Dec. 9, 1999
Football News Honors Mumme, Sixbery: University of KentuckyCoach Hal Mumme and offensive guard Kip Sixbery have received honorsfrom Football News magazine.
Mumme was chosen as the South/Southwest Coach of the Year. TheSouth/Southwest region includes 15 states and covers the SoutheasternConference, Big 12 Conference, and Conference USA.
Despite the loss of 20 seniors from last season, along with theearly departure of quarterback Tim Couch, the NFL’s No. 1 draft pick,Mumme guided his team to a 6-5 record. UK will play in theHomePoint.com Music City Bowl and the Wildcats are making back-to-backbowl appearances for only the third time in school history. In additionto rampant inexperience, Mumme also had to contend with numerousinjuries to his receivers and defensive backs. Richard Scott, columnistfor Football News, wrote this regarding the choice of Mumme:
“Kentucky was supposed to return to the land of the lost withthe departure of Tim Couch and wide receiver Craig Yeast, but Kentuckycoach Hal Mumme made the most of a new, inexperienced quarterback, DustyBonner, and the Wildcats overcame a multitude of key injuries(especially at wide receiver) to earn a second consecutive bowl for thefirst time since 1983-84.”
Meanwhile, Sixbery was chosen second-team Freshman All-America.Sixbery started all 11 games at left guard and played every offensivedown of the season. His blocking helped the Wildcats average 28.6points and 374.5 yards of total offense per game, fifth best in the SECin both categories. The Wildcats led the SEC and ranked 13th in thenation in passing offense with 299 passing yards per game. Kentuckyalso set a school record by scoring 30 or more points in fourconsecutive SEC games.
At 17 years old, Sixbery was the youngest Division I-A player inthe nation who started every game. He did not turn 18 years old untilafter the completion of the regular season.
Sixbery also has been named first-team Freshman All-America byThe Sporting News and Freshman All-SEC by the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Smith, Snedegar, Whalen Chosen for Birmingham News All-SEC Team:Three Kentucky Wildcats, punter Andy Smith, linebacker Jeff Snedegar,and tight end James Whalen, have been picked for the Birmingham NewsAll-SEC team. The News chose only a first team, with no second-teamselections.
Whalen and Smith are consensus first-team All-SEC selections,also having been picked by The Associated Press, SEC Coaches, andFootball News.
Whalen caught 90 passes for 1,019 yards and 10 touchdowns duringthe 1999 season, leading the nation’s tight ends in all threecategories. He set NCAA records for most receptions in a season by atight end and most receptions per game (8.2) by a tight end. His 90catches also broke UK’s single-season record for receptions, eclipsingCraig Yeast’s mark of 85 set a year ago.
With 1,019 receiving yards, Whalen became the second Wildcat tosurpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a season. His 10 TD catchesalso are the second-best single-season mark in UK history.
Whalen had four games with double-digit receptions during the1999 season. With 10 catches against Indiana and 12 against Florida, hebecame the first player in school history to have double-digitreceptions in consecutive games. He duplicated that feat later in theseason with 10 catches at Georgia, followed by 11 at Mississippi State.
Whalen had five 100-yard receiving games, topped by 151 yards atGeorgia. He also caught four touchdown passes against the Bulldogs,tying a school record.
Whalen’s top individual play came in the season opener vs.Louisville. His 57-yard touchdown catch-and-run, capped by a dive intothe end zone, was named the Compaq “Best Hustle Play of the Week inCollege Football.”
Like Whalen, Smith rose to stardom in his first season as astarting player. A senior from Franklin, Ky., Smith averaged 42.7 yardsper punt, third best in the league, but it was his excellent hang timeand punt placement that caught the eye of the league coaches. UKallowed only 53 punt return yards during the entire season. UK’s teammark of 39.92 net yards per punt led the SEC and ranked fifth in thenation in that category, and also set a school record. Smith placed 18punts within the opponent 20-yard line.
Snedegar, a senior from Salesville, Ohio, has been a three-yearstarter for the Wildcats at outside linebacker. He led the team intackles with 84, including five tackles for loss (-13 yards) and fourquarterback sacks (-32). He also has two interceptions, three passbreakups, and caused one fumble. He had a career-high 14 tackles atMississippi State. He was a candidate for the Butkus Award that goes tothe nation’s top linebacker.
Snedegar also was named first-team All-SEC by the SEC Coaches.
“Mummeball” Making UK Coaches Attractive: The exciting andsuccessful brand of football taught by Coach Hal Mumme is drawingattention to the team and to the UK football staff.
Two proteges of “Mummeball,” Mike Leach and Chris Hatcher, haveascended to head coaching positions within the last week. Leach, UK’soffensive coordinator in 1997-98, was named head coach at Texas Techtoday. Hatcher, who coached the UK quarterbacks as a graduate assistantin 1997-98 and as a full-time assistant in 1999, returned to his almamater last week when he was named head coach at Valdosta StateUniversity.
Team Schedule
Thurs. Dec. 9 – Practice for veterans approx. 2 p.m. to 3:15, practice for younger players approx. 3:30 to 4:30
Dec. 10-12 – No practice
Dec. 13-17 – Final examinations, no practice
Dec. 17-22 – Practice in Lexington
Dec. 23-24 – Off
Dec. 25 – Return to Lexington
Dec. 26 – Travel to Nashville, begin bowl practice and activities
Dec. 27-28 – Bowl practice and activities
Dec. 29 – Kentucky vs. Syracuse, 4 p.m. EST (3 p.m. CST), Adelphia Coliseum
