Kentucky

Kentucky opens against Southern Miss, seeking fourth series victory in five meetings

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 2024

Press Room

Kentucky opens against Southern Miss, seeking fourth series victory in five meetings

Southern Miss at Kentucky, Saturday, 7:45 p.m. ET (SEC)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Kentucky by 28.

Series record: Kentucky leads 3-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Southern Miss looks to bounce back from its second 3-9 finish in three seasons. The Golden Eagles also aim to break an eight-game skid against SEC teams, with its most recent win coming at Kentucky in 2016. The host Wildcats seek a strong start before a two-game conference stretch that includes No. 1 Georgia on Sept. 14.

KEY MATCHUP

Kentucky ranked 98th in FBS offense last season (339.5 yards per game) and looks to move up in many categories under new coordinator Bush Hamdan, who led a top-30 unit at Boise State in 2023. The Wildcats also break in a new quarterback in Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff, who backed up Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck the past three seasons. Southern Miss’ defense looks to improve after yielding nearly 421 yards per game in 2023 (109th of 130 FBS teams). Third-down defense was the Golden Eagles’ upside as opponents converted just 38% of opportunities.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southern Miss linebacker Dylan Lawrence made a team-high 78 tackles last season and will again be counted on to set the tone for a defense seeking overall improvement. He had just one of the Golden Eagles’ 25 sacks but was key to their third-down defense and 17 takeaways. Lawrence is among 25 graduates on the roster.

Kentucky junior defensive lineman Deone Walker and linebacker J.J. Weaver each had at least seven sacks last season and anchor one of the Wildcats’ deepest units under Mark Stoops. Walker has been projected as a possible first-round NFL draft pick; Weaver is back for a fifth season after passing on the draft last spring.

FACTS & FIGURES

The Golden Eagles were picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt Conference West Division in a preseason poll of league coaches. … They are 4-16 against the SEC in season openers, earning their last win over Kentucky in 2016. … Wildcats receiver/returner Barion Brown has returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the past two openers. … Stoops begins his 12th season as the SEC’s longest-tenured coach following the January retirement of Nick Saban at Alabama. … The Wildcats received three votes in the preseason AP Top 25.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

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Kentucky

Kentucky football spring game offers early look at Will Stein’s Cats

Published

12 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky football spring game offers early look at Will Stein’s Cats

LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.

The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.

Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.

Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.

“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”

While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.

“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.

“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”

New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.

And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.

This story will be updated.

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

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Kentucky

Kentucky has reportedly moved on from top-10 transfer Paulius Murauskas

Published

24 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky has reportedly moved on from top-10 transfer Paulius Murauskas

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Texas A&M at Saint Marys

Mar 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Saint Mary’s (CA) Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) takes a shot during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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Kentucky

Kentucky gets some potentially good news concerning Donnie Freeman

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky gets some potentially good news concerning Donnie Freeman

Time is of the essence if you’re Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats right now. With the transfer portal set to close in just a few days, chaos reigns as programs and players scramble to secure their next opportunities. Among the fray is Kentucky, which finds itself navigating a tumultuous landscape in search of elite talent. With many of the Top 25 players already committed, the urgency for the Wildcats to land a game-changing recruit has never been more at the forefront following this season.

One of Pope’s primary targets is Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman. The 6-foot-9 rising junior made waves during his time at Syracuse, averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 47.4 percent from the field last season. His potential is undeniable; many experts predict Freeman will be a future first-round NBA draft pick, making him a coveted asset for any program.

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