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Keys to Kentucky Football’s Last Three Games

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UK Athletics

The Kentucky football team has had a rollercoaster of a season, from the win at Florida to push Kentucky into the AP Top 10, to the brutal home loss to South Carolina.

Entering the season, most expected Kentucky to finish 9-3, and if the Wildcats had waited a half-second at the end of the Ole Miss game and Will Levis had played against South Carolina, they would have had a great chance to do that.

With three games remaining on the schedule and sitting at 6-3, Kentucky could still do that. However, with No. 1 Georgia sill left to play, the Wildcats would have to pull a major upset.

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If Kentucky were to win the next three games and the bowl game, they could still still win 10 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.

Let’s examine the matchups and see the keys for Kentucky’s success.

Vanderbilt: Start Fast and Don’t Overlook

Winless in the SEC since 2019, Vanderbilt is not a good football team. However, in their last two games the Commodores have played Missouri and South Carolina close. If Kentucky isn’t prepared (i.e. South Carolina), Vanderbilt could catch them off guard.

With a defense that is ranked last in the SEC, Vandy has given up a ton of points this season, giving up nearly 37 points and over 300 yards in offense to be exact. On the other hand, Kentucky has also struggled to put up points – even against mediocre defenses – scoring just 23.6 points per game, which is even less than Vanderbilt’s average of 26.7.

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Getting off to a fast start can put this game away early with the strength of Kentucky’s defense.

If Kentucky can get a 2-3 possession lead by halftime, it would help immensely to boost the offense’s confidence just in time for Georgia’s top ranked defense to come to Lexington next week.

Georgia: Make Them Earn It

Georgia is the best team in the country and they proved it last week against Tennessee.

The most important thing about this game is to force the Bulldogs to earn their victory at Kroger field and not giving it to them via turnovers, special teams miscues, etc.

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The Kentucky defense will have one their toughest challenges of the year and will have to make Georgia fight for every point. On the other hand, if the Kentucky offense can move the ball it will take a lot of pressure off of Brad White and the defense.

Kirby Smart and Co are looking to come into this game and assert their will, but the Wildcats will have to let them know that this game won’t be an easy one.

Louisville: Control the Line of Scrimmage

In the last three meetings against the Cardinals, Kentucky has outscored them 153-44. One of the biggest reason why is that they have controlled the line of scrimmage.

It has been taken for granted that Kentucky has had several NFL-level players on the offensive and defensive lines, but the roster turnover has finally caught up with the team, especially on the offensive line.

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The offensive line specifically, has been strong enough to help the Kentucky offense for an average of 491 yards in the last three meetings. In this season’s matchup, they will have to take a step up for Will Levis and Co to get close to that number.

With that said, this an improved Louisville team, who in the second half of the season, have improved their performance, primarily due to a stingy defense that is currently ranked top-20 in scoring defense.

Knowing that, it looks like this year’s Governor’s Cup will be closer than recent years. Again, this is a game that Kentucky should win, but it will come down to controlling the line of scrimmage.

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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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