Texas Longhorns Dominate Kentucky with Run Game, Defense in 31-14 Victory

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns leaned on their powerful run game and dominant defense to secure a 31-14 victory over Kentucky on Saturday at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. A decisive 15-play, 86-yard drive — consisting entirely of rushing plays — consumed 8:22 of the fourth-quarter clock and capped with a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Quintrevion Wisner on fourth-and-goal.

The game-sealing drive followed a replay review that upheld a third-down ruling placing Wisner just shy of the goal line. Wisner set career highs with 158 rushing yards on 26 carries, while teammate Jaydon Blue added 96 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts. Texas tallied 251 rushing yards on 46 carries, contributing to a total of 441 offensive yards on 78 plays and dominating time of possession by over nine minutes.

“That was a culture and attitude drive,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Tre [Wisner] had a fantastic day and is tough as nails. Sometimes, you have to adjust on the fly, and I felt like we needed to get the ball in his hands and lean on the offensive line.”

The Longhorns’ defense was equally impressive, holding Kentucky to just 21 rushing yards and 232 total yards. Texas registered six sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and intercepted two passes, boosting their SEC-leading season total to 17. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. led the defensive charge with 10 tackles, three for loss, and two sacks.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers, honored during the pregame Senior Day ceremony, completed 20 of 31 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns, both to tight end Gunnar Helm. Helm caught a 3-yard touchdown to open the scoring and later leaped for a 17-yard grab in the second quarter. Despite a minor ankle issue for Ewers late in the third quarter, Sarkisian’s shift to a run-heavy strategy kept the Longhorns in control.

However, turnovers remained a concern. Texas fumbled six times, losing two, including a third-quarter fumble by Ewers that Kentucky’s Jamon Dumas-Johnson returned 25 yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 24-14.

“Clearly, we need to address that,” Sarkisian said.

Kentucky (4-7, 1-6 SEC) switched quarterbacks at halftime, bringing in freshman Cutter Boley for Brock Vandagriff. Boley’s 43-yard connection with Barion Brown marked Kentucky’s longest play of the game, but the Wildcats struggled overall. Boley finished with 160 passing yards on 10-of-18 attempts, while Vandagriff contributed 51 yards, one touchdown, and an interception.

Texas (10-1, 6-1 SEC) remains in contention for a spot in the SEC Championship Game and will face archrival Texas A&M in the Lone Star Showdown on Nov. 30 at Kyle Field. This marks the first meeting between the two programs in 13 years.

While acknowledging the stakes, Sarkisian also recognized the significance of the rivalry.

“The game is the game in terms of what we’re trying to accomplish, but I’m not naive to what the rivalry means to the entire state of Texas,” Sarkisian said. “Households being divided, Thanksgiving weekend—it’s so cool we’re playing this game again.”

As the Longhorns set their sights on Texas A&M, they’ll aim to solidify their path to the SEC title game and a potential College Football Playoff berth.

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