Kentucky
Auburn report card: Grading the Tigers road win at Kentucky
Auburn snapped a four-game losing streak defeating Kentucky Saturday night.
After trailing 10-0 early, the Tigers came out in the second half with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took over seven minutes to take a lead they didn’t relinquish.
Auburn moves to 3-5 this season, 1-4 in the SEC. Here‘s how we graded Tigers performance:
Offense
Grade: B
After going scoreless in the opening quarter with negative rushing yards, Auburn leaned on a career night from Jarquez Hunter who rushed for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
The Tigers racked up 498 total yards of offense and finished 27 first downs compared to Kentucky’s 13. Payton Thorne completed 20-of-26 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown to Keandre Lambert-Smith. His first quarter interception was the only turnover for Auburn.
Despite a great showing, the Tigers offense was far from perfect as Thorne took several sacks. One sack cost Auburn to miss out on three points before the halftime break.
Defense
Grade: A-
Kentucky’s offense went cold after a 10-0 first quarter lead over Auburn. The Tigers scored 24 unanswered points as the defense held Kentucky to only 224 yards of offense.
Dorian Mausi commanded the defense with 10 total tackles and Keldrick Faulk led with two first half sacks for the Tigers.
Auburn forced two turnovers by the Wildcats as Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee both snagged interceptions in the secondary.
Special Teams
Grade: B-
Alex McPherson made his season debut returning in the kicking line up with freshman Towns McGough. He connected on his first extra point attempt and 27-yard first half field goal.
He finished the night 1-of-2 on field goals missing a 47-yard attempt in the third quarter.
McGough got the start handling all the kickoff duties for the Tigers Saturday.
Coaching
Grade: A
With all the odds stacked against him traveling late to Lexington due to food poisoning, Hugh Freeze and his staff found a way to lead the Tigers over Kentucky.
With 50 rushing attempts for 326 total rushing yards on the ground, Freeze utilized that unit all second half to drain out the Wildcats defense.
Overall
Grade: B+
Auburn finally found a way to finish a game giving their season hope at a possible bowl bid.
Now returning back to Jordan-Hare stadium to host Vanderbilt next week, the Tigers look to keep the momentum going in final three games.
Kentucky
Hardley Gilmore returns to Kentucky Football
A wide receiver from Belle Glade, Florida, Gilmore totaled 28 receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown for the Wildcats during the 2025 season. The 6-foot-1 sophomore has had a very interesting offseason as he entered the portal, flipped a commitment, and is now back in Lexington.
After the 2025 season, Gilmore committed to Louisville when he entered the transfer portal, then flipped his commitment to Baylor, and ultimately signed with the Bears. To end Gilmore’s portal saga, he’s now back in a familiar place with the Wildcats.
When the 2026 season begins, Gilmore will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Gilmore had a solid sophomore campaign with the Wildcats, appearing in all 12 games. His best game of the season came in the late-season loss against Vanderbilt. He tallied six catches for 55 yards in the game.
With Kentucky losing most of its wide receiver production from last season, this is a significant pickup, and it won’t be surprising if Gilmore is back in the starting lineup this fall.
Kentucky
Kentucky vs. Texas A&M Injury Report: The usual suspects are out
As for the Aggies, the only name on the report is Mackenzie Mgbako, a one-time Kentucky target who remains out for the season after undergoing foot surgery. Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMilan said today that Mgbako will return next season, which would be a big boost for the Aggies before the offseason begins.
Kentucky vs. Texas A&M Injury Report
Kentucky
Watch: Blast brings down Northern Kentucky bridge
COVINGTON, Ky. (WKRC) – The Licking River Bridge was demolished Monday morning in a controlled blast, clearing the way for a replacement structure.
Authorities established a 1,000-foot safety perimeter, closed nearby roads and asked residents to shelter in place before the demolition. The bridge collapsed within seconds of the blast.
“Today we say goodbye to a bridge that has served Kentuckians for nearly a century and we make room for something new. A signature bridge that is safer, stronger and we make room for something new,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “This region, like the rest of the commonwealth, is evolving, it is booming, it’s economy growing every day. What we’re doing together is building our new Kentucky home.”
The Licking River Bridge is now history after crews brought it down with a controlled demolition Monday morning. (WKRC)
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Crews will begin construction on the new bridge after debris removal is complete. The replacement bridge is expected to open in the summer of 2028.
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