Kentucky (0-0) at Louisville (0-0)
Sept. 2, 2000, 7:08 p.m. EDT
Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium (cap. 42,000)
Wildcats Headlines
Kentucky begins its 110th season of intercollegiate football
“Air Raid” offense returns entire offensive line and will be led by freshman QB Jared Lorenzen
“Black Flag” defense is more experienced, deeper and faster than a year ago
Wildcats vying to bring the Governor’s Cup back to Lexington
On the Tube
UK Network The UK TV Network, administered by Host Communications, will carry the game live in Lexington on WKYT.
The game will be televised on a delayed basis on the remainder of the UK Network.
Veteran announcer Rob Bromley calls the play-by-play and former UK quarterback Bill Ransdell makes his debut in the analyst’s role. Dick Gabriel reports from the sidelines.
WDRB Louisville station WDRB handles the Cardinals’ telecasts and will carry the game live. Don Russell calls the play-by-play with Craig Swabek providing the analysis.
On the Radio
The University of Kentucky Football Radio Network will carry the broadcast on approximately 80 stations. The network includes new flagship stations WLAP (630 AM) and WBUL (98.1 FM) in Lexington and 50,000-watt stations WHAS (840 AM) and WSAI (1530 AM).
Tom Leach calls the play-by-play for the Wildcats. Former Wildcat star Jeff Van Note is the analyst and Dick Gabriel is the sideline reporter.
Kentucky Schedule (0-0, 0-0 SEC)Sept. 2 at Louisville, 7:08 p.m., live on WKYT, WDRB Sept. 9 South Florida, 1:30 p.m., UKTV delaySept. 16 Indiana, 6:00 p.m., ESPN2Sept. 23 at Florida, 3:30 p.m., CBSSept. 30 at Mississippi, 7:00 p.m.Oct. 7 South Carolina, 1:00 p.m.Oct. 14 at Louisiana State, 8:00 p.m.Oct. 21 Georgia, 7:00 p.m.Oct. 28 openNov. 4 Mississippi State (Homecoming), 1:30 p.m.Nov. 11 Vanderbilt, 1:30 p.m.Nov. 18 at Tennessee, time TBALouisville Schedule (0-0, 0-0 CUSA)Sept. 2KentuckySept. 9 GramblingSept. 23 at Florida StateSept. 30 ConnecticutOct. 7 at Alabama-BirminghamOct. 14 CincinnatiOct. 19 East CarolinaOct. 28 TulaneNov. 4 at Southern MississippiNov. 11 ArmyNov. 18 at Houston
The History of Wildcats vs. Cardinals
Overall: UK leads the series, 9-3Current streak: U of L has won one in a rowFirst meeting: 1912, UK won 41-0 in Lexington Last meeting: 1999, U of L won 56-28 in LexingtonLast UK win: 1998, UK won 68-34 in LouisvilleIn Louisville: UK leads 1-0Vs. Conf. USA: UK has an all-time record of 47-20-3 against teams that currently are members of Conference USA
How Experienced are the Tentative Starters?
Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr.UK7 8 4 1 2U of L 11 4 6 1 0
Last Season vs. Louisville
Kentucky opened the expanded Commonwealth Stadium with a record crowd of 70,692, but it was Louisville doing the celebrating with a 56-28 win.
Kentucky got the first score with a 32-yard field goal, but quarterback Chris Redman got the Cardinals flying to a 28-10 lead at halftime. The Wildcats were unable to catch up in the second half.
Redman paced the visitors by completing 30 of 41 passes for 324 yards and five touchdowns, including three TD tosses to tight end Ibn Green. WR Charles Sheffield caught eight balls for 188 yards and one TD. Running back Frank Moreau rushed for 181 yards and two scores.
For Kentucky, quarterback Dusty Bonner completed 34 of 62 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end James Whalen caught eight passes for 115 yards and all three TDs.
Louisville Ties
Kentucky has 10 players from Louisville, including:
Freshman WR Jesse Cronen (St. Xavier HS)
Junior DE Chris Demaree (Male HS)
Sophomore DT Richard Hardin (Male HS)
Freshman LB Justin Haydock (St. Xavier HS)
Freshman OT Matt Huff (St. Xavier HS)
Junior WR Gary Hughes (St. Xavier HS)
Junior HB Gus Jacobs (St. Xavier HS)
Freshman DT Chris Sheehan (St. Xavier HS)
Freshman P Anthony Thornton (Male HS)
Junior FS Anthony Wajda (Trinity HS)
UK sophomore LB Adetayo Agboke has a brother, Adewale, who is a redshirt freshman RB for Louisville.
Season Openers
Kentucky has an all-time record of 77-27-5 (.729) in season openers. UK has a 5-12-1 (.306) mark in season openers played on the road.
This is the seventh consecutive year that Kentucky and Louisville have met to open the season. The teams have split the previous six meetings.
First Starts
Kentucky’s tentative lineup has five players three on offense and two on defense who are slated to make their first starts of their careers.
The list includes WR Neal Brown, QB Jared Lorenzen, FB Artose Pinner, DT Dewayne Robertson and DT Jeremy Caudill.
In addition, freshman kicker Clint Ruth is making his first appearance. Seth Hanson will be in his first game as the Wildcats’ punter, although he was the team’s regular kicker in 1997-98.
Starting Em Young
Coach Hal Mumme isn’t afraid to play true freshmen immediately. In fact, Mumme has started at least one true freshman in the season opener each season at Kentucky.
In 1997, running back Derek Homer and safety Willie Gary started their first games as Wildcats. In ’98, safety David Johnson got the starting call in the opener. Last season, guard Kip Sixbery started the opener.
It could happen again this year, as freshman defensive tackles Jeremy Caudill and Dewayne Robertson are in the tentative starting lineup.
The Governor’s Cup and Kroger Scholarship
The Governor’s Cup was created in 1994 as the trophy for the winner of the Kentucky-Louisville game.
Donated by The Kroger Company at a cost of $23,000, the Governor’s Cup stands 33 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds.
The trophy’s base and upright columns are hand-milled black marble. The glass components are optic-grade crystal. All metal parts are 23-karat, gold-plated brass. The cup itself is made of pewter with a 23-karat gold-plated finish.
The Governor’s Cup was designed by Kendall Costner and sculpted by James Corcoran of Bruce Fox, Inc.
The Kroger Company also is involved in supporting academic pursuits at the schools. Kroger is donating $10,000 to the general scholarship fund of each school each year the game is played. Kroger’s donations now total $140,000 — $70,000 to each school.
Charting the Tendencies
Kentucky has an 18-17 overall record in three seasons under Coach Hal Mumme. Here are some tendencies that have emerged that generate success for the Wildcats. Kentucky’s record when:
UK scores 40+ points: 8-0
UK scores 30+ points: 16-3
Opp. scores less than 30 points: 13-6
UK loses 0 or 1 turnover: 8-1
UK is plus or even in turnover margin: 12-3
UK creates four or more turnovers: 6-1
UK rushes for more yards than opponent: 10-2
UK holds opp. to 100 or fewer rushing yards: 10-1
Turnover Margin Better in 99
One point of emphasis by the coaching staff in 1999 was improvement in turnover margin and the Wildcats made progress in that area.
In 1999, Kentucky had a turnover margin of +3 and the Wildcats tied for 36th in the nation in that category. UK was 11 in margin in 1998 and 5 in 1997.
The biggest reason for improvement was takeaways by the Kentucky defense. The Wildcats garnered 16 interceptions and 15 opponent fumbles last season for a total of 31 takeaways, most in the SEC. UK totaled 16 takeaways for the entire 1998 season and 20 in 1997. The 31 takeaways were the most for a Wildcats team since 1985.
Wildcats in the SEC Stats
Team and individual stats in the top three in the SEC during the 1999 season:
Team
Passing Offense: 1st, 299 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: 1st, 136.8 rating points
Kickoff Returns: 3rd, 23.3 yards per return
Punt Returns: 1st, 13.8 yards per return
Net Punting: 1st, 39.9 yards per punt
Field Goal Percentage: 3rd, 82.4 percent
Time of Possession: 2nd, 32:16 of time per game
Individual
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 1st, 296.9 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 1st, 137.0 rating points
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 1st, 284.1 yards per game
Receptions: James Whalen 1st, 8.2 per game
Receiving Yardage: James Whalen 3rd, 92.6 yds. per game
TD Receptions: James Whalen T1st, 10 TDs
Interceptions: Anthony Wajda T3rd, 0.45 int. per game
Punt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 1st, 13.5 yards per return
Punting: Andy Smith 3rd, 42.7 yards per punt
TD Scoring: James Whalen 3rd, 5.6 points per game
Field Goal Percentage: Marc Samuel 3rd, 82.4 percent
Wildcats in the NCAA Stats
Team and individual stats in the NCAA top 25 during the 1999 season:
Team
Passing Offense: 13th, 299 yards per game
Net Punting: 5th, 39.9 net yards per punt
Punt Returns: 10th, 13.8 yards per return
Kickoff Returns: 20th, 23.3 yards per return
Individual
Pass Attempts: Dusty Bonner 6th, 465 attempts
Pass Completions: Dusty Bonner 4th, 303 completions
Completion Percentage: Dusty Bonner 5th, 65.2 percent
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 10th, 3266 yards
Touchdown Passes: Dusty Bonner 9th, 26 TDs
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 19th, 137.0 rating points
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 13th, 284.1 yards per game
Punting: Andy Smith 22nd, 42.7 yards per punt
Punt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 15th, 13.5 yards per ret.
Receptions: James Whalen 5th, 8.2 per game
Receiving Yards Per Game: James Whalen 21st, 92.6 yards per game
Interceptions: Anthony Wajda T20th, 0.45 per game
“Air Raid” Offense
UK’s “Air Raid” offense returns seven starters from last season, running back Derek Homer, wide receiver Brad Pyatt, and the entire offensive line…Kentucky averaged 28.6 points and 374.5 yards of total offense last season, both of which ranked fifth in the SEC.
Offensive Line
All five starters return from last season, including LT Matt Brown, LG Kip Sixbery, C Nolan DeVaughn, RG Josh Parrish, and RT Omar Smith … Freshman RT Antonio Hall was contending for a starting role until sidelined by a sprained ankle during pre-season practice. Hall has returned to practice and hopes to see action in the opener…UK’s five starting linemen played every offensive play of the 1999 season until the Tennessee game, when DeVaughn left the game because of injury and was replaced by Aaron Daniel…Daniel, a senior, is the only reserve who has seen action in a varsity game.
Tight Ends
The Wildcat tight ends have a major challenge in succeeding All-American James Whalen, who caught 90 passes for 1,019 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, leading the nation’s tight ends in all three categories and breaking two NCAA records for receptions by a tight end…Sophomores Derek Smith (9 receptions for 112 yards last season) and Chase Harp (1-12) will get the call at tight end…Slot receiver Bobby Blizzard can also play tight end if needed.
Running Backs
Sophomore Artose Pinner will start at fullback, the primary ballcarrier in the UK offense. Pinner rushed 16 times for 62 yards last season…Sophomore Martez Johnson rushed for 31 yards in limited action in ’98.
The Wildcats have a veteran tandem at halfback with senior Derek Homer and junior Kendrick Shanklin. Homer ranks 12th in UK history with 1,550 rushing yards and has 91 career pass receptions. Shanklin rushed for 47 yards last season and caught 22 passes for 226 yards and one TD…Speedy freshman Chad Scott also could see action at halfback.
Wide Receivers
Nine lettermen return as Coach Mumme uses a lot of players at the wideouts…Leading returning pass catchers from last season include Dougie Allen (25 receptions for 263 yards and three touchdowns), Brad Pyatt (21-207-2), Quentin McCord (18-387-6), Bobby Blizzard (7-76-0), and Mike Beirne (1-13-0)…Jimmy Robinson (26-285-2 in 1998) and Neal Brown (2-10-0 in ’98) return from redshirt seasons.
Quarterbacks
Redshirt freshman Jared Lorenzen will be making his first start for the Wildcats. Blessed with a big body (6-4, 275) and strong arm, Lorenzen was a high school All-American in 1998 after throwing for 3,392 yards and 45 touchdowns while leading Highlands High School to the Kentucky Class AAAA state championship…Backups are senior Mark Perry and freshman Shane Boyd…None of the Wildcat quarterbacks have taken a snap in a varsity game.
Homer Looking to Move Up Charts
Senior halfback Derek Homer ranks 12th in school history with 1,550 rushing yards. He needs 60 yards to surpass Steve Campassi (1,609) for 11th place and 115 yards to eclipse Bill Leskovar (1,664) and reach the top 10.
Homer also has 91 career pass receptions and needs nine more catches to become the fifth player in school history with 100 career receptions.
“Black Flag” Defense
Coordinator Mike Major calls his unit the “Black Flag” defense. The idea is to give his players the mindset of “never surrender” …The Wildcat defenders allowed 373.7 yards and 29.4 points per game last season, lowering those totals for the second season in a row…The UK defense led the SEC in “takeaways” (fumbles recovered plus interceptions) last season with 31.
Defensive Line
Several players are likely to see action as the defensive coaches like to rotate fresh players in the D-Line…Three starters must be replaced from a year ago.
Leading returnees at end include junior Dennis Johnson, who notched 39 tackles and five quarterback sacks last season while earning second-team All-SEC honors, senior Matt Layow (16 tackles, two sacks), junior Chris Demaree (nine tackles), senior John Rader (three tackles), and sophomore Otis Grigsby (three tackles).
The Wildcats are very inexperienced at the tackle slots, where true freshmen Jeremy Caudill and Dewayne Robertson could get the opening game starting call…Former end Grayson Smith, who made nine stops last season, has moved to tackle…Sophomore John Robinson has some game experience after making seven tackles last season.
Linebackers
Senior Marlon McCree (68 tackles last season, including 11 for losses) leads the charge from outside linebacker …Junior Ryan Murphy is a returning starter at middle linebacker. He made 50 stops last season, including nine for losses…Junior Chris Gayton (six tackles) is the leading candidate to replace departed All-SEC performer Jeff Snedegar.
Defensive coordinator Mike Major believes he has better depth this season and hopes to use more reserves, such as juniors Jamal White (10 tackles) and Ronnie Riley (six tackles) and sophomores Mike Beshara and Morris Lane.
Secondary
All four starters return from last season, including senior CBs Eric Kelly and Kenneth Grant, senior SS Willie Gary, and junior FS Anthony Wajda.
Kelly intercepted three passes last season and tied a school record with 13 pass breakups…Grant had six PBU last season, but has been nursing a sprained ankle and could miss the opener. Gary (3 PBU, one interception last season) has been working in Grant’s place at corner.
Junior Patrick Wiggins (23 tackles, two PBU, one interception) is slated to start at strong safety if needed…Wajda (68 tackles, five interceptions, three PBU) was a second-team All-SEC performer last season.
There is excellent depth in the secondary with three capable sophomores, CB Derrick Tatum, SS David Johnson and FS Quentus Cumby.
Checking the Defensive Progress
The Kentucky defense has shown improvement each season since Coach Hal Mumme and defensive coordinator Mike Major took over in 1997. Here’s a chart of the progress:
1997 1998 1999 Yards Per Game Allowed 392.3 386.1 373.7 Points Per Game Allowed 32.9 30.9 29.4Turnovers Gained 20 16 31
A Look at the Specialists
Kickers Senior Brandon Sanders and freshman Clint Ruth are battling for the kickoff, field goal, and extra point duties.
Neither has seen action in a varsity game…Junior Seth Hanson, who handled kicking duties in 1997-98, is available if needed.
Punters
Junior Seth Hanson, the team’s starting kicker in 1997-98, moves to punter this year. He redshirted last season…Freshman Anthony Thornton looms as the backup.
Returners
Junior Kendrick Shanklin had an excellent season last year and will see plenty of action as a kick returner. He averaged 22 yards per kickoff return. He also averaged 13.5 yards per punt return, including a 56-yard TD return against LSU. He led the SEC and rated 15th nationally in punt returns.
Block That Kick!
During the three seasons that Coach Mike Major has been in charge of the Kentucky defense, the Wildcats have blocked 11 opponent kicks, including eight field goals, two punts, and one extra point. Here’s the list:
1997, Indiana punt (Bob Holmberg)
1997, Alabama field goal (David Ginn)
1997, Georgia field goal (Jeff Zurcher)
1997, Georgia extra point (Lamont Smith)
1997, Louisiana State field goal (David Ginn)
1998, Arkansas field goal (Dennis Johnson)
1998, Louisiana State field goal (Jermaine White)
1999, Arkansas field goal (Dennis Johnson)
1999, Mississippi State punt (Dennis Johnson)
1999, Syracuse field goal (Dennis Johnson)
1999, Syracuse field goal (Jamal White)
Numbers Here, Numbers There
Here are some various career statistical superlatives among current players, including regular-season games only.
Most Games Played: 33 by Aaron Daniel, Derek Homer, Marlon McCree
Most Games Started: 23 by Willie Gary
100-Yard Rushing Games: 4 by Derek Homer
100-Yard Receiving Games: 1 by Jimmy Robinson, 1 by Kendrick Shanklin
Games With Double-Figure Tackles: 4 by Willie Gary, 1 by Marlon McCree
Consecutive Games With at Least one Tackle for Loss: 9 by Marlon McCree
Scoring in the Blue Zone (20-and-in) in 1999
Kentucky: Converted 40 of 46 opportunities for 234 points (29 touchdowns, 11 field goals, two held on downs, two interceptions, one missed field goal, one fumble.)
Opponents: Converted 26 of 35 opportunities for 176 points (25 touchdowns, one field goal, three missed field goals, two held on downs, one fumble, one blocked field goal, one interception, one end of game).
Charting the Nailbiters
Under Coach Hal Mumme, UK has a 6-4 record in “nailbiter” games, i.e., games decided by seven points or less. In overtime, UK is 1-0 under Mumme, a 40-34 home win over Alabama in 1997.
Head Coach Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme (Tarleton State, 1975) has an 18-17 record in his fourth season as head coach of the Wildcats. Mumme is thefirst UK coach to have a winning record in his first three seasons since Blanton Collier in 1954-56. Along with Paul “Bear” Bryantand Jerry Claiborne both of whom are in the College Football Hall of Fame Mumme is one of three coaches who has takenKentucky to consecutive bowl games. He was voted 1997 GTE Region 2 Coach of the Year by his peers in the American FootballCoaches Association and named the 1999 South/Southwest Coach of the Year by Football News. He is in his 12th season as acollegiate head coach and has a record of 83-43-1 (.657).
Mumme had a 40-17-1 mark from 1992-96 at Valdosta State, where he took the Blazers to the NCAA Division II nationalplayoffs in 1994 and 1996. He was named 1994 Georgia Coach of the Year by the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the 1996 GTERegion 2 Coach of the Year by the AFCA, and the 1996 Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year when the Blazers won theleague title.
Mumme had a 25-10 record from 1989-91 at Iowa Wesleyan College. He took his team to the Steamboat Classic bowl gamein 1989 and ’90 and to the NAIA national playoffs in 1991. He was named the NAIA District Coach of the Year in 1989 and1991.
“Mummeball”
UK coach Hal Mumme is known for his unconventional ways. Here are some examples of his off-the-beaten-path approach:
Throwing the football: Mumme’s offensive goal is to throw the ball to set up the run. His run-pass ratio at UK in 1997 was36 percent run and 64 percent pass. In 1998, the ratio was 37 percent run and 63 percent pass. In 1999 the ratio was 44 percentrun and 56 percent pass.
Taking risks: See the note on the next page for fourth-down analysis.
Limited hitting in practice: The Wildcats had four scrimmages in the spring and none in August. Otherwise, hitting inpractice is usually limited to work on technique; there is very little full-scale hitting or tackling to the ground.
“We’re not going to get anybody hurt if we can help it,” Mumme says. “Why get hurt during the week when you’re going to play on Saturday?”
“Mummeball is more classroom than battlefield,” wrote John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Leader in 1997. “The head coach is not a Schwarzkopf but an alchemist, busy turning ordinary metals into gold.”
The approach paid off with fewer injuries in 1997, when only four players missed games because of injury. Seven playersmissed at least one game via injury in 1998 and 11 in 1999. By comparison, a total of 18 players missed games because of injury in1996 under a conventional practice system.
Punting the ball out of bounds: UK’s punts are designed to go near the sideline or out of bounds. The strategy improvedKentucky’s net punting from 32.7 yards per punt in 1996 to 37 yards per punt in 1997. In 1998, Kentucky was fifth in the SEC innet punting with 37.4 net yards per punt. The Wildcats set a school record last season with 39.92 net yards per punt.
Playing true freshmen: Mumme believes in playing true freshmen. In his first three seasons at UK, 62 percent of his truefreshmen played in their first season.
Junior varsity team: Mumme continues to field a junior varsity team again this season. See on the next page for a story on theJV squad.
UK Assistants Hired as Head Coaches
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Coach Hal Mumme is receiving plenty of compliments, as two of his former assistantcoaches have been hired as head coaches with the hope of duplicating the success of his system.
Former UK assistant coach Chris Hatcher is the new head coach at Valdosta State University. Hatcher played for Mumme atValdosta State and was on the UK staff the past three seasons.
And, former Mumme assistant Mike Leach is the new head coach at Texas Tech. Leach was an assistant with Mumme at IowaWesleyan (1989-91), Valdosta State (1992-96), and Kentucky (1997-98). Leach was the offensive coordinator at Oklahomaduring the 1999 season, helping the Sooners achieve a 7-4 record and a berth in the Sanford Independence Bowl.
Fourth-Down Analysis
In three seasons under Hal Mumme, Kentucky has “gone for it” on fourth down 109 times and made it 53 times.
The 53 successes have eventually resulted in 30 touchdowns and four field goals for Kentucky. The 56 missed attempts haveresulted in 18 touchdowns and two field goals on the ensuing opponent possessions.
Kentucky has made 9 of 12 fake punts under Mumme.
UK Football History
The Kentucky Wildcats are in their 110th season of intercollegiate football. The first Southeastern Conference school tointroduce football (1881), Kentucky has an all-time record of 517-488-44 (.513).
Kentucky has two SEC championships, 1950 and 1976. The Wildcats have been to nine bowl games, including the last twoseasons. Kentucky’s highest in-season national ranking is third, by The Associated Press, on Nov. 20, 1950. UK’s highest finalranking is sixth in the AP poll in 1977.
Junior Varsity Team Returns
One of Coach Hal Mumme’s innovations in 1997 was the start of a junior varsity team. The team is comprised primarily ofwalk-ons, in addition to a few scholarship players who are not being redshirted.
The 2000 team is coached by graduate assistants Rob Manchester and John Schlarman and student coaches Randy Garver andTramaine Gaines. Manchester is head coach and defensive coordinator and Schlarman is the offensive coordinator.
Here is the 2000 JV schedule:
Mon. Sept. 18 at Georgetown 6:00Mon. Sept. 25 Campbellsville 6:00Mon. Oct. 2 Georgetown 6:00Mon. Oct. 9 at Eastern Kentucky 7:00Mon. Oct. 16 St. Francis 6:00Thurs. Oct. 26 Hargrave Military Acad. 6:00Thurs. Nov. 9 at Pikeville College Club 7:00
Catscellaneous
Team captains for 2000 on offense are HB Derek Homer, WR Quentin McCord, WR Jimmy Robinson, and OT Omar Smith. Defensive captains include DB Willie Gary, CB Eric Kelly, LB Marlon McCree, and DT Grayson Smith.
Kentucky is in its 28th season in Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcats have a record of 93-71-4 (.559) in Commonwealthsince the stadium opened in 1973. Kentucky is 11-7 at home under Mumme.
UK has led or tied for the league lead in most players on the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 10 of the last 16 years.
Six current players are walk-ons who were awarded full scholarships WR Neal Brown, WR Alex Herman, WR Gary Hughes,QB Mark Perry, DT Grayson Smith and SS Patrick Wiggins. Mumme has awarded 17 scholarships to walk-ons during his time atKentucky.
The Kentucky cheerleaders won an unprecedented ninth national championship at the 1999 Universal CheerleadersAssociation competition in January. The Wildcats cheerleaders have won the last five national titles – 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and1999.
