Kentucky football shocked the world Saturday, marching into Oxford, Mississippi, and conquering the No. 6 Rebels 20-17.

With such a monumental win for the program gracing the television screens of fans across the country, there was plenty to dissect from the result.

1) Defensive line shows out

Coming into the week, Ole Miss led the FBS in both points per game and total yards per game and quarterback Jaxson Dart led the FBS in passing yards and ranked second in completion percentage.

Because of this, it was imperative that Kentucky’s defense performed well today, especially with star cornerback Maxwell Hairston injured.

After the opening drive that saw the Rebels drive down the field and punch in a 1-yard rushing touchdown in just over two minutes, the Wildcats were able to hold off the high-scoring offense for the rest of the first half and held a 10-7 lead midway through.

A large part of this effort consisted of the defensive line’s ability to put pressure on Dart.

Dart had only been sacked six times in four games coming into the contest, but the Cats got to him three times just in the first half. Senior defensive end Octavious Oxendine recorded two of those sacks and also hurried Dart once.

Junior defensive tackle and possible NFL first-round pick Deone Walker also performed well, picking up 0.5 sacks and one tackle for loss.

The same defense that forced then-No. 1 Georgia to punt six times came out in full force again today, and if the defensive line can continue to pressure opposing signal callers, it might be a problem for future SEC opponents.

2) Offensive line continues to struggle

The “Big Blue Wall” had an amazing campaign in 2021, producing two NFL draftees and helping the Cats to a 10-win season (vacated in 2024) and a bowl victory, but ever since then the unit has not been the same.

There were many plays where the offensive line blocked well for quarterback Brock Vandagriff and gave him time to make great throws, but overall there was not a great amount of improvement.

Ole Miss sacked Vandagriff five times today and Rebel fans grew excited after every one of those plays.

The run game started off fairly strong this season, but Kentucky’s rushers only averaged two yards per carry today, which could definitely be improved upon if the line held back defenders for longer.

It could be argued that the weakness of the offensive line is the main thing that has been holding Kentucky’s offense back for the past couple seasons.

Any sort of change, as small as a gameplan tweak or as big as lineup changes, might be a risk worth taking going forward.

3) Punter by committee

Going into the season, it was not confirmed on the depth chart whether returning junior Wilson Berry or UT Martin transfer Aidan Laros would punt for the Wildcats.

Through the first four games, Berry handled most of Kentucky’s punts, but it appeared today the team was taking a different approach when it came to punting.

Berry, who was averaging 40 yards per punt in his career coming into the game, was used when Kentucky was further down the field and didn’t have much room to work with while Laros, whose career punting average stands at 47.3 and whose only punt as a Wildcat before today went for 58 yards, was sent out when more distance was needed.

Laros’s first punt was in the first quarter and traveled 49 yards. The punt forced the Rebels to start from their own 21 and they could not make it out of their own territory on the following drive.

The next Kentucky punt was delivered by Berry from midfield and went for 33 yards, which usually is not ideal, but Ole Miss started the next drive inside its own 20 as a result.

The Rebels struggled on the next drive and the drive that occurred once Kentucky got the ball back was the touchdown drive at the end of the first half.

In the third quarter, Laros was chosen as the punter when the Cats were facing fourth down from their own 26 and his punt put the Rebels at their own 35-yard line.

They drove down the field quickly, but eventually lost momentum and settled for a 31-yard field goal to tie the score.

Punting is generally not looked at as a crucial aspect of a football game, but situations like these prove that small changes such as selecting punters on a case-by-case basis can make an impact because if a shorter punt was made in that situation, it could have meant the difference between a field goal and a touchdown.

4) Vandagriff-Key chemistry stays strong

After a rough couple of weeks in terms of Kentucky’s passing game, Vandagriff had an improved performance against Ohio, completing 17 of 24 passes for 237 yards, all season highs.

Junior receiver and Lexington native Dane Key caught seven of those passes for 145 yards, keeping himself in the spotlight and continuing to be a fan favorite who can make big catches when most needed.

The chemistry between the two was on display even more this week against an Ole Miss defense that has allowed only 204.5 passing yards per game this season.

Vandagriff finished the game 18-for-28 for 243 yards, with eight of those completions being caught by Key for 105 yards.

The 5-yard touchdown pass from Vandagriff to Key towards the end of the second quarter was the former’s first touchdown throw since August 31 against Southern Miss and also Key’s first catch for a score this season.

Many of the passes Vandagriff threw to Key today against the Rebels were short-to-mid-range throws that helped extend drives and often went for first downs.

The Kentucky offense that has struggled all year saw some bright spots today, and many of the plays that made the Ole Miss crowd go quiet were Vandagriff-to-Key completions that advanced the Cats down the field quickly. 

If this trend keeps up going forward, the offense can potentially begin to break out and put up points that it hasn’t been able to for much of the year.

5) Special teams security in Raynor

A big storyline for Kentucky this year has been the stellar accuracy of senior kicker Alex Raynor, who is in the midst of his second season as a Wildcat following three at Georgia Southern.

He has yet to miss a field goal or extra point so far this season, which has been helpful considering that the offense has often had trouble coming up with touchdowns.

Raynor’s leg has been a noticeable improvement over previous kicker Matt Ruffolo, who missed 14 field goals and seven extra points over his four-year career.

Kicking is another aspect that is often overlooked by fans in terms of importance, and it has shown with Raynor’s accuracy and ability to make long kicks.

The fact that fans can feel secure and confident in their kicker is something that should not be taken for granted after past seasons, and Raynor deserves high praise for his performance today and this year.

Kentucky football will return to action following a bye week on Saturday, Oct. 12. The game is scheduled to be Kentucky’s homecoming and will be against the Vanderbilt Commodores.