Kentucky (3-0, 0-0) at Florida (2-1, 0-1)
Sat. Sept. 26, 1998, 3:30 p.m.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (cap. 83,000)
Wildcats Headlines
Kentucky’s 3-0 start the team’s best since 1984.
Wildcats ranked No. 25 in USA Today/ESPN poll.
UK leads the nation in total offense and passing offense and is second in scoring.
QB Tim Couch is first in the nation in touchdown passes; second in attempts, completions, completion percentage, and yardage; third in total offense; and sixth in passing efficiency.
On the Tube
The game will be telecast live nationally by CBS. Craig Bolerjack calls the play-by-play, Ed Cunningham is the analyst and John Dockery handles sideline reports.
On the Radio
The University of Kentucky Football Radio Network will carry the broadcast on approximately 80 stations. The network includes flagship station WVLK (590 AM) in Lexington and 50,000-watt stations WHAS (840 AM) and WSAI (1530 AM).
Tom Leach is in his second season calling the play-by-play for the Wildcats. Former Wildcats star Jeff Van Note is the analyst and Dick Gabriel is the sideline reporter.
Kentucky Results and Schedule (3-0, 0-0 SEC)Sept. 5 UK 68, Louisville 34 (A)Sept. 12 UK 52, Eastern Kentucky 7 (H)Sept. 19 UK 31, Indiana 27 (H)Sept. 26 at Florida, 3:30 p.m.Oct. 3 at Arkansas, 7:00 p.m.Oct. 10 South Carolina (Homecoming), 7:00 p.m.Oct. 17 at Louisiana State, 9:00 p.m., ESPN2Oct. 24 Georgia, 7:00 p.m.Oct. 31 openNov. 7 Mississippi State, 1:30 p.m.Nov. 14 Vanderbilt, 1:30 p.m.Nov. 21 at Tennessee, TBAAll times are Eastern and subject to change.
Florida Results and Schedule (2-1, 0-1)
Sept. 5 UF 49, The Citadel 10 (H)Sept. 12 UF 42, Northeast Louisiana 10 (H)Sept. 19 Tennessee 20, UF 17, OT (A)Sept. 26 KentuckyOct. 3 at AlabamaOct. 10 LSUOct. 17 AuburnOct. 31 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville)Nov. 7 at VanderbiltNov. 14 South CarolinaNov. 21 at Florida State
Series Information
Wildcats vs. Gators Overall: UF leads 31-17Current Streak: UF has won 11 in a rowIn Gainesville: UF leads 18-4First Meeting: 1917, UK 52-0 in LexingtonLast UK win: 1986, 10-3 in LexingtonLast UF win: 1997, 55-28 in LexingtonNotes: The teams played sporadically from 1917-37, then met annually from 1948-57 and from 1967 to the present.
Last Year vs. Florida
What was then the second-largest crowd in Commonwealth Stadium history and a CBS national television audience saw Florida defeat Kentucky, 55-28. The Gators bit early with a 28-0 first quarter that featured three touchdown passes from QB Doug Johnson to WR Jacquez Green. The Wildcats fought back valiantly and actually outscored Florida the rest of the way, 28-27, but it was not enough to erase the early deficit. Johnson completed 22 of 34 passes for 286 yards and five touchdowns for the victorious visitors. Green caught 10 of the aerials for 139 yards and three TDs. Running back Fred Taylor rushed 14 times for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Kentucky QB Tim Couch completed 33 of 59 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns. WR Craig Yeast led the Wildcats pass catchers with 10 grabs for 125 yards and WR Kevin Coleman caught five balls for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Anthony White rushed for 79 yards and one TD. For more information and statistics on this game, see page 100 of the Kentucky media guide.
How Experienced are the Tentative Starters? Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr.UK 10 5 6 0 1UF 10 5 5 1 1
The Ouch Report
Kicker Marc Samuel (strained groin muscle Sept. 3) is doubtful
Wildcats From the Sunshine State
Kentucky has 14 players from the state of Florida: Sr. WR Kevin Coleman (Niceville) Sr. OT Kris Comstock (Apopka) So. WR Mitt Crowe (Ormond Beach) Fr. OT Tramaine Gaines (Lake Mary) Sr. DT Mark Jacobs (Shalimar) Fr. CB Anthony Kelly (Campbellton) So. CB Eric Kelly (Panama City) So. DE Matt Layow (Miami) So. LB Marlon McCree (Daytona) Jr. OT Omar Smith (Miramar) Jr. DE Anwar Stewart (Panama City) Sr. C Jason Watts (Oviedo) Jr. LB Lee Wesley (Campbellton) So. WR Jermaine White (Gainesville)
A Look Back at the Louisville Game
Kentucky got its season off to a flying start as the Wildcats won the inaugural game in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium with a 68-34 win over Louisville on Sept. 5.
The Wildcats rolled up school records for total offense (801 yards), passing yardage (571), first downs (37), and passing first downs (24) while scoring the most points in a game since 1951. Kentucky also tied its own SEC record with eight touchdown passes.
Junior quarterback Tim Couch led the offense by completing 29 of 39 passes for 498 yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions. Couch broke the SEC record for total offensive yards per play by averaging 11.9 yards on his 42 rushing and passing plays. Couch also tied his own SEC records for touchdown passes in a game with seven and touchdown responsibility (rushing and passing) in a game with seven. Couch broke his own school records for total offensive yardage (498) and passing yardage (498). He was named National Player of the Week by the College Sports News internet service and on the CNN/SI and The Sporting News internet fan polls.
Senior wide receiver Craig Yeast caught nine passes for a career-high 150 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore fullback Derek Homer paced the ground game with 123 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. The UK defense played better than the score might indicate. The Wildcats allowed 286 yards and 18 points through the first three quarters before going exclusively with reserves in the final quarter.
A Look Back at the Eastern Kentucky GameKentucky got its home schedule off to a good start with a 52-7 win over Eastern Kentucky.
Tim Couch completed 32 of 41 passes for 372 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. The five TD passes give him 50 in his career, tying the school record set by Babe Parilli from 1949-51. Couch also tied his own school record by completing 13 consecutive passes. Craig Yeast led the receivers with seven catches for 113 yards. His TD reception was the 17th of his career, tying the school record held by Steve Meilinger. Derek Homer led the running game with 16 carries for 58 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, UK limited Eastern to 184 yards of total offense. The defense also scored when freshman strong safety David Johnson scored on a 21-yard fumble return.
A Look Back at the Indiana Game
Special teams and defense sparked a second-half comeback as Kentucky rallied to defeat Indiana, 31-27, before a capacity crowd in Commonwealth Stadium.
Trailing 27-10 with less than six minutes remaining in the third quarter, Matt Mumme hit Garry Davis with a 79-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt on 4th-and-21.
Early in the fourth quarter, freshman strong safety David Johnson knocked loose a fumble that was recovered by George Massey. Two plays later, Tim Couch hit Anthony White with a 48-yard touchdown pass to pull the Wildcats within 27-24.
On Indiana’s next possession, Dennis Johnson and Marlon McCree disrupted a shovel pass that was intercepted by John Rader and returned for a 46-yard touchdown. That made the score 31-27 and the Wildcats hung on the rest of the way.
Couch led the offense by completing 38 of 53 passes for 301 yards and one touchdown, but suffered a career-high four interceptions as the Wildcats turned it over six times. White caught nine passes for 92 yards, including the TD play. Derek Homer led the ground game with 65 yards on 11 carries. Indiana fullback Chris Gall rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Antwaan Randle El completed 12 of 34 passes for 162 yards.
Cats Crack the Top 25
Kentucky is ranked No. 25 this week in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll. We do not have week-by-week records available on the last time that UK was ranked in the coaches’ poll. However, UK’s last appearance in The Associated Press media poll was following the 1984 season when the Wildcats were ranked #19.True Freshmen Get the Call
A total of 18 true freshmen have played this season, including 15 players in the 1998 recruiting class.
True freshmen from the 1998 recruiting class who have played are Dougie Allen, Mike Beirne, Chris Demaree, Richard Hardin, Vincent Harrison, David Johnson, Dennis Johnson, Martez Johnson, Anthony Kelly, Adrian Patton, Ronnie Riley, Matt Schneider, Kendrick Shanklin, Anthony Wajda, and Jamal White.
In addition, true freshman walk-ons Neal Brown and Nick Heald have played, as has true freshman Mike Kamphake, who signed in January but counts as part of the 1997 recruiting class.
UK in the NCAA Stats
After three games, Kentucky leads the nation in total offense (572.7 yards per game) and passing offense (445.7 yards per game) and is second in scoring offense (50.3 points per game).
Individually, quarterback Tim Couch is third in the nation in total offense (382 yards per game) and sixth in passing efficiency (174.6 rating points).
Wide receiver Craig Yeast is sixth in receptions (8.3 per game), 14th in receiving yardage (110.7 yards per game), and 10th in all-purpose yardage (174 yards per game).
Kicker Seth Hanson is 26th in field goals (1.33 per game) and 15th in scoring (10.3 points).
Wildcats in the SEC Stats
Team and individual stats in the top three of the SEC:Team Scoring: 1st, 50.3 points per gamePassing Offense: 1st, 445.7 yards per game Total Offense: 1st, 572.7 yards per game Net Punting: 1st, 41.1 yards per puntFirst Downs: 1st, 79 first downsThird Down Conversion Defense: 1st, 16.7 percent Fourth Down Conversions: 1st, 75 percentTime of Possession: 1st, 31:29 of time per game IndividualPassing Yardage: Tim Couch 1st, 390.3 yards per gameTotal Offense: Tim Couch 1st, 382 yards per gamePassing Efficiency: Tim Couch 2nd, 174.6 rating pointsReceptions: Craig Yeast 1st, 8.33 per gameReceiving Yardage: Craig Yeast 2nd, 110.7 yards per gameAll-Purpose Yardage: Craig Yeast 2nd, 174 yds. per gameKickoff Returns: Craig Yeast 1st, 32 yards per returnKick Scoring: Seth Hanson 2nd, 10.3 points per gameField Goals: Seth Hanson 3rd, 1.33 field goals per gameField Goal Percentage: Seth Hanson tied 1st, 100 percent
“Air Raid” Offense
Offensive Line – Kentucky’s all-senior starting line has combined for a total of 106 starts during their careers. LT Jonas Liening is in his fourth year as a starter. RT Kris Comstock and C Jason Watts are three-year regulars. RG Mike Webster and LG Jeremy Streck are in their second year as starters Watts snaps the ball with his left hand (dominant hand) in the shotgun formation and righthanded when the quarterback is under center The second-team line got a full quarter of work at Louisville and two series against Eastern Kentucky.
Tight Ends – James Whalen, Jr., has nine receptions for 125 yards and two TD receptions Jimmy Haley has seven for 58 yards and a TD Haley and Whalen each made his first touchdown reception at UK in the Louisville game. Haley’s spectacular one-handed 21-yard TD grab was chosen the CNN/SI “Play of the Day.”
Running Backs – Fullback Derek Homer carries the bulk of the rushing load and leads the team with 246 yards and three TDs. His 123-yard effort against Louisville was the third 100-yard game of his career Halfback Anthony White is both a runner and pass receiver. He has rushed for 114 yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry. He is the team’s second-leading receiver with 17 grabs for 124 yards and one TD True freshmen Kendrick Shanklin and Martez Johnson have played well as backups.
Wide Receivers – Twelve wide receivers have caught at least one pass Craig Yeast leads the way with 25 catches for 332 yards and three touchdowns. Yeast leads the SEC and is sixth in the nation in receptions and is second in the SEC and 14th nationally in receiving yards per game Quentin McCord has caught 14 for 177 yards and two TDs Jermaine White has just two catches, but they have gone for 57- and 46-yard touchdowns.
Quarterbacks – Tim Couch has completed 99 of 133 passes (74.4 percent) for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has thrown for at least 300 yards and one touchdown in every game this season. He is first in the nation in touchdown passes, second in attempts, completions, completion percentage, and yardage, third in total offense, and sixth in passing efficiency. Couch leads the SEC in all of those categories, except he is second in passing efficiency Senior Matt Mumme has played well as the backup, completing 11 of 13 for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including the 79-yard TD on the fake punt against Indiana.
“Black Flag” Defense
Defensive Line – Reserve DT George Massey leads the linemen with 13 tackles and two fumble recoveries Starting DTs Mark Jacobs and Marvin Major have nine stops each Reserve DE Dennis Johnson leads the ends with six tackles, including two for loss.
Linebackers – Marlon McCree is tied for the team lead in tackles with 19. He leads the team in sacks with two and fumbles caused with two Jeff Snedegar has 17 tackles and John Rader 11, and they share the team lead in tackles for loss with three each.
Secondary – Freshman SS David Johnson is tied for the team lead in tackles with 19. He returned a fumble 21 yards for a touchdown against Eastern Kentucky and caused a key fumble in the win over Indiana FS Willie Gary has 18 stops CB Jeremy Bowie leads the team in pass breakups with three.
A Look at the Specialists
Kickers – Seth Hanson is 4-of-4 on field goals, including a career long of 41 yards at Louisville, and has made 19 of 20 extra points. Two of his extra points have been 35-yard kicks after UK was penalized for “excessive celebration” after a touchdown Hanson leads the team and is 15th nationally in scoring Hanson also has kicked off in the absence of Marc Samuel, who is sidelined by a strained groin muscle.
Punters – Jimmy Carter is averaging a career-best 41.9 yards per punt, but just as important has been his good hang time and accuracy on the sidelines The Wildcats have given up only eight yards on punt returns and UK leads the SEC in net punting with 41.1 yards per punt. Preseason Honors for the Wildcats
Kentucky was ranked No. 24 in the preseason by Sports Illustrated. Quarterback Tim Couch was a first-team preseason All-America pick by Street and Smith’s and Lindy’s and a second-team All-America choice by Athlon Publications.
Wide receiver Craig Yeast was a third-team pre-season All-America choice by Athlon Publications. Couch and Yeast were consensus preseason All-SEC picks.
Honoring the Wildcats in 1998
QB Tim Couch was named National Offensive Player of the Week for the Louisville game. The honor was chosen by the College Sports News internet service of Houston, Tex.
OT Jonas Liening, WR Lance Mickelsen, and LB Jeff Snedegar have been named to the All-American Farm Team by Successful Farming magazine in honor of players who have farm or ranch backgrounds. Liening is a first-team choice for the second consecutive year while Mickelsen and Snedegar were named honorable mention. Snedegar, by the way, breeds horses as a hobby and has sold several in horse shows.
Scoring in the Blue Zone (20-and-in)
Kentucky: Converted 11 of 12 opportunities for 61 points (seven touchdowns, four field goals, one interception).Opponents: Converted seven of eight opportunities for 38 points (five touchdowns, two field goals, one punt).
Head Coach Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme (Tarleton State, 1975) has an 8-6 record in his second season as head coach of the Wildcats. He was voted 1997 GTE Region 2 Coach of the Year by his peers in the American Football Coaches Association. He is in his 10th season as a collegiate head coach and has a career record of 73-33-1 (.687).
Mumme had a 40-17-1 mark from 1992-96 at Valdosta State, where he took the Blazers to the NCAA Division II national playoffs in 1994 and 1996. He was named 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 Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year.
Mumme had a 25-10 record from 1989-91 at Iowa Wesleyan College. He took his team to the Steamboat Classic bowl game in 1989 and ’90 and to the NAIA national playoffs in 1991. He was named the NAIA District Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1991. For more on Mumme, see pages 22-27 of the Kentucky football media guide.
Mumme Makes Best Start Since Collier
Coach Hal Mumme has a 8-6 record during his first 14 games at Kentucky. The last Wildcats coach to post a winning record in his first 14 games was Blanton Collier (9-4-1) in 1954-55.
“Mummeball”
New UK coach Hal Mumme is known for his unconventional ways. Here are some examples of his off-the-beaten-path approach:
Throwing the football: Mumme’s offensive goal is to throw the ball to set up the run. His run-pass ratio at UK in 1997 was 36 percent run and 64 percent pass. In 1998, the ratio is 39 percent run and 61 percent pass.
Taking risks: In the 1997 season, Mumme went for it 38 times on fourth down, making 21, including three out of four on fake punts. He also tried seven onside kicks, recovering one. See the note below for 1997 and 1998 fourth-down analysis.
Limited hitting in practice: The Wildcats had four scrimmages in the spring and none in August. Otherwise, hitting in practice is limited to work 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 have a car wreck during the week when you’re going to have one on Saturday?”
“Mummeball is more classroom than battlefield,” wrote JohnClay of the Lexington Herald-Leader. “The head coach is not aSchwarzkopf but an alchemist, busy turning ordinary metals into gold.” The approach paid off with fewer injuries in 1997, when only four players missed games because of injury. Only one player has missed a game this season because of injury. A total of 18 players missed games because of injury in 1996 under a conventional practice system.
Open practices: All practices are open to fans and media. “I think the guys like crowds,” Mumme says. ” I know when I was playing I liked to perform 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 what everybody is doing.”
Punting the ball out of bounds: UK’s punts are designed to go near the sideline or out of bounds. The strategy improved Kentucky’s net punting >from 32.7 yards per punt in 1996 to 37 yards per punt in 1997. Currently, Kentucky leads the SEC in net punting with 41.1 net yards per punt.
Playing true freshmen: Other than offensive linemen, Mumme believes in playing true freshmen. So far this season, 15 of Kentucky’s 25 players in the 1998 signing class saw action.
Junior varsity team: Mumme continues to field a junior varsity team again this season. See below for a story on the JV squad.
Fourth-Down Analysis
In 1998, Kentucky has made six out of eight on fourth-down conversions. The six successes have eventually led to four touchdowns and a field goal. The two missed conversions did not result in a score on the ensuing opponent possession.
In 1997, Kentucky made 21 of 38 on fourth down. The 21 successes eventually resulted in 15 touchdowns and no field goals for the Wildcats. The 17 missed conversions resulted in five touchdowns and no field goals on the ensuing opponent possessions.
UK Football History
The Kentucky Wildcats are in their 108th season of intercollegiate football. The first Southeastern Conference school to introduce football (1881), Kentucky has an all-time record of 507-477-44 (.515). Kentucky has two SEC championships, 1950 and 1976. The Wildcats have been to eight bowl games, most recently the 1993 Peach Bowl, and have the best bowl game winning percentage (.625) of any Southeastern Conference school.
Kentucky’s highest in-season national ranking is third, by The Associated Press, on Nov. 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 varsity team.
The team is comprised primarily of walk-ons, in addition to a few scholarship players who are not being redshirted. The team will practice for approximately one month before playing a five-game schedule.
UK graduate assistant coach Chris Hatcher is in his second season as the head coach of the JV team. The Wildcats JV posted a 2-3 record in 1997.
Here is the schedule for the JV team:
Thurs. Sept. 24 Campbellsville JV 6:30Thurs. Oct. 1 Hargrave Military Academy 7:00Thurs. Oct. 8 at Georgetown College JV 5:00Thurs. Oct. 15 Georgia Military College 3:00Sun. Oct. 25 Tennessee-Chattanooga JV 2:00
Love Those Reruns
Some of the Kentucky players must enjoy television reruns, as three Wildcats have been tagged with TV-related nicknames.
Junior halfback Anthony White is known as “Aunt Bea” from “The Andy Griffith Show.” White’s nickname originated on the practice field during the 1997 season and was supposedly given by either Tim Couch or Craig Yeast, but none of the principals involved can remember the exact origin.
Senior Lance Mickelsen and soph Jermaine White are known as “Ward” and “The Beav” from the “Leave it to Beaver” show. Mickelsen and White play the “Z” wide receiver position and when Jermaine arrived at UK in 1997, the veteran Mickelsen took the younger player under his wing. The fact that Mickelsen is now 24 years old and married adds to his fatherly “Ward” image.
The Graduates
Four Wildcats have completed their bachelor’s degrees and are adding another major or minor or are in graduate school.The diploma ‘Cats are:
Offensive tackle Kris Comstock, who has his bachelor’s degree in marketing…
Defensive tackle Mark Jacobs, who has his bachelor’s degree in social work…
Offensive tackle Jonas Liening, who has his bachelor’s degree in social work…
Free safety Jeff Zurcher, who has his bachelor’s degree in English and advertising and is working on his master’s degree in diplomacy. For more on Zurcher, see below.
From A’s to Z(urcher)
Senior free safety Jeff Zurcher is enjoying a remarkable academic career at the University of Kentucky.
Zurcher completed his bachelor’s degree in May, 1998, with a 4.0 grade point average and a double major in English and advertising. In 1998, he was one of two UK students nominated for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Zurcher also was a member of a five-person UK team that designed an advertising campaign that reached the finals of the American Advertising Federation’s national collegiate contest.
This fall, he has begun working on his master’s degree in diplomacy from UK’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce. Zurcher is an avid reader and writer of poetry and also has published columns in the student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel.
Checking the Opponents
Here's what Kentucky's opponents are doing this week:Boston College at Louisville (1-2)Eastern Kentucky (2-1) at Middle TennesseeIndiana (1-1) at WisconsinKentucky at Florida (2-1)Alabama at Arkansas (2-0)Mississippi State (2-1) at South Carolina (1-2)Idaho at Louisiana State (2-0)Georgia (3-0) is openVanderbilt (0-3) is openHouston at Tennessee (2-0)
What’s Going on in the South End Zone?
The work in the south end zone is the beginning of the expansion of Commonwealth Stadium.
By the beginning of the 1999 season, both end zones will be enclosed and 40 suites will be constructed. Capacity will increase to approximately 67,500. The project will cost approximately $24 million. Catscellaneous
Junior QB Tim Couch and junior LB Jeff Snedegar are the team captains for 1998.
Two Wildcats are married, senior OT David Berringer (wife Amanda) and senior WR Lance Mickelsen (wife Adrianne).
There is excellent continuity on the UK coaching staff. All nine of the Wildcats’ full-time assistant coaches return for the 1998 season, although there were two changes of assignment. Tom Adams, who coached the defensive tackles in 1997, takes over the entire defensive line this season.
Kentucky is in its 26th season in Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcats have a record of 87-67-4 (.563) in Commonwealth since the stadium opened in 1973. Kentucky is 5-3 at home under Coach Hal Mumme.
UK has led or tied for the league lead in most players on the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 10 of the last 14 years.
Seven current players are walk-ons who were awarded full scholarships – P Jimmy Carter, WR Garry Davis, TE Paul McGonagle, C Mike Riddle, FB A. J. Simon, DE Grayson Smith, and FS Jeff Zurcher.
No, junior punter Jimmy Carter of Dunwoody, Ga., is not related to the former United States president.
The Kentucky cheerleaders won an unprecedented eighth national championship at the 1998 Universal Cheerleaders Association competition in January. The Wildcats cheerleaders have won the last four national titles – 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998.
