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IT’S FOOTBALL TIME IN THE BLUEGRASS once again in Kentucky. The Kentucky Wildcats kicked off the start to the 2025 football season against the Toledo Rockets at Kroger Field on Saturday afternoon with a 24-16 win. All-in-all, the season opener left more to be desired for the ‘Cats and their new-look offense. The ‘Cats were able to get the ball moving on the ground in the second half, totaling 220 yards in the game. The ‘Cats featured Nebraska transfer Dante Dowdell and New Mexico State transfer Seth McGowan. The running back tandem combined for 32 carries, 207 yards and 2 touchdowns. The offensive passing game was disappointing. QB Zach Calzada threw for just 85 yards through the air with no passing touchdowns and 1 interception. Kentucky tight ends Josh Kattus and Willie Rodriguez combined for 5 receptions and 74 receiving yards. The defense allowed 329 total yards to Toledo and were led by Steven Soles Jr. who found the quarterback twice to force two fumbles. JQ Hardaway collected the first interception of the season for Kentucky and Alex Afarari led all tacklers with 13 total tackles, 1 sack and 2 tackles for loss in the game. Of note, last season leading rusher Jamarion Wilcox was not active today due to a violation of team rules, according to Head Coach Mark Stoops following the game. The ‘Cats will look to improve the offensive attack and stay strong on defense as they take on the No. 21 Ole Miss Rebels next week in Lexington to kick-off early season SEC play.
Pre-Game Thoughts and Overview:
The ‘Cats enter the season with a barrage of new faces, including starting QB Zach Calzada and RBs Dante Dowdell and Seth McGowan. Calzada comes into his 7th years as a collegiate quarterback. Calzada began his college career at Texas A&M, with his best moment coming in a 41-38 win over Alabama in 2021. Calzada then transferred to Auburn, but did not see game action due to a shoulder injury. Calzada made his way back to Texas to play quarterback for Incarnate Word. Calzada started for two years for the Cardinals, following up current Tennessee Titans QB and former No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Calzada threw for over 3,500 yards and had 35 passing touchdowns to just 9 interceptions. McGowan comes to the ‘Cats from the likes of Oklahoma and New Mexico State. He has the chance to introduce a dynamic speed-power combo with pass-catching ability. Dowdell adds Snell and Rodriduez-like power to the running back room from Nebraska. Still, question marks face the WR room for the ‘Cats, with the first depth chart including “OR” for all three starting spots. The WR room is made up of Hardley Gilmore V, Kendrick Law, Jamori Maclin, JJ Hester, Troy Stellato, and Fred Farrier. For the defense, the ‘Cats return many starters from last season. They present with a solid strength on the defensive line, but questions remain on their ability to rush the passer and ability to successfully defend the pass in the secondary. The ‘Cats face the Toledo Rockets, who had a very successful year last year, going 8-5 while defeating Mississippi State in Starkville and upsetting Pittsburgh in the GameAbove Sports Bowl last December. The ‘Cats will need to come out focused with intention to start the year off on a positive note before entering SEC play in Week 2 next week against No. 21 Ole Miss.
The spread for Saturday’s matchup against Toledo was -10 (Kentucky). The Over/Under points total was set at 48.
Game Predictions:
Graham Shepherd – Kentucky 31 – Toledo 17 (MVP: Offensive Line and Running Backs)
Lukas Witt – Kentucky 42 – Toledo 21 (MVP: Kendrick Law)
Game Recap:
First Quarter
1st Q: Toledo won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Kentucky received the opening kickoff of the season, Kendrick Law returned the kick for the ‘Cats to their own 28-yard line. The first offensive snap of the season for the ‘Cats saw McGowan take a 6-yard carry that was called back for a holding penalty from WR Jamori Maclin. Calzada’s first pass of the season found TE Willie Rodriguez for a gain of 8-yards to make it 3rd-and-7 for the ‘Cats. Calzada then found Maclin for a gain of 11-yards and a first down for Kentucky. Dowdell took his first carry as a Wildcat for a gain of 5-yards. Calzada found JJ Hester for a gain of 32-yards to the Toledo 26-yard line on a 3rd-and-10 attempt. After video review, the call was overturned to an incomplete pass and the ‘Cats were forced to punt. Laros punted the ball to the Toledo 12-yard line to start the first defensive series of the season for Kentucky. Former Wildcat and Ohio State Buckeye Chip Trayanum took the first Toledo carry for no gain. The first Toledo pass was intercepted by JQ Hardaway for Kentucky to give them their first turnover of the year and the ball on the Toledo 29-yard line. Dowdell took a carry for a 5-yard gain on first down. Calzada kept the ball on an option play to gain a first down. Calzada threw an anticipatory pass to Gilmore V in the end zone that fell incomplete and then drew a pass interference on a target to Farrier II. McGowan took a 7-yard carry to the 1-yard line. Calzada went over the top at the 1-yard line to put the ball into the endzone for Kentucky’s first TOUCHDOWN of the season. After the PAT from Kauwe, Kentucky took a 7-0 lead with 6:27-minutes to play in the first quarter. Toledo began their drive from their own 25-yard line. Trayanum took consecutive carries to a net loss of 1-yard. A third-and-long was forced by the Kentucky defense with the help of a hands to the face penalty. The ‘Cats forced a punt and began their next drive on their own 43-yard line with 4:02-minutes to play in the first quarter. McGowan took a first-down carry for a 6-yard gain. Calzada threw an off-balance poorly located pass on a 3rd-and-3 attempt at midfield that was intercepted by Toledo. Toledo took over at their own 46-yard line with 2:43-minutes to play in the quarter. The ‘Cats forced a 3rd-and-8 attempt that the Rockets converted to push the ball down the field with their first first down of the game. Trayanum took a carry for a chunk gain and a first down to push the ball to the Kentucky 26-yard line. Trayanum took consecutive carries once again for another first down gain for the Rockets down to the Kentucky 12-yard line. The ‘Cats led Toledo 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The ‘Cats forced a 4th-and-2 at the 4-yard line to start second quarter. The Rockets went for it on 4th down Afari ran down the quarterback run to end the drive and force a turnover on downs from Toledo. The ‘Cats took over on their own 3-yard line with 13:13-minutes to play. Toledo sacked Calzada to force a safety on the next play to make the score 7-2 Kentucky and give the ball back to the Rockets. Toledo took the ball back on their own 23-yard line. The ‘Cats forced a 3rd-and-8 on the drive. Gleason fumbled the snap but fell on the loose ball to keep possession for the Rockets. The Rockets punted the ball on the 4th-and-20 attempt. Bryant fumbled the catch on the punt but the ‘Cats fell on the ball on their own 47-yard line. Calzada scrambled for 3-yard on first down. Calzada found an open Rodriguez for a chunk gain on second down but Rodriguez fumbled the ball and the Rockets took back over on their own 27-yard line. The ‘Cats defense forced another quick third down attempt but the Rockets converted for a first down. Trayanum carried the ball to the Kentucky 47-yard line on third down but left a 4th-and-1 attempt remaining with 7:32-minutes to play in the first half. The ‘Cats defense held firm to stuff the 4th down run attempt from Trayanum. The ‘Cats took over on the 50-yard line for their next offensive drive. Dowdell carried the ball for a first down on a short second down run. The ‘Cats ran their way to another first down, capped by a Calzada sneak. The ‘Cats offense stalled and Kauwe nailed a 45-yard field goal to give Kentucky a 10-2 lead with 2:04-minutes to play in the half. Toledo began their next drive on their own 25-yard line after the touchback. Toledo converted a 3rd-and-6 for a first down to their own 43-yard line with under 2-minutes to play. Gleason fumbled the ball once again but again fell on the ball to keep possession for Toledo. The Rockets were forced to punt with 1:15-minutes to play in the half. The ‘Cats were limited with a quick 3-and-out to force a punt from their own 30-yard line with 29-seconds to play in the half. Toledo ran the clock out to end the first half. Kentucky led 10-2 at halftime.
The first half of football for the new-look Kentucky team was much of the same from a season ago. So far, it has been rinse and repeat with poor quarterback play and a heavy run-first offense. The ‘Cats offense totalted 103 yards while Calzada’s first half included 7 of 14 passing for just 43 yards and an interception. For the run game, Kentucky took 20 carries for just 60 yards and a rushing touchdown from Calzada. McGowan took 7 carries for 28 yards and Dowdell went 6 carries for 23 yards. Willie Rodriguez led pass catchers with 2 catches for 31 yards but one lost fumble. The defense was much more of a positive note for Kentucky. They held Toledo to just 96 total yards. Steven Soles Jr. led the defense with 2 strip sacks, with Toledo recovering both fumbles. JQ Hardaway picked up the ‘Cats first interception of the season. Redshirt Freshman Kicker Jacob Kauwe nailed his first college field goal, a 45-yard attempt in the first half. The ‘Cats will look to find more of a rhythm and balanced attack in the second half with a greater emphasis on moving and pushing the ball down the field.
Halftime: Kentucky 10 – Toledo 2
Third Quarter
3rd Q: Toledo began the second half on their own 25-yard line and completed the first pass of the half for a 7-yard gain. Kentucky’s defense held firm for the next two plays of the drive to force an incomplete pass on 3rd down. Toledo was forced to punt and the ‘Cats took over on their own 12-yard line after Bryant elected to let the ball roll. The first offensive play of the half saw Dowdell catch a short pass for a loss of 1-yard. Gilmore V drew of pass interference to pick up a 15-yard gain. Dowdell rumbled for a 6-yard gain on first down. Calzada found Kattus for a big gain of 18-yard on first down to bring the ball to mid-field. McGowan took consecutive carries to gain another first down for the ‘Cats. Calzada tried to find Gilmore V in the end zone on a deep pass but couldn’t connect. After three straight incomplete passes, the ‘Cats were left with a 4th-and-10 from the 39-yard line. The ‘Cats punted the ball and Toledo began the next drive on their own 7-yard line. Toledo picked up a first down on a pass to push the ball to the 20-yard line. The ‘Cats defense held strong and forced a Toledo punt on the Toledo 21-yard line. The ‘Cats began their next drive on their own 38-yard line with 8:21-minutes to play in the third quarter. Calzada found Kattus for a gain of 13-yards on a 3rd-down play to push the ball into Toledo territory. Calzada continued to be inaccurate on key pass attempts and the ‘Cats were forced to punt. Toledo took over on their own 20-yard line after the punt fell into the endzone with 6:22-minutes remaining in the third quarter. Toledo connected on a 20-yard pass on first down to begin their drive. The Kentucky defense continue to hold the Rocket offense and forced another punt around mid-field. The ‘Cats began the next offensive series on their own 24-yard line with 3:57-minutes to play in the third quarter. The ‘Cats continued to ride their running attack and picked up a first down with three consecutive rush attempts. Calzada found Kattus once again for a first down gain of 12-yards. Dowdell took a first down run attempt for a gain of 16-yards on a rush up the middle. The ‘Cats finished the third quarter with two more rushes gaining 9-yards. The ‘Cats led Toledo 10-2 at the end of the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
4th Q: Kentucky had 3rd-and-1 to go to begin the fourth quarter with a 10-2 lead. Calzada took a quarterback sneak for a first down gain. Law drew a pass interference to force a first down on the Toledo 10-yard line. McGowan took a carry into the endzone for a 6-yard TOUCHDOWN. The ‘Cats took a 17-2 lead with 12:30-minutes to play in the game. Toledo began their next drive with a solid gain on a pass completion of 22-yards to the Toledo 47-yard line. Toledo picked up another first down with the help of a roughing the passer penalty from the ‘Cats. Toledo pushed the ball to the Kentucky 17-yard line. QB Gleason took a scramble into the endzone for a 9-yard rushing touchdown for the Rockets. The Rockets converted the 2-point attempt but it was called back due to an offensive pass interference penalty. The Rockets elected to kick the PAT following the penalty. After the PAT Kentucky led 17-9 with 9:38-minutes to play in the game. Law took the kick-off to the 21-yard line for Kentucky. On the first play of the drive, Dowdell took a 79-yard rush for a Kentucky TOUCHDOWN. The ‘Cats took a 24-9 lead over the Rockets with 9:22-minutes remaining. The 79-yard rush is the longest of Dowdell’s career and earned him his first career 100-yard rushing game. Toledo began their next drive on their own 25-yard line. Toledo picked up a first down on a short 4th down attempt to bring the ball to the Toledo 37-yard line. The Rockets collected another first down on a challenging catch by Crosby. The ‘Cats defense again held its own and forced an incomplete pass on 4th down to give the ball back to the Kentucky offense with 5:25-minutes to play. The ‘Cats couldn’t move the ball and turned in a quick 3-and-out and punted the ball back to the Rockets. Toledo began their drive on their own 5-yard line after a holding penalty was tacked onto the punt. The Rockets charged the ball down the field through the air, with a chunk gain of 39-yard from Gleason to Brown that brought the ball down to the Kentucky 20-yard line with 2:00-minutes to play. Gleason found Vandeross III for a 20-yard touchdown following the 2-minute warning. The ‘Cats led 24-16 ‘Cats after the PAT with 1:55-minutes to play. Toledo attempted an onside kick but it did not travel the required 10-yards. The ‘Cats took over on the Toledo 43-yard line. The ‘Cats ran three consecutive times for a first down to solidify the win over the Rockets. Kentucky defeated Toledo by a final score of 24-16.
Final: Kentucky 24 – Toledo 16
Game Stats:
Total Yards:
Kentucky – 305 (85 Passing, 220 Rushing)
Toledo – 329 (270 Passing, 59 Rushing)
Turnover Differential:
Kentucky 2 – Toledo 1
Time of Possession:
Kentucky – 31:41 minutes
Toledo – 28:19 minutes
Player Stats:
Offense:
Zach Calzada – [(10 comp – 23 att) (85 yds) (0 passing TDs) (1 INT) (10 car) (14 rush yds) (1 rush TD)]
Dante Dowdell – [(14 car) (129 rush yds) (1 rush TD), (1 rec) (-1 yds)]
Seth McGowan– [(18 car) (78 rush yds) (1 rush RD)]
Josh Kattus – [(3 rec) (43 yds)]
Willie Rodriguez – [(2 rec) (31 yds)]
Defense:
Steven Soles Jr. – [(3 totTk) (3 solo) (2 Sack) (2 TFL) (2 Forced Fumbles)]
Alex Afari Jr. – [(13 totTk) (9 solo) (1 Sack) (2 TFK)]
JQ Hardaway – [(2 totTk) (1 solo) (1 INT)]
Daveren Rayner – [(6 (totTk) (2 solo) (1 QBH)]
Upcoming Game:
The ‘Cats (1-0, 0-0 SEC) will kick-off the start of SEC play against No. 21 Ole Miss (0-0, 0-0 SEC) in Lexington next week. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ABC.
