Oct. 12, 1999
LSU (2-3, 0-3) at Kentucky (4-2, 2-1)
Oct. 16, 1999, 12:30 p.m. EDT
Commonwealth Stadium (cap. 67,530)
Wildcats Headlines
Homecoming for the Wildcats
Kentucky has a two-game win streak
Defense making steady improvement
UK is 2-1 in SEC play for the first time since 1993
UK in nation’s top 20 in net punting, kickoff returns, and passing offense
QB Dusty Bonner among nation’s leaders in passing and total offense
James Whalen leads the nation’s tight ends in receptions, yardage, andtouchdowns
On the Tube
Live TV – The game will be the “SEC Game of the Week” that is regionallysyndicated by Jefferson-Pilot Sports.
Dave “One Take” Neal is in his first season as the play-by-play announcerfor the JP Sports telecasts. Neal joins veteran analyst Dave Rowe andsideline reporter Greg Bowser, who is also in his first year on the JPtelecasts.
Delay TV – None.
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 starJeff Van Note is the analyst and Dick Gabriel is the sideline reporter.
Tickets
Tickets are available at a cost of $22 each. Tickets may be purchased atthe UK Ticket Office at Memorial Coliseum. Credit card orders are acceptedby phone at (606) 257-1818 or 1-800-928-CATS.
How the Wildcats Have Done (4-2, 2-1 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 Louisiana State, 12:30 p.m., JP SportsOct. 23 at Georgia, 1:00 p.m.Oct. 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 Tigers Have Done (2-3, 0-3 SEC)
Sept. 4 LSU 29, San Jose State 21 (H)Sept. 11 LSU 52, North Texas 0 (H)Sept. 18 Auburn 41, LSU 7 (H)Oct. 2 Georgia 23, LSU 22 (A)Oct. 9 Florida 31, LSU 10 (H)Oct. 16 at KentuckyOct. 23 at Mississippi StateOct. 30 MississippiNov. 6 at AlabamaNov. 13 HoustonNov. 26 Arkansas
Series History
Overall: LSU leads 34-14-1
Current streak: UK has won one in a row
Last LSU win: 1997, 63-28 in Lexington
In Lexington: LSU leads 14-9
Series notes: Since the series began in 1949, the teams have played everyyear except 1951.
How Experienced are the Tentative Starters?
Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr.UK 6 7 7 0 2LSU 6 4 8 2 2
Injury Report (two-deep only)
WR Jimmy Robinson (broken humerus) out indefinitely
WR Dougie Allen (knee) out for the season
SS David Johnson (broken orbital bone) out for the season
TE Chase Harp (stress fracture in femur) out for the season
Louisiana Ties
Kentucky has two players from Louisiana. Freshman center Keith Chatelainis from Kenner and sophomore Kendrick Shanklin is from Baton Rouge.
The LSU strength and conditioning coach, Rob Oviatt, was the Kentuckyfootball strength coach from 1995-98.
Last Year vs. Louisiana State
Seth Hanson made a 33-yard field goal as time expired as Kentucky defeatedNo. 21-ranked Louisiana State, 39-36, in Baton Rouge.
Taking the ball at their own 24-yard line, with the score tied at 36 withtwo minutes to go, the Wildcats seemed to be playing for overtime with apair of running plays into the line. But, on third-and-12, Quentin McCordran an end-around and broke loose for 38 yards. A 14-yard pass from TimCouch to Jimmy Haley put the Wildcats in position for the field goal andHanson made the game-winner.
Kentucky never trailed in the game but was unable to put the Tigers awayuntil the final play. Trailing 36-22 at the end of the third quarter, LSUrallied to tie the score before the heroics by McCord and Hanson.
Couch led the Wildcats by completing 37 of 50 passes for 391 yards andthree touchdowns. Craig Yeast caught seven passes for 122 yards and twotouchdowns. Derek Homer rushed for 60 yards on 11 carries and AnthonyWhite ran for 43 yards and two touchdowns.
The Wildcats’ defense had four quarterback sacks and six other tackles forloss while holding LSU to 74 rushing yards. The victory was Kentucky’sfirst road win over a ranked opponent since 1977.
For more information and statistics on this game, see page 105 of the 1999UK Football Media Guide.
Homecoming for the Wildcats
This week’s game is the annual Homecoming game for the Wildcats.
There will be numerous activities on campus during the week. Onehighlight is the Homecoming Parade, which begins Friday at 7 p.m. Theparade route is from Commonwealth Stadium to Stoll Field. Immediatelyfollowing the parade will be a pep rally as Coach Hal Mumme introduces theteam captains. Men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith also will speak about”Midnight Madness” and the upcoming season. (“Midnight Madness” activitiesbegin Friday at 10:30 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum.)
At halftime of the game, the newly crowned Miss America, Heather ReneeFrench of Kentucky, will present a scholarship donation to University ofKentucky President Dr. Charles Wethington.
The Homecoming Queen also will be presented at halftime.
Kentucky’s first Homecoming game occurred on Nov. 25, 1915, as Kentuckydefeated Tennessee, 6-0. Subsequent records are sketchy, but Kentucky hashosted a Homecoming game every year since 1946 and owns a 41-12 record(.774) in those 53 contests.
Kentucky has won its last four Homecoming games. Kentucky is 1-0 vs. LSUwhen hosting the Tigers for Homecoming, winning 24-16 in 1995.
Hi, Mom, We’re on TV!
Kentucky has an all-time record of 18-55-1 on live national or regionalTV, including 2-8 when telecast by Jefferson-Pilot Sports.
Kentucky is 1-5 vs. LSU on network TV. The Wildcats have not faced theTigers in a game televised by JP Sports.
Kentucky will have at least five network TV appearances in the 1999season. The Louisiana State game was televised by Fox Sports Net South.The Indiana, Florida, and Mississippi State games were selected by ESPN.
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.
Streck Funeral on Wednesday
The funeral for former Kentucky lineman Jeremy Streck will be heldWednesday at 1 p.m. at the St. Susanna Church in Mason, Ohio.
As this release was written on Monday morning, Coach Hal Mumme planned tomake a bus available for players wishing to attend the funeral. Wednesdayafternoon’s practice will be moved to Wednesday night.
Streck, a member of the University of Kentucky football team from 1994-98,died Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, at The Ohio State University Hospital, asa result of injuries sustained when he was hit by a car on Oct. 1. Streckwas 23 years old.
Streck played in 32 games and started 18 while playing for Kentucky. Hewas a starting offensive guard for the 1998 team that went to the OutbackBowl and posted school records for scoring and total offense. He was theteam’s top reserve in the offensive line in 1997. He saw startingassignments in seven games in 1996, despite being sidelined three times bya dislocated kneecap. He played defensive tackle in 1995 and moved fromthe defensive line to the offensive line in 1996.
In the classroom, Streck earned a place on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.He graduated with a degree in communications. He was living in Lexingtonand was working for Lexmark.
Streck was born in Portsmouth, Ohio. He was an all-conference offensiveand defensive lineman at Anderson High School in Cincinnati before comingto UK.
“We are deeply saddened by Jeremy’s death and our sympathies go out to hisfamily and friends,” said Coach Hal Mumme after Saturday’s game at SouthCarolina. “He was a great young man, on and off the field. He was a goodstudent and certainly was a significant contributor to the success of theteam. He also showed courage by playing with injuries during his career.He still had many friends on the team and we will miss him.”
Notes on the Wildcats Wins
Kentucky can count the win over I-AA Connecticut toward the six winsnecessary to qualify for a bowl game.
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 defeating Florida, 31-3, in 1979.
Defense on the Move
Kentucky’s defense has been making significant progress recently.
Two weeks ago in the win over Arkansas, the Wildcats held the Razorbacksto 20 points – the lowest total since Houston Nutt became head coach of theHogs. UK also limited Arkansas to 315 yards. In the fourth quarter, withthe game on the line, the UK defense came up with an interception and heldthe Hogs twice on four downs.
In last Saturday’s victory at South Carolina, UK held South Carolina tothree points and 79 yards total offense in the first three quarters.
The UK defense also came up with seven turnovers during the two-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 16-13 overall record in two seasons under Coach Hal Mumme.Here are some tendencies that have emerged that generate success for theWildcats. Kentucky’s record when:
- UK scores 40+ points: 8-0
- UK scores 30+ points: 15-2
- Opp. scores less than 30 points: 11-4
- UK loses 0 or 1 turnover: 6-1
- UK is plus or even in turnover margin: 10-1
- UK creates four or more turnovers: 5-0
- UK rushes for more yards than opponent: 9-2
- UK holds opponent to 100 or fewer rushing yards: 9-0
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 +1. 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 eight interceptions and seven opponent fumblesthis season for a total of 15 takeaways. UK totaled 16 takeaways for theentire 1998 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 67,036in 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 16 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:
Team
Passing Offense: 1st, 309.7 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: 1st, 150.1 rating points
Kickoff Returns: 2nd, 27.5 yards per return
Net Punting: 1st, 42.3 yards per punt
Field Goal Percentage: 2nd, 91.7 percent
PAT Percentage: T1st, 100 percent
First Downs: 2nd, 142
Time of Possession: 2nd, 32:25 of time per game
Individual
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 1st, 309.7 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 3rd, 150.7 rating points
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 1st, 291.8 yards per game
Receptions: James Whalen 1st, 8.3 per game
Receiving Yardage: James Whalen 3rd, 95.5 yds. per game
TD Receptions: James Whalen T2nd, 5 TDs
Kickoff Returns: Dougie Allen 3rd, 30.8 yards per return
PAT Percentage: Marc Samuel T1st, 100 percent
Scoring: Marc Samuel T2nd, 9.0 points per game
Kick Scoring: Marc Samuel T1st, 9.0 points per game
Field Goals: Marc Samuel 2nd, 1.8 made per game
Field Goal Percentage: Marc Samuel 3rd, 91.7 percent
Wildcats in the NCAA Stats
Team and individual stats in the NCAA top 20:
Team
Passing Offense: 11th, 309.7 yards per game
Net Punting: 3rd, 42.3 net yards per punt
Kickoff Returns: 9th, 27.5 yards per return
Individual
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 8th, 150.7 rating points
Pass Attempts: Dusty Bonner 4th, 247 attempts
Pass Completions: Dusty Bonner 2nd, 170 completions
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 3rd, 1858 yards
Touchdown Passes: Dusty Bonner T3rd, 17 TDs
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 9th, 291.8 yards per game
Kickoff Returns: Dougie Allen T10th, 30.8 yards per ret.
Receptions: James Whalen 5th, 8.3 per game
Receiving Yardage: James Whalen 18th, 95.5 yds. per gm.
Field Goals: Marc Samuel T7th, 1.8 made per game
Scoring: Marc Samuel T20th, 9.0 points 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 403yards 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 36career starts — 10 by LT Matt Brown, seven by C Nolan DeVaughn and RT OmarSmith, and six 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 50 passes for 573 yards and five touchdowns, leading the nation’stight ends receptions, yards, and touchdowns (tied in this category). His8.3 receptions per game leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally. He alsois tied for second in the SEC in TD catches. Whalen’s 57-yard TD receptionvs. Louisville, capped by a dive into the end zone, was named the Compaq”Hustle Play of the Week in College Football.” Whalen has had 100-yardgames this season against Louisville, Indiana, and South Carolina. With 10catches at Indiana and 12 vs. Florida, he became the first player in schoolhistory to make double-digit receptions in consecutive 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 363yards. 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 160 and 11th incareer rushing with 1,559 yards. White is one of nine players in NCAADivision I-A history who have more than 1,200 rushing yards and 1,200receiving yards in a career (see chart below).
Junior Derek Homer, who led the team in rushing a year ago, got off to aslow start but has come on strong recently, averaging 76.3 yards per gamein UK’s three SEC games. He is coming off a season high 86 yards at SouthCarolina and also rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown vs. Florida. Homerranks 13th on the UK career rushing list with 1,484 yards. Seniors A. J.Simon and Lee Wesley, along with sophomore Kendrick Shanklin, see spot dutyat the running 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. The leader issophomore Dougie Allen, who has 25 receptions for 263 yards and twotouchdowns. He had the best game of his career vs. Indiana with sixcatches for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Allen, however, suffered a kneeinjury in the Arkansas game and has been lost for the season. Junior GarryDavis has 23 catches for 263 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Brad Pyatthas caught 17 for 192 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 10 catches so far, but five arefor touchdowns and he is averaging 20.1 yards per catch.
Quarterbacks – The successor to All-American QB Tim Couch is sophomoreDusty Bonner. Bonner has thrown for at least 250 yards in all six gamesthis season and has at least three TD passes in four games. He rankssecond in the nation in completions, third in passing yardage and touchdownpasses, eighth in passing efficiency, and ninth in total offense. Bonnerwas named CNN/SI National Player of the Week for the Indiana game aftercompleting 24 of 31 passes for 304 yards and five touchdowns. He set aschool record against Connecticut with 16 consecutive completions, breakingTim Couch’s mark of 13 set on three occasions … Redshirt freshman MikeScipione is the backup, followed closely by junior walk-on Mark Perry.
Anthony White On Elite NCAA List
UK halfback Anthony White is one of only nine players in Division I-Ahistory who have reached the 1,200-yard mark in rushing and receiving in acareer.
White has 1,559 rushing yards and 1,251 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 1,200-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 2,368 Brad 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. 88/Stanford 1990-92 2,302 1,495Leon Johnson North Carolina 1993-96 3,693 1,288Warrick Dunn Florida State 1993-96 3,958 1,314Anthony White Kentucky, 1996-present 1,559 1,251
“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 11th place in UK history with 1,562 career rushing yards.Homer is 13th in UK annals with 1,484 yards. Both are knocking on the top10, which begins with Steve Campassi in 10th place with 1,609 careerrushing 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 50 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 8.3 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.
Defensive Line – Senior DT George Massey leads the linemen with 28tackles, including a career-high seven tackles and two sacks vs.Connecticut. Soph DE Dennis Johnson has 22 tackles, including threetackles for loss, plus a blocked field goal. He leads the team inquarterback sacks with three. Johnson also is seeing playing time at DT asthe Wildcats seek to improve pass rush up the middle. Senior DE AnwarStewart sustained a sprained ankle in the season opener and missed threegames. He has returned to full speed and had a sack last week at SouthCarolina. Junior Matt Layow has started three games at DE. Layow had abig game at Indiana, tackling the punter for a three-yard loss and nabbingan interception on Indiana’s final possession. Senior DT Jimmy Haley movedinto the starting lineup the last four games.
Linebackers – Senior Jeff Snedegar is second on the team in tackles with42, 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 39 tackles. He is tied for the team lead in tackles forloss (six) and fumble recoveries (two). Sophomore Ryan Murphy has startedat MLB since the Connecticut game. He has 23 tackles on the season. He istied with McCree for most tackles for loss with six.
Secondary – SS Willie Gary leads the team in tackles with 46. 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 interceptions againstConnecticut and Arkansas and also returned a fumble for a touchdown atSouth Carolina. Juniors Eric Kelly and Kenneth Grant handle most of theplaying time at cornerback. Kelly leads the team in pass breakups withnine, including an astonishing total of six against Arkansas. Kelly’sinterception at Indiana set up Marc Samuel’s game-clinching field goal inthe final minutes. He also had a pickoff at South Carolina. Grant alsoplayed well in the win over the Hogs with three pass breakups. JuniorJeremy Bowie 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 11-of-12 field goal attemptsand all 21 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. Samuel also kicks off forthe Wildcats, see note below for more kickoff info.
Punters – Senior Andy Smith, in his first season as a starter, isaveraging 43 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 11 punt return yards and the Wildcats lead the SEC andrank third nationally in net punting with 42.3 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 27.5 per return. Dougie Allen leads the way with an average of 30.8yards and rates 10th in the country, but he has been lost for the seasonbecause of a knee injury. Five of his eight returns have gone for 34 yardsor longer. Kendrick Shanklin averages 9.1 yards on punt returns.
Kickoff Analysis
Sophomore Marc Samuel handles kickoffs for Kentucky. Of his 32 “deep”kickoffs, 13 have gone for touchbacks. His other six kickoffs include foursquib 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 Compaq “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 Compaq “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.
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: 39 by Gordon Crowe
Most Games Started: 28 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: 28 by Anthony White
Scoring in the Blue Zone (20-and-in)
Kentucky:
Converted 26 of 29 opportunities for 147 points (17 touchdowns,nine field goals, one held on downs, one fumble, one interception).
Opponents:
Converted 17 of 21 opportunities for 118 points (17 touchdowns,one fumble, one blocked field goal, one missed field goal, one end of game).
Head Coach Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme (Tarleton State, 1975) has a 16-13 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 81-40-1 (.668).
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.
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 rank third nationally with 42.3 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 10 of 21 on fourth-down conversions, includingtwo of two on fake punts. The 10 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 515-484-44 (.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 92-70-4 (.566) in Commonwealth since the stadium opened in1973. Kentucky is 10-6 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.
