Wildcats Aim to End Manning Curse in Clash with Texas

As of October 19th, 2025, the Kentucky Wildcats football team is preparing to host the Texas Longhorns in a highly anticipated matchup. The Wildcats have a long and tumultuous history when it comes to facing the renowned Manning family, having lost 7 of 8 previous meetings against Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning.

Kentucky's lone victory came in an upset over Archie's Ole Miss team in 1969. However, they have since fallen to Archie's Rebels, Peyton's Tennessee squads, and Eli's Ole Miss club. Now, they face the latest member of the Manning dynasty, Arch Manning, who entered the season as a Heisman Trophy contender.

While Arch Manning has had an inconsistent campaign so far, he is coming off his best outing of the year, leading Texas to a victory over arch-rival Oklahoma. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has been impressed with Manning's ability to make plays both in and out of the pocket, and the Wildcats will have their hands full trying to slow down the talented young quarterback.

Kentucky, which is seeking its first SEC win in over a year and its first home conference victory since September 2023, will look to finally break the Manning curse and pull off an upset against the 17th-ranked Longhorns.