University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Notes: #17 Tennessee 56, Kentucky 34
October 25, 2025 | Football
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Oct. 25, 2025 | Lexington, Ky. | Kroger Field
FINAL SCORE: No. 17/17 Tennessee 56, Kentucky 34
General Notes
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
Oct. 25, 2025 | Lexington, Ky. | Kroger Field
FINAL SCORE: No. 17/17 Tennessee 56, Kentucky 34
General Notes
- Saturday's attendance at Kroger Field: 60,153 (sold out)
- Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 892-419-53 with Saturday's win (NCAA record: 881-419-53).
- With Saturday's win, Tennessee secured bowl eligibility for a fifth straight season – all five years of the Josh Heupel era – for the first time since 2000-04.
- Saturday marked the 121st all-time meeting between the Volunteers and Wildcats. Tennessee leads the all-time series on the field, 86-26-9 – including a perfect 5-0 record under Josh Heupel.
- The Vols have played (121 times) and beaten Kentucky (86 times on field) more than any other opponent.
- The Vols' 86 (on-field victories)/85 (NCAA wins) over the Wildcats rank as the fifth-most victories for one side in a head-to-head matchup in the FBS, behind Nebraska-Kansas (Neb.-91), Oklahoma-Oklahoma State (OU-91), Nebraska-Iowa State (Neb.- 86), Alabama-Mississippi State (UA-86).
- Tennessee has won five in a row over the Wildcats with two of those victories being decided by six points or less.
- Saturday marked UT's seventh consecutive night game when playing Kentucky in Lexington, a streak that dates back to 2013 in Butch Jones' first season.
- The Vols clinched a winning record in the month of October (2-1) and have done so in each of the past four seasons.
- After Saturday's victory, Josh Heupel owns an 18-3 record following a loss in the same season – including a 13-2 mark at Tennessee (2-0 this season) and a 5-1 record at UCF.
- Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: DL Dominic Bailey, LS Bennett Brady, OL Wendell Moe Jr., LB Jeremiah Telander
- Kentucky won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Tennessee received the opening kickoff and Kentucky defended the west end zone.
- True freshman OL David Sanders Jr. made his first collegiate start on Saturday at right tackle. He is the first true freshman offensive lineman to start a game for the Vols since Wanya Morris started at left tackle in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, 2020.
- On defense, redshirt freshman LB Edwin Spillman and true freshman LB Jadon Perlotte each earned their first starts as Volunteers, becoming the first Vol linebackers to start a game since Henry To'oTo'o in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, 2020.
- A total of 16 players – 10 on offense and six on defense – have made their first Tennessee starts during the 2025 season.
- Tennessee's 56 points were its most in an SEC game since blanking Vanderbilt, 56-0, in the 2022 regular-season finale.
- UT's 56 points on Saturday night were its most against Kentucky since a 59-20 win over the Wildcats in 2000.
- The Vols outgained the Wildcats, 504-476, during Saturday's contest. UT has put up 400 or more yards of total offense in all eight games this season and 45 times during the Josh Heupel era (2021-present).
- UT's 504 yards of total offense were its most in an SEC game this season. The Vols have put up 500 yards in 21 games in the Heupel era.
- Three Vol receivers cracked the century mark in Saturday's win – Chris Brazzell II with 138 yards, Mike Matthews with 107 and Braylon Staley with 105. It is the first time Tennessee has had three receivers surpass the 100-yard mark in a game since Nov. 23, 2019, at Missouri.Â
- Brazzell and Matthews have surpassed 100 yards in the same contest three times this season (9/6 vs. ETSU, 9/27 at Mississippi State, 10/25 at Kentucky).
- The Vols have had multiple 100-yard receivers seven times during the Josh Heupel era (since 2021) and own a 7-0 record in those contests.
- Tennessee has produced nine individual 100-yard receiving games this season and 34 during the Heupel era.
- Tennessee scored 21 points in the first quarter on Saturday night, continuing a trend of fast starts under head coach Josh Heupel and have now out-scored its opponents in the opening frame 121-38 this season.
- The Vols have scored multiple first-quarter touchdowns in five of eight games in 2025.
- Senior QB Joey Aguilar finished Saturday's contest completing 20-of-26 passes for 396 yards with three touchdowns.
- Aguilar's 396 passing yards were the most by a quarterback in the Heupel era and the most by a Vol in any game since Jarrett Guarantano had 415 at Missouri on Nov. 23, 2019.
- Aguilar posted his third 300-yard game of the season and ninth of his career. He is the first Vol QB with three 300-yard games in a single season since Hendon Hooker also had three in 2022.
- Aguilar has thrown for at least 200 yards in all 32 of his career FBS starts, which is the longest current streak in the country.
- Aguilar has at least one touchdown pass in all eight games this season and has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 19 consecutive games dating back to his 2024 opener while playing for App State.
- Redshirt junior WR Chris Brazzell II led all receivers on Saturday with 138 yards – carding his fourth 100-yard of the season.
- Sophomore WR Mike Matthews posted his third 100-yard receiving effort of the season, finishing with six catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.
- His longest play of the night came on a 62-yard touchdown grab early in the second half. It was UT's third pass play of 60-plus yards this season.
- With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, sophomore WR Braylon Staley broke the century mark with his sixth catch of the night – finishing the contest with 105 yards receiving.
- In his first action since the SEC opener against Georgia, redshirt sophomore TE Ethan Davis pulled in his first receiving touchdown of the year on a 13-yard strike from Aguilar late in the first half.
- Tight ends have scored touchdowns in four of the first eight games for the Vols this season and five out of the last nine regular season games.
- All three Tennessee running backs scored touchdowns in Saturday's victory. Redshirt sophomore DeSean Bishop found the end zone twice, while senior Star Thomas and sophomore Peyton Lewis each posted one rushing score.
- It marked the third time this season that three UT running backs scored at least one rushing touchdown in the same contest.
- Tennessee entered Saturday leading the Power Four with four defensive touchdowns, and added another with Edrees Farooq's 45-yard pick-six with 6:56 remaining in the fourth quarter.
- The Vols have tallied 13 defensive touchdowns in the Josh Heupel/Tim Banks era (2021-present) and own an 11-0 record when recording a defensive score.
- This season, the Vols have produced five defensive touchdowns on three fumble returns and two fumble returns.
- The Vols added to their nation-leading forced fumble count, jarring two loose against the Wildcats on Saturday. Tennessee has now forced 13 fumbles this season.
- UT has forced at least one fumble in seven of eight games this season.
- Tennessee has also recovered nine fumbles.
- The Vols' 13 forced fumbles are their most since 2017 and are the most in the Heupel era.
- Sophomore DB Edrees Farooq logged his first career interception on Saturday and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown with 6:56 remaining in the first quarter. It was the longest return play of any kind by the Vols this season.
- Sophomore DB Boo Carter and redshirt sophomore DB Colton Hood each posted forced fumbles on the same play in Saturday's victory – marking their third and first of the season respectively.
- Freshman LB Jadon Perlotte ultimately scooped up the loose ball for his second fumble recovery of the year, generating UT's ninth takeaway via fumble this season.
- In his first career start, redshirt freshman LB Edwin Spillman led all players with a career-best 15 total tackles. He is the second Vol to record 15-plus stops in a game this season, joining Arion Carter who had 17 at Mississippi State on Sept. 27.
- Redshirt sophomore P Jackson Ross punted three times on Saturday for 133 yards with a long of 47 and one punt downed inside the 20.
- Redshirt sophomore PK Max Gilbert was perfect on all eight of his extra point attempts, improving to 98-of-98 for his career.
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
- RB DeSean Bishop
- 2 rushing touchdowns (ties career high)
- TE Ethan Davis
- 2 receptions (ties career high)
- 1 receiving touchdown (ties career high)
- WR Mike Matthews
- 6 receptions (ties career high)
- LB Edwin Spillman
- 15 tackles
- 1 quarterback hurry (ties career high)
- DL Dominic Bailey
- 2 TFLs (ties career high)
- DB Edrees Farooq
- 1 interception
- 1 touchdown
- DL Ethan Utley
- 1 TFL
Players Mentioned
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DL
/ FootballFB | Edrees Farooq Postgame at Kentucky (10.25.25)
Sunday, October 26
FB | Joey Aguilar Postgame at Kentucky (10.25.25)
Sunday, October 26
FB | Josh Heupel Postgame Press Conference at Kentucky (10.25.25)
Sunday, October 26
FB | Jaxson Moi Media Availability (10.21.25)
Tuesday, October 21
