# 2023 Kentucky Wildcats football team

The 2023 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats were led by Mark Stoops in his 11th year as their head coach. The Kentucky football team played their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. The Kentucky Wildcats football team drew an average home attendance of 60,939 in 2023.
This was the final year for the SEC's East–West divisional setup, as Texas and Oklahoma joined the conference in 2024.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | Ball State* | | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN | W 44–14 | 58,286 |
| September 9 | 3:00 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky* | | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN+, ESPN+ | W 28–17 | 61,876 |
| September 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Akron* | | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | ESPNU | W 35–3 | 59,456 |
| September 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at Vanderbilt | | FirstBank StadiumNashville, TN (rivalry) | SECN | W 45–28 | 26,279 |
| September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 22 Florida | | Kroger FieldLexington, KY (rivalry, SEC Nation) | ESPN | W 33–14 | 61,699 |
| October 7 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 1 Georgia | No. 20 | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA (SEC Nation) | ESPN | L 13–51 | 92,746 |
| October 14 | 7:30 p.m. | Missouri | No. 24 | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN | L 21–38 | 61,654 |
| October 28 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 21 Tennessee | | Kroger FieldLexington, KY (rivalry) | ESPN | L 27–33 | 61,665 |
| November 4 | 7:30 p.m. | at Mississippi State | | Davis Wade StadiumMississippi State, MS | SECN | W 24–3 | 52,329 |
| November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 8 Alabama | | Kroger FieldLexington, KY (SEC Nation) | ESPN | L 21–49 | 61,936 |
| November 18 | 7:30 p.m. | at South Carolina | | Williams–Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | SECN | L 14–17 | 77,788 |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 10 Louisville* | | L&N Federal Credit Union StadiumLouisville, KY (Governor's Cup) | ABC | W 38–31 | 59,225 |
| December 29 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 22 Clemson* | | Everbank FieldJacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl) | ESPN | L 35–38 | 40,132 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after TBA) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Years at Kentucky |
| Mark Stoops | Head coach | 11th |
| Vince Marrow | Associate head coach/tight ends coach | 11th |
| Liam Coen | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach | 2nd |
| Brad White | Defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach | 5th |
| Jay Boulware | Running backs coach | 1st |
| Mike Stoops | Inside linebackers coach | 2nd |
| Frank Buffano | Safeties coach | 4th |
| Chris Collins | Defensive backs coach | 3rd |
| Zach Yenser | Offensive line coach | 2nd |
| Scott Woodward | Wide receivers coach | 3rd |
| Anwar Stewart | Defensive line coach | 4th |
| Mark Hill | Strength and conditioning | 8th |
| Reference: |||

## Game summaries
### Ball State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ball State | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 44 |
at Kroger Field • Lexington, KY
* Date: Saturday, September 2, 2023
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: -
* Game attendance: 58,286
* TV: SEC Network
| Statistics | BALL | UK |
| First downs | 18 | 17 |
| Total yards | 71–295 | 51–354 |
| Rushing yards | 41–72 | 20–113 |
| Passing yards | 223 | 241 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22–30–0 | 18–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 38:16 | 21:44 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ball State | Passing | Kadin Semonza | 15/21, 165 yards, TD |
| Ball State | Rushing | Marquez Cooper | 15 carries, 33 yards |
| Ball State | Receiving | Ty Robinson | 5 receptions, 90 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 18/31, 241 yards, TD, INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 14 carries, 112 yards, 2 TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Dane Key | 5 receptions, 96 yards, TD |

### Eastern Kentucky

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eastern Kentucky | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Kentucky | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
at Kroger Field • Lexington, KY
* Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C) • Wind: NE 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)
* Game attendance: 61,876
* Referee: Ken Williamson
* TV announcers (SECN+): Peter Sousa (play-by-play), Takeo Spikes (analyst)
| Statistics | EKU | UK |
| First downs | 15 | 20 |
| Total yards | 56–311 | 61–414 |
| Rushing yards | 27–92 | 23–115 |
| Passing yards | 219 | 299 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 19–29–1 | 24–38–1 |
| Time of possession | 27:53 | 32:07 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Eastern Kentucky | Passing | Parker McKinney | 19/29, 219 yards, TD, INT |
| Eastern Kentucky | Rushing | Braedon Sloan | 7 carries, 48 yards |
| Eastern Kentucky | Receiving | Bryant Johnson | 2 receptions, 53 yards |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 24/38, 299 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 12 carries, 52 yards |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Tayvion Robinson | 6 receptions, 136 yards, 2 TD |

### Akron

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Akron | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at Kroger Field • Lexington, KY
* Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: -
* Game attendance: 59,456
* Referee: Lee Hedrick
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Hutson Mason (analyst)
| Statistics | AKR | UK |
| First downs | 16 | 18 |
| Total yards | 66–239 | 48–450 |
| Rushing yards | 25–49 | 22–135 |
| Passing yards | 190 | 315 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 29–41–0 | 16–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 34:47 | 25:13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Akron | Passing | DJ Irons | 23/34, 130 yards |
| Akron | Rushing | Lorenzo Lingard | 7 carries, 30 yards |
| Akron | Receiving | Jasaiah Gathings | 5 receptions, 43 yards |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 16/25, 315 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 7 carries, 72 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Ray Davis | 3 receptions, 97 yards, TD |

### at Vanderbilt (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kentucky | 21 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Vanderbilt | 0 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 28 |
at FirstBank Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: NE 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
* Game attendance: 26,279
* Referee: Daniel Gautreaux
* TV announcers (ESPN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (color) and Alyssa Lang (sideline)
| Statistics | UK | VAN |
| First downs | 18 | 20 |
| Total yards | 60–365 | 74–328 |
| Rushing yards | 31–160 | 27–97 |
| Passing yards | 205 | 231 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–29–2 | 20–47–4 |
| Time of possession | 31:11 | 28:49 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 15/29, 205 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 17 carries, 78 yards, 2 TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Barion Brown | 4 receptions, 105 yards |
| Vanderbilt | Passing | AJ Swann | 16/40, 189 yards, 3 INT |
| Vanderbilt | Rushing | Sedrick Alexander | 8 carries, 37 yards, TD |
| Vanderbilt | Receiving | Gamarion Carter | 2 receptions, 48 yards |

### No. 22 Florida (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Florida | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Kentucky | 16 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
at Kroger Field • Lexington, Kentucky
* Date: Saturday, September 30, 2023
* Game time: 12:07 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Temperature: 78 °F (26 °C) • Wind: E at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) • Weather: sunny
* Game attendance: 61,699
* Referee: Matt Loeffler
* TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst), and Katie George (sideline reporter)
* Pregame line: UK −1.5 Over/Under: 43.5
| Statistics | FLA | UK |
| First downs | 15 | 23 |
| Total yards | 59–313 | 56–398 |
| Rushing yards | 29–69 | 36–329 |
| Passing yards | 244 | 69 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–30–1 | 9–20–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:14 | 28:46 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Florida | Passing | Graham Mertz | 25/30, 244 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Florida | Rushing | Montrell Johnson Jr. | 10 carries, 42 yards |
| Florida | Receiving | Ricky Pearsall | 3 receptions, 62 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 9/20, 69 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 26 carries, 280 yards, 3 TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Barion Brown | 4 receptions, 37 yards |

### at No. 1 Georgia

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 20 Kentucky | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 1 Georgia | 14 | 20 | 10 | 7 | 51 |
at Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia
* Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: -
* Game attendance: 92,746
* Referee: Kyle Olson
* TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color) and Molly McGrath (sideline)
| Statistics | UK | UGA |
| First downs | 12 | 33 |
| Total yards | 50–183 | 73–608 |
| Rushing yards | 24–55 | 31–173 |
| Passing yards | 128 | 435 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 10–26–0 | 33–42–1 |
| Time of possession | 22:32 | 37:28 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 10/26, 128 yards, 2 TD |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 15 carries, 59 yards |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Dane Key | 3 receptions, 65 yards |
| Georgia | Passing | Carson Beck | 28/35, 389 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Georgia | Rushing | Daijun Edwards | 9 carries, 54 yards |
| Georgia | Receiving | Brock Bowers | 7 receptions, 132 yards, TD |

### Missouri

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Missouri | 0 | 17 | 3 | 18 | 38 |
| No. 24 Kentucky | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Kroger Field • Lexington, Kentucky
* Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: –
* Game attendance: 61,654
* Referee: Daniel Gautreaux
* TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst), Cole Cubelic (sideline)
* Pregame line: UK −3.5 Over/Under: 50.5
| Statistics | MIZZ | UK |
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total yards | 68–324 | 58–299 |
| Rushing yards | 38–118 | 31–179 |
| Passing yards | 206 | 120 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–30–1 | 14–27–2 |
| Time of possession | 31:07 | 28:53 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Missouri | Passing | Brady Cook | 19–29, 175 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Missouri | Rushing | Cody Schrader | 20 carries, 71 yards, 1 TD |
| Missouri | Receiving | Theo Wease Jr. | 6 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 14–27, 120 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 20 carries, 128 yards |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Justice Dingle | 2 receptions, 32 yards |

### No. 21 Tennessee (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Tennessee | 10 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 33 |
| Kentucky | 0 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky
* Date: Saturday, October 28, 2023
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 61,665
* Referee: Steve Marlowe
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst), Katie George (sideline)
| Statistics | TENN | UK |
| First downs | 24 | 24 |
| Total yards | 67–481 | 63–444 |
| Rushing yards | 47–254 | 24–72 |
| Passing yards | 227 | 372 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–20–0 | 28–39–0 |
| Time of possession | 26:56 | 33:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee | Passing | Joe Milton III | 17/20, 227 yards, 1 TD |
| Tennessee | Rushing | Jaylen Wright | 11 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD |
| Tennessee | Receiving | Dont'e Thornton Jr. | 3 receptions, 63 yards |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 28/39, 372 yards, 2 TD |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 16 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Dane Key | 7 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD |

### at Mississippi State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kentucky | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Mississippi State | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS
* Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023
* Game time: 7:30 PM EST
* Game weather: –
* Game attendance: 52,329
* Referee: Scott Walker
* TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Cole Cubelic (color), Alyssa Lang (sideline)
| Statistics | UK | MSST |
| First downs | 13 | 15 |
| Total yards | 54–271 | 66–218 |
| Rushing yards | 29–110 | 31–73 |
| Passing yards | 161 | 145 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–25–0 | 17–35–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:38 | 29:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 13/22, 156 yards, 2 TD |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 21 carries, 80 yards |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Tayvion Robinson | 5 receptions, 91 yards |
| Mississippi State | Passing | Mike Wright | 11/21, 78 yards, INT |
| Mississippi State | Rushing | Seth Davis | 4 carries, 24 yards |
| Mississippi State | Receiving | Zavion Thomas | 6 receptions, 44 yards |

### No. 8 Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Alabama | 21 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky
* Date: Saturday, November 11, 2023
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 49, Sunny, Wind NE @ 7 mph
* Game attendance: 61,936
* Referee: Ken Williamson
* TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), and Katie George (sideline)
| Statistics | ALA | UK |
| First downs | 23 | 11 |
| Total yards | 64–444 | 55–253 |
| Rushing yards | 39–159 | 24–95 |
| Passing yards | 285 | 158 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–25–1 | 17–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 32:06 | 27:54 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Alabama | Passing | Jalen Milroe | 15/22, 234 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Alabama | Rushing | Jase McClellan | 9 carries, 43 yards |
| Alabama | Receiving | Kobe Prentice | 4 receptions, 74 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 17/31, 158 yards, TD, INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ramon Jefferson | 2 carries, 73 yards |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Dane Key | 4 receptions, 46 yards |

### at South Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kentucky | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| South Carolina | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina
* Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: –
* Game attendance: 77,788
* Referee: –
* TV announcers (SECN): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color), Cole Cubelic (sideline)
| Statistics | UK | SC |
| First downs | 17 | 17 |
| Total yards | 293 | 257 |
| Rushing yards | 122 | 50 |
| Passing yards | 171 | 207 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–34–1 | 19–27–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:21 | 31:39 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 17/34, 171 yards, TD, INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 12 carries, 61 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Dane Key | 4 receptions, 51 yards |
| South Carolina | Passing | Spencer Rattler | 19/27, 207 yards, 2 TD |
| South Carolina | Rushing | Mario Anderson | 13 carries, 27 yards |
| South Carolina | Receiving | Xavier Legette | 6 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TD |

### at No. 10 Louisville (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kentucky | 0 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 38 |
| No. 10 Louisville | 7 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at L&N Stadium • Louisville, Kentucky
* Date: Saturday, November 25, 2023
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game attendance: 59,225
* Referee: Lee Hendrick
* TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (color), Katie George (sideline)
| Statistics | UK | LOU |
| First downs | 16 | 23 |
| Total yards | 47–289 | 76–403 |
| Rushing yards | 25–83 | 43–161 |
| Passing yards | 206 | 242 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 12–22–1 | 24–33–1 |
| Time of possession | 23:26 | 36:34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 12/22, 206 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 14 carries, 76 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Izayah Cummings | 1 reception, 55 yards |
| Louisville | Passing | Jack Plummer | 24/33, 242 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Louisville | Rushing | Jawhar Jordan | 17 carries, 67 yards, 2 TD |
| Louisville | Receiving | Jamari Thrash | 6 receptions, 60 yards |

### vs. No. 22 Clemson (Gator Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Clemson | 3 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 38 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at EverBank Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: Friday, December 29, 2023
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 51 °F (11 °C) • Wind: 10 mph (16 km/h) W
* Game attendance: 40,132
* Referee: John Love
* TV announcers (ESPN): Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (color), Taylor Tannebaum (sideline)
* Box score
| Statistics | CLEM | UK |
| First downs | 24 | 12 |
| Total yards | 80–367 | 51–398 |
| Rushing yards | 39–103 | 23–92 |
| Passing yards | 264 | 306 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 30–41–1 | 16–28–2 |
| Time of possession | 34:58 | 25:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Clemson | Passing | Cade Klubnik | 30/41, 264 yards, INT |
| Clemson | Rushing | Phil Mafah | 11 carries, 71 yards, 4 TD |
| Clemson | Receiving | Jake Briningstool | 9 receptions, 91 yards |
| Kentucky | Passing | Devin Leary | 16/28, 306 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Ray Davis | 13 carries, 63 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Barion Brown | 3 receptions, 100 yards, TD |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 20 | 24 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 20 | 23 | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |