The Tennessee Volunteers picked up a much-needed bounce-back win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night in Lexington, handily defeating their border rivals 56-34. The win moved Josh Heupel to 3-0 against Kentucky on the road in his five seasons.

Video highlights, recaps and play breakdowns of the Tennessee Volunteers vs. Kentucky Wildcats NCAAF game from October 25, 2025 on ESPN.

The Kentucky offense went for a two-point conversion late in the 3rd quarter. Mark Stoops was asked the reasoning of it. “That’s what the analytics book said (to do). I thought it was stupid too… That’s a stupid book.” pic.twitter.com/IT7Qp1zR1A

Tennessee football had three 100-yard receivers in its 56-34 win against Kentucky as the Vols passed all over the Wildcats.

3. Cutter Boley remains a bright spot. In No. 17 Tennessee, Kentucky redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley faced his third straight ranked opponent after going against then-No. 12 Georgia and then-No. 21 Texas in the previous two games.

While Kentucky showed flashes of life afterward, the early miscues dug too deep of a hole. The fumble and Boley’s early interception gave Tennessee all the momentum it needed. The Wildcats simply couldn’t overcome their self-inflicted mistakes, and despite a few explosive plays later in the game, the early errors defined the outcome.

How will the Week 9 schedule impact SEC teams in the updated Week 10 Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 rankings? Check out the latest polls here:

Tennessee missed a lot of tackles in a 56-34 win over Kentucky. Coach Josh Heupel addressed it after the game.