Kentucky football’s home woes continue as fast start proves to be fool’s gold vs. Auburn
READ MORE
Game day: Auburn 24, Kentucky 10
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-Auburn football game in Lexington.
Expand All
Kentucky football’s losing streak hit three games as the offense reached new lows in a 24-10 loss to Auburn.
It was UK’s seventh consecutive SEC home loss. The Wildcats have now lost 11 of their last 13 SEC home games. Auburn entered the game winless in conference play.
With the defeat, UK’s hopes of extending its eight-year bowl streak are on life support. Kentucky now needs to win two games against Tennessee, Texas and Louisville in addition to defeating FCS Murray State to reach six wins and bowl eligibility.
Kentucky actually started the game in dominant fashion, scoring on its first two drives with a 46-yard Alex Raynor field goal and a 2-yard Jamarion Wilcox touchdown run while holding Auburn to no yards on its first two drives.
But the Wildcats got no points out of a JQ Hardway interception at the Auburn 40-yard line that ended the Tigers’ second drive. Kentucky actually went backward on that possession, losing 10 yards when quarterback Brock Vandagriff was sacked on third down.
The UK offense stalled from there as Auburn tied the game with 10 second-quarter points on a 6-yard pass from quarterback Peyton Thorne to wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith and a 27-yard Alex McPherson field goal.
Kentucky kept the game tied heading into intermission thanks to a third-down sack from outside linebacker J.J. Weaver at the Kentucky 14-yard line with seven seconds remaining. With no timeouts, Auburn was unable to get its field goal unit lined up in time for what would have been around a 36-yard attempt.
That play just delayed the misery for Kentucky, though.
Weaver was unable to return in the second half after being injured on the sack. A defense that was already missing cornerback Maxwell Hairston and linebacker D’Eryk Jackson due to injuries was then consistently gashed on the ground by Auburn, which recorded three second-half runs of at least 45 yards.
Kentucky handed the offense to backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt in the second half, but the only first down on his first two drives came on a pass interference penalty.
Auburn stretched the lead to 14 on a 45-yard Jarquez Hunter touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Kentucky’s last hope of pulling back into the game ended on the next drive when the Wimsatt-led offense finally found some momentum only for Wimsatt to throw an interception in the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
The interception marked the third consecutive game Kentucky had failed to score points on a drive that reached inside its opponent’s 5-yard line.
TURNING POINT
Kentucky looked on the verge of rediscovering its offensive momentum after a 22-yard pass from Vandagriff to freshman Hardley Gilmore on the first drive of the second quarter, but three plays later Vandagriff was intercepted when he left a throw to Barion Brown down the sideline short. UK did not advance past midfield again until trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter.
MVP
Auburn took control of the game when it decided to just hand the ball to Hunter and let him work. He finished the win with 23 carries for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He recorded carries for 50, 45 and 46 yards in the second half.
KEY STAT
After its fast start, Kentucky gained just 36 total yards in the second and third quarter. While the margin was just seven points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, fans had already begun to head toward the exit. After Auburn’s early fourth quarter touchdown, the mass exodus began.
This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 11:05 PM.
