It’s an Auburn vs. Kentucky SEC matchup in Week 10 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, with many 2025 previews and predictions going all over the place for this contest. And, the losing program of this matchup may be the one to fire their head coach.
Auburn Tigers vs. Kentucky Wildcats: 2025 College Football Preview
Both Hugh Freeze and Mark Stoops are atop the list of coaches whose names are on the hot seat, so both need a win. Freeze and Stoops have both been noncommittal to a starting quarterback this week, with Freeze deciding between Ashton Daniels and Jackson Arnold, and Stoops deciding between former Auburn quarterback Zach Calzada and Cutter Boley. The quarterback decision as well as the key players for both teams will determine who wins this game.
Auburn vs. Kentucky: Matchup History
The Tigers and Wildcats have played 35 times in their history since 1934. Auburn has won a whopping 28 of those matchups, including the last four. However, Kentucky can say they won the first-ever matchup in 1934. Whether or not the winning ways for Auburn continue in Week 10 remain to be seen.
Keys to the Game
Auburn Key Offensive Players
Auburn’s offense still struggled last week, despite securing a win and 30-plus points. The unit scored six field goals on six red zone possessions and one touchdown against a suspect Arkansas defense. Hugh Freeze is going to have to figure out how to get his offense running better.
The fact that the offense has sputtered leads to our first key player and that is quarterback Ashton Daniels. Daniels came in the Arkansas game in relief of Jackson Arnold after Arnold threw a pick-six on a bad read. Arnold’s leash was deservedly short considering how the offense has played all season, especially after the first drive of games.
In the last 48 seconds of the first half and the entirety of the second half, Daniels put up seven carries for 35 yards and 77 yards passing on 75-percent completion rate. He also converted on a two-point conversion on a rushing attempt. Daniels was decisive and quick to make decisions. And, it helped the offense look more competent than previously. He will have to continue to do so to ward off any questions about whether he should be the starter or not. Daniels offers more potential as a runner as well, and was also more decisive when running the ball.
Wide receiver Cam Coleman got hurt in the Arkansas game and reports are that Auburn is taking it slow getting him back to the field. His injury opens the door for the next key player, Perry Thompson.
Thompson has shown tremendous growth in his sophomore. He blocks with effort in the run game, which has led to increased playing time. Thompson has nine catches for 98 yards this season with six of those coming in the last three games. Coleman’s injury allows Perry to step into his role, and the size and athleticism should not result in a huge drop-off. Thompson finished his freshman season last year with five catches for 126 yards, but 82 of those came in the Alabama A&M game where he caught a 70-yard touchdown. He has to step up in the potential absence of Coleman, but is more than capable of doing so.
The final key player is tight end Brandon Frazier. Frazier is the most sure-handed receiver Auburn seems to have, especially at the tight end position. On the year, Frazier has recorded 10 receptions for 62 yards and no touchdowns. However, he has been a great safety valve for whoever has been at quarterback. He also blocks well – and for a team whose offensive line has struggled, blocking from anyone is appreciated. Frazier has an opportunity to continue to be a constant in an offense that struggles with consistency.
Kentucky Key Offensive Players
Kentucky has had a similar struggle at quarterback as Auburn, and that is why the quarterback is a key player for Kentucky. Zach Calzada has 234 yards on 25 completions and one interception, but is rumored to get playing time this week. Meanwhile, Cutter Boley has 1215 yards on 105 completions with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. The Boley-led Wildcats threw for five touchdowns last week against Tennessee and one interception in the loss. Both options at quarterback are going to have to play better than they have against Auburn’s stout defense, and the Tigers are preparing for two quarterbacks.
The next two key players for Kentucky also play the same position, but are two of the most impactful players on the offense. Mark Stoops has always been known for having a run-heavy offense. Yet, the first key player is their leading rusher by carries, yards, and touchdowns – running back Seth McGowan. McGown has 93 carries, 476 yards, and seven touchdowns. As he goes the Kentucky offense goes, so he will be key in their success.
His running mate, Dante Dowdell, is the third and final key player for the Kentucky Wildcats. Dowdell is second on the team with 79 carries, 326 yards, and one touchdown. Kentucky likes to run the ball with these two backs, and they do not like to rely on the pass if they do not have to.
The two running backs have also accounted for 17 receptions and 115 receiving yards. That is 13-percent of the receptions and 7-percent of the yards on the team’s offense. If you add in third running back Jason Patterson’s 13 receptions for 59 yards, the running back position group has 23-percent of the receptions and 12-percent of the receiving yards. Kentucky likes to use their running backs in every way they can.
Auburn Key Defensive Players
Auburn’s defense (and defensive coordinator Alex McPherson) is the reason Auburn won against Arkansas last week. Rayshawn Pleasant had a pick-six to match Arkansas’ pick-six of Jackson Arnold, and that allowed the Tigers to regain momentum. Without the defense, Auburn would be in a much worse situation as a football team.
That defense is led by Xavier Atkins, who has been a star this year at the linebacker position. He leads the team in tackles (61) and sacks (7) this season. He will be key in stopping the Kentucky rushing offense and forcing them into a passing offense. If he is able to do so, then Kentucky will likely struggle on offense.
Kayin Lee is the next key player for Auburn. The Tigers need to force Kentucky to pass. If they’re able to do so, the defensive backs will play a key part of shutting the rest of the offense down. Lee has 15 tackles and three passes defended this season, and recorded his first interception against Missouri. If the defensive gameplan goes how it should, then Lee has an easy opportunity to be a force in the passing game. He has been the one constant in the defensive backfield this season, as others have dealt with injuries. He needs another stellar game to support his campaign and the Auburn defense.
The final key player doesn’t fill the box score as he only has 22 tackles and one pass defended on the year. However, his presence is felt on the Auburn defense. His name is Bobby Jamison-Travis, a 6-foot-4, 322-pound hole-filler. His sheer size allows him and the Auburn defense to be successful at stopping the run. With Kentucky’s offensive focus being on the run, Bobby will be a huge part of the defense continuing to be steady against it.
Kentucky Key Defensive Players
Kentucky will also need to stop the run against Auburn, and the first key player in doing so is junior defensive lineman Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace. Humphrey-Grace is top-10 on the Wildcats defense in tackles (20) and second on the team in sacks (2). He will be key in stopping the run game and Kentucky taking advantage of the Auburn offensive line. If they are able to do so, then Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace will also be important in the pass game because he can create pressure on the quarterback.
Terhyon Nichols is the next key player for Kentucky. The sophomore defensive back is going to have to be a leader when it comes to defending the Auburn wide receiver corp. Even without Cam Coleman, Auburn is loaded with talented, and the scary part is some of them haven’t been able to play because of that depth and Nichols is going to have to guard one of them. He leads the team with four passes defended and has 18 tackles on the season. His size matches up better with Eric Singleton; so if he is able to limit Singleton’s production, then it will help the rest of the defense.
Finally, the team leader in tackles (43) is Alex Afari Jr., who also has one sack on the year. Kentucky has a history of good linebacking play and Afari seems to be continuing that. He must be the catalyst in stopping the run and playing the middle of the field in the passing game. If he is able to step up in the passing game, then Auburn will have to look primarily to the outside. Unfortunately for Kentucky, that is likely where Auburn has a significant strength, so Afari will have to find a way to continue to disrupt the Auburn offense.
Keys to an Auburn Victory
Run. The. Ball. Auburn has to successfully run the ball offensively, and defensively has to stop the run. Auburn ran effectively against Arkansas, but then randomly would switch to the pass and it did not work. If the Tigers will hold strong, then they should run away with the victory.
Defensively, Kentucky should not have confidence in their passing game. If Auburn stops the run game then Kentucky will struggle. Any team that is forced to be one-dimensional typically struggles, so that is what Auburn has to do.
Score Prediction: 17-13, Auburn
Hugh Freeze Firing Prediction: Not this week
Auburn Tigers Football: Recruiting Roundup
Auburn is in a holding pattern with a lot of recruits due to the uncertainty of the head coach. However, there are two key pieces to Auburn’s recruiting continuing to succeed, and those key pieces are DJ Durkin and Deuce Knight. Knight’s presence on offense helped secure commits like Jase Matthews. Meanwhile, Durkin’s retention helped secure pieces like Jahquez Wilkes and Bralan Womack.
Kaleb Morris, a three-star defensive lineman, is scheduled for a visit this weekend for the 2026 class.
Gunner Rivers, JaBarrius Garror, Derwin Fields, Jatori Williams, Cole Reiter, Kadin Fife, Andre Adams, Bobby Coleman, Kellen Wymer, Deven Robertson, CJ Ohuabunwa, Jamison Roberts, Noah Renes, and D’ante Seals are all of the players visiting from the 2027 recruiting class. The two most interesting names are Gunner Rivers and Bobby Coleman. Both play quarterback and have a rich family history of football. However, this game does probably won’t move the needle on many of these because the question of who the head coach is still hangs in the balance.
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