KSR GAMEDAY: Kentucky Seeks Signature Win Over Ole Miss

Kentucky has lost seven straight SEC football games. The conference foe the Cats took down is coming to Kroger Field, looking for revenge. No. 20 Ole Miss will square off against YOUR University of Kentucky Wildcats at 3:30 PM ET on ABC in the first SEC game of the 2025 season.

A year ago, the Wildcats were in a similar spot, hosting South Carolina in the 3:30 window on ABC. It was a bloodbath that served as an omen for what was to come. It was the rare week two loss for the Wildcats. Over the last 27 years, Kentucky has won 24 of its week two games, including a pair of victories over Florida and a win at South Carolina.

Kentucky has clearly made big jumps from week one to week two in the past. They’ll need to do it again against a team that racked up more yards last week than any other FBS team. Ole Miss scored 63 points in Austin Simmons‘ debut. The 19-year-old has a much taller task in his first SEC start against a pass rush that received PFF’s highest grade in week one.

The previous four matchups between these teams came down to the final play and were decided by ten total points. Prepare for another thriller Saturday afternoon in Lexington.

Kentucky vs. Ole Miss: How to Watch, Listen

• Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC (Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, Molly McGrath)
• 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: 132 or 191 (UK)

You can also keep up with the game and chat with other fans on our game thread on KSBoard, with Nick Roush, Adam Luckett, and Drew Franklin providing updates from Kroger Field.

Saturday Gameday Schedule

11:00 am — Doors Open at KSBar and Grille
11:30 am — The KSR Pregame Show
12:30 pm — LexTran Shuttles Begin Moving
1:15 pm — Cat Walk
2:00 pm — Kroger Field Gates Open
3:30 pm — Kickoff on ABC
8:00 pm — Postgame Celebration at KSBar

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Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Gambling Angles and Trends

Kentucky is currently a 9.5-point underdog with a total of 50.5 on BetMGM. The Cats are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven outings as a dog. Ole Miss is 10-5 ATS as a road favorite under Lane Kiffin with a 4-2-1 ATS mark as a double-digit favorite. The Rebs are 8-3-1 ATS as a road favorite since 2022. The underdog is 5-0 ATS since 2011 in this series with four outright wins. Kentucky is 8-4 ATS in SEC openers under Mark Stoops. Ole Miss is 0-5 ATS in SEC openers under Kiffin.

Learn everything you need to know about Lane Kiffin’s crew in the KSR+ Scouting Report.

Wear Blue (or White)

The Kentucky Wildcats will be rocking blue and white for this blue and white out. Kentucky is rocking blue jerseys with white helmets and lids, splitting it up just like the stadium. UK wants half of the stadium in blue and the other half in white. Check your section before you make your way to Nicholasville Road Saturday afternoon.

Big Recruiting Weekend for Kentucky

A big event like this is a great time to show off your campus to recruits, and it’s not just for Mark Stoops’ program. The football team will be hosting a few dozen prospective prospects. The biggest target is Da’Ron Parks, a four-star talent from the 2026 class who officially visited over the summer before committing to Florida State. Kentucky is making a big move to flip the All-American from West Virginia.

Underclassmen are the primary targets on campus this Saturday. There are three Top 100 players and about a dozen of the best players from the Commonwealth. One Top 300 player from Cincinnati, Jaylen Mercer, is bringing his younger brother with him. Kam Mercer is the top-ranked point guard in the 2028 recruiting class. That’s one big name, but most of the attention will be on a pair of players from the 2026 class who are on official visits, No. 4 overall Caleb Holt and No. 23 overall Maximo Adams.

Keep an Eye Out for Ochocinco

Chad Johnson was once one of the most electric athletes in the NFL. Now the former Cincinnati Bengal is rocking Kentucky Blue in Lexington. His daughter, Cha’iel Johnson, is a member of the Kentucky track team. Ocho Cinco is in town visiting her and will probably be taking in the sights and scenes Saturday afternoon as the Cats look to shock Ole Miss.

Get Hyped

Ryan Lemond got BBN Motivated on Friday at Country Boy. If “DON’T SMELL FARTS” chants don’t get you fired up for a Top 25 matchup at Kroger Field, this certainly will.

Kick off the 2025 Kentucky football season with KSR Plus! We’re giving you behind-the-scenes intel you won’t find anywhere else. Join the most vibrant online community in BBN ahead of a pivotal season for Mark Stoops.

College Football on TV

History will be made on Saturday. Kansas and Missouri had a Border War in the 1850s. That turned into one of college football’s greatest regional rivalries that was killed by conference realignment. It returns after more than a decade in a highly anticipated matchup in CoMo.

It also marks the end of an era in Arkansas. The Hogs will play Arkansas State for the first time in what may be their last game ever at War Memorial Stadium. The decaying coliseum in Little Rock has hosted 219 Arkansas Razorback games, but this may be their final chapter at what Mike Leach once described as the loudest venue in college football.  

Baylor at No. 17 SMU	Noon	The CW
San Jose State at No. 7 Texas	Noon	ABC
Iowa at No. 16 Iowa State	Noon	FOX
No. 11 Illinois at Duke	Noon	ESPN
Kent State at No. 24 Texas Tech	Noon	TNT
Virginia at NC State	Noon	ESPN2
FIU at No. 2 Penn State	Noon	Big Ten Network
Kennesaw State at No. 23 Indiana	Noon	FS1
Central Michigan at Pittsburgh	Noon	ESPNU
Utah State at No. 19 Texas A&M	12:45pm	SEC Network
Troy at No. 8 Clemson	3:30pm	ACC Network
Kansas at Missouri	3:30pm	ESPN2
No. 20 Ole Miss at Kentucky	3:30pm	ABC
Oklahoma State at No. 6 Oregon	3:30pm	CBS
Delaware at Colorado	3:30pm	FOX
Grambling State at No. 1 Ohio State	3:30pm	Big Ten Network
South Florida at No. 13 Florida	4:15pm	SEC Network
Army at Kansas State	7:00pm	ESPN
Southern Illinois at Purdue	7:30pm	Big Ten Network
Ball State at Auburn	7:30pm	ESPNU
No. 12 Arizona State at Mississippi State	7:30pm	ESPN2
Akron at Nebraska	7:30pm	Big Ten Network
Boston College at Michigan State	7:30pm	NBC
Georgia Southern at USC	7:30pm	FS1
Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech	7:30pm	ACC Network
No. 15 Michigan at No. 18 Oklahoma	7:30pm	ABC
ULM at No. 21 Alabama	7:45pm	SEC Network
UCLA at UNLV	8:00pm	CBS Sports Network
Stanford at BYU	10:15pm	ESPN
San Diego State at Washington State	10:15pm	The CW
UC Davis at Washington	11:00pm	Big Ten Network

Kentucky Volleyball SWEEPS Penn State

Folks, Craig Skinner has a squad. On the night Penn State hung its 2024 National Championship banner, the Wildcats played spoiler. Kentucky swept Penn State (25-21, 25-16, 25-23) to secure a Top 5 win on the road. It’s their first win over a ranked Penn State team in program history and their first Top 5 win since 2021.

Brooklyn DeLeye had 18 kills and Eva Hudson added 10, including a pair in the final three points, to lead the way for the Wildcats in a statement victory. That statement? This team is a legitimate National Title contender.

Eye-Opening Kentucky HS Football Results

Trinity went on the road and put one of the best teams in the nation on the ropes. The only problem? The other team had Matt Ponatoski. Cincinnati Moeller overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit thanks to three Ponatoski second-half touchdowns to secure a 24-21 win in the KSR Game of the Week. It wasn’t the only eye-opening result from under the Friday Night Lights. We’re still waiting for one game to go final. Manual and Frederick Douglass were tied at 14 when the game was suspended due to lightning in the third quarter. It will resume today at noon.

Lex Cath 17, Boyle County 7
DeSales 28, Holy Cross 20
Scoutt County 35, Bowling Green 28
St. X 38, Male 7
Pikeville 35, Raceland 27
Paducah Tilghman 55, Mayfield 29
CAL 47, LCA 7
Bethlehem 21, Seneca 20 OT
Cooper 20, Ryle 13
Henderson County 19, Henry Clay 16
KCD 29, Spencer County 21
South Warren 33, Greenwood 19