Kentucky-Eastern Michigan Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES

EASTERN MICHIGAN at KENTUCKY

KROGER FIELD – LEXINGTON, KY.

SEPT. 13, 2025

FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 48, Eastern Michigan 23

Team Records and Series Information

• Kentucky is 2-1 overall and Eastern Michigan is 0-3.
• Kentucky leads the series, 3-0, with all three games played in Lexington, also 2017 and 2019.
• The Wildcats are 36-9-1 all-time against teams from the MAC.
  • The Cats have won nine in a row against teams from the MAC, dating back to 2004.

Next Game

• Kentucky has an open date on Sept. 20. The Wildcats return to action Sept. 27 with their first road game of the season at South Carolina.  Game time and television designation will be announced Monday, Sept. 15.

Team Notes

• General Notes:
  • Coach Mark Stoops improved his school records for wins (69) and home wins (49).
  • The Wildcats have won 21 of their last 22 nonconference games in the regular season.
  • Kentucky has won 24 of its last 27 nonconference games
  • This was Hall of Fame Weekend for Kentucky Athletics, with Josh Hines-Allen joined by Abbey Cheek-Ramsey (softball), Makayla Epps (women’s basketball), Doug Flynn (baseball/men’s basketball/broadcaster), Sonia Hahn (women’s tennis) and Karl-Anthony Towns (men’s basketball) in this year’s class.
    • Hines-Allen was the 2018 National Defensive Player of the Year, setting UK single-season and career records for quarterback sacks, while leading the Wildcats to a 10-win season, capped by a victory over Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl.

• Offensive Notes:
  • Kentucky scored a touchdown on its first series for the first time since playing Murray State in Kroger Field on Nov. 16, 2024.
  • UK has scored at least 37 points in a game for the last 29 seasons, dating back to 1997.
  • 48 points tonight is the most vs. an FBS opponent since Nov. 27, 2021 at Louisville (52 points).
  • UK scored 28 points in the first half, most vs. any opponent since Nov. 20, 2021 vs. New Mexico State (35 in first half of that game).
  • Tonight’s 492 yards of total offense marked Kentucky’s most against an FBS opponent since Nov. 27, 2021, at Louisville (511).
  • The Wildcats have rushed for 644 yards through the first three games, the most through the first three games since 2018.
    • The Cats rushed for 252 yards today, the first time they have rushed for at least 170 in each of the first three games since 2018.
  • The Wildcats offense featured eight rushes of 10 or more yards and seven passes of more than 20 yards.
    • The Wildcats had six different players with a 20-yard plus reception.
  • UK has had at least 170 yards rushing and two touchdowns rushing in each of the first three games of the season since 2010.
  • This is UK’s first time with 240 yards passing and 240 yards rushing against an FBS opponent since Nov. 20, 2021 vs. New Mexico State.
  • Tonight’s game marked the first time Kentucky has had a game with two tight ends with a touchdown catch since Nov. 6, 2021 vs. Tennessee.
  • The Wildcats have scored in nine straight quarters dating back to the season opener against Toledo on Aug. 30.
  • Kentucky went 7-of-7 in the red zone, improving to 14-of-15 through Week 3.

• Defensive Notes:
  • Kentucky improved its streak to 12 straight games forcing a turnover after Terhyon Nichols’ breakup and Daveren Rayner’s pick on the first play of the game.
  • Kentucky’s defense has intercepted the ball on the opponents’ first possession in two of three games to start the season.
    • We’ve only allowed 19 yards total on opponents’ first possessions.
  • The Kentucky defense made three fourth-down stops tonight, giving the Wildcats six turnovers on downs this season.

Player Notes

• QB Cutter Boley went a career-best 12-of-21 for a career-best 240 yards and a career-best-tying two touchdowns passing.
  • Seven of his 12 completed passes were at least 20 yards.
  • He threw Kentucky’s first passing touchdown of the year.
  • He also rushed a career-best-tying five times for a career-best 24 yards.
• RB Seth McGowan had a career-high-tying 18 carries for 104 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
  • Ray Davis was the last player to have three rushing touchdowns, vs. Florida Sept. 30, 2023.
  • He is the first UK player with at least 75 yards rushing and a touchdown rushing in each of the first three games of the season since Derrick Locke in 2010.
  • He is also the first UK player – since at least 1984 – with six rushing touchdowns in the first three games of the season.
  • It is the second 100+ yard game of McGowan’s career.
• RB Jason Patterson had a career-best 13 carries for a career-best 80 yards and a touchdown, all of which came in the fourth quarter.
  • It marked the first touchdown of his career.
• TE Josh Kattus had a team-high three receptions for a team-high 61 yards and his first touchdown reception of the season.
• TE Willie Rodriguez had two receptions for 28 yards and the first touchdown of his career.
  • He also tied his career long with a 25-yard reception on Kentucky’s second touchdown drive.
• LB Daveren Rayner had an interception on the first offensive play of the game, returning it 25 yards to the EMU 10, setting up Kentucky’s first touchdown. It is the first interception of his collegiate career.
• DB Ty Bryant had five tackles.
  • He also returned a punt for a career-long 25 yards.
• DL Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace collected his first sack at Kentucky, tracking down the QB for a 17-yard loss. He had four tackles total, including 1.5 tackles for loss (-21 yards total).
• K Jacob Kauwe went 6-of-6 on extra point attempts and 2-of-2 on field goals (career-long 51 yards, 24 yards).
  • The redshirt freshman remains perfect in his young career on 6-of-6 on field goals and 11-of-11 on PAT.

First Start at Kentucky

• TE Henry Boyer

Game Captains

• OL Joshua Braun, DB Jordan Lovett, RB Seth McGowan, DL Kahlil Saunders