Oct 253 min read

Kentucky, Auburn Battle It Out for SEC Futility Rights

Kentucky | Brock Vandagriff, Quarterback — © Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats (3-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) face off against the Auburn Tigers (2-5, 0-4) at Kroger Field at 7:45 pm EST on Oct. 26 in Lexington, Ky. Both teams have struggled to find conference victories despite optimism around both programs in the offseason.

The Wildcats have been on a rollercoaster ride through the season's first eight weeks. Kentucky has been blown out, played close with the nation's elite and upset a top-10 team. The Cats hope a win over the Tigers will be the first step in revealing this team's true identity.

The optimism around Auburn coming into the season has officially been suspended and pushed onto the 2025 season. The Tigers have talent all over the field and have done well in many statistical categories this season. But they don't have a conference win. Auburn fans may be looking at Kentucky as the last opportunity to get a "W" in the win column.

The Stakes

Kentucky got thumped by South Carolina (4-3, 2-3) 31-6, then turned around and played No. 2 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) to within a point. Later, UK upset No. 18 (No. 6 at the time) Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2), and has since dropped consecutive games to No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1) and Florida (4-3, 2-2). The Wildcats fans are hoping the bye week helped this team figure out who they are. Are they the team capable of slaying giants, or are they the team that gets blasted by middling competition? A win over Auburn won't go a long way in answering that question, but a loss would.

After the 'Cats, Auburn gets Vandy and No. 14 Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0) at home and travels to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the annual Iron Bowl against No. 15 Alabama (5-2, 2-2) to end the season. The Tigers haven't gone winless in the SEC since 2012. But if they can't find a way to win at Kentucky, it will be tough to find a victory in the final three conference games of the season.

Players to Watch: Kentucky

The Wildcats' defense has been the pride of the team in 2024. Kentucky held Georgia to 262 yards of total offense, and future NFL Draft first-round quarterback Carson Beck only managed to pass for 160 yards. The 'Cats corralled one of the nation's best offenses as Ole Miss was only able to score 17 points and was 1-for-10 on third-down conversions.

Kentucky had played as well as any defense in the conference. Then Florida happened. The 'Cats gave up season highs in both points (48) and yards (476) to the Gators, and freshman quarterback DJ Lagway threw for 259 yards on just 7 completions. A win will hinge greatly on which version of the defense shows up as Auburn's offense is as productive as they come in between the goal lines.

Players to Watch: Auburn

Auburn is one of seven teams to average 6.5 yards per play on offense while holding opposing offenses to under 5 yards on defense. The Tigers have lost more games (5) than the combined losses of the six teams Auburn shares that statistic with. This isn't about a player, a position group or a specific side of the ball to watch. This is about the Tigers as a team needing to find a way to put points on the board and close out games. The offense needs to keep possession of the ball. The defense needs to be more consistent in getting opponents off the field on third downs, specifically third-and-long. If the Tigers can't put it all together they could be staring down a brutal finish to the 2024 season.

What to Watch

Both teams have a pretty sticky stretch of games to finish the season. This could be the last opportunity for either squad to earn a conference win. And a victory in this game is imperative if either team still has bowl game aspirations.