How Sam Greene secured the win for Kentucky

Kentucky’s defensive front is having a good season in 2025. That unit produced its signature performance of the season in a 10-3 win over Auburn. Facing a new starting quarterback and struggling offensive line, UK totally took away the traditional run game (82 yards on 22 carries from Auburn’s tailbacks) and consistently got home in pass rush.

The Cats dominated in the trenches.

UK finished the games with 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four pass breakups, and 26 pressures in 44 dropbacks. Auburn simply had no answers for this front. Saturday was a collective team effort with a lot of different players pitching in. The coaching staff also did a good job of building a plan and turning some players looses with stunt calls to go hit the quarterback. One player gets credit for the biggest play of the night.

On their final drive, Auburn regained possession at their own nine with 2:12 on the game clock and one timeout remaining. The Tigers converted a third-and-two, fourth-and-six, and third-and-10 to set up a first-and-10 at the Kentucky 35. This drive was just the offense’s second scoring opportunity of the game. After forcing two incompletions, Kentucky went and won the game on third-and-long with 20 seconds left.

Kentucky shows a six-man front against 11 personnel with three down and three linebackers. Both safeties are in the box and less than 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. Each cornerback is eight yards off the line of scrimmage. That should tell the quarterback that a blitz is coming. The Cats then reveal man coverage when safety Jordan Lovett (No. 25) follows Auburn tight end Preston Howard in motion. Kentucky’s pre-snap design helps create a win.

Sam Greene (No. 2) is lined up behind Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace (No. 90) as an off-ball linebacker initially against right tackle Mason Murphy. It looks like Greene could be pressuring through the B-Gap between the right guard and right tackle. Greene and Murphy were teammates at USC last season. Murphy had allowed seven sacks in eight games entering this contest. UK brings six on the snaps. Alex Afari Jr. comes from his linebacker position and Humphrey-Grace twists inside. Greene then comes on a speed rush after shifting back outside at the last moment. The redshirt sophomore then bends the corner.

Greene quickly establishes leverage on Murphy as Ashton Daniels drops deep in the pocket. The outside linebacker beats the tackle to the edge and flashes some hip flexibility as he dips his right shoulder at the top of the rush to sneak inside of Murphy. The right tackle not pass set out wide enough to cut off this moves after thinking he was probably going to get more of quick power rush inside. Greene quickly wins and records a sack.

“It was a great call by Coach White. We worked at disguise all week. Me coming in and stemming out and then going,” Greene told KSR after the win. “Trying to get the quarterback staying high. So I just went ghost move and went to go get a sack.”

A ghost move is simply an edge pass rush (mostly against a deep drop by a quarterback) where rushers use a fake on the long arm move and then instead dip their inside shoulder to quickly get around the tackle. Greene shows his right hand for a moment to set up the right tackle before the shoulder dip to get around and sack the quarterback. The transfer’s first sack of the season came at a big time.

The havoc play occurred with 17 seconds left. Auburn was not able to get the next snap off until three seconds were left. That led to a rushed Hail Mary attempt where Humphrey-Grace hot a hit on Daniels and Lovett reeled an interception in before Auburn wideouts could get to the endzone.

Sam Greene has been a very productive player for Kentucky all season and finally got home in a big moment after some close calls throughout the year. The DMV native has recorded 24 tackles and 16 pressures this season. The biggest play of his career came at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Kentucky’s front dominated this game. Kentucky’s front ended this game.