KENTUCKY POSTGAME NOTES
Kentucky at Louisville
Cardinal Stadium
November 27, 2021
 
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 52, Louisville 21
 
Team Records and Series Information

• Kentucky concludes the regular season with a 9-3 record. Louisville is 6-6.
• Kentucky has won three in a row vs. Louisville and leads the series 18-15.
  • UK leads 9-5 in games played in Louisville and has won the last three meetings there.
• Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats await their bowl assignment, which will be announced Sunday, Dec. 5.

 
What the Wins Means for Kentucky

• Kentucky has won 15 consecutive non-conference games, the second-longest active streak in the nation.  Iowa has won 16 straight non-conference tilts. 
• Kentucky is 9-3 for the first time since 2018. This is the 10^th time in school history – third time in the last 44 seasons – that UK has won at least nine, along with 1904, 1907, 1909, 1949, 1950, 1976, 1977, 1984 and 2018. 
  • This is the first time that UK has had at least eight total victories (including bowls) three times in a four-year span since 1949-52.
• This was Kentucky’s fourth consecutive win in the regular-season finale, longest since a four-year streak in 1898-1901.
• This was Coach Mark Stoops’ 58^th win as UK head coach. Paul “Bear” Bryant holds the school record with 60 victories.
• Stoops is now 58-53 at Kentucky.  After two games of the 2016 season, his record was 12-26 but has gone 46-27 (.630) since.
• Stoops extended his school record for most total games coached at UK (111).
• 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

• Kentucky opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown drive, the seventh time this season that the Wildcats scored a touchdown on their first possession.
• UK went on to score seven times on its first eight possessions, with the only time not scoring was the possession that ended the first half.
• Kentucky had 511 yards total offense, topping the 500-yard mark for the fifth time this season.
• Kentucky rushed for a season-high 362 yards, averaging 7.4 per attempt.
• UK rushed for seven touchdowns, breaking the Governor’s Cup record of six set by UofL in 2006 and UK in 2019.
• UK had a pair of 100-yard rushers (Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Will Levis) for the second time this season – also Rodriguez and Kavosiey Smoke vs. LSU.
• UK scored at least 50 points in consecutive games for the first time since the first two games of the 2007 season.
• UK has scored at 34 points in four straight games, first time to accomplish that since the first five games of the 2007 season. 
• UK has scored at least 22 points in four straight regular-season finales for the first time in school history.

 
Player Notes

• Junior quarterback Will Levis received the Howard Schnellenberger Award as the Most Valuable Player of the Governor’s Cup game.

  • He completed 14 of 18 passes for 149 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
  • He rushed 14 times for a career-high 113 yards and a career-best four touchdowns.
  • Four rushing touchdowns ties the school record that has now been set by 12 players a total of 14 times.
  • Four rushing TDs also tied the Governor’s Cup record set by Lynn Bowden Jr. in 2019.
• Junior running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed 16 times for 121 yards and one touchdown.
  • It is his eighth 100-yard game of the season, tying the school record set by Artose Pinner in 2002.
  • It is his 14^th 100-yard game of his career, now in sole possession of third place in school history.
  • He has 1,272 yards this season, seventh place on the UK single-season list.
  • He has 2,633 career rushing yards, moving past Derrick Locke (2,618) for seventh place on the UK career rushing list.
• Junior running back Kavosiey Smoke rushed eight times for 31 yards and one touchdown.
  • He has 1,306 career rushing yards, 30^th place on the UK career rushing list.
• Freshman running back La’Vell Wright rushed three times for 43 yards, including a 41-yard jaunt that is his first collegiate touchdown.
• Junior wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson caught nine passes for 97 yards.
  • He has 94 catches this season, breaking James Whalen’s single-season record with 90 catches in 1999.
  • It is his sixth 100-yard game of the season, second place on the UK single-season list.
  • He has 1,164 receiving yards this year, second in UK single-season history.

• Senior wide receiver Josh Ali caught four passes for 48 yards.

  • He has 1,447 receiving yards in his career, advancing to 11^th place in UK history.
• Sophomore linebacker D’Eryk Jackson led the Wildcats with a career-high eight tackles.
• Sophomore linebacker J.J. Weaver nabbed his second interception of the season. He also had a crucial pickoff in the win over Florida.
• Senior defensive end Josh Paschal had tackles, including a nine-yard quarterback sack. 

• It is eighth consecutive game with a tackle for loss.
• He has 37 tackles for loss in his career.
• Senior kicker Matt Ruffolo has made 52 extra points this year, breaking the school record of 51 set by Lones Seiber in 2007.
• Game captains today were Josh Paschal, Will Levis, Marquan McCall and Luke Fortner.