left the stadium with a home loss in every game.

UK has no answers for Josh Heupel’s offense. Saturday was yet another example.

• 2021: 38 offensive points in 11 possessions, 9.8 yards per play (15.8 yards per pass attempt), 45% success rate
• 2022: 44 offensive points in 12 possessions, 6.5 yards per play (9.8 yards per pass attempt), 49% success rate
• 2023: 33 offensive points in 10 possessions, 7.2 yards per play (10.3 yards per dropback), 49% success rate
• 2024: 28 offensive points 13 possessions, 5.8 yards per play (7.7 yards per pass attempt), 57% success rate
• 2025: 49 offensive points in 11 possessions, 8.5 yards per play (15.2 yards per pass attempt), 59% success rate

Even without a strong rushing performance, Tennessee had not problems moving the football against Kentucky. Aguilar recorded 390 yards on 29 dropbacks and finished the game with four completions of 40 yards or more. Mike Matthews (6 receptions for 107 yards), Braylon Staley (6 receptions for 105 yards), and Chris Brazzell II (4 receptions for 138 yards) all went over the century mark. The Vols scored a touchdown or kneeled out the clock each time they crossed midfield. UK struggled to cover Tennessee’s wideouts and could not consistently get pressure on Aguilar despite taking away the run game.

The Vols are now averaging 41.2 points per game in five meetings with Kentucky since Heupel arrived on Rocky Top. The Cats simply have no answers for this offense. UK will not beat Tennessee until that changes.

Kentucky offense flashes more improvement led by Cutter Boley

Kentucky’s long two offensive touchdowns or less streak finally came to an end after 13 games on Saturday night. The Cats scored 34 points (five touchdowns) on 6.5 yards per play with a 46.6 percent success rate in 73 snaps over 12 possessions.

There was the pick-six in the first quarter, but other than that, UK found consistent success against one of the worst defenses in the SEC. Bush Hamdan‘s unit did exactly what you should against a bad defense in this conference — score 30-plus points. The Cats did that with just an OK rushing performance (149 non-sack rushing yards on 4.1 yards per carry).

Cutter Boley was again was this offense’s best player in an SEC game.

.@cutterBoley is the first freshman QB in school history to throw four touchdowns in a single game.

📺 – SEC Network pic.twitter.com/yxNR9mKrBn

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) October 26, 2025

The redshirt freshman finished the game completing 26-of-35 (74.3%) passes for 330 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. Boley averaged 9.4 yards per attempt, chipped in 34 non-sack rushing yards, and consistently gave Kentucky chances to score. The former four-star recruit recorded four completions of 25-plus yards and backed up a strong performance against Texas with another strong performance against Tennessee.

Kentucky has turned the offense over to Boley and he is delivering. Some other young players are stepping up and making things happen.

Redshirt freshman tailback Jason Patterson finished the game with 95 yards from scrimmage on 23 touches. True freshman wideout DJ Miller recorded five receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Willie Rodriguez added in two receptions for 23 yards.

Elsewhere, Kendrick Law produced 116 yards from scrimmage on three touches and Oklahoma transfer J.J. Hester recorded two touchdown receptions.

Once again, Kentucky went over 400 total yards and consistently moved the football against an SEC defense. It wasn’t enough to win, but Boley continues to show real improvement, and is giving this program some high-end quarterback play. The latest quality offensive performance didn’t lead to a win, but some real progress is being made on this side of the ball with some young talent leading the way.

The hits keep coming

Kentucky’s brutal two offensive touchdowns or less streak finally came to an end on Saturday night. Unfortunately, it was the only streak to end. The hits keep coming for this football program with only five games remaining in the 2025 campaign.

— The Wildcats are now 1-14 in their last 15 games versus power conference competition.

— The Wildcats have now lost 10 consecutive home games against power conference competition.

— The Wildcats are 8-18 since the “pony up” comments after entering the Georgia game in 2023 at 5-0 and ranked.

— The Wildcats are 6-13 overall and 1-12 vs. SEC foes since Mark Stoops’ job discussions with Texas A&M on Thanksgiving weekend in 2023.

Many of the arrows for this program continue to be pointing down. This is a bottom-line business, and right now, Kentucky is not producing results. The program’s massive roster rebuild has produced a 2-5 (0-5) record. There was no bounce-back year.

Where do the Cats go from here? We’ll just have to wait to find out but the clock is ticking.