KENTUCKY FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. NEW MEXICO STATE  
KROGER FIELD – LEXINGTON, KY.
NOV. 20, 2021
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 56, New Mexico State 16
 
Team Records and Series Information

• Kentucky is 8-3 overall.  New Mexico State is 1-10.
• Kentucky leads the series 2-0, with both games played in Lexington, also 62-42 in 2016.
• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats end the regular season at Louisville on Saturday, November 27. Game time and television assignment are TBA.

 
What the Wins Means for Kentucky

• Kentucky has won 14 consecutive non-conference games, the second-longest active streak in the nation.  Iowa has won 16 straight non-conference tilts. 
• Kentucky is 8-3 for the first time since 2018. This is the eighth time in school history – third time in the last 44 seasons – that UK has won at least eight games in the regular season, along with 1907, 1949, 1950, 1976, 1977, 1984 and 2018. 
  • First time that UK has had at least eight total victories (including bowls) three times in a four-year span since 1949-52.
• UK finished with a 6-1 home record, tying the school record for most wins in Kroger Field / Commonwealth Stadium.  Additional seasons with six home wins in the facility include 1976 (6-1), 2006 (6-1), 2018 (6-1) and 2019 (6-2).
• This was Kentucky’s fourth consecutive Senior Day win, longest since a nine-year streak from 1952-60.
• This was Coach Mark Stoops’ 57^th win as UK head coach. Paul “Bear” Bryant holds the school record with 60 victories.
• Stoops is now 57-53 at Kentucky.  After two games of the 2016 season, his record was 12-26 but has gone 45-27 (.625) since.
• Stoops extended his school records for most home wins (41) and total games coached at UK (110).
• Stoops is in his ninth season as head coach of the Wildcats, tying Fran Curci (1973-81) for most seasons as head coach at UK.

 
Team Notes

• 56 points is the most for Kentucky since a 56-10 win at Louisville in 2018.
• 56 points is the most on a UK Senior Day since the 83-0 win over North Dakota in 1950.
• UK has scored at 34 points in three straight games, first time to accomplish that since the last four games in 2019. 
• This was the first time in school history that UK has scored at least 34 points in four straight Senior Day games.
• UK tied the school record for most points in the first quarter with 21, eighth time in school history to do that and first time since the Southern Mississippi game in 2016.
• UK scored at least 31 points in a half in consecutive games for the first time since 1998 vs. Louisville and Eastern Kentucky.
• UK did not allow a defensive touchdown for the first time since the 24-2 win over Mississippi State in 2020.
  • UK also held NMSU scoreless in the second half, first time the Wildcats have done that since the win at Tennessee last season.
• This is the third game in school history that UK had a 400-yard passer, 150-yard receiver and 100-yard rusher in the same game, also at Louisville in 1998 (Tim Couch, Craig Yeast and Derek Homer) and 2006 vs. Vanderbilt (Andre’ Woodson, Keenan Burton and Rafael Little).
• UK had 707 yards total offense, second-highest in school history.
• UK averaged 9.96 yards per play today, most since averaging 12.4 per play vs. Louisville in 2019.
• UK had two games with 600 yards total offense in the same season (also Tennessee) for the first time since 2016.
• UK had two players with at least 160 yards receiving in the same game for the first time in school history.
• Kentucky had an interception return for a touchdown for the second straight game.  Last week was Jalen Geiger (31 yards at Vanderbilt) and today was Quandre Mosely, 38 yards.
  • The last time UK had a pick-six in consecutive games was 2020 vs. Mississippi State (Jordan Wright), then at Tennessee (Kelvin Joseph and Jamin Davis).
• Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Wan’Dale Robinson have topped 1,000 rushing and receiving yards this season, the second time in school history that has been accomplished.  Rafael Little and Steve Johnson hit the milestone in 2007.

 
Player Notes

• 22 seniors were honored during pregame ceremonies, including Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, Tyrell Ajian, Marquez Bembry, Zac Berezowitz, Yusuf Corker, Cedrick Dort Jr., Austin Dotson, Darren Edmond, Isaiah Epps, Colin Goodfellow, Collin Hartmann, Zach Johnson, Darian Kinnard, Tyler Markray, Marquan McCall, Quandre Mosely, Will Nalty, Josh Paschal, Davonte Robinson, Matt Ruffolo, DeAndre Square and Jordan Wright.

  • Three seniors – Ali, Mosely and Rigg – scored touchdowns on Senior Day, first time to have three seniors score TDs on Senior Day since playing Tennessee in 2007.
• Junior quarterback Will Levis completed 21 of 31 passes for a career-high 419 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns.
  • He added 11 net rushing yards and his 430 yards total offense is a career high.
  • 419 passing yards is the 12^th-highest single-game total in school history.  He is the first 400-yard passer since Andre’ Woodson threw for 430 vs. Tennessee in 2007.
  • His 79-yard pass to Wan’Dale Robinson in the second quarter is longest of his career and longest for UK since an 83-yard pass from Patrick Towles to Javess Blue vs. ULM in 2014. 
  • He has 23 touchdown passes this season, most since Mike Hartline in 2010.
  • He is the first UK quarterback with three 350-yard passing games in one season since Patrick Towles in 2014.
  • Among Kentucky QBs with at least 20 completions in a game, his 19.95 yards per completion is the highest single-game mark in school history.
• Redshirt freshman Beau Allen entered in the fourth quarter and completed 3 of 4 passes for 40 yards.
  • He had a three-yard scramble for his first collegiate rushing touchdown.
• Junior running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed 16 times for 119 yards and one touchdown.
  • It is his seventh 100-yard game of the season, tied for second best in school history.
  • It is his 13^th 100-yard game of his career, tied for third place in school history.
  • He has 1,151 yards this season, ninth place on the UK single-season list.
  • He has 2,512 career rushing yards, moving past Stanley “Boom” Williams (2,511) for eighth place on the UK career rushing list.
• Junior running back Kavosiey Smoke rushed three times for 35 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown.
  • He has 1,275 career rushing yards, 31^st place on the UK career rushing list.
• Freshman running back LaVell Wright had his first collegiate carries, carrying six times for 75 yards, including a 52-yard jaunt.
• Junior wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson caught eight passes for a career-best 181 yards.
  • 181 yards is the fourth-highest single-game total in school history and most since Craig Yeast’s school-record 269 vs. Vanderbilt in 1998. 
  • It is his fifth 100-yard game of the season, tied with James Whalen (1999) for second place on the UK single-season list.
  • He had a career-long 79-yard reception in the second quarter.
  • He has 85 catches this season, tied with Craig Yeast (1998) for second-most in a season. James Whalen has the record with 90 catches in 1999.
  • He has 1,067 receiving yards this year, becoming the sixth player in UK history to reach the millennium mark in one season.
  • 1,067 yards ranks second in single-season history.

• Senior wide receiver Josh Ali caught seven passes for a career-high 164 yards and a career-best two touchdowns.

  • He has 1,399 receiving yards in his career, advancing from 22^nd to 15^th place in UK history today.
  • He averaged 23.4 yards per catch today, second-highest in school history for a player with at least seven receptions. Dee Smith averaged 24.3 yards per catch (7 for 170) vs. Tennessee in 1987.
• Tight end Justin Rigg celebrated Senior Day with two catches for 34 yards and a career-high two TDs. It is the first time a UK tight end had multiple TDs in a game since C.J. Conrad caught three touchdowns vs. New Mexico State in 2016.
• Senior linebacker Jacquez Jones led the Wildcat defense with eight tackles and he also forced a fumble.
• Cornerback Quandre Mosely got his Senior Day going with a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter, his first collegiate touchdown.  He also had a pass breakup and a tackle.
• Senior defensive end Josh Paschal collected six tackles.  He had 1.5 tackles for loss, including a quarterback sack.
  • He has 36 tackles for loss in his career, sixth in UK history.
• Freshman linebacker Trevin Wallace had five tackles, including his second quarterback sack of the season.
• Senior linebacker Will Nalty recovered a fumble, the first of his career.
• Senior kicker Matt Ruffolo has made 45 extra points this year, third on the UK single-season list.
• Game captains today were Josh Paschal, Josh Ali, Marquan McCall and Luke Fortner.