Texas walks out of Red River winners for the second year in a row and three of the last four years. Now, they head to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the Wildcats, a team that is widely considered one of the worst in the SEC. That being said, Mark Stoops has shown time and again his ability to get these wins, especially in Lexington. The Wildcats are coming off a bye, meaning the Longhorns will have come fully focused or they could fall in this game.
Offense
The Kentucky offense is one that Texas should be able to essentially shut down. The run game for Kentucky has been solid, going for 159 yards/game on the ground, but the pass game is leaving much to be desired. Zach Calzada, former Texas A&M Aggie, began the season as the starter, but Cutter Boley has taken over as of late. The Longhorns played Boley last year, and should have a similar approach defensively this year as it was in the 31-14 Longhorn win. Boley has grown since last year, and possess incredible passing ability.
Kentucky ranks below 50th in the country in all the major offensive categories, including 101st in yards/game. This should be a decided advantage towards the Longhorns, meaning the offense can continue to find their way against a questionable Wildcat defense.
Kentucky is all-in on Cutter Boley. I thought the redshirt freshman took a very big step in the right direction on Saturday.
These were my favorite throws. Playing on time is king. Haven’t really seen this from Boley until today. https://t.co/Mmrj34q6yPpic.twitter.com/oZX8UQLZiw
— Adam Luckett (@AdamLuckettKSR) October 5, 2025
Defense
The Kentucky defense has struggled mightily in SEC play, giving up at least 30 points to every opponent. They are particularly susceptible to the pass, giving up nearly 250 yards/game through the air. This should be another opening for Arch Manning to continue to improve, but will have to deal with guys like Ty Bryant and JQ Hardaway to do it. Sarkisian would love to start mixing the gameplan from Florida with the one from Red River, and this should be an opportunity to do that.
In the run game, the overall numbers are not great, but they are giving up less than 4 yards/carry. The Kentucky DL has consistently been one of their better units, and that continues to be the case. Khalil Saunders, Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace and company will be another nice test for the Texas OL. Regardless, this will be a test, but far from the toughest one left on the Longhorns schedule.
Sarkisian on Kentucky and HC Mark Stoops:
“They want to play great defense. They want to minimize the explosive plays. They want to run the football and create explosives off the run game. And they do a very good job of that. They’ve played very good defense all year.”
— Evan Vieth (@EvanVieth) October 13, 2025
Overall
This Kentucky team is far from perfect, but when they play in Lexington, they are a different team. They nearly knocked off Ole Miss earlier this year in Lexington before struggling in road trips to South Carolina and Georgia. Can Texas avoid the scare and get a comfortable win on the road? My gut says yes, but it is far from a given the Longhorns will continue the level of play we saw in Red River.
Mark Stoops has been one of the most consistent coaches in the SEC for quite some time, and this is a game he has won before. While Kentucky has been inconsistent this season, there is a great performance to be had for the Wildcats, and it could be Saturday. The Longhorns will need to come ready to roll in Lexington, or this one could get away from them in a hurry.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Early look at the Kentucky Wildcats: Struggling, but tough at home
