LIVE BLOG: Kentucky vs. Tennessee
Kentucky took Texas to overtime a week ago. Can the Cats rally once again against one of their biggest rivals? Follow KSR’s LIVE BLOG for updates on Kentucky vs. No. 17 Tennessee at Kroger Field (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
The Vols are also coming off a loss, a 37-20 drubbing at Alabama, which brought their record to 5-2, 2-2 in the SEC. Tennessee ranks No. 1 in the SEC in scoring at 44.1 points per game, but last in scoring defense, allowing teams to score 30.4 points per game. The Vols are led by quarterback Joey Aguilar, who has totaled almost 2,000 yards this season, along with 15 touchdowns. Tennessee is currently an 8.5-point favorite on BetMGM.
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Kentucky’s offense looked better against Texas, but the Cats could be shorthanded tonight. Seth McGowan is a game-time decision. If Kentucky’s star running back can’t play, it could be a long night at Kroger Field.
Refresh the feed below for updates and KSR’s takes on the game from Kroger Field. You can also join the conversation on the KSBoard Game Thread or by texting your observations to 859-710-3556 (standard messaging rates apply).
Special thanks to our live blog sponsor this season, Friends of Coal.
Friends of Coal is dedicated to informing and educating Kentucky citizens about the coal industry and its vital role in the state’s future. We provide a united voice for an industry that has been and remains a critical economic contributor to Kentucky. By working together, we can provide good jobs and benefits for future generations. Coal is RESILIENT, RELIABLE, and AFFORDABLE.
Friends of Coal is a volunteer organization. All are invited to be a part of our organization, which consists of proud Kentuckians as well as residents from beyond our borders. Head to friendsofcoalkentucky.org to learn more.
Tennessee 56, Kentucky 34 | Final
10/25/2025 10:32:29 PMDespite getting the best offensive performance of the season, the Cats leave Kroger Field with a blowout loss. This program has now lost 11 consecutive home games versus power conference foes. UK is 1-14 in its last 15 conference games.
Some pictures speak louder than words
10/25/2025 10:02:49 PMThis sums it up.
It’s Officially a 50-Burger
10/25/2025 09:52:08 PMAnother 2-minute touchdown drive makes it 56-27. Yikes. The Fat Lady is singing, loudly.
Tennessee Explosive Plays Define the Day
10/25/2025 09:46:38 PMThe Vols had three 50+ yard passes in the third quarter. THREE. They had four other passes of 15+ yards, but this game has been lost by the secondary, who Mark Stoops expected to be the strength of the defense before the season.
DJ Miller is a DOG
10/25/2025 09:40:46 PMThe freshman scored the first touchdown of his career earlier in the night. His second was even more impressive. On a long, broken play, Boley found Miller in the corner of the end zone for a toe-tapping 28-yard score.
Cutter Boley now has four passing touchdowns. The last Kentucky QB to do that against a Power Conference opponent was Mike Hartline against Georgia in 2010.
Touchdown Tennessee
10/25/2025 09:29:21 PMA 50-yard pass got the Vols within striking range, and they punched it into the end zone on the ground. It’s 49-21 with 20 minutes to play and there will soon be more fans wearing orange in the stands than people who are cheering for the home team.
Trick Play Doesn’t Work for Kentucky
10/25/2025 09:22:46 PMBush Hamdan likes to take shots when he gets the ball near the 35-yard line. This time he got tricky and called a double-pass. Kendrick Law had Willie Rodriguez wide open down the seam, but Law overthrew him by about 15 yards as the ball landed in the back of the end zone.
Tennessee mustered up enough for a stop, and Kentucky tried a 55-yard field goal. Jacob Kauwe’s kick was short and left.
Another Long Tennessee Touchdown
10/25/2025 09:15:26 PMIt has not been a great night for Terhyon Nichols. The Kentucky cornerback got beat deep, again, this time for a 62-yard touchdown to Mike Matthews. It only took two plays for Tennessee to make this a 42-21 game.
Penalty Kills Promising Drive
10/25/2025 09:10:33 PMCutter Boley was showing us his best stuff. On third and long, he juked a rusher, then hit Kendrick Law on the run. No. 1 used a nice spin move to gain 32 yards into Tennessee territory. It wasn’t long after that a holding penalty got the Cats off-schedule and they were never able to recover.
To make matters worse, Aidan Laros shanked the punt for only 22 yards, giving Tennessee the ball at the 30.
A 2-Minute Disaster
10/25/2025 08:42:08 PMWe’ve seen this many times before. Tennessee only had 1:37 to get another score. It looked like the Cats were going to get a stop, or at worst, force a field goal. Instead, the Vols threw a 13-yard touchdown with 5 seconds on the clock. We can’t have nice things.
Tennessee leads 35-21. Kentucky gets the ball first in the second half.
What a Drive
10/25/2025 08:31:47 PMThe game was turning into a track meet. Kentucky slowed it down with a 16-play, 96-yard scoring drive that looked dead multiple times. A holding penalty pushed them back, but they were able to claw to a 4th and 1. Instead of running it up the middle, they handed it off to Kendrick Law on a jet sweep. They capped off the drive with a touchdown to JJ Hester to cut it to 28-21.
This is Going to be a Long Night
10/25/2025 08:14:33 PMTennessee called a timeout on a Kentucky 3rd and 7. ESPN sent it to a commercial break. We’ve been playing football for 90 minutes, and this game still has 7 minutes left until halftime. Time for another coffee.
Courier Journal 🤝 KSR
10/25/2025 08:09:05 PMThis is a dynamite production. Look at us. Who would’ve thought?
Penalty Stalls the Tennessee Drive
10/25/2025 08:05:40 PMIt looked like the Vols were going to respond quickly. A long gain was overturned by a Tennessee holding penalty, one that ultimately killed the drive and forced the Vols to punt. A UK holding penalty on the return is going to give the Cats the ball at the 4-yard line.
I Hope You Took the Over
10/25/2025 07:58:16 PMKentucky responded with a 3-play, 75-yard scoring drive. The Tennessee secondary is not very good at all. They let DJ Miller slip by and the freshman wide receiver went 56 yards for a touchdown.
It’s the first time Kentucky has scored two offensive touchdowns against a Power Conference foe since the Ole Miss win in 2024.
Touchdown, Tennessee
10/25/2025 07:50:39 PMAfter 16 minutes of action, Tennessee leads 28-7. Kentucky had a chance at a goal-line stand. Joey Aguilar scrambled for a touchdown on third down that was overturned. But it took very little effort to get into the end zone on fourth down.
There is still a lot of football to be played.
We Just Witnessed the Weirdest Play Ever
10/25/2025 07:45:18 PMTennessee brought a blitz on third down. Cutter Boley was hot and found Hardley Gilmore short of the sticks. It was the right play.
Then Gilmore tried to fight for a first down. He fought too long. Gilmore fumbled it, then Kentucky proceeded to kick it around approximately 100 times. Gilmore got the ball back about 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, then fumbled it again. Tennessee recovered, and a penalty put the ball in the Vols hands inside the 10-yard line.
It might have been the dumbest play in the history of this dumb rivalry.
So Good to So Bad, So Quick
10/25/2025 07:36:36 PMThe Kentucky defense has played well about 90% of the time. The other 10% of the time is just so, so bad. Kentucky will get Tennessee on its heels, stuff the run, and put pressure on Aguilar, until the quarterback dials up a bomb. Just like that, the Vols are rolling.
This time it was a 47-yarder down the sideline to Brazzell that got Tennessee within striking range. A 17-yard run by Star Thomas put them a yard away from the end zone before he punched it in.
Tennessee leads 21-7 and we’ve still got 1:49 left in the first quarter.
A Kroger Field Proposal
10/25/2025 07:34:23 PMAfter Hines-Allen was introduced, one couple made a big move. Dale got his knee dirty and asked Rosie to marry him. She said yes! The happy couple received a round of applause that extended into the action on the field.
Tell me who’s in the house tonight — Josh Hines-Allen!
10/25/2025 07:29:20 PMKentucky’s all-time leading sack man is back in Lexington for the third time this season. He was in town for week one, returned for his UK Hall of Fame induction, and is spending his bye week in the Bluegrass. The Jacksonville Jaguar got a big standing ovation from the crowd during the TV timeout.
Kentucky Forces a Three-and-Out!
10/25/2025 07:27:15 PMAnd just like that, the Wildcats have momentum. Outside of the first series, the defense has held firm against the Vols. They’ve kept everything underneath and swarmed in the run defense. Kentucky had a chance for a pick on third down, but two guys were ready to lay out the Tennessee wide receiver.
Kentucky gets the ball back at the 26-yard line. Let’s do the 70-yard touchdown again!
KENTUCKY HAS LIFE!
10/25/2025 07:22:35 PMWow. Just when you thought they were dead, Kendrick Law pops a screen for a 71-yard touchdown. Can’t get stopped in the red zone if you score from 71 yards out!
Jager Burton Suffers an Injury
10/25/2025 07:21:01 PMWe’re still waiting for Seth McGowan to take his first snap. That might not happen tonight. Meanwhile, Jager Burton is being assisted by the medical staff on the field, where they appear to be working on his lower left leg. He’s started in every game at center for the Cats. Fortunately, he was able to walk off the field.
Tip-Drill Touchdown is a First Quarter Dagger
10/25/2025 07:16:18 PMThis is the part where I unfortunately have to remind you that Mark Stoops has never overcome a 14-point deficit to beat a Power Conference foe. That’s because Cutter Boley’s pass was tipped, intercepted, and returned for a touchdown.
Gloom. Despair. Agony.
Sack Lunch!
10/25/2025 07:09:01 PMThe prayer was answered. Kentucky brought the heat on third down and Daveren Rayner got home. The Kentucky linebacker sacked Tennessee for a loss of 11 to force a punt. Kentucky takes over near midfield.
Kentucky Only Gets One First Down
10/25/2025 07:06:18 PMCutter Boley’s legs got rolling to move the chains, but it did not last. The Kentucky quarterback had Josh Kattus streaking down the seam. It would have been a big gain, but the tight end was only able to get a fingertip on it. Tennessee ball. Say a prayer.
Tennessee Scores in the Blink of an Eye
10/25/2025 06:59:21 PMIt took four plays. Mike Mattthews picked up 14 yards, then Kentucky tacked on a facemask penalty. He caught another 10-yard pass, then Aguilar took a hit in the pocket after finding a wide open Chris Brazzell in the back of the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown.
Does it feel like that’s happened before? It’s because it has. In every game Josh Heupel has coached against Kentucky (sans 2024), Tennessee has scored a touchdown on its opening possession in less than five plays.
The Game is Starting on ESPNews
10/25/2025 06:50:54 PMRyan Niblett broke a bunch of tackles near the sideline and took a punt return to the house to send the game in Starkville to overtime. He’s carving up the entire SEC. That’s forcing the contest from the Wildcats and Vols to start on ESPNews. Switch that channel, folks.
Call the Police
10/25/2025 06:49:28 PMMario spoke with a man at KSBar who was wearing blue pants, a Kentucky hat, and a Tennessee shirt. Huh? Jail. Straight to jail.
Outstanding Pregame Ceremony
10/25/2025 06:41:21 PMKentucky is using its LED lights to the fullest effect. It’s dark, with just blue lights filling the stadium. The marching band has been illuminated as they make the Power-K and the outline of the state. I wish I could take a photo/video, but the glare from the glass takes away the full effect.
Pretty incredible pregame. A little promotion might have gone a long way to get people in here for this rainy rivalry football game.
Seth McGowan is full speed, Tennessee will be without Arion Carter
10/25/2025 06:31:51 PMKentucky tailback Seth McGowan and Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter were both listed as game-time decisions after spending all week with a questionable designation on SEC’s availability report. McGowan was full speed throughout warmups. Carter is reportedly dealing with turf toe and is not expected to play.
The Vols will be without three defensive starters on Saturday night.
This Crowd Might Be Something
10/25/2025 06:11:10 PMThere are reasons to be worried that there will be a ton of orange in here, and not a lot of blue. The line for the student section is usually wrapping around the stadium. There are still empty seats. The cold weather, and last week’s devastating defeat, might be keeping a lot of people home.
Seth McGowan is Dressed
10/25/2025 06:10:19 PMThe Kentucky RB is suited up, running around in warm-ups. Hopefully, everything feels food over the next 45 minutes and he can give it a go against the Vols.
Game-Time Decisions
10/25/2025 05:18:05 PMAs Pete Nakos reported earlier this week, RB Seth McGowan will be a game-time decision, along with reserve DB Jantzen Dunn. In another surprising development, one Matt Jones teased on the KSR Pregame Show, pass-rusher Steven Soles has been ruled out, despite not appearing on the report earlier this week.
Tennessee’s star linebacker, Arion Carter, will also be a game-time decision. He leads the SEC in tackles.
Significant Recruit in Town
10/25/2025 05:11:32 PMBen Duncum is the second-highest-ranked recruit in the Wildcats’ 2026 class, only behind QB Matt Ponatoski. The four-star EDGE from Texas was a big riser in the latest update to the Rivals300. Auburn and a few other schools have tried to pry Duncum away from Kentucky, but he’s in Lexington to scout out his future home.
There’s a Lot of Orange
10/25/2025 05:07:19 PMWe have touched down inside Kroger Field. Unfortunately, the walk to the pressbox included a significant amount of orange. Plenty of Vols decided to make the quick trip up I-75. It’s an unpleasant sight.
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