Young playmakers excite in Kentucky's win over Murray State
Kentucky needed a get-right game after losing four consecutive SEC games following the first bye week of the season. The Wildcats got that against Murray State on Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field.
The Wildcats scored 48 points in 10 non-kneel possessions, held Murray State without a touchdown in 12 possessions, and rolled up over 500 yards of offense for the first time this season. Kentucky even covered a big number ending the program’s long bye drought that has been running since 2017.
Young playmakers on offense led the way for Kentucky in the big win. KSR is looking at the biggest plays Cutter Boley, Hardley Gilmore IV, and Jamarion Wilcox produced in the Week 12 win.
Cutter Boley records his first two touchdown passes
The debut performance against Florida did not go so well for Cutter Boley. In a game that was out of hand, the blue-chip true freshman did not complete a pass in two series and was late on a throw to the sideline leading to a pick-six.
The next performance was much better.
Boley led the Kentucky offense to 24 points in four non-kneel possessions in the second half. The quarterback completed 10-of-14 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 8.7 yards per dropback. In the fourth quarter, Boley connected with sophomore Anthony Brown-Stephens twice on fourth down to get the offense in the paint.
On both throws, Boley played on time and hit Brown-Stephens out of the slot on outbreaking routes. Kentucky has struggled to create production from the slot this season. It was notable that the sophomore slot wideout had his best performance of the season with Boley in the lineup.
Cutter Boley did not make any crazy big throws or show off his ridiculous arm talent. Instead, the young quarterback played within the structure of the offense and got the ball to playmakers. One of his four incompletions was nearly a sideline touchdown catch by Fred Farrier in the third quarter.
Boley has high-level talent, but decision-making and playing within structure were two areas the young quarterback needed to make strides. Those were both displayed in his first extended performance of the season.
Hardley Gilmore IV flashes explosive playmaking
Hardley Gilmore IV was an underrated recruiting win for Kentucky in the 2024 cycle as the national 2025 prospect reclassified and enrolled early in Lexington. Gilmore flashed at Kentucky’s Gator Bowl practices in December, and the hype continued to grow during spring and fall camp. Unfortunately, a collarbone injury forced the young wideout to miss multiple games.
But we’re now starting to see Gilmore’s potential. In the win over Murray State, the true freshman produced three explosive plays. The biggest highlight will likely go down as Gilmore’s wildest touchdown during his collegiate career.
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Kentucky made a concerted effort to get the young player some vertical targets early, and each nearly ended in interception, but the offense would quickly go back to the young wideout in the second quarter. A 47-yard run on a reverse was negated by a holding call but a 20-yard dig completion to Gilmore produced Kentucky’s biggest play on the two-minute touchdown drive to end the first half.
Gilmore has played 30-plus snaps in the last two games, and that should continue moving forward. Kentucky is making a concerted effort to get the young player reps. After a drop against Tennessee turned into an interception, the true freshman bounced back with a strong performance against Murray State.
Jamarion Wilcox continues to impress
Who is Kentucky’s best player on offense? That title has belonged to Dane Key all season, but a redshirt freshman tailback is making a push. Jamarion Wilcox has been Kentucky’s most consistent producer over the last two weeks.
After rushing for 102 yards on 17 carries against Tennessee, Wilcox gave the Kentucky offense a consecutive 100-yard rusher with 123 yards on 13 carries. That number would’ve been 196 yards if not for a holding call taking away a 73-yard run in the second quarter.
Wilcox did not touch the ball in the first quarter but made an immediate difference once he entered the game. The vision, wiggle, downhill burst, and feel in the box were all on display.
The redshirt freshman forced five missed tackles in 13 carries and now owns a 23.2 percent explosive rate on 69 carries this season. Good things happen when No. 10 gets the football. Wilcox should continue to get touches as a youth movement has given the offense a spark over the last two weeks.
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