A disastrous season gets more disastrous.
The Kentucky Wildcats were back home at Kroger Field tonight, hosting the struggling Auburn Tigers in what felt like a must-win game to keep the season alive.
The Cats were coming off back-to-back losses after falling to Vanderbilt and Florida, but a struggling Tigers team that entered tonight winless in the SEC was an opportunity to get back on track, but that did not happen.
The Cats came out quickly in the first quarter, building a 10-0 lead, but the offense stalled out and found themselves down 17-10 going into the fourth quarter.
Mark Stoops even officially made a quarterback change in the second half, keeping Gavin Wimsatt in for more than just one play at a time.
On the defensive side, Auburn’s running back Jarquez Hunter had himself a career night and gashed Kentucky with 278 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The defense also lost one of the most important pieces in JJ Weaver after suffering an injury that would end his night during a massive sack to end the first half.
Kentucky was unable to generate any offensive efficiency after the first quarter as Mark Stoops and his team gave the Tigers their first SEC win of the season.
The Wildcats have now lost 10 straight home games to the Tigers after a 24-10 loss tonight.
Game MVP
Dane Key continues to be the most consistent weapon on the offensive side of the football this season.
Key finished the night with four catches for 87 yards, averaging over 20 yards per completion.
The Lexington native also passed Kentucky great Randall Cobb for 8th all-time receiving yards in program history.
Beautiful catch by Dane Key, who passes Randall Cobb for #8 in receiving yards for Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/fdjKcpcJqV
— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) October 27, 2024
Key has continued to show his talent with contested catches and has showed tremendous effort on numerous receptions this evening.
Box Score
Twitter Reactions
This should be fun…
i present, Kentucky Football in 2024: pic.twitter.com/9YHacXmUDs
— KSR (@KSRonX) October 27, 2024
I remember watching Kentucky lose to Oakland in last year’s NCAA Tournament and said to myself “this can’t go on like this.”
It, obviously, didn’t.
As an outside observer, tonight is the night where it feels like we’ve officially hit the same point with the UK football program
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) October 27, 2024
Kentucky football always finds a way to ruin my week
— shyannajude (@shyannajude) October 27, 2024
Kentucky football fans deserve better than this @UKAthletics .
— Jared Ravenscraft (@J_Ravenscraft) October 27, 2024
Worst Kentucky football team in 10 years. So disappointed in this season.
— Derek Terry (@DerekSTerry) October 27, 2024
That sums up the Kentucky Football season.
1st and Goal at the 3. Get no points. Gain 1 yard.
What a total disappointment of a season. Sickening.
The rest of this season is going to be tough.
— Brandon Ramsey (@BRamseyKSR) October 27, 2024
We have a most disappointing award wrapped up in week 8……..
Most disappointing OC in 2024: Bush Hamdan, Kentucky
Kentucky brought in and retained so much talent in the off season. Hamdan has held all of it back.
Yes I get it. OL is not good. But man. Play. Calling has… pic.twitter.com/QJCqNTTtJJ
— College Football Headlines (@CFBHeadlines) October 27, 2024
Kentucky finishing by being unable to score from 1st and Goal inside the 5 yard line for the 3rd straight game is a fitting way to end this entire thing
Just embarrassing
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) October 27, 2024
The Murray State game is going to be eerily empty I am afraid
But at least we get to play at Tennessee in Primetime next week
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) October 27, 2024
Kentucky will finish 0-4 in SEC home games for the second time under Mark Stoops, the first coming in 2013.
Unacceptable.
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) October 27, 2024
The Mark Stoops Effect pic.twitter.com/s3Aue0Sc3y
— Jakob Wilson (@JakbWilson) October 27, 2024
Mark Stoops should be $44M richer by the time he hits the locker room
— WT – Lamont Enthusiast (@WildcatsTongue) October 27, 2024
Mark Stoops is lost as a head coach in year 12 at Kentucky. He has done so many good things as Kentucky’s coach, but it’s time. He knew it was time when he tried to leave for A&M. No one wants it to be this way, but what he worked hard to build is getting away from him.
— Derek Terry (@DerekSTerry) October 27, 2024
Mark Stoops should be fired tonight or tomorrow. Focus on recruiting underclassmen back for the next coach. If you fire him in December everyone is hitting the portal at once.
— Red Cup Kentucky (@KentuckyRedCup) October 27, 2024
Kentucky will finish 0-4 in SEC home games this season and is now 2-11 in its last 13.
— TheCatsPause247 (@TheCatsPause247) October 27, 2024
Jarquez Hunter has set a new record for most rushing yards by an opposing player against Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium/Kroger Field (278)
— Corey Price (@coreyp08) October 27, 2024