2019 Kentucky Wildcats football team

2019 Kentucky Wildcats football
2019 Kentucky Wildcats football
Belk Bowl champion
Belk Bowl, W 37–30 vs. Virginia Tech
Conference	Southeastern Conference
	Eastern Division
Record	8–5 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach	Mark Stoops (7th season);
Offensive coordinator	Eddie Gran (4th season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Darin Hinshaw (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brad White (1st season)
Base defense	3–4 or 4–3
Home stadium	Kroger Field
Uniform
	Seasons ← 2018 2020 →

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 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t e
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

SEC preseason poll

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]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
Media poll (East Division)
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

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

Offense

3rd team

Logan Stenberg – OL

Drake Jackson – C

Defense

3rd team

Kash Daniel – LB

Specialists

3rd team

Lynn Bowden – all-purpose player

Schedule

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

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	12:00 p.m.	Toledo*	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	W 38–24	54,610
September 7	7:30 p.m.	Eastern Michigan*	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN Alt.	W 38–17	55,240
September 14	7:00 p.m.	No. 9 Florida	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry, SEC Nation)	ESPN	L 21–29	63,076
September 21	4:00 p.m.	at Mississippi State	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	SECN	L 13–28	54,556
September 28	7:30 p.m.	at South Carolina	Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	L 7–24	80,828
October 12	7:30 p.m.	Arkansas	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	W 24–20	57,060
October 19	6:00 p.m.	at No. 10 Georgia	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA	ESPN	L 0–21	92,746
October 26	7:30 p.m.	Missouri	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	W 29–7	48,446
November 9	7:30 p.m.	Tennessee	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry)	SECN	L 13–17	56,760
November 16	3:30 p.m.	at Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	W 38–14	23,288
November 23	3:30 p.m.	UT Martin*	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	W 50–7	41,495
November 30	12:00 p.m.	Louisville*	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (Governor's Cup)	SECN	W 45–13	48,336
December 31	12:00 p.m.	vs. Virginia Tech*	Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC (Belk Bowl)	ESPN	W 37–30	44,138
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 5 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[4]

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	—	—	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV
Coaches	RV	RV	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV	RV
CFP	Not released										—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Game summaries

Toledo

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

Eastern Michigan

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

Florida

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

At Mississippi State

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

At South Carolina

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

Arkansas

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

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

Missouri

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

Tennessee

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

At Vanderbilt

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

UT Martin

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

Louisville

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

Vs. Virginia Tech (Belk Bowl)

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

^[5]

Personnel

Coaching staff

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

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

References

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

[Brad_White-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.

[2019sched-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.

[stassen_va_tech-5] "Kentucky vs Virginia Tech, 1869-2018". Retrieved December 9, 2019.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

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