LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Leaning heavily on younger players who have not seen much action this season, Kentucky snapped a four-game losing skid and generated some good vibes with a 48-6 romp over FCS foe Murray State on Saturday at Kroger Field.
"That was a good game to get a lot of our players some reps, as you saw that, even early in the game," UK head coach Mark Stoops said. "Starting with some guys who haven't gotten many snaps at all who started the game, and then obviously we rolled through quite a few players during the game.
"It was sloppy at times, but we did what we had to do for the majority of the game."
Freshman quarterback Cutter Boley played the entire second half for the Wildcats (4-6, 1-6 SEC), completing 10 of 14 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in his first extended look under center. UK scored on every possession led by the former Lexington Christian standout.
"It was good to see," Stoops said. "I know a lot of people are excited about that young man, and so am I."
Fellow freshman Hardley Gilmore IV, who missed most of the season with an injury sustained in fall camp, recorded his first collegiate touchdown reception on a 53-yard pass from UK starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff to stake the Cats to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
“It was good," Gilmore said of his first score. "I was excited. I felt the rush --- adrenaline rush -- and I was just happy.”
"He's a quality player," Stoops said of the Belle Glade, Fla., native. "We've talked about it for a while. The injury, he was out for whatever it was, six or seven weeks, set him back, but he's been working his way back into the role. What I love about him, he plays so hard. Plays very physical, plays hard."
Redshirt freshman running back Jamarion Wilcox had another impressive showing, carrying the ball 13 times for 123 yards and a touchdown. It could have been an even bigger day for the Douglasville, Ga., native, but he had a 73-yard run wiped out by a holding penalty.
"He's growing. There's no denying that running ability," Stoops said.
It was part of a 582-yard day for the UK offense.
Meanwhile, the Cats held Murray State to just 256 total yards, stopped 11 of 12 third-down conversions, and forced three turnovers. Junior safety Jordan Lovett intercepted two passes, and walk-on defensive back Jackson Schulz added one with just over a minute to play to seal the victory.
The Racers' lone scores -- a pair of short field goals by James London -- came as a result of UK turnovers inside its own 20-yard line.
Murray State (1-10, 0-7 MVFC) was held to just 87 yards rushing on 25 carries.
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In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
KEY MOMENT:
Kickoff? Let's face it, Murray State has been struggling this season on both sides of the ball. The Racers, who are rebuilding under first-year head coach Jody Wright, were just completely outmanned on Saturday
GAME BALL:
Cutter Boley, Kentucky -- The homegrown product put on a good show in the second half, completing 10 of his 14 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 30-yard run. The Cats scored on every possession Boley directed -- three touchdowns and one field goal.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1st - Kentucky running back with back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances, Jamarion Wilcox, since Chris Rodriguez during the 2022 season.
2 - Interceptions by UK safety Jordan Lovett marked the first time a Wildcat has recorded two at Kroger Field since J.D. Harmon against Southern Miss in 2016.
12 - Different UK players recorded at least one pass reception, including a team-high four by Demie Sumo-Karngbaye.
19 - Consecutive non-conference regular-season wins for Kentucky, the second-longest streak in the nation behind Georgia.
269 - Rushing yards for the Wildcats, including 123 from Jamarion Wilcox, 48 from Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, and 42 from Chip Trayanum.
313 - A season-high passing yards by the Wildcats, 183 from Brock Vandagriff and 130 from Cutter Boley.
QUOTABLE:
"For our guys, it was good work. There's nothing like those game reps and seeing things for the first time... I was just glad to see them get some good reps." -- UK head coach Mark Stoops on playing a number of backups and young players in today's game.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action next week at Texas, the first SEC meeting between the two teams and the Cats' first trip to Austin since 1951. The No. 3 Longhorns (9-1, 5-1 SEC) defeated Arkansas 20-10 on Saturday in Fayetteville. Kickoff for the Cats and Longhorns is set for 3:30 ET on ABC.
