Dec. 17, 1999

HomePoint.com Music City Bowl

Kentucky (6-5, 4-4)
vs.
Syracuse (6-5, 3-4)

Dec. 29, 1999, 4 p.m. EST, 3 p.m. CST
Adelphia Coliseum (cap. 67,000), Nashville, TN

Wildcats Headlines

• Kentucky makes first appearance in the HomePoint.com Music City Bowl
• Kentucky goes back-to-back bowling for the first time since 1983-84
• First matchup between Kentucky and Syracuse
• Final game for 12 Kentucky seniors
• UK in nation’s top 20 in net punting, punt returns, kickoff returns, andpassing offense
• UK defense leads SEC in takeaways with 31
• QB Dusty Bonner among nation’s leaders in passing and total offense
• All-America TE James Whalen leads the nation’s tight ends in receptions,yardage, and touchdowns and set two NCAA receiving records for tight ends

On the Tube

The game will be televised by ESPN. Rich Waltz will call theplay-by-play, with analysis by Gino Torretta and sideline reports by DonMcPherson.

This will be Kentucky’s ninth game on live national or regional networktelevision, breaking the school record of eight TV games set last season.

On the Radio

UK Network — The University of Kentucky Football Radio Network will carrythe broadcast on approximately 80 stations. The network includes flagshipstation WVLK (590 AM) in Lexington and 50,000-watt stations WHAS (840 AM)and WSAI (1530 AM).

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.

National — The game will be syndicated nationally by Westwood One RadioNetwork. Brad Sham calls the play-by-play, with Tom Walsh providing theanalysis.

1999 Kentucky Results (6-5, 4-4 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   UK 19, Vanderbilt 17 (A)Nov. 20   Tennessee 56, UK 21 (H)

Syracuse Results (6-5, 3-4 BIG EAST)

Sept. 2   SU 35, Toledo 12 (A)   Sept. 11  SU 47, Central Michigan 7 (H)Sept. 18  Michigan 18, SU 13 (H)Sept. 25  SU 30, West Virginia 7 (H)Oct. 2    SU 47, Tulane 17 (H)Oct. 7    SU 24, Pittsburgh 17 (A)Oct. 16   Virginia Tech 62, SU 0 (A)Oct. 30   Boston College 24, SU 23 (H)Nov. 6    SU 27, Temple 10 (H)Nov. 13   Rutgers 24, SU 21 (A)Nov. 27   Miami 45, SU 13 (A)

How Experienced are the Tentative Starters?

       Sr.   Jr.   Soph.   RFr.   Fr.UK      6     5      9      0      2SU     10     8      4      0      0   

UK vs. the BIG EAST

Kentucky has never met Syracuse on the football field, but UK has anall-time record of 29-20-4 against teams that currently comprise the BIGEAST, including 0-1 vs. Boston College, 5-3 vs. Miami (Fla.), 2-2-1 vs.Rutgers, 11-6-2 vs. Virginia Tech, and 11-8-1 vs. West Virginia.

UK’s last game vs. a BIG EAST foe was in 1990 when the Wildcats lost atRutgers, 24-8.

UK Sets School Record for TV Appearances

The bowl game will be Kentucky’s ninth appearance on national or regionaltelevision this season, breaking the school record.

Kentucky has an all-time record of 20-58-1 on live national or regionalTV, including 3-5 this season. The Wildcats are 5-13 all-time in gamestelecast by ESPN or ESPN2, including 2-2 this year.

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.

Final Game for 12 Seniors, C. M. Newton

The bowl game marks the final appearance for 12 Wildcats seniors. Thelist of UK seniors includes:

TE Cheddi Acham, London, Ontario
DT Gordon Crowe, Lancaster, Ky.
DT Matt Dusing, Edgewood, Ky.
DT Jimmy Haley, Lowell, Mass.
DT George Massey, Lynch, Ky.
FB A. J. Simon, Newport, Ky.
P Andy Smith, Franklin, Ky.
LB Jeff Snedegar, Salesville, Ohio
DE Anwar Stewart, Panama City, Fla.
FB Lee Wesley, Campbellton, Fla.
TE James Whalen, Jr., Portland, Ore.
FB Anthony White, Twinsburg Heights, Ohio

The bowl game also is expected to be the final official football game forC. M. Newton, UK Director of Athletics, who has announced tentative plansto retire in 2000.

Bowl History

This will be the 10th bowl game in Kentucky history. The Wildcats have a5-4 record in bowl games.

Season	Date	Bowl	Result
1947	12-6-47	Great Lakes	UK 24, Villanova 14
1949	1-2-50	Orange	Santa Clara 21, UK 13
1950	1-1-51	Sugar	UK 13, Oklahoma 7
1951	1-1-52	Cotton	UK 20, TCU 7
1976	12-31-76	Peach	UK 21, N. Carolina 0
1983	12-22-83	Hall of Fame	W. Virginia 20, UK 16
1984	12-29-84	Hall of Fame	UK 20, Wisconsin 19
1993	12-31-93	Peach	Clemson 14, UK 13
1998	1-1-99	Outback	Penn State 26, UK 14

UK to Play in New NFL Stadium For Second Consecutive Season

For the second year in a row, the Wildcats will play in a new NationalFootball League stadium for their bowl game.

Last season, Kentucky played the Outback Bowl in Raymond James Stadium,which was in its first year of operation as the home of the Tampa BayBuccaneers.

In the HomePoint.com Music City Bowl, UK will play in the new AdelphiaColiseum, the home of the Tennessee Titans.

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. All but Arkansas have been in the top 10.

In addition, all five of Kentucky’s losses came against teams that willplay in bowl games.

Wildcats Headed to Back-to-Back Bowls

Kentucky will be going to bowl games in consecutive seasons for only thethird time in school history, in addition to 1949-50-51 seasons and 1983-84seasons.

Following last year’s 7-4 season, the Wildcats played Penn State in theOutback Bowl on Jan. 1, 1999 – Kentucky’s first New Year’s Day appearancein 47 years.

Thanks to massive support by Kentucky fans, the Outback Bowl enjoyed thefirst sellout in the game’s history. UK sold 27,000 tickets from theuniversity ticket office, crowd estimates judged that 40-45,000 of the66,000 fans were pulling for the Wildcats.

Wildcats Surpass Expectations

Following the loss of 20 seniors from the 1998 team, plus the departure of#1 NFL draft pick Tim Couch, media expectations were not high for Kentuckyin 1999.

Sports Illustrated, for instance, picked UK to go 2-9, based on itsrankings of the 114 Division I-A teams. Athlon Publications forecasted theWildcats to finish dead last in the SEC Eastern Division. Lindy’sSoutheastern Football picked UK to be fifth, noting that “Minus Couch,Kentucky headed back to the bottom.”

The Wildcats defied the predictions, however, by winning six games.Included were four SEC victories, good enough to land the Wildcats infourth place in the rugged SEC Eastern Division.

Kudos are in order for the media who accurately saw the Wildcats landingin fourth in the SEC East – The Sporting News, Preview Sports, Street andSmith’s, and the media selectors at the annual SEC Football Media Days.

Notes on the Wildcats Wins

Kentucky counted the win over I-AA Connecticut toward the six wins neededto 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.

Kentucky’s win at Vanderbilt made the Wildcats bowl-eligible for thesecond consecutive season.

UK defeated Vanderbilt for the fourth consecutive year.

Young Team

Coach Hal Mumme is fielding a relatively young team this season. Here aresome facts 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, 13 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 didn’t turn 18 until after the completion of theregular season.

Charting the Tendencies

Kentucky has a 18-16 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: 13-5
• UK loses 0 or 1 turnover: 8-1
• UK is plus or even in turnover margin: 12-2
• UK creates four or more turnovers: 6-1
• 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 made progress in that area.

In 1999, Kentucky has a turnover margin of +3 and the Wildcats are tiedfor 36th in the nation in that category. UK was -11 in margin in 1998 and-5 in 1997.

The biggest reason for improvement is takeaways by the Kentucky defense.The Wildcats have garnered 16 interceptions and 15 opponent fumbles thisseason for a total of 31 takeaways, most in the SEC. UK totaled 16takeaways for the entire 1998 season and 20 in 1997. The 31 takeaways arethe most for a Wildcats team since 1985.

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 Record Set

In six games in the expanded Commonwealth Stadium, UK averaged 67,756 inattendance, setting a school record.

The previous record was 59,110 in 1997, Hal Mumme’s first as head coach ofthe Wildcats.

Kentucky had three sellouts this season, Louisville, Florida, andTennessee. Twelve of the 18 home games under Hal Mumme have been sold out.

Wildcats in the SEC Stats

Team and individual stats in the top three in the SEC during the 1999 season:

Team Passing Offense: 1st, 299 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: 1st, 136.8 rating points
Kickoff Returns: 3rd, 23.3 yards per return
Punt Returns: 1st, 13.8 yards per return
Net Punting: 1st, 39.9 yards per punt
Field Goal Percentage: 3rd, 82.4 percent
Time of Possession: 2nd, 32:16 of time per game
Individual Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 1st, 296.9 yards per game
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 1st, 137.0 rating points
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 1st, 284.1 yards per game
Receptions: James Whalen 1st, 8.2 per game
Receiving Yardage: James Whalen 3rd, 92.6 yds. per game
TD Receptions: James Whalen T1st, 10 TDs
Interceptions: Anthony Wajda T3rd, 0.45 int. per game
Punt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 1st, 13.5 yards per return
Punting: Andy Smith 3rd, 42.7 yards per punt
TD Scoring: James Whalen 3rd, 5.6 points per game
Field Goal Percentage: Marc Samuel 3rd, 82.4 percent

Wildcats in the NCAA Stats

Team and individual stats in the NCAA top 25:

Team Passing Offense: 13th, 299 yards per game
Net Punting: 5th, 39.9 net yards per punt
Punt Returns: 10th, 13.8 yards per return
Kickoff Returns: 20th, 23.3 yards per return
Individual Pass Attempts: Dusty Bonner 6th, 465 attempts
Pass Completions: Dusty Bonner 4th, 303 completions
Completion Percentage: Dusty Bonner 5th, 65.2 percent
Passing Yardage: Dusty Bonner 10th, 3266 yards
Touchdown Passes: Dusty Bonner 9th, 26 TDs
Passing Efficiency: Dusty Bonner 19th, 137.0 rating points
Total Offense: Dusty Bonner 13th, 284.1 yards per game
Punting: Andy Smith 22nd, 42.7 yards per punt
Punt Returns: Kendrick Shanklin 15th, 13.5 yards per ret.
Receptions: James Whalen 5th, 8.2 per game
Receiving Yards Per Game: James Whalen 21st, 92.6 yards per game
Interceptions: Anthony Wajda T20th, 0.45 per game

“Air Raid” Offense

UK’s “Air Raid” offense is being rebuilt during the 1999 season ? Runningbacks Anthony White and Derek Homer and wide receiver Quentin McCord arethe only offensive starters who were regular starters during the 1998season … Despite the massive turnover in personnel, Kentucky has averaged28.6 points and 374.5 yards of total offense this season, both of whichrank fifth in the SEC ? UK’s 1998 offense produced more points and moreyards than any team in school history.

Offensive Line – The starting line includes one junior, three sophomores,and a true freshman, replacing the five seniors who started last season …The 1999 line now has a total of 61 career starts — 15 by LT Matt Brown,12 by C Nolan DeVaughn and RT Omar Smith, and 11 by LG Kip Sixbery and RGJosh Parrish ? UK’s five starting linemen played every offensive play ofthe 1999 season until the Tennessee game, when DeVaughn left the gamebecause of injury and was replaced by Aaron Daniel ? 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. Hecaught 90 passes for 1,019 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the nation’stight ends in all three categories. He broke two NCAA records forreceptions by a tight end, see next page for more details. His 8.2receptions per game leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally. He alsoleads the SEC in TD catches. He has been named first-team All-America bythe Football Writers Association of America, The Associated Press, theWalter Camp Football Foundation, CNN/SI, and CBS Sports Line. He is aconsensus All-SEC honoree ? 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, Georgia, and Tennessee. With10 catches at Indiana and 12 vs. Florida, he became the first player inschool history to make double-digit receptions in consecutive games. Hetied a school record 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 attight end and as a slot receiver. Each saw extensive action againstTennessee, with Smith catching six passes for 85 yards and Blizzard fivefor 60 ? Another freshman who was seeing action, Chase Harp, has been lostfor the season because of a stress fracture.

Running Backs – Senior Anthony White leads the team in rushing with 562yards and five touchdowns. He went over the 100-yard mark in consecutivegames with 119 yards vs. Connecticut and 130 yards at Indiana. It was thefirst time a Wildcat runner has had consecutive 100-yard games since DerickLogan did so in 1996. UK is 5-0 in White’s career when he rushes for 100or more yards. White ranks second in UK history and third in SEC history inpass receptions with 194 and seventh in UK career rushing with 1,758 yards. White is one of three players in NCAA Division I-A history who have morethan 1,500 rushing yards and 1,500 receiving yards in a career (see chartat right). White also is the first player in school history to surpass the1,000-yard mark in combined rushing and receiving yards for threeconsecutive seasons. He was a candidate for the Dr Pepper Doak WalkerAward for the nation’s top running back.

Junior Derek Homer, who led the team in rushing a year ago, has 332rushing yards. He had a season high 86 yards at South Carolina and alsorushed for 83 yards and a touchdown vs. Florida. Homer ranks 12th on theUK career rushing list with 1,550 yards ? Seniors A. J. Simon and LeeWesley, along with freshmen Artose Pinner and Jeremy Davis, see spot dutyat the running back slots.

Wide Receivers – A less experienced group than a year ago following thedeparture of three seniors, including Craig Yeast, the leading passreceiver in SEC history … The only senior in the current group, JimmyRobinson, sustained a broken arm during the summer and is lost for theseason ? Junior Garry Davis is the leading wide receiver with 26 catchesfor 312 yards and a touchdown ? Freshman Brad Pyatt has caught 21 for 207yards, including two TDs. He has been slowed by an injured foot and hopesto be at full speed for the bowl game ? Quentin McCord has been a big playguy among the wide receivers. He has just 18 catches so far, but six arefor touchdowns and he is averaging 21.5 yards per catch. He playedsparingly the last three games of the season because of a sprained arch inhis foot, but still managed to make the 80-yard touchdown catch-and-run forthe game-winning score at Vanderbilt. He hopes to return to full speed forthe bowl ? 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 ? Sophomore Kendrick Shanklin has moved from halfback to the starterat wide receiver “X.” He had a 124-yard game at Georgia and his firsttouchdown reception at Mississippi State.

Quarterbacks – The successor to All-American QB Tim Couch is sophomoreDusty Bonner. Bonner has thrown for at least 250 yards in nine of 11 gamesthis season and has at least three TD passes in six games. He ranks fourthin the nation in completions, fifth in completion percentage, ninth intouchdowns, 10th in passing yardage, 13th in total offense, and 19th inpassing efficiency. He leads the SEC in all six of those categories.Bonner was named CNN/SI National Player of the Week for the Indiana gameafter completing 24 of 31 passes for 304 yards and five touchdowns. He seta school record against Connecticut with 16 consecutive completions,breaking Tim Couch’s mark of 13 set on three occasions. He was one of 25players selected for the watch list for the Davey O’Brien NationalQuarterback Award … Redshirt freshman Mike Scipione is the backup,followed closely by junior walk-on Mark Perry. Neither has played for thevarsity this season, although each played extensively for the UK juniorvarsity.

Anthony White On Elite NCAA List

UK running back Anthony White is one of only three players in Division I-Ahistory who have reached the 1,500-yard mark in rushing and receiving in acareer.

White has 1,758 rushing yards and 1,520 receiving yards as a Wildcat.Here is the list of 1,500-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   1,669Anthony White, Kentucky, 1996-present   1,758   1,520

White Makes 1,000 For Third Year in a Row

UK running back Anthony White has gained more than 1,000 yards fromscrimmage in combined rushing and receiving yards for three consecutiveseasons. He is the first Kentucky player to accomplish that feat.

White picked up 1,176 rushing and receiving yards in 1997, 1,019 yards in1998, and 1,031 this season.

White, Homer in Top 12 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 12 rushers in school history.

White is in seventh place in UK history with 1,758 career rushing yardsand Homer is 12th with 1,550 yards.

Whalen Breaks NCAA Records

Senior tight end James Whalen, Jr., has broken two NCAA records this season.

Whalen caught 90 passes, breaking the NCAA record for most pass receptionsby a tight end in a season. The old record was 73 by Dennis Smith of Utahin 1989.Whalen also broke the NCAA record for receptions per game by atight end. The record was 6.4 catches per game by Jamie Asher ofLouisville in 1994, Mark Dowdell of Bowling Green in 1983, and Chuck Scottof Vanderbilt in 1983. All three players caught 70 passes in 11 games.Whalen averaged 8.2 receptions per 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 UK defenseled the SEC in “takeaways” (fumbles recovered plus interceptions) thisseason with 31 ? The defense had an outstanding second half vs.Connecticut, shutting out the Huskies while allowing just two first downsand 47 total yards ? UK forced four turnovers against Indiana, includingthree in the final quarter to preserve the victory. UK is 6-1 in the Mummeera when forcing four or more turnovers ? UK held Arkansas to 20 points, atthat time the fewest of the Houston Nutt era. With the game on the line inthe fourth quarter, the defensive unit came up with an interception andalso stopped the Hogs on four downs twice ? UK held South Carolina to threepoints and 79 total yards during the first three quarters of that game ? UKdid not allow a touchdown against LSU and limited the visitors to 227 yardstotal offense ? UK garnered four turnovers and a safety at Vanderbilt.

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 50 tackles, including a career-high nine tackles vs.Tennessee and two sacks vs. Connecticut ? Soph DE Dennis Johnson has 39tackles and leads the team in quarterback sacks with five. He also has sixtackles for loss, plus a blocked field goal and blocked punt. Johnson hashad a sack, tackle for loss, or blocked a kick in every game but two thisseason. He was a second-team All-SEC pick by the Associated Press ? SeniorDE Anwar Stewart sustained a sprained ankle in the season opener and missedthree games. He has returned to full speed and has four quarterback sacks. He won the Compaq “Best Hit of the Week in College Football” award after acrunching block on a punt return vs. Georgia. He knocked away two passesat Vanderbilt and caused a fumble ? Junior Matt Layow started five gamesat DE. Layow had a big game at Indiana, tackling the punter for athree-yard loss and nabbing an interception on Indiana’s final possession.He also had two sacks against LSU.

Linebackers – Senior Jeff Snedegar leads the team in tackles with 84,ranking second in the SEC among outside linebackers. He tied his careerhigh with 14 tackles at Mississippi State and had 10 stops in the win overArkansas. Snedegar has nine double-figure tackle games during his career.He is second on the team in quarterback sacks with four, including two vs.Mississippi State. He was on the Butkus Award watch list for the nation’stop linebacker and was chosen first-team All-SEC by the league coaches andBirmingham News ? Junior OLB Marlon McCree has 68 tackles, including acareer high of 10 at Georgia. He leads the team in tackles for loss with11, the second-highest single-season total in school history, and leads theteam in fumble recoveries with three ? Sophomore Ryan Murphy has started atMLB since the Connecticut game. He has 50 tackles, including a season highof eight against Mississippi State. He is second on the team in tacklesfor loss with nine.

Secondary – SS Willie Gary is fourth 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. Gary, however, suffered a sprained ankle at Mississippi State andmissed the last two games. He should be available for a bowl game ? Garybegan the season at FS, but moved to SS when David Johnson was lost for theseason after suffering a broken orbital bone vs. Louisville ? SophomorePatrick Wiggins started in Gary’s place at SS vs. Vanderbilt and respondedwith an interception, a tackle for loss on a crucial third-down play, andcaused the fumble that preserved the win for the Wildcats. He was namedSEC Defensive Player of the Week for that performance. Wiggins was aquarterback in 1997 at Cumberland (Ky.) College before transferring to UK ayear ago ? Sophomore Anthony Wajda started at FS beginning with theConnecticut game. He has five interceptions, including two against LSU,and ranks 20th in the nation in interceptions per game. He also returned afumble for a touchdown at South Carolina. He was named SEC DefensivePlayer of the Week and “Unsung Hero of the Week” by CNN/SI for the LSUgame. He was named second-team All-SEC by league coaches ? Juniors EricKelly and Kenneth Grant have handled most of the playing time atcornerback. Kelly has tied the single-season school record for passbreakups with 13, including an astonishing total of six against Arkansasand four against LSU. He has three interceptions this season, including apickoff at Indiana set up Marc Samuel’s game-clinching field goal in thefinal minutes. However, he sustained a strained hamstring at MississippiState, played only briefly at Vanderbilt, and did not play againstTennessee. He hopes to return for a bowl game ? Grant has seven passbreakups this season, including three in the win over Arkansas ? JuniorJeremy Bowie is the top reserve at the corner and has four pass breakups.He started in Kelly’s place against Tennessee ? Freshman Derrick Tatum sawaction against Tennessee and collected an interception and fumble recovery.

Checking the Defensive Progress

The Kentucky defense has shown improvement each season since Coach HalMumme and defensive coordinator Mike Major took over in 1997. Here’s achart of the progress:

                         1997    1998    1999 Yards Per Game Allowed   392.3   386.1   373.7   Points Per Game Allowed   32.9    30.9   29.4Turnovers Gained          20      16     31

A Look at the Specialists

Kickers – Junior Seth Hanson, a two-year starter and preseason All-SECpick by some selectors, was sidelined by a strained quadriceps muscle andthe coaches are redshirting him … Sophomore Marc Samuel has been calledupon in Hanson’s place and leads the team in scoring with 77 points. Hehas made 14 of 17 field goal attempts and 35 of 37 extra points. Samuelmade a career-best three field goals at Indiana, providing the margin ofvictory in UK’s 44-35 win. He also made a 44-yarder against the Hoosiersthat is his longest. Samuel tied his career best with three field goals atSouth Carolina. He was one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Awardthat goes to the nation’s best kicker. He’s also been named to theAcademic All-District IV team and was on the national ballot for AcademicAll-America.

Punters – Senior Andy Smith, in his first season as a starter, isaveraging 42.7 yards. He is third in the SEC and 22nd in the nation inpunting average. He is a consensus first-team All-SEC selection. Two ofhis punts against Connecticut were downed on the one- and three-yard lines. He also punted well in the win over Arkansas, averaging 50 yards on threepunts, none of which were returned. UK has given up just 53 punt returnyards and the Wildcats lead the SEC and rank fifth nationally in netpunting with a school-record 39.9 net yards per punt. Smith was thestarting punter for Western Kentucky in 1995 before transferring to UK.

Returners – UK ranks 20th nationally in kickoff returns with an average of23.3 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 since Allen’s injury ? Shanklin also handles punt returns. Heaverages 13.5 yards per return, including a 56-yard TD return against LSUand a 54-yard runback at Georgia. He leads the SEC and rates 15thnationally in punt returns.

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)

UK Sets Net Punting Record

UK broke the school record for net punting average in a season. UKaveraged 39.92 net yards per punt in 1999, edging the previous schoolrecord of 39.90 net yards per punt in 1984.

Kickoff Analysis

Sophomore Marc Samuel handles kickoffs for Kentucky. Of his 53 “deep”kickoffs, 15 have gone for touchbacks. His other 11 kickoffs include fivesquib kicks, two pop-ups, and four onside.

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 earned nominations forthe GTE District IV Academic All-America team. Simon has a 3.22 gradepoint average with a major in art studio. Samuel has a 3.885 GPA with adouble major in business and finance. Samuel, in fact, arrived at UK inJan. 1997, and by taking extra loads, graduated in Aug. 1999 – even thoughhe is only a sophomore in eligibility. This semester he is doing legalresearch as an intern for a law professor. Samuel was voted to theAcademic All-District IV team and has advanced to the national ballot forAcademic All-America.
• SS Patrick Wiggins was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week for hisshowing at Vanderbilt. Making his first collegiate start, Wigginscollected seven tackles, an interception, a key goal line stop that forceda field goal try, and knocked loose the game-clinching fumble with twominutes to go in the game.

Post-Season National Award Watch

• Jeff Snedegar was on the watch list for the Dick Butkus Award, which goesto the nation’s top linebacker.
• Anthony White was on the watch list for the Doak Walker Award, which goesto the nation’s top running back.
• Dusty Bonner was one of 25 players on the list for the Davey O’BrienAward, which goes to the nation’s top quarterback.
• Marc Samuel was one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, whichgoes to the nation’s best kicker.

Wildcats on the All-America Teams

• Tight end James Whalen, Jr., was named first-team All-America by theFootball Writers Association of America, the Walter Camp FootballFoundation, CNN/SI, and CBS Sports Line. He was named second-teamAll-America by Football News. He was named third-team All-America byBirmingham News.
• Offensive guard Kip Sixbery was named first-team Freshman All-America byThe Sporting News and second-team Freshman All-America by Football News.

Wildcats on the All-SEC Teams

• TE James Whalen, Jr., was named first-team All-SEC by The AssociatedPress, SEC Coaches, Football News and Birmingham News.
• Punter Andy Smith was named first-team All-SEC by The Associated Press,SEC Coaches, Football News and Birmingham News.
• Linebacker Jeff Snedegar was chosen first-team All-SEC by SEC Coaches andBirmingham News.
• Free safety was picked second-team All-SEC by SEC Coaches and honorablemention All-SEC by The Associated Press.

Numbers Here, Numbers There

Here are some various career statistical superlatives among currentplayers, including regular-season games only.

Most Games Played: 44 by Gordon Crowe

Most Games Started: 33 by Jeff Snedegar

100-Yard Rushing Games: 5 by Anthony White, 4 by Derek Homer

100-Yard Receiving Games: 5 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: 33 by Anthony White

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

Kentucky: Converted 40 of 46 opportunities for 234 points (29 touchdowns,11 field goals, two held on downs, two interceptions, one missed fieldgoal, one fumble.)

Opponents: Converted 26 of 35 opportunities for 176 points (25 touchdowns,one field goal, three missed field goals, two held on downs, one fumble,one blocked field goal, one interception, one end of game).

Charting the Nailbiters

In Hal Mumme’s three seasons as head coach of the Wildcats, UK has a 6-3record in “nailbiter” games, i.e., games decided by seven points or less.

UK is 1-1 this season in nailbiters, coming in the games vs. MississippiState and Vanderbilt.

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 an 18-16 record in his third seasonas head coach of the Wildcats. Mumme is the first UK coach to have awinning record in his first three seasons since Blanton Collier in 1954-56.Along with Paul “Bear” Bryant and Jerry Claiborne – both of whom are inthe College Football Hall of Fame – Mumme is one of three coaches who hastaken Kentucky to consecutive bowl games. He was voted 1997 GTE Region 2Coach of the Year by his peers in the American Football CoachesAssociation. He is in his 11th season as a collegiate head coach and has arecord of 83-43-1 (.657).

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.

Mumme the South/Southwest Coach of the Year, Also One of the Nation’s TopRecruiters

Hal Mumme was picked as the South/Southwest Coach of the Year by FootballNews. The South/Southwest Region covers 15 states and includes theSoutheastern Conference, Big 12 Conference, and Conference USA.

Mumme also has been recognized as one of the nation’s top 15 recruiters byrecruiting analyst Tom Lemming. In an article written for ESPN.com,Lemming picked his top 15 talent gatherers and wrote this about Mumme: “Imust admit I was skeptical when Mumme took the reins in Lexington threeyears ago. Now I have nothing but admiration for this highly charged,fast-talking and smooth recruiter. He has put together the hardest-workingstaff in college football and he himself will outwork most head coaches.In the home he is a humorous and emotional recruiter with a convincing style.”

“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 on the next page for fourth-down analysis.

• Limited hitting in practice: The Wildcats had four scrimmages in thespring and none in August. Otherwise, hitting in practice is limited towork on technique, there is no full-scale hitting or tackling to the ground.

  “We’re not going to get anybody hurt if we can help it,” Mumme says. “Why get hurt during the week when you’regoing to play on Saturday?”

  “Mummeball is more classroom than battlefield,” wrote John Clay of theLexington Herald-Leader. “The head coach is not a Schwarzkopf but analchemist, busy turning ordinary metals into gold.”

  The approach paid off with fewer injuries in 1997, when only four playersmissed games because of injury. Seven players missed at least one game viainjury in 1998. By comparison, a total of 18 players missed games becauseof injury in 1996 under a conventional practice system.

• Open practices: All practices are open to fans and media. “I think theguys like crowds,” Mumme says. ” I know when I was playing I liked toperform in front of crowds. I think it makes them practice better.”

  As for the fear of having his plays stolen, Mumme replies,”There aren’t many secrets anymore. Everybody pretty much knows whateverybody is doing.”

• Punting the ball out of bounds: UK’s punts are designed to go near thesideline or out of bounds. The strategy improved Kentucky’s net puntingfrom 32.7 yards per punt in 1996 to 37 yards per punt in 1997. In 1998,Kentucky was fifth in the SEC in net punting with 37.4 net yards per punt.Currently, the Wildcats lead the SEC and are fifth nationally with 39.9yards 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.Eighteen 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.

UK Assistants Hired as Head Coaches

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Coach Hal Mumme isreceiving plenty of compliments, as two of his former assistant coacheshave been hired as head coaches with the hope of duplicating the success ofhis system.

Current UK quarterbacks/receivers coach Chris Hatcher has been hired asthe head coach at Valdosta State University. Hatcher played for Mumme atValdosta State and has been on the UK staff the past three seasons as agraduate assistant (1996-97) and full-time assistant (1998). Hatcher willhelp coach the Wildcats through the Music City Bowl.

And, former Mumme assistant Mike Leach has been chosen as the head coachat Texas Tech. Leach was an assistant with Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan(1989-91), Valdosta State (1992-96), and Kentucky (1997-98). Leach was theoffensive coordinator at Oklahoma during the 1999 season, helping theSooners achieve a 7-4 record and a berth in the Sanford Independence Bowl.

Fourth-Down Analysis

In 1999, Kentucky has made 13 of 30 on fourth-down conversions, includingthree of four on fake punts. The 13 successes eventually have led to sixtouchdowns and two field goals. The 17 missed conversions have resulted ineight 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 517-487-44 (.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

Potential Redshirts

Assuming they don’t play in the bowl game, these scholarship players willbe redshirted for 1999:

Freshmen: Derek Abney, Drew Ashcraft, Octavius Bond, Terrence Calhoun,Richard Evans, Jared Lorenzen, Nick Seitze.

Sophomores: Richard Hardin, David Johnson, Martez Johnson, Mike Kamphake.

Juniors:
Seth Hanson, Jermaine White.

Senior: WR Jimmy Robinson has been granted a sixth year to complete hiseligibility because of the broken arm sustained during the summer.

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.
• Jerry Claiborne, former UK player, assistant coach, and head coach, wasinducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the annual NationalFootball Foundation and Hall of Fame dinner in New York on Dec. 7.
• Kentucky is in its 27th season in Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcatshave a record of 93-71-4 (.559) in Commonwealth since the stadium opened in1973. Kentucky is 11-7 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 16 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.