Connect with us

Kentucky

Kentucky vs Auburn predictions? Can UK football pull off road win in Week 10?

Published

4 months ago

on

Kentucky vs Auburn predictions? Can UK football pull off road win in Week 10?


play

When the Kentucky and Auburn football programs met last season in Lexington, it featured two struggling clubs. The Wildcats were 14th in the 16-team SEC, with a 1-4 record in conference games at that point; the Tigers were 0-4 and in a tie for last (alongside Mississippi State).

A year later, UK and AU are once more fighting to climb out of the conference cellar.

Advertisement

Kentucky is last in the league standings, sitting at 0-5. Auburn is only one game better, with a 1-4 mark. The Tigers have a better overall record as well. They’re .500 (4-4) on the season, while the Wildcats are 2-5.

UK and coach Mark Stoops seek an end to a 10-game conference losing streak that has lasted more than a year.

The Wildcats also hope they can change their luck in the series with the Tigers. Heading into Saturday night’s matchup, Auburn is 28-6-1 versus Kentucky all time. AU is 19-1 against UK in the past 20 meetings.

Buy Kentucky vs. Auburn football tickets

Advertisement

Which Kentucky defense shows up? The one that limited Texas to fewer than 200 yards in an overtime loss on Oct. 18? Or the one that gave up seven touchdowns and more than 500 yards in a one-sided setback to Tennessee last week? Much like life, the answer is probably somewhere in the middle. Think back to last season’s game between the Wildcats and Tigers: It was 10-all at halftime before Auburn scored the final 14 points in a 24-10 win at Kroger Field. Expect another close battle for a good portion of Saturday night’s contest on the Plains. But the Wildcats haven’t been able to get over the hump and vanquish an SEC foe in quite some time. Desperate for a winning season for the first time since 2020 — an accomplishment that, perhaps, would save coach Hugh Freeze’s job in the process — Auburn will hold serve at home and hand Kentucky its 11th consecutive conference loss.

Why Kentucky has an advantage: The Wildcats have clarity at quarterback. While the Tigers are sorting through whether to stick with Jackson Arnold (who started the first eight games this fall) or Ashton Daniels (who led a second-half comeback to top Arkansas last week), the Wildcats know Cutter Boley is QB1. The redshirt freshman is fresh off a record-setting performance. His five touchdown passes last week set a single-game UK record for a freshman. How well Tigers defensive coordinator DJ Durkin disguises his coverages could be the difference in this one, particularly if Seth McGowan, the Wildcats’ leading rusher and top offensive threat, misses his second straight game and forces the unit to rely more heavily on Boley’s arm.

Why Auburn has an advantage: The Tigers have one of the best defenses around. They give up just 84.1 rushing yards per game, which is second in the SEC and fifth nationally. They also rank among the top 30 in the FBS in scoring defense (18.6 points per game; tied for 21st) and total defense (318.5 yards per game; 29th). The most points Auburn has allowed this fall is 24 — on three occasions (Arkansas, Baylor and Oklahoma). The Tigers are one of only four teams in the country, and the only one that resides in the SEC, not to allow an opponent to reach the 25-point threshold in 2025.

Auburn 31, Kentucky 20.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

Advertisement



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Kentucky

Which Northern Kentucky boys basketball teams can win regional titles?

Published

10 hours ago

on

February 28, 2026

By

Which Northern Kentucky boys basketball teams can win regional titles?


The best week of the boys Kentucky high school basketball season is here, as the regional tournaments begin.

Three boys basketball tournaments with Northern Kentucky teams begin next week as they try to punch their ticket to Rupp Arena. They are all in their traditional homes: The Eighth Region takes place at Henry County, the Ninth Region at Truist Arena and the 10th Region at the Mason County Fieldhouse. Here is a look at those brackets.

Eighth Region (at Henry County)

Advertisement

Wednesday, March 4: Henry County (19-11) vs. South Oldham (20-8), 6:30 p.m.; Simon Kenton (16-10) vs. Spencer County (19-13), 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 5: Walton-Verona (17-15) vs. North Oldham (22-5), 6:30 p.m.; Woodford County (17-7) vs. Gallatin County (11-20), 8 p.m.

Monday, March 9: Semifinals – March 4 winners, 6:30 p.m.; March 5 winners, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 10: Final, 7 p.m.

What to watch: Simon Kenton edged Walton-Verona 56-51 for the 32nd District championship. Bray Bilton was the tournament MVP. SK did not play Spencer County this year, and lost to South Oldham in its half of the draw by 20. North Oldham and Woodford County are considered the two favorites, and are both 8-0 in the region as they have not played each other. WV lost to North Oldham by 20 on Feb. 6.

Advertisement

Ninth Region (at NKU’s Truist Arena)

Saturday, March 7: Highlands (25-5) vs. Conner (14-12), 1 p.m.; Covington Catholic (28-2) vs. Dixie Heights (18-12), 2:30 p.m.; Lloyd Memorial (22-4) vs. Holy Cross (21-9), 6:30 p.m.; Ryle (21-8) vs. Newport (21-9), 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 8: Semifinals – Highlands/Conner vs. CovCath/Dixie winners, 6:30 p.m.; Lloyd/Holy Cross vs. Ryle/Newport winners, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 10: Final, 7 p.m.

Advertisement

What to watch: CovCath is the overwhelming favorite. Its only losses are to other top Kentucky teams Male and Madison Central. CovCath has not played Lloyd or Newport but has beaten the other five teams in the field by an average of 27 points. The Colonels’ closest win against Ninth Region competition is by 18 (72-54) against its first opponent, Dixie Heights.  

Conner beat Highlands 72-58 on Feb. 10. Ryle beat Conner by 12 in the 33rd District final for its first district title since 2014. Ryle beat Newport 45-30 on Dec. 17 but Newport has won seven of nine heading into the regional.

Lloyd is the hottest team in the region besides CovCath, winning 12 straight including a 21-point victory over Dixie in the 34th District final. Lloyd beat Holy Cross by 10, 63-53, on Jan. 6. Lloyd and Newport did not play each other this season, and time will tell if either can challenge CovCath if they get that chance. But barring injuries, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the Colonels going to Rupp.

10th Region (at Mason County Fieldhouse)

Wednesday, March 4: Scott (15-14) vs. Mason County (7-19), 6 p.m.; Pendleton County (17-12) vs. George Rogers Clark (26-4), 8 p.m.

Advertisement

Thursday, March 5: Montgomery County (17-12) vs. Bracken County (14-15), 6 p.m.; Campbell County (21-9) vs. Nicholas County (20-12), 8 p.m.

Monday, March 9: Semifinals – March 4 winners, 6 p.m.; March 5 winners, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 10: Final, 7 p.m.

What to watch: George Rogers Clark is the heavy favorite here. Scott beat the host Royals 64-59 Dec. 18 in Taylor Mill. The hosts have struggled all year but won the 39th District. Scott survived a wild finish in the 37th District semifinals, with Jordan Clemons hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer after a steal to give the Eagles a win over Brossart. Freshman Benjamin Brown has averaged 23 points per game in half a season. Pendleton County won the 38th District behind junior Kamden O’Hara, one of Northern Kentucky’s best shooters (15.4 ppg., 100 3-pointers). They drew the short straw after tourney favorite GRC lost the 40th District final to Montgomery County, 73-66. Campbell County has won four straight, including two dominant wins in the 37th District tournament. The streak started with a 90-89 win over its first-round regional opponent Nicholas County Feb. 13. Sophomore standout Austin Davie put up 50 points against Nicholas. Campbell lost by 12 to potential semifinal opponent Montgomery County Jan. 23.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Kentucky

Cities Drive Kentucky License Plate fund aims to support disaster relief across the commonwealth

Published

22 hours ago

on

February 28, 2026

By

Cities Drive Kentucky License Plate fund aims to support disaster relief across the commonwealth


(LEX 18) — With peak flood season approaching in eastern Kentucky, a new license plate is hitting the road with a mission: helping communities recover when disaster strikes.

The Kentucky League of Cities is launching the Cities Drive Kentucky license plate to raise money for communities affected by natural disasters. The plates are expected to arrive at county clerk’s offices across the state next month.

Kentucky League of Cities CEO J.D. Chaney said the idea grew from watching Kentuckians rally together during past disasters — most notably in 2021, when an EF-4 tornado touched down in western Kentucky as part of a widespread outbreak.

“We saw people from the far east going far west that weren’t even touched,” Chaney said.

Advertisement

Chaney said getting local governments back on their feet quickly is essential to helping residents recover.

“Getting the city up and going to be able to respond to the citizens they serve is absolutely critical for individuals to make recovery,” Chaney said.

The Kentucky League of Cities also aims to serve as a communication hub during disasters, helping local officials manage the flood of offers of support so they can focus on their communities.

“They’ve got [300] or 400 other phone calls they need to be doing, and we help on that other side. So, there’s one point of contact to facilitate those things,” Chaney said.

The need for that kind of support is growing. Research from the organization shows extreme weather caused $22 million in damages in 2025.

Advertisement

Chaney described the license plate program as a safety net for cities across Kentucky.

“It’s an insurance policy, for Kentucky cities to know that they have that backing with other communities that have the resources so they can immediately get back and start serving their constituency,” Chaney said.

“We hope others also see how important that is,” Chaney added.

The Cities Drive Kentucky license plates will be available at county clerk’s offices statewide next month.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Kentucky

Western Kentucky residents share benefits of backyard chickens (copy)

Published

2 days ago

on

February 27, 2026

By

Western Kentucky residents share benefits of backyard chickens (copy)


Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill 276 earlier this month, which would allow Kentucky residents to keep up to six backyard chickens on residential properties while setting guidelines for local regulation.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending