The Cats (2-5, 0-5 SEC) lost to Tennessee 56-34 on Saturday despite five touchdown passes from redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley.
Auburn (4-4, 1-4) beat Arkansas 33-24 on Saturday, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Last season at Kroger Field, Auburn topped Kentucky 24-10.
Cat Scratches: Patterson Continuing to Improve All-Around Game
Prior to last Saturday’s game against Tennessee, Kentucky running back Jason Patterson assumed he would be in his regular role. However, just minutes before kickoff, starting running back Seth McGowan was declared out for the game due to injury, thrusting Patterson into an elevated role.
The redshirt freshman responded with one of the best games of his career. He rushed 16 times for 51 yards and caught a team-high seven passes for 44 yards.
Following Tuesday’s practice, UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan spoke highly of Patterson’s effort against the Vols.
“Number one, Jason did a tremendous job,” Hamdan said. We talked about not knowing that Seth wasn’t even going until about three minutes before kickoff. So, it’s a testament to (Patterson), how he’s practiced. We’ve said it all along – you never know when you’re going to get your chance and when you do, for him to go out there and play well was a testament to him.”
KENTUCKY-AUBURN
The Series
• Auburn leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 28-6-1.
• Auburn also leads in Auburn, 13-2.
• The Tigers have a four-game winning streak over the Wildcats (2010, 2015, 2020, 2024).
• The last time UK defeated AU was a 21-14 win in 2009 at Auburn.
In the Last Meeting
• Auburn defeated Kentucky, 24-10, in Lexington, on Oct. 26, 2024.
• QB Brock Vandagriff completed nine of his 17 passes for 120 yards.
• WR Dane Key had a game-high-tying four receptions for a game-high 87 yards.
• Three of his four catches were of 20 yards or more, including his first two of the game in the first quarter, each of which helped set up UK’s two scores.
• RB Jason Patterson had six rushes and a team-high 38 yards, while he also had his first career reception for 15 yards in the first quarter.
• DB JQ Hardaway made his second interception of the season, and the second of his career, on the Auburn 40 in the first quarter.
The Connections
• Kentucky has five players from the state of Alabama on its roster: DB Dyllon Williams (Demopolis, Ala.); DB Andrew Purcell (Enterprise, Ala.); Jackson Bunn (Oxford, Ala.); Kahlil Saunders (Huntsville, Ala.).
• JQ Hardaway also went to high school at Phenix City Central in Alabama