Kentucky Athletics
Kentucky punched first and hung around all night, but No. 20/14 Ole Miss leaned on explosives and a punishing ground game to leave Kroger Field with a 30–23 win on Saturday. The Wildcats led 10–0 after Ty Bryant’s two first-quarter interceptions set up points and Seth McGowan’s 9-yard TD, but the Rebels answered with 17 straight before halftime and never trailed again.
How it turned
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Opening surge: Bryant’s picks at the Ole Miss 31 and 32 produced a touchdown and field goal for a 10–0 edge early in Q2.
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Explosives bite back: The game flipped on a fourth-and-short shot when Harrison Wallace III hauled in a 55-yard catch to the 1, preceding the first Rebels TD. Ole Miss stacked chunk plays the rest of the way and finished with 455 yards (220 rushing).
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Trading blows after halftime: McGowan’s second rushing score tied it 20–20 in the third, but Ole Miss answered with an 8-play, 75-yard march capped by QB Austin Simmons’ 7-yard keeper. The Rebels added a late field goal; UK’s final kick with eight seconds left only trimmed the margin.
Numbers that mattered
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Run game showed teeth: McGowan: 15 rushes, 93 yards, 2 TDs; UK ran for 172 on 4.6 per carry. But Ole Miss matched it (220 on 4.6), led by Kewan Lacy’s 28 for 138 and a score.
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Takeaways vs. explosives: Kentucky won turnover margin (+2 behind Bryant’s two INTs) and held the Rebels to 3-of-13 on third down, yet surrendered multiple chunk gains in the pass game (235 yards on just 13 completions) that decided the field-position war.
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Situational swing: UK went 1-for-3 on fourth down and settled for three field goals on five red-zone trips, leaving points on the board in a one-score game.
Quarterback room & operation
Zach Calzada (15-of-30, 149 yards) exited in the fourth quarter; Cutter Boley finished and hit a 38-yarder to Hardley Gilmore IV as UK chased late points. Mark Stoops acknowledged postgame that operational issues—including first-half timeouts burned while shuffling personnel—were “inexcusable,” adding that he and the offensive staff “cleaned that up at halftime.” On QB health and evaluation, Stoops said Calzada is “banged up” and he wants to “see Cutter,” indicating the staff will assess early in the week. He also noted the corners have been “too soft” at times and that losing DJ Waller (injured Wednesday) impacted coverage options.
What Stoops liked—and what must change
“I love the fight of this team… We need to be competitive in every snap… It’s early in the year and we have a lot of football ahead of us… We will improve.”
Kentucky’s defense mixed looks well against tempo and created takeaways, but Stoops pointed to two back-breaking deep balls and perimeter tackling/leverage as the difference between getting off the field and giving up points. Offensively, he praised the backs (McGowan, Dante Dowdell) and hinted the staff second-guessed not leaning even harder on the run immediately after takeaways.
Box-toppers (UK)
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RB Seth McGowan: 15 rush, 93 yards, 2 TD
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WR Ja’Mori Maclin: 2 rec, 56 yards (long 44)
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S Ty Bryant: 10 tackles, 2 INTs
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Team: 172 rush yards; 5-of-16 on 3rd; 1-of-3 on 4th; 4-of-5 red zone (2 TD/2 FG/1 TO on downs).
What’s next
Kentucky (1–1, 0–1 SEC) hosts Eastern Michigan next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU, aiming to tidy the operation, tighten coverage, and sort the QB picture while keeping the run game rolling.
About the Author
Dalton Tinklenberg is the Founder and Media Director of The Scouting Depot, where he leads comprehensive coverage of college and professional football. He is an active member of some of the most respected organizations in sports journalism, including the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), Maxwell Football Club, Online News Association (ONA), National Football Foundation (NFF), and the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE).
Before launching The Scouting Depot, Dalton worked with Blue HQ Media, where he covered major sporting events such as the Indianapolis 500, the College Football Playoff, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Through his professional affiliations and on-the-ground experience, Dalton combines deep knowledge of the game with recognized standards of storytelling, editorial excellence, and authenticity in sports coverage.
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