Kentucky-Alabama Postgame Notes

ALABAMA at KENTUCKY
SEPTEMBER 12, 2026
KROGER FIELD AT C.M. NEWTON GROUNDS

FINAL SCORE: NO. 12/12 ALABAMA 45, KENTUCKY 17

Team Records and Series Information

• Kentucky is 1-1, 0-1 SEC overall. Alabama is 2-0 (1-0).
• This was the first game of the 2026 Southeastern Conference schedule.
• Alabama leads the series, 40-2-1 and has won the last nine meetings.
  • Alabama leads 17-2 in games played in Lexington.

Next Game

• Kentucky has its first road trip of the year as the Wildcats travel to Bryan-College Station to take on Texas A&M. Saturday’s game time is 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CT in Bryan-College Station) and will be televised on ESPN.

Team Notes

• Kentucky’s 17 points in the first half is the most vs. Alabama since 1988 when the Wildcats also notched 17 in the opening half.
• Kentucky allowed 343 total yards to Alabama, fewest vs. the Crimson Tide since 1989 when UA had 294 total yards.
• Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace’s interception return for a touchdown was the first for Kentucky since Maxwell Hairston’s 25-yard return for TD vs. Ohio in 2024.
  • It is Kentucky’s first interception return for a touchdown vs. Alabama since Bill Chambers had a 66-yard return TD in 1946.
• Kentucky tight ends combined to catch nine passes, matching last week’s total for that position.
  • It is the first time UK tight ends have caught at least nine passes in consecutive games since Sept. 16 and 23 of the 2000 season.

Player Notes

• QB Kenny Minchey completed 18 of 31 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown.
• RB Jason Patterson led the ground game today with 53 yards on 11 carries.
• TE Willie Rodriguez paced the receiving with eight catches for 49 yards.
  • It is the most catches for a UK tight end in one game since Jacob Tamme caught nine vs. Tennessee in 2007.
• True freshman WR Kenny Darby also made an impact with five catches for 45 yards.
• TE Henry Boyer caught a 20-yard pass in the second quarter for his first collegiate touchdown.
• DE Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace had an interception return for a touchdown, a sack/caused fumble recovered by Kentucky, and totaled four tackles, including 1.5 for loss (-6 yards).
  • On Alabama’s second offensive play of the game, he shared a two-yard tackle for loss.
  • On the next play, he batted a pass in the air, caught it at the two-yard line and lunged into the end zone for a touchdown.
  • It is his first touchdown at Kentucky and third of his collegiate career. He recovered two fumbles for touchdowns while playing at South Dakota.
  • On Alabama’s second possession, he sacked the quarterback (-5) and the fumble was recovered by C.J. Works.
• SS Ty Bryant had 10 tackles to lead the Wildcats, including his first collegiate sack, on a third-down play in the second quarter, that forced Alabama to try a field goal.
• FS Jordan Castell had an interception in the second quarter, his first at Kentucky and fourth of his career.
• LB J. Works had the first fumble recovery of his collegiate career. He also had three pass breakups.
• K Adam Zouagui connected on both PAT attempts and a 39-yard field goal.
• P Thomas O’Hara punted five times for 204 yards, an average of 40.8 yards per punt with a long of 46 yards.

First Starts

• Transfers who had started at other schools but making their first start at UK: NG Jaden Williams, STAR Aaron Gates, CB Hasaan Sykes

Game Captains

• OL Olaus Alinen, QB Kenny Minchey, SS Ty Bryant, LB Bo Barnes

Honorary Captains

• Today’s honorary captains were Tim Couch and Craig Yeast, who connected on a 26-yard touchdown pass in overtime as Kentucky defeated Alabama, 40-34, in 1997. Couch (1996-98) went on to earn first-team All-America honors in ’98 and in 2024 was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.  Yeast (1995-98) was a third-team All-American in ’98 as the duo led the Wildcats to a berth in the Outback Bowl.