Dowdell’s 79-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter gave the Wildcats the boost they needed to fend off the Rockets in the fourth quarter.
Kentucky quarterback Zack Calzada, a seventh-year transfer, threw for 85 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Calzada is one of 55 new players on the Wildcats’ roster, including 27 that were added via the transfer portal during the offseason.
Dowdell, a Nebraska transfer, and Seth McGowen, also a transfer (New Mexico State), combined for 207 yards rushing. Kentucky finished with 305 yards offense.
Toledo's Tucker Gleason threw for a game-high 270 yards. He threw for one score and rushed for another in the fourth quarter.
The takeaway
Kentucky: The Wildcats won their fifth consecutive season opener, with three of the last four victories against teams from the Mid-American Conference. The Wildcats opened the 2019 season with a 38-24 win over the Rockets in the first meeting between the two teams. Kentucky, which struggled with penalties last season, had three for just 30 yards in the opener. The Wildcats had two fourth-down stops, including a goal-line stand at the 4-yard line in the first half.
Toledo: The Rockets, preseason favorites to win the MAC title that had 13 votes in The Associated Press Preseason Top 25 poll, had a sack in the end zone in the first half that resulted in a safety. Toledo finished with 329 total yards, 24 more than Kentucky.
Up next
Kentucky hosts No. 21 Mississippi while Toledo hosts Western Kentucky next Saturday.
Full game summary from UK Athletics:
https://ukathletics.com/news/2025/08/30/dowdell-defense-lead-kentucky-past-toledo/