AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) – After scoring their SEC season high and taking down Arkansas in Fayetteville last weekend, Auburn’s offense was stagnant in a filled Jordan-Hare Stadium as the Tigers fell to Kentucky, 10-3.
Auburn looked like a shell of itself on offense in the first start of 2025 for Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels. Auburn’s first four drives and seven of ten total ended on the leg of punter Hudson Kaak. Kentucky, on the other hand, looked rather comfortable among the hostile Auburn faithful, with their defense keeping Auburn behind the sticks for much of the game. Their scheme on offense kept the Wildcats on the field long enough to keep the defense fresh as well.
The Tigers' only points came at the end of the first half after Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley threw the ball directly to Auburn linebacker Elijah Melendez, who took it the opposite direction and set up the Auburn offense. Alex McPherson knocked a field goal through and Auburn and Kenucky went into the half tied, 3-3.
Right out of the break however, Kentucky marched down the field on the Auburn defense, setting the tone for the second half. The 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive proved to be the only scoring drive of the second half as both offenses could not find the momentum necessary to put points on the board.
Auburn’s offense, despite its struggles, out-gained the Wildcats by a yard on the night. Daniels, who was subbed out of his first start in the third quarter before being put back in late, completed 13 of 28 attempts for 108 yards and a game-ending interception. Jerimiah Cobb racked up 72 yards on 20 carries and was Auburn's leading rusher on the night.
Both Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops entered the night on the hot seat, and both had emotional responses to the outcome of the matchup. The Auburn sideline, however, preached something that the Auburn faithful is sick of hearing about this season.
"I wish I could ask for patience, but that’s not something people are willing to give in this day and age,” Freeze said. “I just know we’re so dang close."
The Kentucky locker room was in brighter spirits as the Wildcats earned their first conference win of the season, getting revenge for Auburn’s rout of them last year in Lexington.
"Just grateful for this team, these players... I love em," Stoops said. “It means an awful lot. I can't lie, it’s one victory... It's emotional, you are trying to get me to cry."
Auburn will hit the road next week to take on a Vanderbilt team that will be trying to bounce back after a loss to Texas this weekend. The Tigers need to punch another SEC win on their resume in order to become bowl eligible before the Iron Bowl. Auburn's final road game of 2025 will be on Nov. 8 and will kick off at 3 p.m. CDT on ESPN.
