Oct. 4, 1999

Kentucky (3-2, 1-1) at S. Carolina (0-5, 0-3)
Oct. 9, 1999, 1:00 p.m. EDT
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia (cap. 80,250)

Wildcats Headlines

• Kentucky makes first SEC road trip of the season
• Wildcats coming off win over nationally-ranked Arkansas, including bestshowing of the season by the UK defense
• 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 was not picked up for live telecast by the networks,but Sports Communications, Inc., of Lexington will offer the game on a livepay-per-view basis.

Viewers should contact their local cable system to find out if the game isoffered in their area.

Rob Bromley will call the play-by-play and Dave Baker will be the analyst.

Delay TV – The UKTV Network, which features 13 stations and cable systems,will televise the game on a delayed basis. Rob Bromley will call theplay-by-play and Dave Baker will be the analyst.

Check local listings for the UKTV Network station and telecast time inyour area.

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.

How the Gamecocks Have Done (0-5, 0-3 SEC)

Sept. 4  North Carolina State 10, SC 0 (A)Sept. 11 Georgia 24, SC 9 (A)Sept. 18 East Carolina 21, SC 3 (H)Sept. 25 Mississippi State 17, SC 0 (A)Oct. 2   Mississippi 36, SC 10 (A)Oct. 9   KentuckyOct. 16  at ArkansasOct. 23  VanderbiltOct. 30  at TennesseeNov. 13  FloridaNov. 20  Clemson

Series History

Overall: UK leads 5-4-1
Current streak: UK has won one in a row
Last SC win: 1997, 38-24 in Columbia
In Columbia: Series tied at 2-2-1
Series notes: The teams played only three times, 1937, 1978, and 1981,before South Carolina began SEC play in 1992 ? UK leads the series 4-3since USC joined the league ? The home team has won the last two years,breaking a streak of four years (1993-96) in which the visiting team woneach time.

How Experienced are the Tentative Starters?

       Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr.UK      6   7   7     0   2SC      9   3   4     2   4

Injury Report (two-deep only)

• WR Dougie Allen (knee) questionable
• WR Jimmy Robinson (broken humerus) out indefinitely
• SS David Johnson (broken orbital bone) out for the season
• TE Chase Harp (stress fracture in femur) out for the season

Last Year vs. South Carolina

Tim Couch threw for three touchdowns and Anthony White went over the100-yard mark in both rushing and receiving as Kentucky outlasted astubborn South Carolina team, 33-28, during the Wildcats’ Homecoming game.

Couch completed 29 of 42 passes for 315 yards, including TD tosses toCraig Yeast, Garry Davis, and Kevin Coleman.

White rushed for 108 yards and also caught eight passes for 117 yards,becoming the first player in school history to go over the century mark inrushing and receiving in the same game.

Quentin McCord went 80 yards for a touchdown on an end-around on UK’sfirst offensive play. A 30-yard Seth Hanson field goal near the end of thefirst half gave UK a 17-14 lead at intermission. UK led the rest of theway, but was never able to put away the pesky Gamecocks.

A 29-yard TD pass from Couch to Coleman, plus a defensive safety, gave UKa 33-21 lead in the fourth quarter. The Gamecocks scored with 56 secondsremaining, but the Wildcats were awarded the onside kick and ran out theclock.

The Kentucky defense made some big plays. The Wildcats sacked thequarterback six times, including three by Marlon McCree, one of which was asafety.

Boo Williams led the South Carolina attack with seven catches for 167yards and one touchdown. Troy Hambrick rushed only six times, but gained83 yards and two touchdowns.

For more information and statistics on this game, see page 105 of the 1999UK Football Media Guide.

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 over the Hoosiers.
• 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 Kentucky has defeated anationally ranked team, including #20 Alabama in 1997, #21 Louisiana Statein 1998, and #20 Arkansas in 1999. Kentucky has not defeated a ranked teamthree years in a row since 1968-70.

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, 15 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 15-13 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: 14-2
• Opp. scores less than 30 points: 10-4
• UK loses 0 or 1 turnover: 6-1
• UK is plus or even in turnover margin: 9-1
• UK creates four or more turnovers: 4-0
• UK rushes for more yards than opponent: 8-2
• UK holds opponent to 100 or fewer rushing yards: 8-0

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

Scoring Offense: 3rd, 31.6 points per game
Passing Offense: 2nd, 319 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: 2nd, 152.9 rating points
Kickoff Returns: 1st, 28.5 yards per return
Net Punting: 1st, 42.1 yards per return
Field Goal Percentage: 2nd, 88.9 percent
First Downs: 2nd, 118
PAT Percentage: T1st, 100 percent
Time of Possession: 2nd, 31:44 of time per game

Individual

Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 1st, 319 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 3rd, 153.7 rating points
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 1st, 305.6 yards per game
Receptions: James Whalen 1st, 8.2 per game
TD Receptions: James Whalen T2nd, 5 TDs
Kickoff Returns: Dougie Allen 1st, 30.8 yards per return
PAT Percentage: Marc Samuel T1st, 100 percent
Kick Scoring: Marc Samuel 3rd, 8.4 points per game
Field Goals: Marc Samuel T2nd, 1.6 made per game
Field Goal Percentage: Marc Samuel T3rd, 88.9 percent

Wildcats in the NCAA Stats

Team and individual stats in the NCAA top 20:

Team

Passing Offense: 10th, 319 yards per game
Net Punting: 4th, 42.1 net yards per punt
Kickoff Returns: 8th, 28.5 yards per return

Individual

Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 9th, 153.7 rating points
Pass Attempts: Dusty Bonner 3rd, 212 attempts
Pass Completions: Dusty Bonner 1st, 147 completions
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 3rd, 1595 yards
Touchdown Passes: Dusty Bonner T1st, 16 TDs
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 7th, 305.6 yards per game
Kickoff Returns: Dougie Allen T10th, 30.8 yards per ret.
Receptions Per Game: James Whalen 6th, 8.2 per game
Field Goals Per Game: Marc Samuel T13th, 1.6 per game

“Air Raid” Offense

UK’s “Air Raid” offense is being rebuilt during the 1999 season ? At thispoint, fullback Anthony White is the only offensive starter who was aregular starter during the 1998 season … Despite the massive turnover inpersonnel, Kentucky has averaged 31.6 points and 416.2 yards of totaloffense this season ? UK’s 1998 offense produced more points and more yardsthan 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 31career starts — nine by LT Matt Brown, six by C Nolan DeVaughn and RT OmarSmith, and five 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 41 passes for 454 yards and five touchdowns, leading the nation’stight ends receptions, yards, and touchdowns (tied in this category). His8.2 receptions per game leads the SEC and ranks sixth 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 and Indiana. With 10 catches atIndiana and 12 vs. Florida, he became the first player in school history tomake 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 went over the 100-yard mark in twoconsecutive games with 119 yards vs. Connecticut and 130 yards at Indiana.It was the first time a Wildcat runner has had consecutive 100-yard gamessince Derick Logan did so in 1996. UK is 5-0 in White’s career when herushes for 100 or more yards. White is one of nine players in NCAA DivisionI-A history who have more than 1,200 rushing yards and 1,200 receivingyards in a career (see chart below).

Junior Derek Homer, who led the team in rushing a year ago, is backing upWhite at the fullback spot. His best game came against Florida when herushed 16 times for 83 yards and one touchdown ? Seniors A. J. Simon andLee Wesley, 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 ? 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 his status will be evaluated this week ?Junior Garry Davis has 19 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown ? FreshmanBrad Pyatt has caught 13 for 133 yards, including his first collegiate TDat Indiana. He has broken into the starting lineup at the “Z” receiver ?Quentin McCord has been a big play guy among the wide receivers. He hasjust nine catches so far, but five are for touchdowns and he is averaging22 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 five gamesthis season and has at least three TD passes in four games. He leads thenation in pass completions (147) and touchdown passes (16) and ranks thirdin attempts and yardage. He also ranks seventh in total offense and ninthin passing efficiency. Bonner was named CNN/SI National Player of the Weekfor the Indiana game after completing 24 of 31 passes for 304 yards andfive touchdowns. He set a school record against Connecticut with 16consecutive completions, breaking Tim Couch’s mark of 13 set on threeoccasions … Redshirt freshman Mike Scipione is the backup, followedclosely 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 1,513 rushing yards and 1,217 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        1,513   1,217

“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 4-0 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.

Defensive Line – Senior DT George Massey leads the linemen with 27tackles, including a career-high seven tackles and two sacks vs.Connecticut ? Soph DE Dennis Johnson has 18 tackles, including two sacksand two tackles for loss, plus a blocked field goal ? Senior DE AnwarStewart sustained a sprained ankle in the season opener and returnedbriefly against Arkansas after missing three games ? Junior Matt Layow nowstarts in Stewart’s spot. Layow had a big game at Indiana, tackling thepunter for a three-yard loss and nabbing an interception on Indiana’s finalpossession ? Senior DT Jimmy Haley moved into the starting lineup the lastthree games.

True freshman William Orr played his first game at DT against Indiana andhad a sack and a tackle for loss.

Linebackers – Senior Jeff Snedegar is second on the team in tackles with38, 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 35 tackles. He has come on strong with two tackles forloss in each of the last three games. He leads the team in tackles forloss (six) and fumble recoveries (two) ? Sophomore Ryan Murphy has startedat MLB since the Connecticut game. He has 17 tackles on the season,including three tackles for loss against the Huskies.

Secondary – SS Willie Gary leads the team in tackles with 42. 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 ? The Wildcats are thin at cornerback, withjuniors Eric Kelly and Kenneth Grant handling virtually all of the playingtime. Kelly leads the team in pass breakups with eight, including anastonishing total of six against Arkansas. Kelly’s interception atIndiana, the first of his career, set up Marc Samuel’s game-clinching fieldgoal in the final minutes ? Grant also played well in the win over the Hogswith 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 8-of-9 field goal attempts andall 18 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 also kicks offfor the 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 andfourth nationally in net punting with 42.1 net yards per punt. Smith wasthe starting punter for Western Kentucky in 1995 before transferring to UK.

Returners – UK ranks eighth nationally in kickoff returns with an averageof 28.5 per return ? Dougie Allen leads the way with an average of 30.8yards and rates 10th in the country. Five of his eight returns have gonefor 34 yards or longer ? Kendrick Shanklin averages 9.1 yards on punt returns.

Kickoff Analysis

Sophomore Marc Samuel handles kickoffs for Kentucky. Of his 26 “deep”kickoffs, 13 have gone for touchbacks. His other six kickoffs include foursquib kicks, one pop-up, 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 SportsDE 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).

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: 38 by Gordon Crowe
Most Games Started: 27 by Jeff Snedegar
100-Yard Rushing Games: 5 by Anthony White, 4 by Derek Homer
100-Yard Receiving Games: 2 by James Whalen, 1 by Jimmy Robinson, 1 by Anthony White
Games With Double-Figure Tackles: 8 by Jeff Snedegar, 4 by Willie Gary
Consecutive Games With at Least One Pass Reception: 27 by Anthony White

Scoring in the Blue Zone (20-and-in)

Kentucky: Converted 21 of 23 opportunities for 124 points (15 touchdowns,six field goals, one held on downs, one fumble).

Opponents: Converted 17 of 20 opportunities for 118 points (17 touchdowns,one fumble, one blocked field goal, one end of game).

Head Coach Hal Mumme

Hal Mumme (Tarleton State, 1975) has a 15-13 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 80-40-1 (.665).

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 45 percent run and 55 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 fourth nationally with 42.1 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 10 of 20 on fourth-down conversions, includingtwo of two on fake punts. The 10 successes eventually have led to fourtouchdowns and two field goals. The 10 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 514-484-44 (.514).

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.   7:00Mon. 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.

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.