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.

After beating the Kentucky Wildcats 56-34, Vols Head Coach Josh Heupel addressed their defense, quarterback and strategy. Josh Heupel walks down the sideline of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky during the third half.

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.

Quarterback Cutter Boley had his best game as a Wildcat (outplaying preseason Heisman Trophy favorite Archie Manning), and the Kentucky defense really stepped up in big moments. Oddsmakers still favor Tennessee, though, with Big Blue getting 8.5 points despite being at home.

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

The SEC availability report was released for Tennessee's game against Kentucky in Week 9. Here are the injury updates for both teams.

The Tennessee Vols will look to bounce back from their 37-20 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide when they travel to Lexington this weekend for a matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats. Tennessee is 4-0 against Kentucky during the Josh Heupel era.