Kentucky Falls at No. 3 Texas on Saturday
Kentucky linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown, but Kentucky lost at No. 3 Texas 31-14 on Saturday.
Freshman Cutter Boley played the second half for the Cats and completed 10 of 18 passing for 160 yards. Fellow freshman Jamarion Wilcox rushed 11 times for 50 yards for UK.
Kentucky got eight tackles from Dumas-Johnson and Ty Bryant and a sack from Octavious Oxendine.
Texas got the first possession of the game. The Longhorns would convert a third and long early in the drive, and they would march down the field, eventually scoring on a three-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Ewers to Gunnar Helm. The extra point by Bert Auburn was good and Texas grabbed an early 7-0 lead.
On Kentucky’s first play from scrimmage, Wilcox busted up the middle for 18 yards and a first down. However, the Cats were unable to get anything else going and were forced to punt. Texas took over at its own 16 with 7:25 left in the first quarter.
Texas would make three first downs, driving into UK territory. However, a pass breakup from Maxwell Hairston and a quarterback pressure from Tyrese Fearbry forced a turnover on downs and the Cats took over at their own 31 yard line.
The teams would exchange punts and the first quarter would come to an end with Texas holding a 7-0 lead.
As the second quarter began, Kentucky had moved the ball near midfield. On third and four, Vandagriff found Ja’Mori Maclin on the right sideline for a 42-yard gain, getting the Cats to the Texas 12. A pair of Demie Sumo-Karngbaye rushes got Kentucky to the Texas four. Then, on fourth down, Vandagriff found tight end Josh Kattus for the four-yard touchdown. Alex Raynor added the point after and the game was tied 7-7 with 11:36 left in the half.
Texas responded with an 11-play, 65-yard touchdown drive. Jaydon Blue scored on a five-yard touchdown carry and Auburn added the extra point, giving the Longhorns a 14-7 lead with 6:40 left in the first half.
On Kentucky’s next drive, Vandagriff was intercepted on an athletic play by Texas’ Jelani McDonald, giving the Longhorns the ball at the UK 34 yard line. The turnover proved to be costly, as Texas needed just four plays to get into the end zone again. Ewers found Helm for a 17-yard touchdown and Auburn added the PAT, giving the Longhorns a 21-7 lead with 3:12 remaining in the half.
After a Kentucky punt, Texas used its two-minute offense to quickly advance down the field. With 10 seconds left in the half, Auburn made a 49-yard field goal, making it 24-7. That would be the halftime score.
In the third quarter, UK went to Boley. On the second play of the possession, Boley connected with Barion Brown for a 43-yard completion. However, a holding penalty stalled the drive and the Cats were forced to punt. Texas took over at its own six yard line.
The UK defense forced a three-and-out and Texas punted it away, with Maclin returning it 14 yards to the Texas 43 yard line, where the Cats took over.
Kentucky would get one first down on its next drive, but on fourth and one, Wilcox was stopped and the Cats turned the ball over on downs.
On the ensuing Texas drive, Blue fumbled and Deone Walker recovered, giving UK the ball at the Texas 32 yard line.
On the first play of the Kentucky drive, Boley scrambled and found tight end Willie Rodriguez for a 25-yard gain, getting the Cats to the Texas seven. However, a negative rushing play and a sack stalled the drive. Raynor would come on for a 33-yard field goal, but it was wide left and the score remained 24-7. It was Raynor’s first miss of the season.
Kentucky got a good bounce on the third play of the next drive. Ewers went back to pass but the ball came out and Dumas-Johnson plucked it out of the air and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Raynor made the PAT and the Cats cut the deficit to 24-14 with 2:41 left in the third period.
As the third quarter came to an end, Texas was driving in Kentucky territory with a 24-14 advantage.
Texas got into the UK red zone but Auburn would miss a 47-yard field goal and the Cats took over at their own 29 yard line with 14:28 left in the game.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, Boley connected with Dane Key for a 19-yard gain. Later in the drive, on a third and seven, Boley found Fred Farrier for a 16-yard gain and a first down. However, a fumbled snap on the next play set the Cats back 10 yards. The Cats would eventually punt and Texas took over at its own 14 with 11:32 remaining.
The Longhorns would go to the ground game on its next drive. Texas ran the ball on 15 consecutive plays, eventually scoring on a one-yard touchdown rush by Quintrevion Wisner. Auburn made the PAT and Texas led 31-14 with 3:10 to play.
Kentucky finishes the regular season at home on Saturday, hosting Louisville at Kroger Field. Kickoff is set for noon ET and the game can be seen on the SEC Network.
