Oct. 18, 1999

LEXINGTON, Ky.

Last Year vs. Georgia – Kentucky missed a chance to knock off ranked opponents in consecutiveweeks by falling to Georgia, 28-26, in Commonwealth Stadium.

Kentucky jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. However, theWildcats missed an opportunity by being held on downs after driving to theGeorgia one-yard line. The Bulldogs seized momentum and scored touchdownson each of the next four possessions to take a 28-20 lead in the thirdquarter.

Kentucky drove for another touchdown, but missed the tying two-pointconversion. The Wildcats regained the ball with two minutes to play anddrove to the Georgia 32-yard line, but a bad snap on the game’s final playruined a possible game-winning field goal attempt.

Kentucky outgained Georgia, 530 yards to 332. Tim Couch completed 34 of46 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Craig Yeast caught eightpasses for 100 yards and two touchdowns and Kevin Coleman caught six ballsfor 100 yards. Derek Homer (91 yards, one TD) and Anthony White (76 yards)each enjoyed good days in the ground game.

Georgia QB Quincy Carter completed 10 of 14 passes for 147 yards and twoTDs. He also ran for 114 yards and a touchdown.

For more information and statistics on this game, see page 106 of the 1999UK Football Media Guide.

Hi, Mom, We’re on TV!

• Kentucky has an all-time record of 19-55-1 on live national or regionalTV, including 2-2 this season
• UK is 3-8 when telecast by Jefferson-Pilot Sports.
• Kentucky is 1-7 vs. Georgia on network TV, including 0-2 when televisedby JP Sports.
• Kentucky will have at least six network TV appearances in the 1999season. The Louisville game was televised by Fox Sports Net South. TheIndiana, Florida, and Mississippi State games were selected by ESPN.Louisiana State and Georgia were tabbed by JP Sports.
• Kentucky has been a popular TV team under Coach Hal Mumme. The Wildcatsmade six live national or regional appearances in 1997, a school record.The 1998 ‘Cats broke that record with eight live TV games.

UK vs. Ranked Opponents
Georgia is ranked No. 14 in this week’s Associated Press poll. Over theyears, Kentucky has played 177 games against opponents ranked in the AP Top20/25 poll. The Wildcats own a 35-137-5 record against ranked opponentsincluding 1-1 this season. Kentucky has a 3-16 record against Georgia when the Bulldogs have beenranked.

Wildcats Garner CNN/SI Mid-Season Awards
The CNN/SI website has announced mid-season college football awards andthe UK team and players were mentioned prominently.Tight end James Whalen, Jr., has been named to the “Half-American” team,i.e., an All-America team for the first half of the season. Whalen has 57receptions for 645 yards and five touchdowns, leading the nation’s tightends catches and yardage.Coach Hal Mumme is listed in the category, “Six Coaches Who DeserveA(nother) Raise.”Quarterback Dusty Bonner is listed in “Eight Players HeretoforeUnmentioned Who Deserve Some Love.” Bonner has completed 196 of 288 passesfor 2152 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is among the nation’s top 11 passersin completions, yardage, touchdowns, passing efficiency, and total offense.Kentucky is listed among “Five Teams We Expect to Shake Up the Second Half.”

Notes on the Wildcats Wins

Kentucky can count the win over I-AA Connecticut toward the six winsneeded to qualify for a bowl.Kentucky’s win over Indiana was the fifth consecutive victory over theHoosiers.Kentucky is 8-1 under Hal Mumme in regular-season non-conference play,including 3-0 vs. Indiana, 2-1 vs. Louisville, and 1-0 against NortheastLouisiana, Eastern Kentucky, and Connecticut.The win over Arkansas was first time the Wildcats had defeated theRazorbacks.

This is the third consecutive season that UK has defeated a nationallyranked team, including #20 Alabama in 1997, #21 LSU in 1998, and #20Arkansas in 1999. This was the first time since 1968-70 that UK had beatena ranked team three years in a row.The 30-10 win at South Carolina was UK’s largest margin of victory in anSEC road win since winning at Florida, 31-3, in 1979.The victory over LSU gave UK three consecutive SEC wins for the firsttime since 1996.The win against LSU marked UK’s fifth consecutive victory in a Homecominggame.

On the Tube

Live TV – The game will be the “SEC Game of the Week” that is regionallysyndicated by Jefferson-Pilot Sports.
Dave Neal is in his first season as the play-by-play announcer for the JPSports telecasts.
Neal joins extremely insightful analyst Dave Rowe andsideline reporter Greg Bowser, who is also in his first year on the JPtelecasts.
Rob Reichley is the producer for JP Sports.

On the Radio

The University of Kentucky Football Radio Network will carry the broadcaston approximately 80 stations. The network includes flagship station WVLK(590 AM) in Lexington and 50,000-watt stations WHAS (840 AM) and WSAI (1530AM).
Tom Leach calls the play-by-play for the Wildcats. Former Wildcats star
Jeff Van Note is the analyst and Dick Gabriel is the sideline reporter.

How the Wildcats Have Done (5-2, 3-1 SEC)

Sept.  4   Louisville 56, UK              28 (H)Sept. 11   UK         45, Connecticut     14 (H)Sept. 18   UK         44, Indiana         35 (A)Sept. 25   Florida    38, UK              10 (H)Oct.   2   UK         31, Arkansas        20 (H)Oct.   9   UK         30, South Carolina  10 (A)Oct.  16   UK         31, Louisiana State  5 (H)Oct.  23   at Georgia,                     12:30 p.m., JP SportsOct.  30   openNov.   4   at Mississippi State,            8:00 p.m., ESPNNov.  13   at Vanderbilt,                   4:00Nov.  20   Tennessee,                       1:30 p.m.(all times Eastern and subject to change)

How the Bulldogs Have Done (5-1, 3-1 SEC)

Sept.  4   UG        38, Utah State        7 (H)Sept. 11   UG        24, South Carolina    9 (H)Sept. 25   UG        24, Central Florida  23 (H)Oct.   2   UG        23, Louisiana State  22 (H)Oct.   9   Tennessee 37, UG               20 (A)Oct.  16   UG        27, Vanderbilt       17 (A)Oct.  23   KentuckyOct.  30   vs. Florida (Jacksonville)Nov.  13   AuburnNov.  20   at MississippiNov.  27   at Georgia Tech

Series History

Overall: Georgia leads 40-10-2
Current streak: UG has won two in a row
Last UK win: 1996, 24-17 in Lexington
In Athens: UG leads 20-3-2
Series notes: The teams played nine times from 1939-49, and after a
six-year lull, have played annually since 1956 ? UK’s wins in Athens camein 1956, 1973, and 1977.

How Experienced are the Tentative Starters?

      Sr Jr  Soph.  RFr.  Fr.UK    6   7    7    0     2UG    7   7    2    4     2

Georgia TiesKentucky has nine players from Georgia:

Soph. QB Dusty Bonner,    ValdostaFr.   CB Brandon Doggett, ValdostaJr.   SS Willie Gary,     ValdostaRFr.  LB Morris Lane,     ValdostaJr.   WR Quentin McCord,  LaGrangeSr.   WR Jimmy Robinson,  Stone MountainFr.   WR Ernest Simms,    Warner RobinsJr.   OT Roger Sullivan,  AtlantaSoph. FS Patrick Wiggins, Suwanee

Defense Showing Improvement
Kentucky’s defense has been making significant progress recently. Overthe last three games, UK has allowed 11.7 points and 258.3 yards per game. In the win over Arkansas, the Wildcats held the Razorbacks to 20 points the lowest total since Houston Nutt became head coach of the Hogs. UK alsolimited Arkansas to 315 yards. In the fourth quarter, with the game on theline, the UK defense made an interception and held the Hogs twice on fourdowns. In the victory at South Carolina, UK held South Carolina to three pointsand 79 yards total offense in the first three quarters. Against LSU, the Wildcats held the Tigers without a touchdown for thefirst time in 39 years and LSU compiled only 227 yards in total offense. The UK defense also came up with 10 turnovers during the three-game stretch.

Young Team
Following the departure of 20 seniors from last season’s Outback Bowlteam, plus the early departure of quarterback Tim Couch to the NFL, CoachHal Mumme is fielding a relatively young team this season. Here are somefacts on the youth of the Wildcats:

• Of Kentucky’s 84 scholarship players, 57 are freshmen or sophomores.
• UK has 12 seniors on scholarship, but four of them are former walk-ons.
• UK has just eight recruited seniors on scholarship.
• On the current depth chart, 14 of the 22 starters are in their firstseason as regular starters.
• In addition, former starting tight end JimmyHaley is in his first season as a starter at defensive tackle. And, bothstarting kickers are in their first season as starters.
• Offensive guard Kip Sixbery holds the distinction of being the youngeststarting player in Division I-A football. Born on Nov. 27, 1981, he was 17years, nine months, and eight days old on the season opener vs. Louisville.
• He won’t turn 18 until after the completion of the regular season.

Charting the Tendencies
Kentucky has a 17-13 overall record in three seasons under Coach HalMumme. Here are some tendencies that have emerged that generate successfor the Wildcats. Kentucky’s record when:

• UK scores 40+ points: 8-0
• UK scores 30+ points: 16-2
• Opp. scores less than 30 points: 12-4
• UK loses 0 or 1 turnover: 7-1
• UK is plus or even in turnover margin: 11-1
• UK creates four or more turnovers: 5-0
• UK rushes for more yards than opponent: 10-2
• UK holds opp. to 100 or fewer rushing yards: 10-0

Turnover Margin Getting Better
One point of emphasis by the coaching staff in 1999 was improvement inturnover margin and the Wildcats have made progress in that area. So far in 1999, Kentucky has a turnover margin of +3. UK was -11 inturnover margin in 1998 and -5 in 1997.The biggest reason for improvement is takeaways by the Kentucky defense.The Wildcats have garnered 11 interceptions and seven opponent fumbles thisseason for a total of 18 takeaways. UK totaled 16 takeaways for the entire1998 season and 20 in 1997.

Facts and Figures on Commonwealth Stadium

Originally constructed in 1973, Commonwealth Stadium had its firstexpansion this year.Here is some information on the expanded stadium:

• Seating Capacity: 67,530, including the Commonwealth Suites.
• With gameworkers, media, etc., total attendance can exceed 70,000.
• The formerseating capacity was 57,800.
• Video Boards: Mitsubishi Diamond Vision, 19 x 34 feet on the west endzone (University Drive) and 16 x 28.5 feet on the east end zone (NutterField House).
• New Sound System: Coordinated by Mitsubishi as part of the video boardproject.
• New Scoreboards: Two, one in each end zone, constructed by FairtronScoreboards.
• New Restrooms: Eight, four on each end.
• New Concession Stands: 10, five on each end.
• New Concourse Televisions: 38, one at each concession stand in the stadium.
• Commonwealth Suites: Total of 40, 10 in each corner of the stadium ? 36suites seat 18 people each and are leased for $39,600 per year ? Foursuites seat 24 people each and are leased for $52,800 per year.
• Architect: HNTB of Kansas City, Mo.
• Construction Manager: Turner Construction of Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Cost: Projected at $24 million, with spending authority up to $27.6 million.

Attendance on Record Pace
In four games in the expanded Commonwealth Stadium, UK is averaging 67,103in attendance – on track to be a school record. The previous record was 59,110 in 1997, Hal Mumme’s first as head coach ofthe Wildcats. Kentucky has had two sellouts this season, Louisville and Florida. Elevenof the 17 home games under Hal Mumme have been sold out.

Wildcats in the SEC Stats
Team and individual stats in the top three in the SEC during the 1999 season:

TeamPassing Offense:    1st, 310.7 yards per gamePassing Efficiency: 1st, 146.1 rating pointsTotal Offense:      3rd, 405.9 yards per gameKickoff Returns:    2nd, 26.6  yards per returnPunt Returns:       1st, 13.3  yards per returnNet Punting:        1st, 40.1  yards per puntPAT Percentage:    T1st, 100   percentFirst Downs:        2nd, 166Time of Possession: 2nd, 32:46 of time per game

Individual

Passing Yardage:    Dusty Bonner      1st, 307.4 yards per gamePassing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner      1st, 146.1 rating pointsTotal Offense:      Dusty Bonner      1st, 292.0 yards per gameReceptions:         James Whalen      1st, 8.1   per gameReceiving Yardage:  James Whalen      3rd, 92.1  yds. per gameTD Receptions:      James Whalen      3rd, 5     TDsKickoff Returns:    Dougie Allen      3rd, 30.8  yards per returnPunt Returns:       Kendrick Shanklin 1st, 13.9  yards per returnPAT Percentage:     Marc Samuel      T1st, 100   percentScoring:            Marc Samuel       3rd, 8.7   points per gameKick Scoring:       Marc Samuel       2nd, 8.7   points per gameField Goals:        Marc Samuel       3rd, 1.7   made per gameField Goal %:       Marc Samuel       3rd, 91.7  percent

Wildcats in the NCAA Stats
Team and individual stats in the NCAA top 20:

TeamPassing Offense:    12th, 310.7 yards per gameNet Punting:         7th, 40.1  net yards per puntPunt Returns:       12th, 13.3  yards per returnKickoff Returns:    12th, 26.6  yards per return

IndividualPassing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 10th, 146.1 rating pointsPass Attempts: Dusty Bonner 4th, 288 attemptsPass Completions: Dusty Bonner 2nd, 196 completionsPassing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 4th, 2152 yardsTouchdown Passes: Dusty Bonner T5th, 17 TDsTotal Offense: Dusty Bonner 11th, 292.0 yards per gamePunt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 13th, 13.9 yards per ret.Receptions: James Whalen T4th, 8.1 per gameField Goals: Marc Samuel T12th, 1.7 made per gameInterceptions: Anthony Wajda T18th, 0.6 int. per game

Defense Moving Up the NCAA Rankings
Kentucky’s strong defensive showing the last three weeks has the Wildcatsmoving up in the NCAA rankings. UK now ranks 38th in rushing defense, allowing 126.1 yards per game. UKis 31st in pass efficiency defense with 110.1 rating points. UK is 36th intotal defensive yardage, yielding 335.1 yards per game.

“Air Raid” Offense
UK’s “Air Raid” offense is being rebuilt during the 1999 season ? At thispoint, running backs Anthony White and Derek Homer are the only offensivestarters who were regular starters during the 1998 season … Despite themassive turnover in personnel, Kentucky has averaged 31.3 points and 405.9yards of total offense this season ? UK’s 1998 offense produced more pointsand more yards than any team in school history.

Offensive Line – All five seniors who handled the majority of playing timelast season have departed … The starting line includes one junior, threesophomores, and a true freshman … The 1999 line now has a total of 41career starts — 11 by LT Matt Brown, eight by C Nolan DeVaughn and RT OmarSmith, and seven by LG Kip Sixbery and RG Josh Parrish ? Sixbery is theyoungest starter in Division I-A football, see note on previous page under”Young Team.”

Tight Ends – James Whalen, Jr. is enjoying an outstanding season. He hascaught 57 passes for 645 yards and five touchdowns, leading the nation’stight ends receptions and yards. His 8.1 receptions per game leads the SECand ranks fourth nationally. He also is third in the SEC in TD catches.Whalen’s 57-yard TD reception vs. Louisville, capped by a dive into the endzone, was named the Compa”Hustle Play of the Week in College Football.”Whalen has had 100-yard games this season against Louisville, Indiana, andSouth Carolina. With 10 catches at Indiana and 12 vs. Florida, he becamethe first player in school history to make double-digit receptions inconsecutive games.

Originally a wide receiver from Oregon, Whalen’s family moved to Kentuckyin 1997. In the summer of ’97, Whalen showed up at Coach Hal Mumme’soffice, junior-college highlight tape in hand, and received an invitationto walk on. Whalen moved to tight end in 1998.

Freshmen Derek Smith and Bobby Blizzard also are seeing playing time, withBlizzard also seeing playing time as the “H” slot receiver ? Anotherfreshman who was seeing action, Chase Harp, has been lost for the seasonbecause of a stress fracture.

Running Backs – Senior Anthony White leads the team in rushing with 414yards. He went over the 100-yard mark in consecutive games with 119 yardsvs. Connecticut and 130 yards at Indiana. It was the first time a Wildcatrunner has had consecutive 100-yard games since Derick Logan did so in1996. UK is 5-0 in White’s career when he rushes for 100 or more yards.White ranks second in UK history in pass receptions with 168 and 10th incareer rushing with 1,610 yards. White is one of eight players in NCAADivision I-A history who have more than 1,300 rushing yards and 1,300receiving yards in a career (see chart at right).

Junior Derek Homer, who led the team in rushing a year ago, got off to aslow start but has come on strong recently, averaging 65 yards per game inUK’s three SEC games. He had a season high 86 yards at South Carolina andalso rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown vs. Florida. Homer ranks 13th onthe UK career rushing list with 1,515 yards ? Seniors A. J. Simon and LeeWesley, along with sophomore Kendrick Shanklin, see spot duty at therunning back slots.

Wide Receivers – A less experienced group than a year ago following thedeparture of three seniors, including Craig Yeast, the leading passreceiver in SEC history … The only senior in the current group, JimmyRobinson, sustained a broken arm during the summer and might be lost forthe season … Seven wideouts have caught passes so far ? Junior GarryDavis has 25 catches for 304 yards and a touchdown ? Freshman Brad Pyatthas caught 18 for 200 yards, including two TDs. He has broken into thestarting lineup at the “Z” receiver ? Quentin McCord has been a big playguy among the wide receivers. He has just 13 catches so far, but five arefor touchdowns and he is averaging 20.2 yards per catch ? Sophomore DougieAllen had 25 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns in the first fivegames, but is lost for the season with a knee injury ? With Allensidelined, sophomore Kendrick Shanklin moved to wide receiver “H” andcaught four balls against LSU.

Quarterbacks – The successor to All-American QB Tim Couch is sophomoreDusty Bonner. Bonner has thrown for at least 250 yards in all seven gamesthis season and has at least three TD passes in four games. He rankssecond in the nation in completions, fourth in passing yardage, fifth intouchdown passes, 10th in passing efficiency, and 11th in total offense.Bonner was named CNN/SI National Player of the Week for the Indiana gameafter completing 24 of 31 passes for 304 yards and five touchdowns. He seta school record against Connecticut with 16 consecutive completions,breaking Tim Couch’s mark of 13 set on three occasions … Redshirtfreshman Mike Scipione is the backup, followed closely by junior walk-onMark Perry. Anthony White On Elite NCAA List

UK halfback Anthony White is one of only eight players in Division I-Ahistory who have reached the 1,300-yard mark in rushing and receiving in acareer. White has 1,610 rushing yards and 1,333 receiving yards as a Wildcat. Arealistic goal would be the 1,500-yard mark in rushing and receiving. Onlytwo players in I-A history, Stanford’s Darrin Nelson and Brad Muster, havereached the 1,500-yard mark in each category.

Here is the list of 1,300-yard rushers and receivers, in order of yearachieved:

Player,             Team,        Years     Rush    Rec.Donny Anderson,     Texas Tech,  1963-65   2,280   1,347Darrin Nelson,      Stanford,    1981-84   4,033   2,368Brad Muster,        Stanford,    1984-87   2,940   1,669Eric Metcalf,       Texas,       1985-88   2,661   1,394Chuck Weatherspoon, Houston,     1987-90   3,247   1,375Glyn Milburn,       Okla.        1990-92   2,302   1,495Warrick Dunn,       Fl. State,   1993-96   3,958   1,314Anthony White,      Kentucky,    1996-pr   1,610   1,333

“Air Raid” Also Effective on the Ground
Understandably, the passing game gets the lion’s share (or perhaps weshould say the wildcat’s share) of attention in the “Air Raid” offense, butthe effectiveness of the running game is sometimes overlooked. UK’s two principal running backs, Anthony White and Derek Homer, each havemoved into the top 15 rushers in school history. White is in 10th place in UK history with 1,613 career rushing yards.Homer is 13th in UK annals with 1,515 yards.

Whalen Eyeing NCAA Records
Senior tight end James Whalen, Jr., is on track to break a pair of NCAArecords. The first mark is most pass receptions by a tight end in a season. Therecord is 73 by Dennis Smith of Utah in 1989. Whalen has 57 catches duringthe 1999 season. The next mark is receptions per game by a tight end. The record is 6.4catches per game by Jamie Asher of Louisville in 1994, Mark Dowdell ofBowling Green in 1983, and Chuck Scott of Vanderbilt in 1983. All threeplayers caught 70 passes in 11 games. Whalen is averaging 8.1 receptionsper game this season.

“Black Flag” Defense

Coordinator Mike Major calls his unit the “Black Flag” defense. The ideais to give his players the mindset of “never surrender” ? The defense hadan outstanding second half vs. Connecticut, shutting out the Huskies whileallowing just two first downs and 47 total yards ? UK forced four turnoversagainst Indiana, including three in the final quarter to preserve thevictory. UK is 5-0 in the Mumme era when forcing four or more turnovers ?UK held Arkansas to 20 points, the fewest of the Houston Nutt era. Withthe game on the line in the fourth quarter, the defensive unit came up withan interception and also stopped the Hogs on four downs twice ? UK heldSouth Carolina to three points and 79 total yards during the first threequarters of that game ? UK did not allow a touchdown against LSU andlimited the visitors to 227 yards total offense.

Defensive Line – Senior DT George Massey leads the linemen with 33tackles, including a career-high seven tackles and two sacks vs.Connecticut ? Soph DE Dennis Johnson has 24 tackles, including four tacklesfor loss, plus a blocked field goal. He leads the team in quarterbacksacks with three. Johnson also is seeing playing time at DT as theWildcats seek to improve pass rush up the middle ? Senior DE Anwar Stewartsustained a sprained ankle in the season opener and missed three games. Hehas returned to full speed and had a sack at South Carolina ? Junior MattLayow has started four games at DE. Layow had a big game at Indiana,tackling the punter for a three-yard loss and nabbing an interception onIndiana’s final possession. He also had two sacks against LSU ? Senior DTJimmy Haley moved into the starting lineup the last five games.

Linebackers – Senior Jeff Snedegar is second on the team in tackles with48, including a season-high of 10 in the win over Arkansas. Snedegar haseight double-figure tackle games during his career. Snedegar moved to OLBin the Connecticut game after starting at MLB in the season opener. He ison the Butkus Award watch list for the nation’s top linebacker ? Junior OLBMarlon McCree has 42 tackles. He is tied for the team lead in tackles forloss (seven) and fumble recoveries (two) ? Sophomore Ryan Murphy hasstarted at MLB since the Connecticut game. He has 30 tackles on theseason. He is tied with McCree for most tackles for loss with seven ?Backup MLB John Rader is out indefinitely with a foot injury.

Secondary – SS Willie Gary leads the team in tackles with 50. He had acareer-high 13 vs. Louisville, the fourth double-digit tackle game of hiscareer. He made the first interception of his career with a pickoff atIndiana ? Gary began the season at FS, but moved to SS when David Johnsonwas lost for the season after suffering a broken orbital bone vs.Louisville ? Sophomore Anthony Wajda moved into Gary’s place at FSbeginning with the Connecticut game. He has four interceptions, includingtwo against LSU, and also returned a fumble for a touchdown at SouthCarolina. He was named “Unsung Hero of the Week” by CNN/SI for the LSUgame ? Juniors Eric Kelly and Kenneth Grant handle most of the playing timeat cornerback. Kelly already has tied the single-season school record forpass breakups with 13, including an astonishing total of six againstArkansas and four against LSU. Kelly’s interception at Indiana set up MarcSamuel’s game-clinching field goal in the final minutes. He also had apickoff at South Carolina ? Grant also played well in the win over the Hogswith three pass breakups and he has five PBU on the season ? Junior JeremyBowie is the top reserve at the corner and has three pass breakups.

A Look at the Specialists
Kickers – Junior Seth Hanson, a two-year starter and preseason All-SECpick by some selectors, has been sidelined by a strained quadriceps muscleand the coaches hope to redshirt him … Sophomore Marc Samuel has beencalled upon in Hanson’s place. He has made 12 of 15 field goal attemptsand all 25 extra points. Samuel made a career-best three field goals atIndiana, providing the margin of victory in UK’s 44-35 win. He also made a44-yarder against the Hoosiers that is his longest. Samuel tied his careerbest with three field goals at South Carolina.

Punters – Senior Andy Smith, in his first season as a starter, isaveraging 43.4 yards. Two of his punts against Connecticut were downed onthe one- and three-yard lines. He also punted well in the win overArkansas, averaging 50 yards on three punts, none of which were returned.UK has given up just 15 punt return yards and the Wildcats lead the SEC andrank seventh nationally in net punting with 40.1 net yards per punt. Smithwas the starting punter for Western Kentucky in 1995 before transferring toUK.

Returners – UK ranks ninth nationally in kickoff returns with an averageof 26.6 per return ? Dougie Allen led the way with an average of 30.8yards, but he has been lost for the season because of a knee injury. Fiveof his eight returns went for 34 yards or longer ? Kendrick Shanklin andAnthony White have been returning kickoffs recently ? Shanklin also handlespunt returns. He averages 13.9 yards per return, including a 56-yard TDreturn against LSU.

Kickoff Analysis
Sophomore Marc Samuel handles kickoffs for Kentucky. Of his 38 “deep”kickoffs, 14 have gone for touchbacks. His other seven kickoffs includefour squib kicks, two pop-ups, and one onside.

Block That Kick!
During the three seasons that Coach Mike Major has been in charge of theKentucky defense, the Wildcats have blocked eight opponent kicks, includingsix field goals, one extra point, and one punt.

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)

Preseason Honors for the Wildcats

LB Jeff Snedegar first-team All-SEC by Athlon
HB Anthony White first-team All-SEC by Lindy’s
K Seth Hanson first-team All-SEC by The Sporting News and Preview Sports
DE Dennis Johnson first-team All-America by College Football News.com,first-team All-SEC by Street and Smith’s, and second-team All-SEC by TheSporting News

Honoring the Wildcats During the 1999 Season

LB Jeff Snedegar was named to the All-America Farm Team by SuccessfulFarming magazine.TE James Whalen won the Compa”Best Hustle Play of the Week in CollegeFootball” in honor of his 57-yard touchdown reception vs. Louisville thatwas capped by a dive into the end zone.QB Dusty Bonner was named CNN/SI National Player of the Week followinghis performance at Indiana.Kicker Seth Hanson was named to the national “Good Works Team” by theAmerican Football Coaches Association. Hanson is the fourth Wildcat in thelast six seasons to be named to the national “Good Works Team,” joiningLeon Smith (1994), Kurt Supe (1996), and Jimmy Carter (1998).WR Dougie Allen won the Compa”Best Reception of the Week in CollegeFootball” for his 24-yard touchdown catch vs. Arkansas in which he beatdouble coverage, received defensive pass interference, and still made adiving one-handed grab.TE James Whalen was named to the “Half America” team – an All-Americateam for the first half of the season – by CNN/SI. FS Anthony Wajda was named the CNN/SI “Unsung Hero of the Week” for hisstellar performance against LSU, in which he had two interceptions, a passbreakup on the goal line, and a team-high eight tackles.

Post-Season National Award Watch

Jeff Snedegar is on the watch list for the Dick Butkus Award, which goesto the nation’s top linebacker.Anthony White is on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award, which goesto the nation’s top running back.

Numbers Here, Numbers There
Here are some various career statistical superlatives among currentplayers, including regular-season games only.
Most Games Played: 40 by Gordon Crowe
Most Games Started: 29 by Jeff Snedegar
100-Yard Rushing Games: 5 by Anthony White, 4 by Derek Homer
100-Yard Receiving Games:3 by James Whalen, 1 by Jimmy Robinson, 1 byAnthony White
Games With Double-Figure Tackles: 8 by Jeff Snedegar, 4 by Willie Gary
Consecutive Games With at Least One Pass Reception: 29 by Anthony White

Scoring in the Blue Zone (20-and-in)
Kentucky: Converted 29 of 33 opportunities for 164 points (19 touchdowns,10 field goals, one missed field goal, one held on downs, one fumble, oneinterception).

Opponents: Converted 17 of 23 opportunities for 118 points (17 touchdowns,two missed field goals, one fumble, one blocked field goal, oneinterception, one end of game).

Head Coach Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme (Tarleton State, 1975) has a 17-13 record in his third season ashead coach of the Wildcats. Mumme was the first UK coach to have a winningrecord in his first two seasons since Blanton Collier in 1954-55. He wasvoted 1997 GTE Region 2 Coach of the Year by his peers in the AmericanFootball Coaches Association. He is in his 11th season as a collegiatehead coach and has a career record of 82-40-1 (.671).

Mumme had a 40-17-1 mark from 1992-96 at Valdosta State, where he took theBlazers to the NCAA Division II national playoffs in 1994 and 1996. He wasnamed 1994 Georgia Coach of the Year by the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame,the 1996 GTE Region 2 Coach of the Year by the AFCA, and the 1996 GulfSouth Conference Coach of the Year when the Blazers won the league title.

Mumme had a 25-10 record from 1989-91 at Iowa Wesleyan College. He tookhis team to the Steamboat Classic bowl game in 1989 and ’90 and to the NAIAnational playoffs in 1991. He was named the NAIA District Coach of theYear in 1989 and 1991.

“Mummeball”
New UK coach Hal Mumme is known for his unconventional ways. Here aresome examples of his off-the-beaten-path approach:

Throwing the football: Mumme’s offensive goal is to throw the ball to setup the run. His run-pass ratio at UK in 1997 was 36 percent run and 64percent pass. In 1998, the ratio was 37 percent run and 63 percent pass.This season the ratio is 46 percent run and 54 percent pass.

Taking risks: See the note below for fourth-down analysis. Limited hitting in practice: The Wildcats had four scrimmages in thespring and none in August. Otherwise, hitting in practice is limited towork on technique, there is no 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’regoing to play on Saturday?”

“Mummeball is more classroom than battlefield,” wrote John Clay of theLexington Herald-Leader. “The head coach is not a Schwarzkopf but analchemist, busy turning ordinary metals into gold.”

The approach paid off with fewer injuries in 1997, when only four playersmissed games because of injury. Seven players missed at least one game viainjury in 1998. By comparison, a total of 18 players missed games becauseof injury in 1996 under a conventional practice system.

Open practices: All practices are open to fans and media. “I think theguys like crowds,” Mumme says. ” I know when I was playing I liked toperform in front of crowds. I think it makes them practice better.”

As for the fear of having his plays stolen, Mumme replies,”There aren’t many secrets anymore. Everybody pretty much knows whateverybody is doing.”

Punting the ball out of bounds: UK’s punts are designed to go near thesideline or out of bounds. The strategy improved Kentucky’s net puntingfrom 32.7 yards per punt in 1996 to 37 yards per punt in 1997. In 1998,Kentucky was fifth in the SEC in net punting with 37.4 net yards per punt.Currently, the Wildcats lead the SEC and seventh nationally with 40.1 yardsper punt.

Playing true freshmen: Mumme believes in playing true freshmen. Fifteenof Kentucky’s 25 players in the 1998 signing class saw action last season.

Junior varsity team: Mumme continues to field a junior varsity team againthis season. See below for a story on the JV squad.

Fourth-Down Analysis
In 1999, Kentucky has made 11 of 22 on fourth-down conversions, includingthree of three on fake punts. The 11 successes eventually have led to fourtouchdowns and two field goals. The 11 missed conversions have resulted infive touchdowns on the ensuing opponent possessions. In 1998 (including the Outback Bowl), Kentucky made 17 of 39 onfourth-down conversions, including three of four on fake punts. The 17successes eventually led to nine touchdowns and two field goals. The 22missed conversions resulted in five touchdowns and two field goals on theensuing opponent possessions. In 1997, Kentucky made 21 of 38 on fourth down. The 21 successeseventually resulted in 15 touchdowns and no field goals for the Wildcats.The 17 missed conversions resulted in five touchdowns and no field goals onthe ensuing opponent possessions.

UK Football History
The Kentucky Wildcats are in their 109th season of intercollegiatefootball. The first Southeastern Conference school to introduce football(1881), Kentucky has an all-time record of 516-484-44 (.515). Kentucky has two SEC championships, 1950 and 1976. The Wildcats have beento nine bowl games, most recently the 1999 Outback Bowl. Kentucky’shighest in-season national ranking is third, by The Associated Press, onNov. 20, 1950. UK’s highest final ranking is sixth in the AP poll in 1977.

Junior Varsity Team
One of Coach Hal Mumme’s innovations was the start of a junior varsityteam. The team is comprised primarily of walk-ons, in addition to a fewscholarship players who are not being redshirted. The 1999 JV team is coached by graduate assistant/tight ends coach SonnyDykes. Dykes will be assisted by graduate assistant Rob Manchester andstudent coach Randy Garver.

Here is the 1999 JV schedule: Mon. Sept. 13   Maryville               W, 45-0Thu. Sept. 23   at Georgetown           W, 35-28Thu. Oct.   7   Hargrave Military Acad. W, 59-40Mon. Oct.  18   Georgetown                 5:00Mon. Oct.  25   at Campbellsville          3:00

Catscellaneous
Team captains for 1999 on offense are QB Dusty Bonner and HB AnthonyWhite. Defensive captains include DT George Massey, LB Marlon McCree, LBJeff Snedegar, and DE Anwar Stewart. Kentucky is in its 26th season in Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcatshave a record of 93-70-4 (.569) in Commonwealth since the stadium opened in1973. Kentucky is 11-6 at home under Mumme. UK has led or tied for the league lead in most players on the SECAcademic Honor Roll in 10 of the last 15 years. Six current players are walk-ons who were awarded full scholarships – TECheddi Acham, WR Garry Davis, FB A. J. Simon, P Andy Smith, DE GraysonSmith, and TE James Whalen. The Kentucky cheerleaders won an unprecedented ninth nationalchampionship at the 1999 Universal Cheerleaders Association competition inJanuary. The Wildcats cheerleaders have won the last five national titles- 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999.

Wildcats on the Web

Visit the official University of Kentucky Athletics worldwide web site atwww.ukathletics.com. The official Southeastern Conference web site is www.secsports.com.