Nov. 8, 1999
Kentucky (5-4, 3-3) at Vanderbilt (5-4, 2-4)
Nov. 13, 1999, 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST
Vanderbilt Stadium (cap. 41,448)
Wildcats Headlines
Wildcats need one win to become bowl-eligible
UK in nation’s top 20 in net punting, kickoff returns, punt returns, andpassing 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 and has set two NCAA receiving records for tight ends
On the Tube
Live TV – Nationally telecast by ESPN2. Mark Jones calls theplay-by-play. Sean Salisbury is the analyst and Rob Stone is the sidelinereporter.
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.
Kentucky Results and Schedule (5-4, 3-3 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 Mississippi State 23, UK 22 (A)
Nov. 13 at Vanderbilt, 9:00
Nov. 20 Tennessee, 1:30 p.m.
(all times Eastern and subject to change)
Vanderbilt Results and Schedule (5-4, 2-4 SEC)
Sept. 4 Alabama 28, VU 17 (H)
Sept. 11 VU 34, Northern Illinois 31 (H)
Sept. 18 VU 37, Mississippi 34, OT (A)
Sept. 25 VU 31, Duke 14 (A)
Oct. 2 Mississippi State 42, VU 14 (H)
Oct. 9 VU 58, The Citadel 0 (H)
Oct. 16 Georgia 27, VU 17 (H)
Oct. 23 VU 11, South Carolina 10 (A)
Nov. 6 Florida 13, VU 6 (A)
Nov. 13 Kentucky
Nov. 27 at Tennessee
Series History
Overall: VU leads the series, 35-32-4
Current streak: UK has won three in a row
First meeting: 1896, VU 6-0 in Nashville
Last meeting: 1998, UK 55-17 in Lexington
Last VU win: 1995, 14-10 in Nashville
In Nashville: VU leads 23-14-2
Series notes: This is the 72nd meeting between the two teams, second-mostof any Wildcats rivalry, behind Tennessee
? The teams have met annuallysince 1953
? Vanderbilt posted 16 wins and a tie in the first 17 games ofthe series, from 1896 to 1945
? Kentucky got its first win againstVanderbilt in 1946 in Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s first year at UK
? Bryanthad been a Commodore assistant coach in 1940-41 before he was called intomilitary service during World War II.
How Experienced are the Tentative Starters?
Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr.UK 6 5 9 0 2VU 7 6 6 3 0
Vanderbilt Ties
Kentucky has no players from Tennessee.
C. M. Newton, UK director of athletics, was head coach of the Vanderbiltmen’s basketball team from 1981-82 through 1988-89. Newton compiled a129-115 record at Vanderbilt and led the Commodores to two appearances inthe NCAA Tournament and two in the National Invitation Tournament.
John Cropp, UK assistant athletics director for non-revenue sports, was aCommodore football letterman from 1959-61. Cropp was an assistant coachat VU in 1973-74 and 1984-85. He was an assistant athletics director at VU>from 1987-90 before coming to Kentucky.
Sandy Bell, UK assistant athletics director for compliance, earned herbachelor’s degree at George Peabody College, which is now part of Vanderbilt.
Tony Neely, UK media relations director, is a Vanderbilt graduate andworked in the VU sports information office from 1978-94.
Last Year vs. Vanderbilt
A 31-points third-quarter explosion broke open a close game as UK defeatedVanderbilt, 55-17, in Commonwealth Stadium.
Craig Yeast led the way by catching a school-record 16 passes for an SECrecord 269 yards and two scores. Yeast also broke the SEC career recordfor pass receptions. Yeast rolled up 306 all-purpose yards during thegame, breaking the school career record for all-purpose yardage.
Tim Couch was 44 of 53 on the day for 492 yards and five scores. With theperformance, Couch broke SEC single-season records for total offensiveyardage, passing yardage, and completions.
The Wildcats defense held Vanderbilt to 285 yards of total offense andcaused three fumbles. Part of the big third quarter was a sack by DennisJohnson that caused a fumble, which Marlon McCree returned 22 yards for atouchdown.
For more information and statistics on this game, see page 107 of the 1999UK Football Media Guide.
Hi, Mom, We’re on TV!
Kentucky has an all-time record of 19-57-1 on live national or regionalTV, including 2-4 this season.
UK is 4-13 when telecast by ESPN or ESPN2.
Kentucky is 3-2 vs. Vanderbilt on live network TV. This will be theteams’ first meeting on ESPN or ESPN2.
Kentucky will have at least seven 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. ESPN2 is televisingthe Vanderbilt game.
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.
Tough Schedule
Playing in the Southeastern Conference guarantees a challenging schedulefor Kentucky. Five of UK’s opponents have been ranked in the nation’s top25 this season — Florida, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi State, andTennessee.
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 83 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, 16 of the 22 starters are in their firstseason as regular starters. And, both starting kickers are in their firstseason 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 17-15 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: 12-5
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: 10-1
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 +4 and the Wildcats rank29th 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 14 interceptions and 11 opponent fumbles thisseason for a total of 25 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 five 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, 30.6 points per game
Passing Offense: 1st, 309.7 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: TBA, 141.8 rating points
Punt Returns: 1st, 15.6 yards per return
Net Punting: 1st, 40.3 yards per punt
First Downs: TBA, 195
Time of Possession: TBA, 32:38 of time per game
Individual Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 1st, 307.1 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 1st, 142.1 rating points
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 1st, 285 yards per game
Receptions: James Whalen 1st, 8.7 per game
Receiving Yardage: James Whalen 2nd, 99.3 yds. per game
TD Receptions: James Whalen 1st, 9 TDs
Punt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 1st, 15.6 yards per return
Kick Scoring: Marc Samuel 2nd, 7.7 points per game
Scoring TDs: James Whalen 3rd, 6.2 points per game
Field Goals: Marc Samuel 3rd, 1.4 made per game
Wildcats in the NCAA Stats
Team and individual stats in the NCAA top 20:
Team Passing Offense: 12th, 309.7 yards per game
Net Punting: 6th, 40.3 net yards per punt
Punt Returns: 4th, 15.7 yards per return
Kickoff Returns: 13th, 24.4 yards per return
Individual Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 12th, 142.1 rating points
Pass Attempts: Dusty Bonner 6th, 384 attempts
Pass Completions: Dusty Bonner 4th, 257 completions
Completion Percentage: Dusty Bonner 4th, 66.9 percent
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 10th, 2764 yards
Touchdown Passes: Dusty Bonner T7th, 22 TDs
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 12th, 285 yards per game
Punt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 5th, 15.6 yards per ret.
Receptions: James Whalen 5th, 8.7 per game
Receiving Yardage: James Whalen 13th, 99.3 per game
Field Goals: Marc Samuel T17th, 1.4 made per game
Interceptions: Anthony Wajda T16th, 0.6 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 30.6 points and 376.6yards 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 51career starts — 13 by LT Matt Brown, 10 by C Nolan DeVaughn and RT OmarSmith, and nine 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 78 passes for 894 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the nation’stight ends in all three categories. He has broken two NCAA records forreceptions by a tight end, see next page for more details. His 8.7receptions per game leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally. He alsoleads the SEC in TD catches. Whalen’s 57-yard TD reception vs. Louisville,capped by a dive into the end zone, was named the Compaq “Hustle Play ofthe Week in College Football.” Whalen has had 100-yard games this seasonagainst Louisville, Indiana, South Carolina, and Georgia. With 10 catchesat Indiana and 12 vs. Florida, he became the first player in school historyto make double-digit receptions in consecutive games. He tied a schoolrecord with four touchdown catches at Georgia.
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, high school highlight tape in hand, and received an invitation towalk 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 439yards. 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 179 and 10th incareer rushing with 1,635 yards. White is one of four players in NCAADivision I-A history who have more than 1,400 rushing yards and 1,400receiving yards in a career (see chart on next page).
Junior Derek Homer, who led the team in rushing a year ago, has 307rushing yards. He had a season high 86 yards at South Carolina and alsorushed for 83 yards and a touchdown vs. Florida. Homer ranks 13th on theUK career rushing list with 1,525 yards
? Seniors A. J. Simon and LeeWesley see spot duty at 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 probably is lost forthe season
? Freshman Brad Pyatt has caught 20 for 205 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. He missed the Mississippi State game because of a foot injurybut hopes to return for the Vanderbilt game
? Sophomore Dougie Allen had 25receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns in the first five games, but islost for the season with a knee injury
? Sophomore Kendrick Shanklin hasmoved from halfback to the starter at wide receiver “X” and has rapidlyemerged as a force. He has caught 18 passes the last three games,including a 124-yard game at Georgia and his first touchdown reception atMississippi State.
Quarterbacks – The successor to All-American QB Tim Couch is sophomoreDusty Bonner. Bonner has thrown for at least 250 yards in eight of ninegames this season and has at least three TD passes in five games. He ranksfourth in the nation in completions and completion percentage, seventh intouchdown passes, 10th in passing yardage, and 12th in passing efficiencyand total offense. Bonner was named CNN/SI National Player of the Week forthe Indiana 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. Neither has played for the varsity this season,although each played extensively for the UK junior varsity.
Anthony White On Elite NCAA List
UK halfback Anthony White is one of only four players in Division I-Ahistory who have reached the 1,400-yard mark in rushing and receiving in acareer.
White has 1,635 rushing yards and 1,422 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 1,400-yard rushers and receivers, in order of yearachieved:
Player Team, Years Rush Rec.Darrin Nelson Stanford, 1981-84 4,033 2,368 Brad Muster Stanford, 1984-87 2,940 1,669Glyn Milburn Okla., '88/Stanford, 1990-92 2,302 1,495Anthony White Kentucky, 1996-present 1,635 1,422
White, Homer in Top 13 Rushers in UK History
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 13 rushers in school history.
White is in 10th place in UK history with 1,635 career rushing yards andHomer is 13th with 1,525 yards.
Whalen Breaks NCAA Records
Senior tight end James Whalen, Jr., has broken one NCAA record and hasclinched breaking another.
Whalen has caught 78 passes, breaking the NCAA record for most passreceptions by a tight end in a season. The old record was 73 by DennisSmith of Utah in 1989. Whalen also has clinched breaking the NCAA recordfor receptions per game by a tight end. The record was 6.4 catches pergame by Jamie Asher of Louisville in 1994, Mark Dowdell of Bowling Green in1983, and Chuck Scott of Vanderbilt in 1983. All three players caught 70passes in 11 games. Whalen is averaging 8.7 receptions per game thisseason and has clinched breaking the record, even if he does not catch anypasses in the last two games of the 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 – Ten players see regular action in the line as Coach MikeMajor likes to keep fresh players in the game
? Senior DT George Masseyleads the linemen with 39 tackles, including a career-high seven tacklesand two sacks vs. Connecticut. He has had a tackle for loss in each of thelast four games
? Soph DE Dennis Johnson has 27 tackles, including fivetackles for loss, three quarterback sacks, plus a blocked field goal andblocked punt
? Senior DE Anwar Stewart sustained a sprained ankle in theseason opener and missed three games. He has returned to full speed andhas three quarterback sacks
? Junior Matt Layow has started five games atDE. Layow had a big game at Indiana, tackling the punter for a three-yardloss and nabbing an interception on Indiana’s final possession. He alsohad two sacks against LSU
? Senior DT Jimmy Haley has been in the startinglineup the last seven games.
Linebackers – Senior Jeff Snedegar leads the team in tackles with 69. Hetied his career high with 14 tackles at Mississippi State and had 10 stopsin the win over Arkansas. Snedegar has nine double-figure tackle gamesduring his career. He also leads the team in quarterback sacks with four,including two vs. Mississippi State. He is on the Butkus Award watch listfor the nation’s top linebacker
? Junior OLB Marlon McCree has 57 tackles,including a career high of 10 at Georgia. He is tied for the team lead intackles for loss with nine and leads the team in fumble recoveries withthree
? Sophomore Ryan Murphy has started at MLB since the Connecticutgame. He has 41 tackles, including a season high of eight againstMississippi State. He is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss withnine.
Secondary – SS Willie Gary is second on the team in tackles with 60. Hehad a career-high 12 vs. Louisville, the fourth double-digit tackle game ofhis career. He made the first interception of his career with a pickoff atIndiana. It is doubtful that he will play at Vanderbilt following an ankleinjury sustained in the Mississippi State game
? Gary began the season atFS, but moved to SS when David Johnson was lost for the season aftersuffering a broken orbital bone vs. Louisville
? Sophomore Patrick Wigginsis expected to start in Gary’s place at SS. Wiggins saw his firstsignificant action against Mississippi State while finishing the game afterGary’s injury. Wiggins was a quaarterback in 1997 at Cumberland (Ky.)College before transferring to UK a year ago. Sophomore Anthony Wajdastarted at FS beginning with the Connecticut game. He has fiveinterceptions, including two against LSU, and ranks 16th in the nation ininterceptions per game. He 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. He isquestionable for the Vanderbilt game after sustaining a hamstring injuryvs. Mississippi State
? Grant has six pass breakups this season, includingthree in the win over Arkansas
? Junior Jeremy Bowie is the top reserve atthe corner and has three pass breakups. He will start in Kelly’s place atVanderbilt if Kelly is not able to go.
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 13 of 16 field goal attemptsand 30 of 32 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 44.3 yards. He does not have enough punts to qualify, but if hedid, he would be leading the SEC and rank 10th 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 40 punt returnyards and the Wildcats lead the SEC and rank sixth nationally in netpunting with 40.3 net yards per punt. Smith was the starting punter forWestern Kentucky in 1995 before transferring to UK.
Returners – UK ranks 13th 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 15.6yards per return, including a 56-yard TD return against LSU and a 54-yardrunback at Georgia. He leads the SEC and rates fourth nationally in puntreturns.
Kickoff Analysis
Sophomore Marc Samuel handles kickoffs for Kentucky. Of his 46 “deep”kickoffs, 15 have gone for touchbacks. His other 10 kickoffs include fivesquib 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 nine opponent kicks, includingsix field goals, two punts, and one extra point. 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)
- 1999, Mississippi State punt (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). Hanson alsowas chosen for the Southeastern Conference “Good Works Team.”
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.
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 Compaq “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.
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.”
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: 42 by Gordon Crowe
Most Games Started: 31 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 by Kendrick Shanklin, 1 by Anthony White
Games With Double-Figure Tackles: 9 by Jeff Snedegar, 4 by Willie Gary, 1 by Marlon McCree
Consecutive Games With at Least One Pass Reception: 31 by Anthony White
Scoring in the Blue Zone (20-and-in)
Kentucky: Converted 36 of 42 opportunities for 210 points (26 touchdowns,10 field goals, two held on downs, two interceptions, one missed fieldgoal, one fumble.)
Opponents: Converted 24 of 32 opportunities for 166 points (24 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 5-3record in “nailbiter” games, i.e., games decided by seven points or less.
UK is 0-1 this season in nailbiters, losing last week at MississippiState, 23-22.
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 17-15 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 82-42-1 (.660).
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 lead the SEC and sixth nationally with 40.3 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.Fourteen of UK’s 25 players in the 1999 signing class have played.
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 28 on fourth-down conversions, includingthree of four on fake punts. The 13 successes eventually have led to sixtouchdowns and two field goals. The 15 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 516-486-44 (.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 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.
Five current players are walk-ons who were awarded full scholarships – TECheddi Acham, FB A. J. Simon, P Andy Smith, DE Grayson Smith, and TE JamesWhalen.
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.
