Five(ish) Plays That Stood Out In Kentucky's Spring Showcase Scrimmage

Kentucky‘s Spring Showcase just concluded at Kroger Field under blue skies in Lexington. The abbreviated practice and scrimmage was the finale of the Wildcats’ spring practices, and fans were allowed in to watch the last day of the session. With no TV or live stream broadcasts, you had to be there to see it.

For those who didn’t see it, Mark Stoops called the open scrimmage “a very generic, very bland, very vanilla version of football” as the team balanced putting on a show for the crowd and staying healthy. Still, through the vanilla, there were some highlights from the action in Big Blue Nation’s first look at the 2025 Wildcats.

Dowdell broke free on his first carry

After a five-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage, Dante Dowdell carried the ball for a big run up the middle that could’ve gone to the house in a live game, but he was ruled down by way of two-hand touch by the safety instead. The no-tackling rule likely kept Dowdell from a 65-yard touchdown on his first rush of the practice. The transfer from Nebraska had one tackle to break and a full head of steam behind him. Still, he covered 30-ish yards on the run. (We don’t have stats, so I’m ball-parking the numbers in real time.)

Calzada to Maclin, then Washington for the day’s first TD

On the first team’s second drive of the game, Zach Calzada found returning wide receiver Ja’Mori Maclin for a long completion up the left sideline, Calzada’s first deep throw of the day. Maclin broke a tackle to add some YAC. A couple snaps later, Calzada found sophomore David Washington Jr. for a 25-yard touchdown completion to the right side of the end zone.

Beau Allen or Josh Allen?

One of the veterans on the roster, Beau Allen, took over at QB on the fourth drive of the scrimmage. Allen completed a couple of passes, but it was his legs that drove the second team down the field. First, he picked up 15 yards to midfield on a QB draw out of the shotgun. Then, after hitting Montavin Quisenberry for a long completion, Allen used his legs twice more, including a 20-yard scamper up the right sideline to put the offense within the five-yard line. Allen’s 40(ish) rushing yards led many of us in the press box to wonder if he’s the new Wildcat quarterback. The Wild-Beau? (Kidding, kind of.)

Cutter Boley’s first big throw set up the day’s second TD

Cutter Boley took over at quarterback with the ones on the fifth drive after a brief look with the twos. Boley handed it off to Dowdell for a couple of decent gains to start, then connected on his first long-ball of the day, finding Kendrick Law for 40(ish) yards to the 15-yard line. Sophomore Jerod Smith nearly got to Boley before he let go of the rock. Had the throw been a second later in a real game, Boley might’ve eaten the turf with Smith on his back.

In the red zone, Dowdell caught a pass from Boley and then found the end zone with a short rush.

Stone Saunders to Stellato and Quisenberry on the last scoring drive

True freshman Stone Saunders had a shaky start in his spring debut under center. However, he made his first big throw on the first snap of his second drive, finding Troy Stellato, another new Wildcat, on a 25-yard corner route. Stellato transferred to Lexington from Clemson for a fresh start.

Saunders continued to finish the drive strong, leading the third/fourth-string offense into the end zone to finish the showcase. Saunders carried the ball to the goal line, then found Quisenberry, who bobbled the short pass into the air and hauled it back in for a short touchdown grab at the right pylon.

---

Watch KSR’s Spring Showcase Highlight Reel