The first-half UK football MVP? Explaining why it is you, the Kentucky fans.

Mark Story

Quick hitters from the L.A. Dodgers wake:

21. Kentucky Wildcats football. With No. 19 UK (5-2, 2-2 SEC) on an open week, it seems an appropriate time to take stock of the first half (plus one game) of the Cats’ season.

20. The first-half UK football MVP. It is not Will Levis, not DeAndre Square, not even star defensive coordinator Brad White — whose unit currently stands 14th in the country in total defense (allowing 295.4 yards a game). Nope, it is Kentucky’s fans.

19. Filling Kroger Field. Through five home games, UK’s average attendance is 61,018. If that holds through the final three home dates — Vanderbilt (Nov. 12), No. 1 Georgia (Nov. 19) and intrastate rival Louisville (Nov. 26) — it would be the highest average home attendance for Kentucky since 2015 (61,295).

18. More than “big-game” crowds. UK averaged 60,675 for its three non-Power Five opponents in 2022. That, too, was the best figure since 2015 (60,836).

18. Rocking student section. It seems a long time since the UK student section at football games has been as consistently full as its has been in 2022.

17. The students are bringing the energy. At one point in the second half of UK’s 27-17 upset of then-No. 16 Mississippi State on Saturday night, the Bulldogs’ offense was facing a crucial third-down-conversion attempt — and the Kentucky student section was on its feet, waving white towels and raising a ruckus.

Through five home games, Kentucky football fans have consistently filled Kroger Field in 2022. If average home attendance of 61,018 holds through the final three home games of the season, it would be the largest for UK since 2015 (61,295).
Through five home games, Kentucky football fans have consistently filled Kroger Field in 2022. If average home attendance of 61,018 holds through the final three home games of the season, it would be the largest for UK since 2015 (61,295).

16. Mark Stoops. After the win over Mike Leach and Co., the UK head coach thanked the BBN. “We’ve had a lot of home games. We’ve had some ups and some downs,” Stoops said. “(We) came back this week again, pulling in, seeing the people, seeing the tailgating, seeing the packed stadium, hearing them, staying till the end, cheering like they did. Thank you. Amazing.”

15. Kroger vs. Rupp. Not to re-litigate UK’s “football school vs. basketball school” debate, but the atmosphere for your average home game has been a whole lot livelier at Kroger Field over the past two seasons than it has been in Rupp Arena.

14. Rebuilding the Big Blue Wall. After UK allowed a season-low one sack in its win over Mississippi State, the Wildcats have moved up from 129th to 125th in the FBS in sacks allowed at 26.

13. Stoops vs. ranked teams. With the win over then-No. 16 Mississippi State, Mark Stoops is now 9-9 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 since the start of the 2018 season. From 2013 through 2017, Stoops was 2-12 in such games.

12. Stoops vs. the SEC West. After UK’s self-sabotaging 22-19 loss at Mississippi, much was made of the Kentucky head coach being 0-11 in inter-divisional SEC road games. With Saturday’s victory over Mississippi State, Stoops now has a winning mark (6-5) in home games vs. SEC West opponents.

11. Coaches with Kentucky ties. College football head coaches with ties to the commonwealth are producing mixed results so far in 2022.

10. Jeff Brohm. The former Trinity High School and Louisville Cardinals quarterback has Purdue (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) tied with Illinois for the Big Ten West Division lead. The Boilermakers and the Fighting Illini will meet Nov. 12 in Champaign.

Jeff Brohm has Purdue (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) tied for the Big Ten West Division lead.
Jeff Brohm has Purdue (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) tied for the Big Ten West Division lead.

9. Neal Brown. The ex-Boyle County and UK wide receiver led West Virginia (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) to a wild 43-40 win over Baylor last week. It was a much-needed victory for Brown, who, halfway through his fourth season, stands 20-21 as WVU head man.

8. Jon Sumrall. The ex-Kentucky Wildcats linebacker has gotten off to a rousing start in his first season as Troy head coach. The Trojans (5-2, 3-1 Sun Belt Conference) face a crucial Sun Belt Conference Group B showdown with South Alabama (5-1, 2-0) on Thursday night in Mobile.

7. Chris Hatcher. The former Kentucky quarterbacks coach and Murray State head man has Samford (5-1) sitting at No. 15 in this week’s AFCA FCS Top 25 poll.

6. Bobby Petrino. The ex-Louisville and Western Kentucky coach has seen his Missouri State team (2-4) drop four games in a row.

Starting with a 38-27 loss at Arkansas, Missouri State and Coach Bobby Petrino have lost four straight games.
Starting with a 38-27 loss at Arkansas, Missouri State and Coach Bobby Petrino have lost four straight games.

5. Dean Hood. The former Eastern Kentucky head man and UK assistant is having a rough go in his third season as Murray State coach. The Racers are 0-7 and have been outscored 308-81.

4. Tennessee vs. Alabama. The Volunteers’ rollicking 52-49 upset of the Crimson Tide did more than snap a 15-game UT losing streak to Bama.

3. A top-10 win. No. 6 Tennessee’s win over No. 3 Alabama was the Volunteers’ first victory over a foe ranked in the AP top 10 since Oct. 7, 2006, when UT won at No. 10 Georgia 51-33. Until Saturday, the Vols had gone longer than any other SEC team without a top-10 win.

2. Kentucky at Tennessee. After Saturday’s open date, No. 19 UK will travel to Knoxville to face the No. 3 Volunteers. UT leads the all-time series with the Cats 82-26-9. Tennessee has beaten Kentucky in 34 of the 37 most-recent meetings.

1. October surprise. Given the series history, it’s hard to find many historical metrics that favor the Cats against the Vols. But there is this: In games played in October, Kentucky is 4-2 vs. Tennessee.

This year’s game is on Oct. 29.

Advertisement