# SEC Evening Report: Pope's Kentucky Reaching Blowout Territory No Wildcat Coach Has Touched This Fast **Published:** 2026-11-12 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield **Category:** daily-roundup — **Type:** daily-roundup **Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-evening-report-pope-s-kentucky-reaching-blowout-territory-no-wildcat-coach-has-touched-this-fast **Teams:** [Alabama](https://secscouts.com/alabama/), [Kentucky](https://secscouts.com/kentucky/), [LSU](https://secscouts.com/lsu/), [Miss State](https://secscouts.com/mississippi-state/), [Tennessee](https://secscouts.com/tennessee/), [Vanderbilt](https://secscouts.com/vanderbilt/) --- # SEC Evening Report: Pope's Kentucky Reaching Blowout Territory No Wildcat Coach Has Touched This Fast *Thursday, November 12, 2026* --- ## LEAD STORY: Kentucky Basketball's Blowout Problem Is Now Historic Five losses by 20 or more points in 75 games. That is where Kentucky Basketball stands under Mark Pope, and the pace at which the Wildcats have arrived at that number is the most troubling part of the story. Following a 89-69 defeat to Kansas, Pope's blowout ledger now spans all three of his seasons: Kansas (89-69) this year, Gonzaga (94-59) and Vanderbilt (80-55) in 2025-26, and Alabama (99-70) and Ohio State (85-65) in his debut campaign. As analyst Corey Price documented, the speed at which Pope has reached five such losses is without modern precedent in Lexington. John Calipari also finished his Kentucky tenure with five 20-point losses — but needed 533 games to accumulate them. Rick Pitino had four in 269 games. Adolph Rupp, who coached Kentucky for 41 seasons across 1,066 games, suffered just seven. The underlying data paints an even starker picture. Of those 75 games under Pope, Kentucky has trailed by double digits in 27 contests, by 15 or more in 20 games, and by 20 or more in 13 games. The Wildcats are not simply losing — they're surrendering leads early, falling into deep holes, and absorbing blowouts at a frequency the program's storied history has not seen. The roster carries more talent than what Kentucky showed against Kansas, but that talent must translate quickly. Two top-10 opponents — Virginia and Louisville — loom within the next month. Win both, and the conversation shifts. Continue this pattern, and the questions around Pope's tenure in Lexington will intensify well before SEC play determines the season's trajectory. --- ## QUICK HITS - **Texas S Derek Williams Heads Home to Louisiana**: Texas safety Derek Williams Jr. — a New Iberia, Louisiana native and former consensus five-star prospect ranked No. 3 nationally at his position — makes his return to his home state Saturday when the Longhorns travel to Baton Rouge to face LSU. Williams has steadily rebuilt his game in 2026, recording 41 total tackles through nine games with 2.5 tackles for loss and four starts. Per Pro Football Focus, he has held opposing receivers to just 8.2 yards per reception on 11 catches since an early-season rough patch, and ranks second on the team with 19 run-defense tackles. - **Vanderbilt Golf Inks Another Top-10 Signing Class**: The Commodores' men's golf program added Dan McGugin and Sohan Patel to their 2027 recruiting class, landing another top-10 class nationally and reinforcing Vanderbilt's standing among college golf's elite programs. - **No. 4 Florida Volleyball Closes Regular Season on the Road**: The Gators wrap up regular season play with back-to-back road tests — at Mississippi State on Friday, Nov. 13, and at Alabama on Sunday, Nov. 15 — entering the weekend ranked fourth in the nation. - **Tennessee Women's Golf Adds International Talent**: The Lady Vols announced the signings of Bhadharanida Ponmani and Chonpansa Tawinsang to their 2027 class, with head coach Diana Cantú building out the program's international pipeline. - **LSU Softball's Pickens Twins Share Tiger Park**: Twin sisters Mackenzie and Madison Pickens have carried their bond beyond the family home and onto the field at LSU's Tiger Park, where their connection has become a fixture of the Tigers' softball program. --- ## PORTAL WATCH No transfer portal activity to report across the SEC today. The portal landscape remains quiet as programs focus on closing out the regular season. --- ## RECRUITING BUZZ No new commitments were announced in SEC recruiting on Thursday. The 2027 signing class continues to take shape nationally, with Vanderbilt's golf program among the day's notable additions. --- ## GAMES TO WATCH No SEC games are scheduled for Thursday. The weekend slate brings meaningful volleyball action with postseason implications: **No. 4 Florida at Mississippi State** — Friday, Nov. 13: The Gators look to stay sharp entering the NCAA Tournament on the road in Starkville. **No. 11 Tennessee at Georgia** — Friday, Nov. 13 | 7 p.m. ET | SEC Network+: The Lady Vols open their regular season finale road swing in Athens. **No. 11 Tennessee at South Carolina** — Sunday, Nov. 15 | 1 p.m. ET | SEC Network+: Tennessee closes the regular season in Columbia in what amounts to a final positioning game ahead of the NCAA Tournament. --- *Original article: [SEC Evening Report: Pope's Kentucky Reaching Blowout Territory No Wildcat Coach Has Touched This Fast](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-evening-report-pope-s-kentucky-reaching-blowout-territory-no-wildcat-coach-has-touched-this-fast) — SEC Scouts*