Kentucky football kicked off the 2025 season on Saturday with a 24-16 victory over Toledo at Kroger Field, moving to 1-0 on the year. While the Wildcats walked away with the win, the game showcased both promise and areas that need improvement moving forward. The offense came out with energy early, putting points on the […]
Kentucky football kicked off the 2025 season on Saturday with a 24-16 victory over Toledo at Kroger Field, moving to 1-0 on the year. While the Wildcats walked away with the win, the game showcased both promise and areas that need improvement moving forward.
The offense came out with energy early, putting points on the board behind Zach Calzada and the run game. But as the first half wore on, the unit struggled to sustain drives. The passing attack never quite found its rhythm, as Calzada had a difficult day connecting consistently with receivers.
Fortunately, the running game steadied things late. Seth McGowan and Dante Dowdell provided a spark in the second half, with Dowdell breaking loose for a long touchdown run that gave the offense some much-needed momentum. Tight end Josh Kattus also chipped in with some tough catches to keep the chains moving.
Overall, it wasn’t a polished performance, but the ground game proved Kentucky has options in the backfield to lean on while the passing game develops.
Defensively, Kentucky dominated for the first three quarters, keeping Toledo bottled up and frustrated. The pass rush applied steady pressure, forcing rushed throws and keeping the Rockets’ offense off balance.
The standout of the night was Alex Afari Jr., who was all over the field making plays and setting the tone in the secondary. Linebacker Steven Soles Jr. and the defensive front also controlled the line of scrimmage. While the Wildcats gave up two late touchdowns in the fourth quarter, which made the final score closer than it felt for most of the evening, the overall defensive effort was strong and showed the kind of identity this unit wants to have moving forward.
Check out my photos from the game below.
After the game, the media had the chance to hear from both coordinators and several key players who all spoke about the ups and downs of the win and what needs to improve going forward.
OC Bush Hamdan:
DC Brad White:
Steven Soles:
Josh Kattus:
Alex Afari:
Zach Calzada:
Seth McGowan:
Dante Dowdell:
Here’s what Mark Stoops had to say via UK Athletics.
Final Thoughts
It wasn’t perfect, but it was a win. The Wildcats are 1-0 and now have a foundation to build on. The defense looked SEC-ready for three quarters, the run game showed depth, and the team has plenty of motivation to clean up the mistakes before tougher challenges arrive on the schedule.
Category: General Sports
