HALF: Kentucky trails No. 3 Texas 24-7

The Cowboys make their way into Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium as the Texas Longhorns compete against Kentucky Wildcats - © Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After 30 minutes of play, your Kentucky Wildcats trail the No. 3 Texas Longhorns 24-7. Once again, the Cats have had ample opportunity, but can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot.

Texas got off to a hot start, opening the game with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. The Longhorns went for it on 4th and 3 on the 2-yard line and got it, Quinn Ewers tossing it to Gunnar Helms for the touchdown right down the middle. It looked like Kentucky was also going to get off a hot start when Jamarion Wilcox ran for 18 yards on the Cats’ first play from scrimmage, but from there, the offense sputtered, going three-and-out. Texas wouldn’t score for the rest of the first quarter (thanks in big part to Maxwell Hairston), but Kentucky only totaled 27 yards in the first stanza, zero from passing.

That changed in a big way at the start of the second quarter. Brock Vandagriff found Ja’Mori Maclin for a 42-yard gain to take Kentucky to Texas’ 12-yard line. On 3rd and 1, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye fumbled the ball but recovered it. Mark Stoops elected to go for it on 4th and 2 at the Texas 4-yard line and Josh Kattus was there to bring in a Vandagriff pass to tie the game at 7.

.@BrockVandagriff ➡️ @routerunner9 for a BIG play.

📺 – ABC pic.twitter.com/BKBtGE9NUc
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 23, 2024

JOSH KATTUS TIES IT UP IN TEXAS pic.twitter.com/bEHfOJR67a
— KSR (@KSRonX) November 23, 2024

It looked like Kentucky was going to hold Texas to a field goal on the next drive, but Maxwell Hairston was flagged for a personal foul, giving the Longhorns a fresh set of downs. They only needed one to score, Jaydon Blue running it in from five yards out to make it 14-7 Texas with 6:39 to go. It looked like Blue fumbled it going into the end zone, but it was called a touchdown on the field and officials said there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn it.

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It didn’t get any better from there. After a first-down run by Sumo-Karngbaye, Vandagriff threw an interception, his eighth of the season. A few plays later, Ewers found Gunnar Helm again in the end zone to make it 21-7 Longhorns with 3:12 remaining. Texas kicker Bert Auburn hit a 49-yard field goal to extend the Longhorns’ lead to 24-7.

Still another half to play. Judging by Ewers’ limp, the Longhorns might roll out Arch Manning. Will Kentucky stick with Vandagriff? We’ll see.