| 2020Kentucky Wildcats football | |
|---|---|
Gator Bowl champion | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Division | Eastern Division |
| Record | 5–6 (4–6 SEC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Eddie Gran (5th season) |
| Co-offensive coordinator | Darin Hinshaw (5th season) |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Brad White (2nd season) |
| Base defense | 3–4 or4–3 |
| Home stadium | Kroger Field |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13Florida x | 8 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7Georgia | 7 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri | 5 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 4 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee* | 3 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | 2 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 0 | – | 9 | 0 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1Alabama x$#^ | 10 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4Texas A&M | 8 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 6 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU* | 5 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ole Miss | 4 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas | 3 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 3 | – | 7 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship:Alabama 52, Florida 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The2020 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented theUniversity of Kentucky in the2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games atKroger Field inLexington, Kentucky, and competed in the East Division of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC). They were led by eighth-year head coachMark Stoops.
In the preseason media poll, Kentucky was predicted to finish in fourth place in the East Division.[1]
Kentucky had games scheduled againstEastern Illinois,Eastern Michigan,Kent State, andLouisville, which were all canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[2][3] This was the first season since1993 that the Wildcats did not play Louisville. As of on October 16, 2020, the SEC swapped two teams and the dates of when they played the Wildcats. This is because of an outbreak of COVID-19 among other competing SEC football teams. Missouri was rescheduled to be an away game on October 24, instead of an away game on the 31st, and Georgia at home on October 31 instead of the 24th.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26, 2020 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 8Auburn | No. 23 | SECN | L 13–29 | 17,490 | |
| October 3 | 4:00 p.m. | Ole Miss |
| SECN | L 41–42OT | 12,000 | |
| October 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Mississippi State |
| SECN | W 24–2 | 12,000 | |
| October 17 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 18Tennessee | SECN | W 34–7 | 22,519 | ||
| October 24 | 4:00 p.m. | atMissouri |
| SECN | L 10–20 | 11,738 | |
| October 31 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 5Georgia | SECN | L 3–14 | 12,000 | ||
| November 14 | 12:00 p.m. | Vanderbilt |
| SECN | W 38–35 | 12,000 | |
| November 21 | 4:00 p.m. | at No. 1Alabama | SECN | L 3–63 | 19,424 | ||
| November 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 6Florida | ESPN | L 10–34 | 14,453 | ||
| December 5 | 7:30 p.m. | South Carolina |
| SECN | W 41–18 | 12,000 | |
| January 2, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 23NC State* | ESPN | W 23–21 | 10,422 | ||
| |||||||
| Week | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV* | 23 | 23 | RV | |||||||||||
| Coaches | RV | RV* | 20 | RV | RV | |||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | Not released | ||||||||||||||
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 23 Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 8 Tigers | 8 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 29 |
atJordan-Hare Stadium,Auburn, AL
| Game information |
|---|
No scoring
|
| Statistics | UK | AUB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 16 |
| Plays–yards | 78–384 | 57–324 |
| Rushes–yards | 40–145 | 30–91 |
| Passing yards | 239 | 233 |
| Passing:comp–att–int | 24–38–1 | 16–27–0 |
| Time of possession | 36:29 | 23:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 24/37, 239 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Kavosiey Smoke | 7 carries, 62 yds, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Josh Ali | 9 receptions, 98 yds | |
| Auburn | Passing | Bo Nix | 16/27, 233 yds, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Bo Nix | 5 carries, 34 yds | |
| Receiving | Seth Williams | 6 receptions, 112 yds, 2 TD |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebels | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| Wildcats | 14 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 41 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | MISS | UK |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 26 |
| Total yards | 459 | 559 |
| Passing yards | 320 | 151 |
| Rushing yards | 139 | 408 |
| Penalties | 5–33 | 8–81 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 23:55 | 36:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ole Miss | Passing | Matt Corral | 24/29, 320 yards, 4 TD |
| Rushing | Matt Corral | 13 carries, 51 yards | |
| Receiving | Jonathan Mingo | 8 receptions, 128 yards, 2 TD | |
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 14/18, 151 yards |
| Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 17 carries, 133 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Josh Ali | 7 receptions, 88 yards |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| Statistics | MSST | UK |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 10 |
| Total yards | 295 | 157 |
| Rushing yards | 20 | 84 |
| Passing yards | 275 | 73 |
| Turnovers | 6 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 34:49 | 25:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | Passing | K. J. Costello | 36–55, 232 yards, 4 INT |
| Rushing | Kylin Hill | 7 rushes, 17 yards | |
| Receiving | Kylin Hill | 15 receptions, 79 yards | |
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 8–20, 73 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Terry Wilson | 13 rushes, 50 yards | |
| Receiving | Josh Ali | 2 receptions, 22 yards |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| No. 21 Volunteers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
atNeyland Stadium,Knoxville, TN
| Statistics | UK | UTK |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 18 |
| Total yards | 294 | 287 |
| Rushing yards | 187 | 175 |
| Passing yards | 107 | 112 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 33:59 | 26:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 12/15, 101 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 13 carries, 73 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Josh Ali | 4 receptions, 38 yards | |
| Tennessee | Passing | Jarrett Guarantano | 14/21, 88 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Eric Gray | 24 carries, 129 yards | |
| Receiving | Brandon Johnson | 4 receptions, 37 yards |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Tigers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Statistics | UK | MIZ |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 8 | 26 |
| Total yards | 145 | 421 |
| Rushing yards | 95 | 220 |
| Passing yards | 50 | 201 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 16:50 | 43:10 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 4/11, 38 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 9 carries, 48 yards | |
| Receiving | Josh Ali | 4 receptions, 47 yards, TD | |
| Missouri | Passing | Connor Bazelak | 21/30, 201 yards |
| Rushing | Larry Rountree III | 37 carries, 126 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Jalen Knox | 5 receptions, 60 yards |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Bulldogs | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UGA | UK |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 15 |
| Plays–yards | 58-346 | 65-229 |
| Rushes–yards | 43-215 | 39-138 |
| Passing yards | 131 | 91 |
| Passing:comp–att–int | 9-14-2 | 15-25-0 |
| Time of possession | 25:00 | 35:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Passing | Stetson Bennett | 9/13, 131 yds, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Zamir White | 26 carries, 136 yds, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | James Cook | 4 receptions, 62 yds, | |
| Kentucky | Passing | Joey Gatewood | 15-25, 91 yds |
| Rushing | Chris Rodriguez | 20 carries, 108 yds | |
| Receiving | Josh Ali | 5 receptions, 35 yds |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commodores | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Wildcats | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Statistics | VAN | UK |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 29 | 23 |
| Total yards | 407 | 458 |
| Rushing yards | 180 | 308 |
| Passing yards | 227 | 150 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 32:26 | 27:34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | Passing | Ken Seals | 21/32, 225 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Keyon Henry-Brooks | 29 rushes, 121 yards | |
| Receiving | Amir Abdur-Rahman | 7 receptions, 89 yards | |
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 13/15, 110 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 13 rushes, 149 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Keaton Upshaw | 2 receptions, 41 yards, TD |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 1 Crimson Tide | 7 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 63 |
atBryant–Denny Stadium,Tuscaloosa, AL
| Statistics | Kentucky | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 12 | 29 |
| Total yards | 179 | 509 |
| Rushing yards | 59 | 226 |
| Passing yards | 120 | 283 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 28:55 | 31:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 10–19, 120 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | A. J. Rose | 10 carries, 68 yards | |
| Receiving | Josh Ali | 4 receptions, 52 yards | |
| Alabama | Passing | Mac Jones | 16–24, 230 yards, 2 TD's, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Jase McClellan | 10 carries, 99 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | DeVonta Smith | 9 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TD's |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Gators | 7 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 34 |
atBen Hill Griffin Stadium,Gainesville, FL
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | UTK | FLA |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 21 |
| Total yards | 221 | 418 |
| Rushing yards | 159 | 104 |
| Passing yards | 62 | 314 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 33:19 | 26:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 10/18, 62 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | A. J. Rose | 15 carries, 58 yards | |
| Receiving | Josh Ali | 6 receptions, 32 yards | |
| Florida | Passing | Kyle Trask | 21/27, 256 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Dameon Pierce | 8 carries, 67 yards | |
| Receiving | Kyle Pitts | 5 receptions, 99 yards, 3 TD |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamecocks | 3 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 18 |
| Wildcats | 10 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | SC | UK |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 24 |
| Total yards | 404 | 492 |
| Rushes/yards | 44/297 | 45/291 |
| Passing yards | 107 | 201 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 12-27-1 | 17-26-0 |
| Time of possession | 25:49 | 34:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | Passing | Luke Doty | 11–25, 85 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Kevin Harris | 21 carries, 210 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Dakereon Joyner | 4 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD | |
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 17–26, 201 yards |
| Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 14 carries, 139 yards, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Justin Rigg | 3 receptions, 72 yards |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 23 NC State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
atTIAA Bank Field •Jacksonville, Florida
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | NCST | UK |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 66–318 | 68–380 |
| Rushes–yards | 26–50 | 48–281 |
| Passing yards | 268 | 99 |
| Passing:comp–att–int | 27–40–3 | 12–20–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:53 | 34:07 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC State | Passing | Bailey Hockman | 27/40, 268 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Zonovan Knight | 12 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Thayer Thomas | 3 receptions, 46 yards | |
| Kentucky | Passing | Terry Wilson | 12/20, 99 yards |
| Rushing | Asim Rose Jr. | 12 carries, 148 yards | |
| Receiving | Keaton Upshaw | 2 receptions, 25 yards |
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Jamin Davis | LB | Washington Football Team |
| 2 | 44 | Kelvin Joseph | CB | Dallas Cowboys |
| 6 | 192 | Quinton Bohanna | DT | Dallas Cowboys |
| 6 | 200 | Brandin Echols | CB | New York Jets |
| 6 | 206 | Landon Young | OT | New Orleans Saints |
| 7 | 232 | Phil Hoskins | DT | Carolina Panthers |