Oct. 23, 2003
Andrew Hopewell, Dustin Williams are Game Captains for the Mississippi State Game: Sophomore running back performer Andrew Hopewell and sophomore linebacker Dustin Williams have been named game captains this week, joining permanent captains Vincent “Sweet Pea” Burns and Jared Lorenzen.
Hopewell has been a stalwart on special teams with six tackles on kick coverage this season. Last Saturday he blocked a punt, helping set up Kentucky’s first touchdown in the win over Ohio. Williams leads the team with 77 tackles and also has two tackles for loss and a pass breakup.
Pre-Game Fun at Commonwealth Stadium: The following activities are available for fans before the Mississippi State game:
Saturday will be “Fan Appreciation Day” at Commonwealth Stadium. Free commemorative posters will be given to the first 25,000 fans entering the stadium.
Country Music Television will have an interactive display for fans. The CMT display will be located next to the ticket booth outside Commonwealth Stadium.
The Wildcat Refuge, featuring giant inflatable games, opens at 9:30 a.m. outside stadium gate 9. There will be a Junior Wildcat Tailgate Party in the Refuge this week (see details below).
Fans are encouraged to meet the team when the Wildcats arrive at approximately 10:15 a.m. at Gate 9. The players will make the “Cat Walk” from Gate 9 to their stadium entry point at Gate 12. Fans are encouraged to line up on the sidewalk and cheer the team as it enters the stadium. The “Cat Walk” is organized by the families of the players, a group that has organized as the Wildcat Football Family Association.
“Rally in the Alley,” featuring live band “Fun With Jello,” begins at 10:30 a.m. between the stadium and the Nutter Field House.
Junior Wildcat Party in the Refuge: There will be a Junior Wildcat Tailgate Party in the Wildcat Refuge on Saturday. All Junior Wildcat members will get a free game ticket. Meet in the Wildcat Refuge at 10:30 a.m. to get your ticket, take pictures with Scratch, play on the inflatables and get some autographs of student-athletes.
Parents will need to purchase accompanying tickets through the UK Ticket Office. All children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call Katie Frazier at 859-257-8022.
Game-Day Honorees: The game-day honorary activities include:
At the end of the first quarter, UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. will have an announcement regarding the University’s capital campaign
At halftime, the 1950 National Championship team will be introduced (see info below)
Also at halftime, Bob, Jimmy, Chris, and Donnie Hoskins will be recognized. The Hoskins’ barn has been painted with a UK logo as part of the “UK Barnstorming” program. The Hoskins live on Highway 42, near Bedford in Trimble County.
At the end of the third quarter, UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. will make a presentation regarding the record amount of research dollars committed to the University during the past year.
Bob Gain to Serve as Honorary Captain; 1950 National Champs Honored: Wildcat legend Bob Gain will serve as honorary captain for the Mississippi State game. Gain won the Outland Trophy for the nation’s best lineman and was co-captain of the 1950 Wildcat squad that has a claim on the national championship.
Players from the 1950 team and their guests will have a reception before the game. At halftime, the players will be introduced and each player will receive a commemorative football. The players also will be fitted for ring sizes, as a championship ring will be made for each player. As this was written, approximately 25 players had committed to return for the event.
Under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, the Wildcats were the best team in the country in 1950, according to the Jeff Sagarin computer rankings. (Sagarin is the computer analyst whose rankings are published in USA Today.)
Kentucky posted an 11-1 record that season, winning its first Southeastern Conference championship with a league mark of 5-1. The Wildcats topped the campaign with the most famous win in school history, the 13-7 Sugar Bowl triumph that snapped No. 1-ranked Oklahoma’s 31-game winning streak.
Game to Feature Cousin vs. Cousin: Junior kicker Clint Ruth and Mississippi State redshirt freshman tight end Steven Arant are first cousins.
Ruth has had an outstanding season as the team’s kickoff specialist. Ruth has notched touchbacks on 56 percent of his kickoffs this season, including 13 of 20 (65 percent) in his last four games. Arant has played in four games for the Bulldogs.
Ironically, both players wear uniform number 95, a number that neither wore in high school nor selected in college.
Remember, Daylight Savings Time Ends Sunday Morning: Ah, that wonderful, blessed night of an extra hour of man-made rest is upon us!
Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday morning. When you go to bed Saturday night, set your clocks one hour earlier.
