Aguilar throws three touchdowns to lead No. 17 Tennessee over Kentucky
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Joey Aguilar threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns, DeSean Bishop ran for a pair of touchdowns, and No. 17 Tennessee took advantage of two first quarter turnovers to beat Kentucky 56-34 on Saturday night.
Aguilar completed touchdown passes of 35, 13, and 62 yards to pace the Volunteers (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference). Chris Brazzell II had 138 yards receiving and Mike Matthews added 107 yards receiving and each had a touchdown.
“You look at the turnovers defensively, they changed the way the game was played,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “I’m proud of the way our guys competed, coming on the road, getting a win against a team that took Texas to overtime a week ago. There’s things we can certainly clean up, and we’ll need to as we keep going through conference play.”
Kentucky’s Cutter Boley tried to match Aguilar, throwing for 330 yards and a school record for a freshman quarterback five touchdowns, but also threw a pick-six that put the Wildcats (2-5, 0-5) in a 14-0 hole.
He had scoring passes of 71, 56, 3, 28 and 7 yards. D.J. Miller had 120 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
The Takeaway
Tennessee: The defensive unit came into the game ranked last in the conference in pass defense, but two turnovers led to 14 Volunteer points. Edrees Farooq fielded his own batted pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. The Vols could move up a couple of spots in the Top 25 after SEC teams ranked higher, Missouri and Oklahoma, lost.
Kentucky: The Wildcats scored more than two offensive touchdowns in a game for the first time since Nov. 11, 2023, a span of 13 games. The loss was Kentucky’s 10th straight conference loss, and 11th straight home loss to a Power 4 team.
All eyes on Stoops’ future
The loss will only increase the pressure on Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart to make a decision on coach Mark Stoops, the longest-tenured coach in the SEC. A restless fan base has been vocal on moving on from the program’s winningest coach and showed it Saturday as the crowd was easily split 50-50 between Tennessee and Kentucky fans. By the end it was mostly Volunteer fans gathered in the corner singing “Rocky Top” as the rest of Kroger Field was empty.
A one-play comedy
One play symbolized how Kentucky’s season has gone. In the first quarter, Boley completed a pass to Hardley Gilmore IV, who fumbled. Ja’Mori Maclin tried to pick the ball up, but it squirted backward. Two Kentucky lineman had a shot at the ball, which kept rolling before Maclin did pick it up. Boo Carter then forced Maclin to fumble and it was recovered by Jadon Perlotte at the Kentucky 12. Tack on an unnecessary roughness penalty on Kentucky, and the result was a 23-yard loss.
Up Next
Tennessee: Hosts No. 13 Oklahoma on Saturday.
Kentucky: Travels to Auburn on Saturday.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football