5 things you need to know from Kentucky football’s 42-10 rout of Tennessee Tech
Five things you need to know from Kentucky football’s 42-10 blowout victory over previously-undefeated Tennessee Tech:
1. Cats are streak busters. Kentucky’s victory pinned the first loss of the season on Tennessee Tech (10-1).
UK’s win snapped a 15-game win streak dating back to last season for coach Bobby Wilder’s Golden Eagles.
As UK (5-5) has now accumulated three straight victories, the Wildcats have made a habit of ending streaks.
When Kentucky won at Auburn on Nov. 1, it snapped a 10-game SEC losing streak for the Wildcats.
When the Wildcats smoked Florida 38-7 last week at Kroger Field, it ended a 10-game home losing skid against Southeastern Conference foes for UK.
On Saturday, Kentucky pinned the first defeat on Tennessee Tech since the Golden Eagles lost 37-21 at Western Illinois on Oct. 19, 2024.
Over its final two games of the 2025 season, UK will seek to extend two streaks of its own.
When the Wildcats visit No. 14 Vanderbilt next week, Kentucky will be seeking its fifth straight victory over the Commodores in Nashville.
In UK’s regular-season finale at No. 20 Louisville on Nov. 29, the Cats will be seeking to beat the Cardinals in the Derby City for the fifth straight time.
2. Cutter’s “Old Kentucky Home.” A Lexington Christian Academy alumnus, Cutter Boley has the distinction of being the first product of Kentucky high school football to start at quarterback for UK since Somerset’s Kaiya Sheron started for the Wildcats against South Carolina in 2022.
Boley, who grew up in LaRue County, is the first Kentuckian to start multiple games in a season at quarterback for the Cats since Conner High School’s Drew Barker started the first three games of the 2016 season.
Whether Boley’s home-state roots have played any role or not, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound redshirt freshman has been especially effective this season at Kroger Field.
In Saturday’s home finale for UK, Boley completed 18 of 21 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown.
For the season, Boley completed 106 of 142 passes at Kroger Field, a completion percentage of 74.6%. Boley threw for 1,270 yards with 10 touchdown throws vs. three interceptions in home games this year.
3. Kendrick lays down the “Law.” In his final appearance at Kroger Field, UK senior wide receiver Kendrick Law went out with a performance to remember.
The transfer from Alabama was targeted 11 times, and caught 11 passes for 124 yards.
Law had eight receptions for 102 yards by halftime.
The 6-foot, 205-pound product of Shreveport, Louisiana, set up Kentucky’s first touchdown with a 43-yard reception from Boley on a deep post pattern.
Law set up UK’s final TD of half one with a 40-yard kickoff return that, coupled with a late-hit penalty on Tennessee Tech kicker Dom LeBlanc, gave the Wildcats the ball at the Tennessee Tech 45.
4. Depth of Kentucky defense is tested. UK began Saturday’s game with four new defensive starters from last week.
Kent State transfer Kam Olds started in place of the injured Sam Greene at edge/outside linebacker.
Redshirt sophomore Grant Godfrey started at weakside linebacker in place of the injured Alex Afari.
With both DJ Waller and Nasir Addison sidelined, true freshman Grant Grayton started at field corner.
Sophomore Cam Dooley began the game at free safety in place of the injured Jordan Lovett.
Godfrey tied for the team high with five tackles.
Dooley intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and made two stops.
Tennessee Tech was not able to pick on Grayton at corner, and the 6-3, 205-pound product of Laurel, Maryland, had one tackle.
Olds also made one stop.
5. Stoops vs. the FCS. With the victory over Tennessee Tech, Mark Stoops is now 12-0 as Kentucky head man vs. teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.
Stoops vs. the FCS:
2013: Kentucky 48, Alabama State 14
2014: Kentucky 59, Tennessee Martin 14
2015: Kentucky 34, Eastern Kentucky 27 (overtime)
2016: Kentucky 49, Austin Peay 13
2017: Kentucky 27, Eastern Kentucky 16
2018: Kentucky 48, Murray State 10
2019: Kentucky 50, Tennessee Martin 7
2021: Kentucky 28, Chattanooga 23
2022: Kentucky 31, Youngstown State 0
2023: Kentucky 28, Eastern Kentucky 17
2024: Kentucky 48, Murray State 6
2025: Kentucky 42, Tennessee Tech 10
UK has FCS foes scheduled for the next four seasons — Youngstown State (2026), Murray State (2027), Eastern Illinois (2028) and Eastern Kentucky (2029).
Fashion police
For its 2025 home finale, Kentucky wore blue helmets, blue jerseys with white letters and numbers and blue pants.
Since 2020, UK is now 7-5 in all-blue uniforms.
This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 4:34 PM.
