Nov. 1, 1999
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mississippi State Ties-
Guy Morriss, Kentucky’s assistant head coach and offensive line coach,coached the offensive line at Miss. State under Coach Jackie Sherrill in 1996.
On the Tube
Live TV – Nationally telecast by ESPN. Chris Fowler calls theplay-by-play. Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit are the expert analysts andDr. Jerry Punch is the sideline reporter.
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.
How the Wildcats Have Done (5-3, 3-2 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 Georgia 49, UK 34 (A)Nov. 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 (7-0, 4-0 SEC)
Sept. 4 MSU 40, Middle Tennessee 7 (H)Sept. 11 MSU 13, Memphis 10 (H)Sept. 18 MSU 29, Oklahoma State 11 (H)Sept. 25 MSU 17, South Carolina 0 (H)Oct. 2 MSU 42, Vanderbilt 14 (A)Oct. 9 MSU 18, Auburn 16 (A)Oct. 23 MSU 17, Louisiana State 16 (H)Nov. 4 KentuckyNov. 13 at AlabamaNov. 20 at ArkansasNov. 27 Mississippi
Series History
Overall: UK leads the series, 16-10
Current streak: UK has won one in a row
First Meeting: 1914, UK 19-13 in Lexington
Last Meeting: 1998, UK 37-35 in Lexington
Last MSU win: 1997, 35-27 in Starkville
In Starkville: MSU leads 6-4
Series notes: UK’s lead in the series comes on the strength of aneight-game win streak from 1958-90 . The teams have met annually since1990, with MSU leading 5-4 in this decade.
How Experienced are the Tentative Starters?
Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr.UK 5 8 7 0 2MSU 13 3 4 1 1
Last Year vs. Mississippi State
Trailing by 11 points in the third quarter, Kentucky rallied with threeconsecutive touchdowns, then held on for a 37-35 victory over MississippiState in Lexington.
Led by running back James Johnson, who rushed for 209 yards and twotouchdowns during the game, State built a 29-18 lead in the third quarter.
However, Kentucky rallied behind quarterback Tim Couch, who led theWildcats to scoring drives of 48, 72, and 87 yards, giving UK a 37-29 lead.
MSU bounced back with its own touchdown, cutting the lead to 37-35 in thefourth quarter, but defensive tackle Mark Jacobs stopped the Bulldogs’Wayne Madkin on a two-point conversion try.
UK took over with 3:24 remaining. Couch guided the Wildcats to two firstdowns and ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
Despite suffering a sprained thumb in the first quarter, Couch completed35 of 45 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for atouchdown.
Running back Derek Homer had one of his best games by rushing 10 times for130 yards and two touchdowns. Kevin Coleman led the receivers with eightcatches for 103 yards and one TD. Craig Yeast caught six for 87 yards anda 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 19-56-1 on live national or regionalTV, including 2-3 this season.
UK is 4-12 when telecast by ESPN or ESPN2.
Kentucky is 1-1 vs. Mississippi State on network TV, including lastseason’s 37-35 win on ESPN2.
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 TV games.
This is Kentucky’s third appearance in an ESPN Thursday night game. In1993, UK won at South Carolina, 21-17, a key win in the team’s drive to thePeach Bowl. In 1994, the Wildcats lost at Auburn, 41-14.
UK vs. Ranked Opponents
Mississippi State is ranked No. 8 in this week’s ESPN/USA Today AssociatedPress poll. Over the years, Kentucky has played 178 games againstopponents ranked in the AP Top 20/25 poll. The Wildcats own a 35-138-5record against ranked opponents including 1-2 this season.
Kentucky has a 1-2 record against Mississippi State when the Bulldogs havebeen ranked.
Tough Schedule
Playing in the Southeastern Conference guarantees a challenging schedulefor Kentucky. Five of UK’s opponents are ranked in this week’s ESPN/USAToday top 25.
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.
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 youngestplayer in Division I-A football who has started every game. Born on Nov.27, 1981, he was 17 years, nine months, and eight days old on the seasonopener vs. Louisville. He won’t turn 18 until after the completion of theregular season.
Charting the Tendencies
Kentucky has a 17-14 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: 16-3
- Opp. scores less than 30 points: 12-4
- UK loses 0 or 1 turnover: 7-1
- UK is plus or even in turnover margin: 11-2
- UK creates four or more turnovers: 5-1
- 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 +5 and the Wildcats rank18th in the nation in that category. UK was -11 in turnover margin in 1998and -5 in 1997.
The biggest reason for improvement is takeaways by the Kentucky defense.The Wildcats have garnered 13 interceptions and 10 opponent fumbles thisseason for a total of 23 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:
Team
Scoring: 3rd, 31.6 points per game
Passing Offense: 1st, 324.8 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: 1st, 146.8 rating points
Total Offense: 2nd, 401.6 yards per game
Punt Returns: 1st, 16.7 yards per return
Net Punting: 1st, 39.0 yards per punt
First Downs: 2nd, 181
Time of Possession: 2nd, 32:31 of time per game
Individual
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 1st, 321.9 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 1st, 147.2 rating points
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 1st, 300.4 yards per game
Receptions: James Whalen 1st, 8.4 per game
Receiving Yardage: James Whalen 3rd, 99.4 yds. per game
TD Receptions: James Whalen 1st, 9 TDs
Punt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 1st, 17.5 yards per return
Total Scoring: Marc Samuel 3rd, 8.7 points per game
Kick Scoring: Marc Samuel 2nd, 8.1 points per game
Scoring TDs: James Whalen 2nd, 7 points per game
Field Goals: Marc Samuel 3rd, 1.5 made per game
Wildcats in the NCAA Stats
Team and individual stats in the NCAA top 20:
Team
Passing Offense: 8th, 324.8 yards per game
Net Punting: 17th, 39.0 net yards per punt
Punt Returns: 3rd, 16.7 yards per return
Kickoff Returns: 16th, 24.4 yards per return
Turnover Margin: T18th, +0.63 per game
Individual
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 5th, 147.2 rating points
Pass Attempts: Dusty Bonner 6th, 340 attempts
Pass Completions: Dusty Bonner 4th, 229 completions
Completion Percentage: Dusty Bonner 2nd, 67.4 percent
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 7th, 2575 yards
Touchdown Passes: Dusty Bonner T5th, 21 TDs
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 10th, 300.4 yards per game
Punt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 2nd, 17.5 yards per ret.
Receptions: James Whalen 4th, 8.4 per game
Receiving Yardage: James Whalen 12th, 99.4 per game
Field Goals: Marc Samuel T17th, 1.5 made per game
Interceptions: Anthony Wajda T20th, 0.5 int. 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 31.6 points and 401.6yards 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 46career starts — 12 by LT Matt Brown, nine by C Nolan DeVaughn and RT OmarSmith, and eight by LG Kip Sixbery and RG Josh Parrish . Sixbery is theyoungest player in Division I-A football who has started every game, seenote on previous page under “Young Team.”
Tight Ends – James Whalen, Jr. is enjoying an outstanding season. He hascaught 67 passes for 795 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the nation’stight ends in all three categories. His 8.4 receptions per game leads theSEC and ranks fourth nationally. He also leads 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 425yards. 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 174 and 10th incareer rushing with 1,621 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 on next page).
Junior Derek Homer, who led the team in rushing a year ago, got off to aslow start but has come on strong recently, averaging 53 yards per game inUK’s five 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 1,520 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 probably is lost forthe season . Junior Garry Davis has 26 catches for 312 yards and atouchdown . Freshman Brad Pyatt has caught 18 for 200 yards, including twoTDs. He has broken into the starting lineup at the “Z” receiver . QuentinMcCord has been a big play guy among the wide receivers. He has just 17catches so far, but five are for touchdowns and he is averaging 18.1 yardsper catch . Sophomore Dougie Allen had 25 receptions for 263 yards and twotouchdowns in the first five games, but is lost for the season with a kneeinjury . With Allen sidelined, sophomore Kendrick Shanklin moved to widereceiver “H” and has rapidly emerged as a force. He caught eight passesfor 124 yards at Georgia, his first 100-yard game.
Quarterbacks – The successor to All-American QB Tim Couch is sophomoreDusty Bonner. Bonner has thrown for at least 250 yards in all eight gamesthis season and has at least three TD passes in five games. He rankssecond in the nation in completion percentage, fourth in completions, fifthin passing efficiency and touchdown passes, seventh in yardage, and 10th intotal offense. Bonner was named CNN/SI National Player of the Week for theIndiana game after completing 24 of 31 passes for 304 yards and fivetouchdowns. He set a school record against Connecticut with 16 consecutivecompletions, breaking Tim Couch’s mark of 13 set on three occasions …Redshirt freshman Mike Scipione is the backup, followed closely by juniorwalk-on Mark 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 1,621 rushing yards and 1,397 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.
White needs just three receiving yards to reach the 1,400-yard mark ineach category. He would be just the fourth player to achieve that feat.
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. '88/Stanford 1990-92 2,302 1,495Warrick Dunn, Florida State, 1993-96 3,958 1,314Anthony White, Kentucky, 1996-pres 1,621 1,397
“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 1,621 career rushing yards andHomer is 13th with 1,520 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 67 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 8.4 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 5-1 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 36tackles, including a career-high seven tackles and two sacks vs.Connecticut . Soph DE Dennis Johnson has 26 tackles, including five tacklesfor loss, plus a blocked field goal. He is tied for the team lead 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 is tied for the team lead insacks with three . Junior Matt Layow has started five games at DE. Layowhad a big game at Indiana, tackling the punter for a three-yard loss andnabbing an interception on Indiana’s final possession. He also had twosacks against LSU . Senior DT Jimmy Haley moved into the starting lineupthe last six games.
Linebackers – Senior Jeff Snedegar is second on the team in tackles with55, 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 52 tackles, including a career high of 10 at Georgia. Heleads the team in tackles for loss (eight) and is tied for the team lead infumble recoveries (two) . Sophomore Ryan Murphy has started at MLB sincethe Connecticut game. He has 33 tackles on the season. He is second onthe team in tackles for loss with seven . Backup MLB John Rader couldreturn for Mississippi State as he recovers from a foot sprain.
Secondary – SS Willie Gary leads the team in tackles with 57. 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 SEC Defensive Player of the Week and “Unsung Heroof the Week” by CNN/SI for the LSU game . Juniors Eric Kelly and KennethGrant handle most of the playing time at cornerback. Kelly already hastied the single-season school record for pass breakups with 13, includingan astonishing total of six against Arkansas and four against LSU. He hasthree interceptions this season, including a pickoff at Indiana set up MarcSamuel’s game-clinching field goal in the final minutes. . Grant has fivepass breakups this season, including three in the win over Arkansas .Junior Jeremy Bowie is the top reserve at the corner and has three passbreakups.
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 29 of 30 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 44 yards. He does not have enough punts to qualify, but if hedid, he would be leading the SEC and rank ninth in the country. Two of hispunts against Connecticut were downed on the one- and three-yard lines. Healso punted well in the win over Arkansas, averaging 50 yards on threepunts, none of which were returned. UK has given up just 31 punt returnyards and the Wildcats lead the SEC and rank 17th nationally in net puntingwith 39.0 net yards per punt. Smith was the starting punter for WesternKentucky in 1995 before transferring to UK.
Returners – UK ranks 16th nationally in kickoff returns with an average of24.4 per return . Dougie Allen led the way with an average of 30.8 yards,but he has been lost for the season because of a knee injury . KendrickShanklin, Anthony White, Brad Pyatt, and Ernest Simms have been returningkickoffs recently . Shanklin also handles punt returns. He averages 17.5yards per return, including a 56-yard TD return against LSU and a 54-yardrunback at Georgia. He leads the SEC and rates second nationally in puntreturns.
Kickoff Analysis
Sophomore Marc Samuel handles kickoffs for Kentucky. Of his 42 “deep”kickoffs, 15 have gone for touchbacks. His other nine kickoffs includefour squib kicks, two pop-ups, and three 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). Hanson alsowas chosen for the Southeastern Conference “Good Works Team.”
- 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. He also was chosen forthe mid-season All-America team by ABC Online.
- FS Anthony Wajda was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week andCNN/SI “Unsung Hero of the Week” for his stellar performance against LSU,in which he had two interceptions, a pass breakup on the goal line, and ateam-high eight tackles.
- DE Anwar Stewart won the Compa
- “Best Hit of the Week in CollegeFootball” for his crunching block on Kendrick Shanklin’s 54-yard puntreturn against Georgia.
- Running back A. J. Simon and kicker Marc Samuel have earned nominationsfor the GTE Academic All-America team. Simon has a 3.22 grade pointaverage with a major in art studio. Samuel has a 3.885 GPA with a doublemajor in business and finance. Samuel, in fact, arrived at UK in Jan.1997, and by taking extra loads, graduated in Aug. 1999 – even though he isonly a sophomore in eligibility. This semester he is doing legal researchas an intern for a law professor.
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.
- Dusty Bonner is one of 25 players on the list for the Davey O’BrienAward, which goes to the nation’s top quarterback.
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 is among the nation’s top sevenpassers in completions, completion percentage, yardage, touchdowns, passingefficiency, and total offense.
Kentucky is listed among “Five Teams We Expect to Shake Up the Second Half.”
Numbers Here, Numbers There
Here are some various career statistical superlatives among currentplayers, including regular-season games only.
Most Games Played: 41 by Gordon Crowe
Most Games Started: 30 by Jeff Snedegar
100-Yard Rushing Games: 5 by Anthony White, 4 by Derek Homer
100-Yard Receiving Games: 4 by James Whalen, 1 by Jimmy Robinson, 1 byKendrick Shanklin, 1 by Anthony White
Games With Double-Figure Tackles: 8 by Jeff Snedegar, 4 by Willie Gary, 1by Marlon McCree
Consecutive Games With at Least One Pass Reception: 30 by Anthony White
Scoring in the Blue Zone (20-and-in)
Kentucky: Converted 33 of 39 opportunities for 191 points (23 touchdowns,10 field goals, two held on downs, two interceptions, one missed fieldgoal, one fumble.)
Opponents: Converted 21 of 29 opportunities for 146 points (21 touchdowns,three missed field goals, one fumble, one blocked field goal, one held ondowns, one interception, one end of game).
Charting the Nailbiters
In Hal Mumme’s three seasons as head coach of the Wildcats, UK has a 5-2record in “nailbiter” games, i.e., games decided by seven points or less.
However, UK has not had a “nailbiter” this season. In fact, UK’s lastnailbiter came last season vs. Mississippi State in the 37-35 win over theBulldogs.
In overtime, UK is 1-0 under Mumme, a 40-34 home win over Alabama in 1997.
Head Coach Hal Mumme
Hal Mumme (Tarleton State, 1975) has a 17-14 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 82-41-1 (.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 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”
UK coach Hal Mumme is known for his unconventional ways. Here are someexamples 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 44 percent run and 56 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 punting from 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 rank second in the SEC and 16th nationally with39.1 yards per 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 13 of 27 on fourth-down conversions, includingthree of four on fake punts. The 13 successes eventually have led to sixtouchdowns and two field goals. The 14 missed conversions have resulted inseven 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 516-485-44 (.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 Finishes Season 4-1
One of Coach Hal Mumme’s innovations in 1997 was the start of a juniorvarsity team. The team is comprised primarily of walk-ons, in addition toa few scholarship players who are not being redshirted.
The 1999 team is coached by graduate assistants Sonny Dykes and RobManchester and student coach Randy Garver. Dykes is head coach/offensivecoordinator. Manchester is defensive coordinator and Garver is the linecoach.
Here is the 1999 JV schedule and results:
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 W, 45-42Mon. Oct. 25 at Campbellsville L, 40-37
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.
