Kentucky Opens 129th Season with First-Time Foe Toledo
Coming off its most successful season in four decades, Kentucky returns to action this Saturday as it opens the 2019 season against first-time foe Toledo at Kroger Field. The game is set for a noon ET kickoff and will air on the SEC Network.
The long-awaited return to the field comes on the heels of a 10-win season that captured the hearts and imagination of UK fans and saw one of the most decorated classes in school history shine in the NFL Draft. Now the spotlight turns to a new stable of talented players looking to carve their own name into UK lore, including second-year QB Terry Wilson, explosive RB A.J. Rose, WR Lynn Bowden Jr., linebackers Kash Daniel, Josh Paschal and Boogie Watson, and an entirely new secondary.
Offensively, the Cats will look to a deep and talented offensive line to pave the way for a trio of backs seeking to follow in the footsteps of Benny Snell Jr., as well as a group of receivers with length and game-breaking ability.
Defensively, the defensive line is considered a significant strength and is expected to help assuage the youth movement on the back end of the unit as it gains game experience.
Cat Scratches: Opener Brings Unique Challenges for Kentucky
The Kentucky Wildcats haven’t given away a day this offseason.
Winter, spring, summer and finally during preseason camp, Mark Stoops saw a team that was locked in and ready to built on UK’s best season in 41 years.
“I think they played with a good hunger, desire to get better,” Stoops said. “They competed every day. I want them to put their heads down, you know, kind of submit to what we’re doing, just buy into it, walk away from the distractions. There’s a lot of mental preparation that goes into it during camp. They have to do a lot of walk-throughs, a lot of meetings, practice. They have to kind of submit, be all there all the time.
“I felt like there was really good focus and energy.”
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| Kentucky vs. Toledo | ||
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| Sat., Aug. 31 – 12 p.m. ET Kroger Field Lexington, Ky. Game Notes: UK  | UT Digital Gameday Program Gameday App |
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TV: SEC Network |
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| UK | Team Stats | UT |
| 10-3 | 2018 Record | 7-6 |
| 5-3 | Conference Record | 5-3 |
| 26.6 | Scoring/game | 40.4 |
| 360.8 | Total offense/game | 443.8 |
| 199.4 | Rushing yards/game | 215.9 |
| 161.5 | Passing yards/game | 227.9 |
| 20.7 | Kickoff returns (avg) | 19.9 |
| 13.2 | Punt returns (avg) | 13.2 |
| 44.8 | Punting (avg) | 40.3 |
| 30:40 | Time of possession/game | 29:26 |
| 40.0% | Third down conversion | 36.9% |
| 60.0% | Fourth down conversion | 45.0% |
| 16.9 | Points allowed/game | 30.5 |
| 337.9 | Total yards allowed/game | 432.3 |
| 151.6 | Rush yards allowed/game | 177.2 |
| 186.3 | Pass yards allowed/game | 255.1 |
The focus and energy might never have waned over a nearly eight-month offseason, but that doesn’t mean the Cats aren’t looking forward to having all their preparations behind them. Come Saturday at noon when UK plays host to Toledo, they will be.
“I feel like it’s been a long time coming,” Boogie Watson said. “Summer was long. Camp felt like it was long, but now it’s finally here so we’re excited to get going.”
Energy, in other words, figures to be no issue when the Cats and Rockets finally kick off. That doesn’t come without pitfalls though…Read More
Scouting Toledo
• Toledo went 7-6 last season and finished second in the MAC West Division at 5-3.
• The Rockets lost to FIU, 35-32, in the 2018 Bahamas Bowl.
• The Rockets return 14 starters: seven on offense, five on defense, 2 specialists.
• Running back Bryant Koback, who began his career at Kentucky, is the centerpiece of the offense after rushing for a team-high 917 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2018.
• Mitchell Guadagni returns at quarterback after his 2018 season was cut short by injury after seven games. Before he was hurt he passed for 1,053 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games, as well as rushed for 428 yards and three scores.
• Toledo ranked 25th nationally in rushing offense in 2018 and 30th in total offense.
• The defense returns two defensive line starters and three in the secondary.
• The program has proven to be one of the most consistent winners in the country with nine consecutive winning seasons and 83 victories over that span. The team owns a .692 winning percentage during that time and has recorded at least nine wins in six of the past eight seasons.
Series vs. Toledo
• This is the first meeting between the two programs.
• UK is 20-3 all-time vs. teams from the current alignment of the Mid-American Conference.
• The Cats have won 10 straight games vs. schools from the MAC.
Kentucky-Toledo Connections
• Kentucky has an Ohio-heavy roster with 23 players hailing from the state, including two from the Toledo area: Freshman DL Cavon Butler and senior DL Phil Hoskins.
• UK defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale spent three seasons in the MAC at Toledo, helping lead the Rockets to bowl games in 2010 and 2011.
• Tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow coached at Toledo, his alma mater, in 2008.
• Marrow played two seasons at Toledo, earning second-team All-Mid-American Conference honors in 1991 before being drafted by the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in 1992.
• Marrow graduated from Toledo with a degree in criminal justice.
• Toledo running back Bryant Koback began his career at Kentucky before transferring to Toledo to be closer to home. He led the Rockets with 917 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns last season.
• Toledo has two players from the Bluegrass State: Sophomore CB Desmond Bernard (Lexington) and freshman OL Parker Bisek (Union).
A UK Win Would…
• Improve UK’s record to 88-36-5 in season openers, including 5-2 under coach Mark Stoops.
• Give UK its 11th consecutive win over a MAC team, dating back to 2006.
• Improve UK’s record to 21-3 vs. teams from the MAC.
• Give Kentucky wins in three straight season openers, five of the past six and 10 of the last 13 openers.
• Give Kentucky its sixth straight non-conference win.
• Improve UK’s overall record at Kroger Field to 162-133-4 (.549).
• Improve coach Mark Stoops’ record at home to 26-17 overall and 16-4 vs. non-SEC foes.
Stoops Named SEC Coach of the Year
• Head coach Mark Stoops was named SEC Coach of the Year by the AP and Coaches, becoming the first UK coach to earn Coach of the Year honors since Jerry Claiborne in 1983.
• Stoops was named the No. 1 coaching performance in the 2018 college football season by CollegeFootballNews.com.
• The Wildcats won 10 games for the first time in 41 years, including seven over bowl-eligible teams and five over squads that won eight or more.
• UK’s 5-3 mark in SEC play also was the team’s first winning league record since 1977.
• The Cats won at Florida, ending a three-decade-old dry spell against the Gators, and then recorded the most-lopsided win in the history of the Governor’s Cup series against Louisville.
• Stoops was a semifinalist for the George Munger Coach of the Year and was on the watch list for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year.
Here, There, Everywhere
• While most college football programs recruit regionally, Kentucky has expanded its reach as far west as Colorado, east to Maryland, north to Michigan and south to Florida. Furthermore, the Cats have a second kicker/punter from Australia, tapping into the ranks of young men who have a history with Australian rules football.
• The Cats’ geographic roster breaks down in 15 different states and Australia: Kentucky (23), Ohio (21), Florida (18), Georgia (16), Tennessee (4), Maryland (3), Oklahoma (3), Alabama (3), Michigan (3), Louisiana (2), South Carolina (2), Colorado (1), Mississippi (1), Pennsylvania (1), and Australia (1).
Don Franklin Auto Countdown to Kickoff Show
All-Southeastern Conference defensive end Jeremy Jarmon and former quarterback Dusty Bonner will be alongside host Christi Thomas for the Don Franklin Auto Countdown To Kickoff, the two-hour pregame show that airs prior to each UK football game in 2019.
A live video broadcast of Countdown to Kickoff will air on UKAthletics.com, the UK Athletics mobile app and the Kentucky Football Facebook page.
For home games, Countdown to Kickoff will broadcast live in front of Nutter Field House outside Gate 1 of Kroger Field with special guests and giveaways. The set of the show is conveniently located near the Coke Fan Zone in Nutter Field House and the Cat Walk presented by Chevy.
