Gritty night ends in loss for the Cats: What went right, wrong, and 3 stars of the night

The Wildcats fought valiantly against the Vols, battling injuries and a rowdy Neyland Stadium crowd. It wasn't enough, however, as they fell short, losing 28-18 after holding a 10-7 lead at halftime. Once again, Kentucky struggled with second-half adjustments, a common theme under Stoops, as Tennessee scored 14 unanswered points in the 3rd to take control heading into the fourth quarter. Here’s a breakdown of what went right, wrong, and the 3 stars of the night for the Cats:

What went wrong?

The Defense

Kentucky’s defense couldn’t contain the run game in the second half as injuries on the depth chart took their toll. Dylan Sampson led the charge with 27 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns, while the Vols ran the ball 44 times for 184 yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and 3 total TDs. Kentucky’s pass defense fared no better through the air, allowing Nico Iamaleava to complete 28 of 38 for 292 yards and a touchdown. At one point, injuries were so bad that Kentucky was down to three healthy cornerbacks.

Pass Protection

Kentucky struggled to protect quarterback Brock Vandagriff, who faced relentless pressure nearly every snap. Although Tennessee recorded only three sacks, Vandagriff was frequently scrambling for his life. Eventually forced out of the game after a missed block allowed James Pearce Jr a direct shot to Brock's head. Backup Gavin Wimsatt entered the game but faced even more difficulty, and the offensive struggles boiled over on the sideline as Coach Stoops and new(old) line coach Eric Wolford were visibly frustrated after multiple false starts.

Turnovers

Turnovers were another setback, with Kentucky throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble, handing Tennessee short fields for 14 points. In a hostile SEC environment as an underdog, those kinds of mistakes can't happen.

What Went right?

Jamarion Wilcox

Freshman Jamarion Wilcox started the game off with a 50-yard run. Wilcox continued to impress through the game, finishing with 17 carries for 102 yards against a Tennessee defense that had been allowing only 80 rushing yards per game (second-best in the nation).

The Fight

Despite all the injuries, the blackout, and the dark mode uniforms, Kentucky showed much more fight than in the previous week’s loss to Auburn. It stayed competitive throughout the game, even leading at halftime.

3 stars of the night

1. Jamarion Wilcox

Credit to the freshman, who topped 100 yards rushing against one of the nation’s toughest run defenses.

2. Dane Key

With two catches for 43 yards, Key led the team in receiving and made a crucial third-down catch seen above to set up Kentucky’s first score.

3. Jamori Maclin

Maclin hauled in a beautiful deep touchdown catch and followed it up with a clutch two-point conversion catch, officially ending the night with just one catch. as they do not count 2 point conversion stats.

With a 3-6 record and a 1-6 standing in the conference, Kentucky now looks ahead to a home game against Murray State to stop a 4-game losing skid.