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RECAP & Takeaways: Kentucky Defeats Akron 35-3

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Kentucky Wildcats running back Ray Davis (1) runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Akron Zips at Kroger Field.
© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky Wildcats move to 3-0 after defeating the Akron Zips 35-3. Yet again, Kentucky struggled to move the ball due to tempo issues and costly and downright elementary penalties. This caused some frustration from the staff following the game, with Mark Stoops saying he is “pissed” with the performance.

However, Kentucky was still able to dominate thanks to being the more talented team, and thanks to an excellent effort from the defense and special teams, the Cats coasted to a victory.

To start the game, it seemed like Kentucky would 50-piece Akron. Almost immediately, Devin Leary completed a short pass to Ray Davis that turned into a 39-yard gain. Then, less than a minute into the game, Leary found Josh Kattus in the end zone to make it 7-0 early.

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The 2nd quarter began with a Leary pass to Jordan Dingle for a 59-yard bomb, but he Dingle would fumble the ball into the end zone, resulting in a touchback. An Akron drive that ended in a missed field goal following a Trevin Wallace sack followed. Again, to close out the first half, Leary found Tayvion Robinson for a touchdown to make it 14-0 after two quarters of play.

Dingle fumbling the ball into the end zone costed Kentucky at least 6 points, and unfortunately, more points would be left off the board. Leary connected with Anthony Brown-Stephens for a 64-yard touchdown, but a holding penalty would erase that, and Akron scored their only points of the night on a field goal after that. However, as a swarm of Zips was about to bring Devin Leary down for a sack, he found Ray Davis who scrambled around to score a 58-yard touchdown.

With the score being 21-3 heading into the 4th, the game was seemingly over, but Kentucky wasn’t done yet. Ray Davis would rush for 55 yards to make the score 28-3 immediately. After another Akron missed field goal, Devin Leary gets the wind knocked out of him, and Kaiya Sheron filled his role for the remainder of the game. The game would end with two Demie Sumo-Karngbaye runs that made the score 35-3.

The Big Blue Wall has Some Holes

In the past, Kentucky’s offensive line play has been among the best in the nation. From Drake Jackson to Darian Kinnard, the standard has always been sky-high. This season, however, the offensive line just isn’t clicking. Missing blocks is one thing, but simple errors are what’s killing Kentucky. Two bad snaps and penalties during key moments erased 14 points off the board for UK, and that just won’t hang in SEC play.

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Ray Davis Has a Breakout Game

The MVP of Saturday’s contest was Ray Davis. Not only did he have a solid game on the ground, rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown, but he played a huge role in the receiving game. Davis finished with 97 receiving yards, including this 55-yard touchdown.

The BBN Made a Difference

The defense played a really solid game. Although Akron may not be the most imposing competition, holding an opponent to just 3 points is very impressive. Some of that credit should go to the BBN, however. On many occasions, and especially on 3rd down, Kroger Field got so loud that Akron couldn’t communicate, and that went a long way in keeping the Zips almost scoreless.


Next week, the Cats will go on the road for the first time this season, as they will square off against the Vanderbilt Commodores. You can see the final box score from Kentucky’s 35-3 win over Akron here.

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Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

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Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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