2019 Kentucky Wildcats football team

The 2019 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky, and competed in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by seventh-year head coach Mark Stoops.

2019 Kentucky Wildcats football
Belk Bowl champion
Belk Bowl, W 37–30 vs. Virginia Tech
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Record8–5 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorEddie Gran (4th season)
Co-offensive coordinatorDarin Hinshaw (4th season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorBrad White (1st season)[1]
Base defense3–4 or 4–3
Home stadiumKroger Field
Uniform
Seasons
← 2018
2020 →
2019 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 4 Georgia x   7 1     12 2  
No. 6 Florida   6 2     11 2  
Tennessee *   5 3     8 5  
Kentucky   3 5     8 5  
Missouri *   3 5     6 6  
South Carolina   3 5     4 8  
Vanderbilt   1 7     3 9  
West Division
No. 1 LSU x$#^   8 0     15 0  
No. 8 Alabama   6 2     11 2  
No. 14 Auburn   5 3     9 4  
Texas A&M   4 4     8 5  
Mississippi State   3 5     6 7  
Ole Miss   2 6     4 8  
Arkansas   0 8     2 10  
Championship: LSU 37, Georgia 10
  • # – College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – Tennessee vacated all wins due to NCAA violations. Missouri was ineligible for postseason due to NCAA sanctions.
Rankings from AP Poll

Preseason

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SEC preseason poll

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The 2019 SEC Media Days were held July 15–18 in Birmingham, Alabama. In the preseason media poll, Kentucky was projected to finish in sixth in the East Division.[2]

Media poll (East Division)
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Georgia 1789 (233)
2 Florida 1499 (21)
3 Missouri 1149 (3)
4 South Carolina 883 (1)
5 Tennessee 804 (1)
6 Kentucky 798 (1)
7 Vanderbilt 358

Preseason All-SEC teams

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The Wildcats had four players selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.

Schedule

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Kentucky announced its 2019 football schedule on September 18, 2018.[3]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3112:00 p.m.Toledo*SECNW 38–2454,610
September 77:30 p.m.Eastern Michigan*
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY
SECN Alt.W 38–1755,240
September 147:00 p.m.No. 9 Florida
ESPNL 21–2963,076
September 214:00 p.m.at Mississippi StateSECNL 13–2854,556
September 287:30 p.m.at South CarolinaSECNL 7–2480,828
October 127:30 p.m.Arkansas 
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY
SECNW 24–2057,060
October 196:00 p.m.at No. 10 GeorgiaESPNL 0–2192,746
October 267:30 p.m.Missouri
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY
SECNW 29–748,446
November 97:30 p.m.Tennessee
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
SECNL 13–1756,760
November 163:30 p.m.at VanderbiltSECNW 38–1423,288
November 233:30 p.m.UT Martin*
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY
SECNW 50–741,495
November 3012:00 p.m.Louisville*
SECNW 45–1348,336
December 3112:00 p.m.vs. Virginia Tech*ESPNW 37–3044,138

[4]

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
APRVRV
CoachesRVRVRVRVRVRV
CFPNot releasedNot released

Game summaries

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Toledo

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1 2 3 4 Total
Rockets 7 7 3 7 24
Wildcats 0 14 10 14 38

Eastern Michigan

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1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 3 7 7 17
Wildcats 14 3 7 14 38

Florida

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1 2 3 4 Total
No. 9 Gators 7 0 3 19 29
Wildcats 0 14 7 0 21

At Mississippi State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 3 0 7 3 13
Bulldogs 7 14 0 7 28

At South Carolina

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1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 0 0 0 7 7
Gamecocks 7 3 7 7 24

Arkansas

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Kroger Field during Kentucky's win over Arkansas
1 2 3 4 Total
Razorbacks 7 6 0 7 20
Wildcats 0 7 10 7 24

At Georgia

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1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 0 0 0 0 0
No. 10 Bulldogs 0 0 14 7 21

Missouri

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1 2 3 4 Total
Tigers 0 0 7 0 7
Wildcats 0 22 0 7 29

Tennessee

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1 2 3 4 Total
Volunteers 0 3 14 0 17
Wildcats 13 0 0 0 13

At Vanderbilt

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1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 3 21 14 0 38
Commodores 14 0 0 0 14

UT Martin

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1 2 3 4 Total
Skyhawks 0 0 0 7 7
Wildcats 16 13 7 14 50

Louisville

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1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinals 6 7 0 0 13
Wildcats 7 10 14 14 45

Vs. Virginia Tech (Belk Bowl)

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1 2 3 4 Total
Hokies 10 7 10 3 30
Wildcats 7 7 10 13 37

[5]

Personnel

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Coaching staff

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Name Position
Mark Stoops Head coach
Eddie Gran Offensive coordinator/Associate head coach, RB Coach
Darin Hinshaw Co-offensive coordinator, Quarterbacks coach
Brad White Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach
Vince Marrow Tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator
Steve Clinkscale Secondary Coach
Michael Smith Wide receivers coach
John Schlarman Offensive line coach
Derrick LeBlanc Defensive line coach
Dean Hood LB Coach/special teams coordinator

Players drafted into the NFL

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Round Pick Player Position NFL Club
3 80 Lynn Bowden WR Las Vegas Raiders
4 121 Logan Stenberg OG Detroit Lions

References

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  1. ^ "Brad White - Football coach". University of Kentucky Athletics.
  2. ^ "Media predicts Alabama to win 2019 SEC Championship". SECSports.com. Southeastern Conference. July 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "Kentucky Set for Home-Heavy 2019 Football Schedule". University of Kentucky Department of Athletics. September 18, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  4. ^ "2019 Kentucky Wildcats Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  5. ^ "Kentucky vs Virginia Tech, 1869-2018". Retrieved December 9, 2019.[permanent dead link]