Kentucky-Iowa Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY POSTGAME NOTES
KENTUCKY VS. IOWA
TRANSPERFECT MUSIC CITY BOWL
NISSAN STADIUM – NASHVILLE, TENN.
DEC. 31, 2022                                                                                                                    

FINAL SCORE: Iowa 21, Kentucky 0

Team Records and Series Information

• Kentucky finishes the season with a 7-6 record, the sixth time in the last seven seasons that the Wildcats won at least seven, with the only exception being the Covid-shortened 2020 season.
• Iowa concludes the season with an 8-5 record.
• The Wildcats and the Hawkeyes are tied, 1-1, in the all-time series after meeting in bowl games the last two seasons.

Kentucky in Bowl Games

• Kentucky extended its school-record streak of seven straight bowl appearances.
• Kentucky has 12-10 all-time record in bowl games.
• Kentucky has a 2-4 all-time record in its six appearances in the Music City Bowl.
• UK has been in more Music City Bowls than any other team.

Head Coach Mark Stoops

• Stoops finished his 10th season at Kentucky, the longest term in school history.
• He has a school-record 66 wins among his school-record 125 games coached.
• Stoops is now 66-59 at Kentucky.
• After two games of the 2016 season, his record was 12-26, but he has gone 54-33 (.621) since.

Team Notes

• Kentucky ended its school-record nonconference win streak of 20 games, which was the longest active streak in the nation.
• Kentucky ended its school-record streak of four straight bowl wins.
• Kentucky ended its school-record-tying streak of four straight wins in the season finale.
• UK won its season finale in 1898-1901 and 2018-21.
• Kentucky held Iowa to 21 total points and only seven given up by the UK defense.
• UK has limited its opponents to 24 points or less in 16 of the last 17 games, posting an 11-5 record in those contests.
• It is the fourth time in school history that UK has allowed seven or fewer defensive points in a bowl game (7 vs. Oklahoma in 1951 Sugar Bowl, 7 vs. TCU in 1952 Cotton Bowl and 0 vs. North Carolina in 1976 Peach Bowl).
• Kentucky held Iowa to 206 total yards, the second-fewest it has held an opponent to all season.
• It is the second-fewest yards Kentucky has ever allowed in a bowl game (108 vs. North Carolina in 1976 Peach Bowl).
• Kentucky has limited its opponents to 400 yards or less in 15 of its last 17 games, going 11-4 in those contests.
• The Kentucky defense posted a season-high 11 three-and-outs against Iowa.
• Kentucky held Iowa to 0-of-11 on third-down conversions, first time the Wildcats have held the opponent without a conversion since Georgia went 0-of-10 in 2005.
• The Wildcats also stopped Iowa 0-of-2 on fourth-down conversions.

Player Notes

• In his Kentucky debut and starting debut, freshman quarterback Destin Wade completed 16 of his 30 passes for 98 yards.
• He also recorded 16 rushing attempts for a net 29 yards, including a game-long 19 yards.
• Junior running back JuTahn McClain had a career-high-tying 10 carries for 40 yards.
• Freshman wide receiver Dane Key led Kentucky with a career-high-tying six receptions for 47 yards.
• Key concluded the season the freshman record holder for most touchdowns receiving in a season with six.
• Freshman wide receiver Barion Brown had five receptions for 24 yards.
• Brown concluded the season the freshman record holder for most receiving yards in a season with 628 and most pass receptions in a season with 50.
• Senior wide receiver Tayvion Robinson had five receptions for 27 yards.
• He eclipsed 150 career receptions in the game and now has 153 career catches.
• Sophomore linebacker Trevin Wallace led the team with six tackles, including five solo tackles.
• Senior linebacker Jordan Wright recorded four tackles, including three solo tackles.
• He added a sack, a tackle for loss (-6) and a quarterback hurry.
• Junior linebacker D’Eryk Jackson had four tackles, including two solo tackles.
• Redshirt freshman punter Wilson Berry averaged 40.9 yards per punt in the game, on career-high 10 punts for a career-high 409 yards.
• Senior kicker Matt Ruffolo finished his career with 245 points, fifth in school history.
• Senior punter Colin Goodfellow did not play today because of injury, but finished third in school history with a 44.3-yard average per punt during his career.
• Two Wildcats made their first career start, including true freshman quarterback Destin Wade and junior running back JuTahn McClain.
• Game captains: offensive lineman Kenneth Horsey, linebacker J. Weaver, linebacker Jacquez Jones and linebacker Jordan Wright.