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Looking Ahead To A Big Football Weekend

Published

8 months ago

on

Caleb Bowlin | UK Athletics

It’s hard to believe that week 5 of the college football season is here already. But the leaves are starting to change and there will soon be a crispness in the air, signaling we are headed to the most wonderful time of the year.

Kentucky opens up week 5 with a road trip to Oxford, Mississippi to take on Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss Rebels.

This game will be featured on ABC at noon Saturday. All week fans and media alike have been discussing if this noon kickoff favors the Cats in this matchup. Maybe it doesn’t allow the Ole Miss fans to get riled up prior to kickoff. No doubt the environment would be different if this were a 7:30 PM start time down in Oxford. However, let’s not ignore the fact Kentucky has more going for them than just an early clock-in for work on Saturday.

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Lane Kiffin coaches one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Take a look at who they have played so far, and they have put up huge numbers. They beat Furman 76-0, Middle Tennessee 52-3, Wake Forest 40-6, and Georgia Southern 52-13.  Heck, I would LOVE to see a Kentucky football game end with a score like that (assuming it goes in our favor).

But again, look at their schedule. Coach Kiffin himself has noted they haven’t faced an opponent like Kentucky yet this season. He stated earlier in the week that “I’m a realist. I don’t think our opponents have really prepared us for the SEC play.” “What my hope is our practice, and our fall camp has prepared us, because we play against really good players on both sides of the ball. Defensively, we play against really big linemen, and the same the other way around. The schedule…it is what it is. I hope that our practice has (prepared us) because our practice is similar to what we face.”

Coach Kiffin went on to praise the Kentucky defense by saying. “This will be very challenging. These guys took Georgia down to the wire and ran for over 200 yards. These guys are really good and when they’re motivated to play, they play really good.” Even adding that Kentucky has an “NFL defense”. “They very much look like an NFL defense from a structure and from a size standpoint in coverages and techniques. It’s why a lot of people struggle against them and games seem more like NFL games. It’s hard to make yards. It’s hard to run the ball.”

So, what’s on Kentucky’s side more than just the noon kickoff? The defense.

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With all the ups and downs, we’ve already experienced this season, the defense has stood the test. Brad White’s unit has had a very successful beginning to the season. They currently rank 10th in rushing yards allowed per game at 74.75 and are seventh in run defense success rate at 52.5%. Had those stats come from a lighter schedule they wouldn’t mean as much. But when the four games played include number 1 Georgia, and a South Carolina team that looks better than anticipated (not making excuses) those two top 10 rankings are in pretty good standing.

The question for Saturday becomes can Kentucky slow down this Lane Kiffin offense enough to allow this game to stay tight, with the point spread being -17.5, Vegas doesn’t like the odds of that happening. I may still be riding the high from taking the number 1 team in the country to the wire, but like Stoops has said in the past. “Why not us?”

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Two More Wildcats Eye NFL Futures

Two more Wildcats are receiving opportunities to accomplish their NFL dreams.

Published

7 days ago

on

May 10, 2025

By

UK Athletics

Linebacker D’Eryk Jackson and kicker Alex Raynor are the latest Kentucky Wildcats aiming to make their mark in the NFL.

Jackson, a 6-foot-1, 244-pound linebacker, signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks after impressing during the team’s rookie minicamp.

In his five seasons playing college football, Jackson amassed 216 total tackles including 17 tackles for loss, 9 sacks and five interceptions.

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The former Kentucky standout and the teams leading tackler from 2022 and 2023 will now compete for a spot on the Seahawks final 53-man roster.

Raynor, meanwhile, received an invitation to attend the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie camp, which runs May 9–11.

The Kennesaw, Georgia, native made 25 of 27 field-goal attempts in two seasons with Kentucky, including a school-record 55-yarder.

His performance earned him SEC Special Teams Player of the Year honors in 2024 and a shot to prove himself at the next level.

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With the addition of Jackson and Raynor to NFL rosters, the total number of Kentucky Wildcats now vying for a spot in the league has reached 10.

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Saskatchewan Roughriders Sign Octavious Oxendine to CFL Deal

Published

1 week ago

on

May 8, 2025

By

UK Athletics

On Wednesday, it was officially announced that former Wildcats defensive lineman Octavious Oxendine agreed to play with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Oxendine becomes only the fifth player from Kentucky to take their talents up north. Those before him included fellow Roughrider Micah Johnson, Josh Ali of the Calgary Stampeders, Lynn Bowden of the BC Lions and Quandre Mosely Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Radcliff, Kentucky, native played five seasons in Lexington. Making 19 starts in 47 games played, Oxendine recorded 78 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick.

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In 2024, Oxendine appeared in all 12 games for the Wildcats and made one start against Murray State, finishing his final season with a team-second best four sacks.

A key performance by Oxendine helped Kentucky defeat the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi, as the defensive lineman recorded three tackles and a career-high two sacks for a combined 10 yards lost. His first sack came on a third down play, forcing the Rebels to punt, and the second led to Ole Miss letting the clock run out to end the first half.

The standout performance led to Oxendine being named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

In December 2024, Oxendine graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in social work. Additionally, the recent graduate was named the 2025 CATSPY Male Supporting Role Award.  

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Now in green, Oxendine will take the field with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as they are set to kickoff the preseason on Saturday, May 24, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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Tre’vonn Rybka Signs With Dolphins As Undrafted Free Agent

Published

3 weeks ago

on

April 29, 2025

By

John Clay | UK Athletics

Another Cat is heading to the NFL after defensive lineman Tre’vonn Rybka was signed by the Miami Dolphins in undrafted free agency on April 28, shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Rybka, who appeared in 48 games over five seasons with Kentucky, amassed 95 tackles including 5 sacks. As a senior, he started all 12 games, finishing with 34 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks.

He now joins a Dolphins defense that used their No. 13 pick in this year’s draft on Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, meaning Rybka will have to compete for a roster spot in a deep defensive front rotation.

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Off the field, Rybka, who was adopted by his grandparents as a child due to his mother’s battle with addiction, is an active member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bluegrass. He was awarded the “Big Ambassador of the Year” award in 2024 for his commitment to mentoring and supporting the youth.

His commitment to give back to the community and its youth reflects dedication to make a positive impact both on and off the football field.

Rybka will report to the Dolphins rookie camp on May 9-12, before he officially fights for a spot on the 53-man roster in June.

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