< Previous‘02, but the Wildcats could not go to a bowl game because of NCAA probation. Derek Abney returned six kicks for touchdowns, more than any player in one season in NCAA history, and was named first-team All-Ameri- ca along with punter Glenn Pakulak. Pakulak emerged as the best punter in school history and won the Mosi Tatupu Award as National Special Teams Player of the Year. Inheriting a roster weakened by proba- tion was the major obstacle for Rich Brooks when he took over as head coach in 2003. Brooks’ rebuilding efforts began bearing fruit in 2006. The Wildcats had their best season in 22 years by winning eight games, includ- ing a 28-20 upset of highly favored Clemson in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. Led by quarterback Andre’ Woodson, tailback Rafael Little, wide receiver Keenan Burton, tight end Jacob Tamme and line- backer Wesley Woodyard, the 2007 season contained some of the most exciting mo- ments in school history. UK notched its first win over a Top- 10 opponent in 30 years with a dramat- ic comeback victory over No. 9 Louis- ville. UK reached the Top-10 rankings for the first time since 1977 and the popular “ESPN GameDay” crew made its first visit to campus. UK also knocked off No. 1-ranked LSU -- the eventual national champion -- with a 43-37 triple-overtime thriller. The campaign was capped with another Music City Bowl win, this time over traditional power Florida State. UK capped the 2008 season with a win over East Carolina in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the first time in school history that UK won bowl games in three consecutive seasons. Brooks retired following the 2009 sea- son, handing the reins to former Wildcat player and long-time assistant coach Joker Phillips. Sparked by All-America receiver Randall Cobb, Phillips became the first head coach in UK history to take the Wildcats to a bowl game in his first season, completing a school-record streak of five-straight post- season appearances. Another highlight of Phillips’ term was ending the 26-year losing streak vs. Tennessee with a 10-7 win over the Volunteers in 2011. A new era began in 2013 with the hiring of Mark Stoops as head coach. Stoops made steady progress, tying or improving the team’s record for six straight seasons. The Wildcats returned to the postseason scene at the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl, followed by a trip to the 2017 Music City Bowl. Stoops’ building culminated in 2018 with a 10-3 record, UK’s best season in 41 years and only the third 10-win season in school history. UK’s 5-3 SEC record also was the team’s first winning league mark since 1977. Highlights included ending a 31- game losing streak vs. Florida with a 27-16 win in The Swamp; a miraculous comeback win at Missouri; a 56-10 win at Louisville that is the largest margin of victory in the Governor’s Cup series; and the season was topped by a 27-24 win over No. 12 Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl. A rock-ribbed defense was led by line- backer Josh Allen, who broke the single-sea- son and school records for quarterback sacks en route to winning the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Award and Lott Trophy as the Na- tional Defensive Player of the Year. He was UK’s first unanimous first-team All-Amer- ican since Art Still in 1977. Running back Benny Snell had three straight 1,000-yard seasons, breaking UK career records with 3,873 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns. He was a second-team All-American. Helping pave the way for Snell’s exploits was guard Jervontius “Bunchy” Stallings, who received first-team All-America accolades. With massive personnel losses on de- fense, and the quarterback corps wiped out by injuries, the 2019 Wildcats overcame adversity to become one of the feel-good stories of college football. Wide receiver/ kick returner Lynn Bowden Jr. took over at QB, leading the Cats to a 6-2 record down the stretch, including a dramatic, come- from-behind Belk Bowl win over Virginia Tech. Bowden was named the winner of the Paul Hornung Award as the Most Versatile Player in College Football and Max Duffy claimed the Ray Guy Award as top punter in the land. Wildcats also were recognized for their all-around excellence. Linebacker Court- ney Love won the 2017 Danny Wuerffel Trophy and tight end C.J. Conrad the 2018 Pop Warner Award, both emblematic of ex- emplary community service and excellence on the field and in the classroom. In 2019, Landon Young was the 15th player in UK history to earn a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Work Team and the school’s first to be named Good Works Team captain. Another milestone of the Stoops era was the 2015 re-imagination of Commonwealth Stadium, a renovation that cost $126 mil- lion and made the place more fan-friend- ly with wider concourses, more restrooms and concessions areas, bench-back seats throughout most of the stadium and new premium spaces and suites. The venue was renamed Kroger Field in 2017 and the field is named C.M. Newton Grounds in honor of the former director of athletics. Kentucky Football History 40 @UKFootball Josh Allen and Benny Snell Jr. celebrate UK's 27-24 win over Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl. Kentucky Bowl History Andre’ Woodson was named MVP of UK’s 2006 and 2007 Music City Bowl wins. Lynn Bowden Jr. was named MVP of the 2019 Belk Bowl. Benny Snell Jr. was named MVP of the 2019 VRBO Citrus Bowl. The Wildcats celebrate their 20-19 win over Wisconsin in the 1984 Hall of Fame Bowl. Great Lakes Bowl Dec. 6, 1947: UK 24, Villanova 14 Orange Bowl Jan. 2, 1950: Santa Clara 21,UK 13 Sugar Bowl Jan. 1, 1951: UK 13, Oklahoma 7 MVP: Walt Yowarsky Cotton Bowl Jan. 1, 1952: Kentucky 20, TCU 7 MVPs: Emery Clark, Ray Correll, Babe Parilli Peach Bowl Dec. 31, 1976: UK 21, North Carolina 0 Off. MVP: Rod Stewart Def. MVP: Mike Martin Hall of Fame Bowl Dec. 22, 1983: West Virginia 20, UK 16 UK MVP: George Adams Hall of Fame Bowl Dec. 29, 1984: UK 20, Wisconsin 19 MVP: Marc Logan Peach Bowl Dec. 31, 1993: Clemson 14, UK 13 UK Offensive MVP: Pookie Jones UK Defensive MVP: Zane Beehn Outback Bowl Jan. 1, 1999: Penn State 26, UK 14 HomePoint.com Music City Bowl Dec. 29, 1999: Syracuse 20, UK 13 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Dec. 29, 2006: UK 28, Clemson 20 MVP: Andre’ Woodson Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Dec. 31, 2007: UK 35, Florida State 28 MVP: Andre’ Woodson AutoZone Liberty Bowl Jan. 2, 2009: UK 25, East Carolina 19 MVP: Ventrell Jenkins UK Offensive MVP: Mike Hartline UK Defensive MVP: Braxton Kelley Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Dec. 27, 2009: Clemson 21, UK 13 BBVA Compass Bowl Jan. 8, 2011: Pittsburgh 27, UK 10 TaxSlayer Bowl Dec. 31, 2016: Georgia Tech 33, UK 18 UK MVP: Stephen Johnson Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl Dec. 29, 2017: Northwestern 24, UK 23 VRBO Citrus Bowl Jan. 1, 2019: UK 27, Penn State 24 MVP: Benny Snell Jr. Belk Bowl Dec. 31, 2019: UK 37, Virginia Tech 30 MVP: Lynn Bowden Jr. All-Time Record: 10-9 42 @UKFootball© 2 0 20 T he C oc a- C ol a C om p an y.Kroger Field First Game n Sept. 15, 1973 (UK 31, Virginia Tech 26) Largest Crowd Since 2015 Renovation n 63,543, 2018 (UK 17, Georgia 34) Kroger Field Record n 168-135 (.554), 32-19 (.627) under Mark Stoops Field Name n C.M. Newton Grounds in honor of the former UK Director of Athletics Seating Capacity n 61,000, including the Kroger Field Suites. n UK announced its first sellout since 2010 when 62,933 fans attended the season opener vs. Louisiana Lafayette on Sept. 5, 2015. Attendance n Since the 1999 expansion, UK has averaged 62,382 fans per game and ranked in the nation’s top 30 teams in attendance in 15 of the last 17 seasons. Both the single game and season attendance record has been broken in recent years. Playing Field n UK switched from natural grass to synthetic turf for the 2015 season. Other SEC schools with a turf surface are: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Missouri. n The end zones and team sideline areas feature a checkerboard pattern in alternating shades of blue. It was designed to mimic the pattern of Secretariat’s silks, which has been part of the football uniforms for five seasons. The school’s new interlocking “UK” logo is positioned in the center of the field. Video Boards n Video boards by Daktronics measuring at 39 by 79 feet, each, bring a total of 6,162 square feet of video capability. The video boards put UK among the nation’s leaders in video square footage. The interior seating bowl also has LED ribbon boards. Sound System n Sportsound system delivers pounding bass energy, smooth mid- and high-range frequencies, and high-impact entertainment. Components of the sound system include a main speaker cluster behind the end zone, under-balcony speakers and concourse speakers. 1. 63,543 Georgia 2018 2. 63,407 Auburn 2015 3. 63,380 EKU 2015 4. 63,081 South Carolina 2018 5. 63,076 Florida 2019 * Since 2015 Renovation 1973 When first constructed in 1973 as Commonwealth Stadium, Kroger Field had a capacity of 57,800 and was completed at a cost of $12 million by the firm of Huber, Hunt and Nichols. The stadium and parking areas rest on an 86-acre plot that was once part of the UK Experimental Station Farm Grounds. The stadium was officially opened on Sept. 15, 1973, as the Wildcats moved into their new home after spending 48 years at Stoll Field/McLean Stadium across from Memorial Coliseum. Kentucky defeated Virginia Tech in the stadium opener, 31-26, as quarterback Ernie Lewis ran for two touchdowns and threw for another TD to lead the Wildcats. 1999 The stadium was expanded in 1999. Both end zones were enclosed, along with the construction of 40 suites, 10 in each corner of the stadium. The project was handled by HNTB of Kansas City, Mo., and Turner Construction of Cincinnati, Ohio. A total of $27.6 million was allocated for the expansion, which also included the original Mitsubishi Diamond Vision video boards, new scoreboards and additional restrooms and concession stands. The attendance capacity was 67,942 in 2012. 2015 Kroger Field was transformed into a state-of-the-art facility after a $120-million reinvention which was completed prior to the 2015 season. The project was also handled by HNTB. The outside of the stadium underwent a dramatic external facelift, receiving a modern look, but one that remained uniquely Kentucky. Inside, the capacity of Kroger Field was reduced over the course of the two-year project to approximately 61,000, but the value of all remaining seats were increased, from the top of the upper deck to front-row seats at midfield. Concourses were revamped and widened throughout the stadium with improved concessions, restrooms and security. Players and coaches reaped the benefits of the new Kroger Field as well, as home-team facilities were built, while a new multi-purpose recruiting room hosts future Wildcats on their on-campus visits. Kroger Field Quick Facts Top Home Attendances 44 @UKFootball 2020_UKAA Membership_Football Ad.indd 12020_UKAA Membership_Football Ad.indd 17/31/2020 10:51:29 AM7/31/2020 10:51:29 AMKroger Field KENTUCKY FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE IN KROGER FIELD Former Kentucky linebacker Terry Clayton, who is deaf, could not hear the roar of the crowd at Kroger Field. “But,” Clayton said, “I can feel the rumble!” Year .............. G ..................Total ...... Avg./Game 1973............. 5 ............. 250,055 ............. 50,011 1974............. 6 ............. 328,785 ............. 54,797 1975............. 6 ............. 341,204 ............. 56,867 1976............. 7 ............. 393,483 ............. 56,211 1977............. 5 ............. 288,990 ............. 57,798 1978............. 6 ............. 346,341 ............. 57,723 1979............. 5 ............. 289,042 ............. 57,808 1980............. 7 ............. 392,898 ............. 56,128 1981............. 6 ............. 334,837 ............. 55,809 1982............. 6 ............. 329,207 ............. 54,867 1983............. 7 ............. 395,365 ............. 56,480 1984............. 7 ............. 387,959 ............. 55,422 1985............. 7 ............. 398,788 ............. 56,969 1986............. 7 ............. 384,802 ............. 54,971 1987............. 6 ............. 331,923 ............. 55,321 1988............. 7 ............. 337,972 ............. 48,292 1989............. 7 ............. 374,248 ............. 53,464 Year .............. G ..................Total ...... Avg./Game 1990............. 6 ............. 332,840 ............. 55,473 1991............. 6 ............. 327,250 ............. 54,542 1992............. 6 ............. 324,875 ............. 54,146 1993............. 6 ............. 318,178 ............. 53,030 1994............. 7 ............. 352,012 ............. 50,287 1995............. 6 ............. 299,772 ............. 49,446 1996............. 6 ............. 243,884 ............. 40,647 1997............. 6 ............. 354,662 ............. 59,110 1998............. 6 ............. 346,422 ............. 57,737 1999............. 6 ............. 406,536 ............. 67,756 2000............. 6 ............. 392,772 ............. 65,462 2001............. 6 ............. 380,881 ............. 63,480 2002............. 7 ............. 449,084 ............. 64,155 2003............. 7 ............. 454,457 ............. 64,922 2004............. 6 ............. 374,002 ............. 62,334 2005............. 6 ............. 374,697 ............. 62,450 2006............. 7 ............. 401,307 ............. 57,330 Year .............. G ..................Total ...... Avg./Game 2007............. 8 ............. 550,588 ............. 68,824 2008............. 7 ............. 486,038 ............. 69,434 2009............. 7 ............. 487,156 ............. 69,594 2010............. 7 ............. 462,488 ............. 66,070 2011............. 7 ............. 420,052 ............. 60,007 2012............. 7 ............. 347,838 ............. 49,691 2013............. 7 ............. 416,303 ............. 59,472 2014............. 7 ............. 403,002 ............. 57,571 2015............. 8 ............. 490,361 ............. 61,295 2016............. 7 ............. 370,500 ............. 58,038 2017............. 7 ............. 395,276 ............. 56,468 2018............. 7 ............. 385,820 ............. 55,117 2019............. 8 ............. 425,023 ............. 53,128 Total ........... 307 ...... 17,716,258 ............. 57,707 Since 1999 . 145 ........ 8,979,181 ............. 61,235 (Note: stadium was expanded in 1999) 46 @UKFootballUK SPORTS NETWORK UK SPORTS NETWORK TV AFFILIATESTV AFFILIATES UK SPORTS NETWORK UK SPORTS NETWORK TV AFFILIATESTV AFFILIATES UK SPORTS NETWORK TV AFFILIATES SPORTS NETWORKSPORTS NETWORK Louisville Cincinnati Paducah Bowling Green Johnson City, TNWildcat Marching Band Entertaining thousands of fans with our spirited, high- energy performances, the Wildcat Marching Band enjoys a nation- al reputation as one of the finest collegiate marching bands in the country. The Wildcat Marching Band provides a pep band for ev- ery away game in the Southeastern Confer- ence and travels with the full band to one away game each year. In addition, the Wild- cat Marching Band has participated in nu- merous post-season bowl games, BOA Re- gional Championships, a Presidential Inau- guration, a World Series, and the 2008 Ryder Cup. The basketball pep band was recently a part of the 2011 NCAA Final Four and the 2012 NCAA Basketball tournament where UK won their 8th National Championship. Marching Band (MUC 190) is a one credit hour class that rehearses Mondays, Wednes- days and Fridays from 5:30-7:30PM. In addi- tion, the Wildcat Marching Band represents nearly every academic major on campus and is the largest student organization at the University of Kentucky while maintaining some of the highest GPA’s on campus. Sweetheart Majorettes As the first female members to join the University of Kentucky Wildcat Marching Band in 1960, the UK Feature Twirlers and Sweetheart Majorette Twirling line is rich in tradition, excellence, and is comprised of national champion twirlers from all over the United States. Taking pride in being one of the best twirling schools in the SEC, the UK Twirling program loves being a part of the Wildcat Marching Band and representing twirling in front of 70,000+ CATS fans at Common- wealth Stadium. The UK Feature Twirlers and Sweetheart Majorette line also perform at other UK Athletic events, around the Lex- ington community, and compete on the lo- cal, regional, and national level. The University of Kentucky Cheerleading Squad No other college cheerleading squad has dominated the Universal Cheerleaders Associ- ation National Championships like Kentucky. The UK squad has won UCA’s National Col- lege Cheerleading Championship an unprece- dented 24 times (1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019), more than any other Division IA school. UK’s squad is the only team to win back-to-back championships three times, once in 1987 and 1988, again in 1995 and 1996, and a third time in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Furthermore, UK is the only squad ever to win three, four, five, six, seven and eight championships in a row. UK’s eight year streak of championships was broken in 2003 when the Wildcats finished runner-up to Central Florida. They regained the title in January 2004 and won their third straight in 2006. Central Florida regained the championship in 2007 when UK finished in third place. But the next year, UK came home with its 16th title. The squad generates vocal support and significant enthusiasm for some of the finest athletic programs in the nation. The Wild- cat basketball team is the winningest col- lege basketball program in the nation and has won the NCAA national championship eight times. The squad receives substantial media exposure. Having finished in the top 10 every year since the existence of the UCA National College Championships, each year the UK squad is seen on the ESPN televised Championships Program, which airs at least eight times nationally. In ad- dition, the UK squad is seen on television as every UK basketball game is televised nationally. The squad is frequently the sub- ject of highlight stories by television, ra- dio stations, and newspapers. The squad has been featured on the “CBS Evening News,” Connie Chung’s “Eye to Eye,” the “CBS Morning Show”, in “Southern Living” and “Gentlemen’s Quarterly,” “ESPN the Magazine,” and “Seventeen” maga- zine. The cheerleaders reg- ularly attend University Athletics Association and Alumni Association func- tions. They also represent the University at many charitable and public rela- tions’ events. On the UK campus, UK cheerleaders are rec- ognized as some of the finest athletes in the uni- versity’s sports programs, as intelligent and outgoing students in the classroom, and as public relations ambassadors of the Uni- versity of Kentucky and the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky. Wildcat Spirit 48 @UKFootballFirst-Team All-Americans 1942 Clyde Johnson, Tackle (AP) 1949 Bob Gain, Tackle (All-Players, NY Sun, NEA) 1950 Bob Gain, Tackle (AP, UPI, INS, Camp, NEA, CP, FWAA-Look, AAB, FD, NYNews) 1950 Babe Parilli, Quarterback (AP, INS, Camp, Colliers, NY News, Sporting News, AAB) 1951 Babe Parilli, Quarterback (UP, INS, Camp, NEA, CP, AAB, NY News, All-Players) 1951 Doug Moseley, Center (AP, FWAA-Look) 1952 Steve Meilinger, End (NEA, All-Players) 1953 Steve Meilinger, End (NEA, Colliers, AAB) 1953 Ray Correll, Guard (FWAA-Look, Chicago Tribune) 1955 Howard Schnellenberger, End (AP) 1956 Lou Michaels, Tackle (UPI, NA, Camp, Colliers,NY News) 1957 Lou Michaels, Tackle (AP, NEA, Camp, FWAA-Look, Coaches, NY News, Sporting News) 1961 Irv Goode, Center (Time) 1963 Herschel Turner, Tackle (Time) 1965 Sam Ball, Tackle (UPI, NEA, Camp, FWAA-Look, Coaches, Time, Sporting News) 1965 Rodger Bird, Halfback (Time, NBC) 1965 Rick Norton, Quarterback (Time, NBC) 1974 Elmore Stephens, Tight End (Time) 1974 Rick Nuzum, Center (NEA) 1976 Warren Bryant, Tackle (Coaches, Camp) 1977 Art Still, End (AP, UPI, NEA, Coaches, FWAA, Camp, Sporting News, Football News) 1989 Mike Pfeifer, Off. Tackle (Football News, Mizlou) 1998 Tim Couch, Quarterback (Camp, FWAA, AAFF) 1999 James Whalen, Tight End (AP, Camp, FWAA, AAFF, CNN/SI, CBS SportsLine) 2002 Derek Abney, Kick Returner (AP, FWAA, Camp, Sporting News, ESPN, CBS SportsLine, CNN/SI, College Football News) 2002 Glenn Pakulak, Punter (CBS SportsLine) 2010 Randall Cobb, All-Purpose Player (AP, SI.com, ESPN.com) 2010 Danny Trevathan, Linebacker (CollegeFootballNews.com) 2018 Josh Allen, Linebacker (Camp, SI, TheAthletic.com, ESPN, AP, College Football News, FWAA, Sporting News, USA Today, CBS, AFCA, Athlon, Phil Steele) 2018 Jervontius “Bunchy” Stallings, Offensive Guard (AP, The Athletic) 2019 Lynn Bowden Jr., All-Purpose (Athlon, AP, ESPN.com, AFCA FBS Coaches, SI.com, CBS Sports, Phil Steele, Sporting News, USA Today) 2019 Max Duffy, Punter (AP, Athlon, FWAA, Walter Camp, AFCA Coaches, ESPN.com, Phil Steele, Sporting News, USA Today) Second-Team All-Americans 1949 Bob Gain, Tackle (FWAA-Look) 1956 Lou Michaels, Tackle (FWAA-Look) 1970 Dave Roller, Def. Tackle (NEA) 1971 Joe Federspiel, Linebacker (AP) 1972 Sonny Collins, Tailback (NEA) 1976 Warren Bryant, Off. Tackle (AP, Football News, NEA) 1983 Paul Calhoun, Safety/Punter (The Sporting News) 1990 Randy Holleran, Linebacker (Football News) 1994 Melvin Johnson, Free Safety (Gannett News Service) 1998 Tim Couch, Quarterback (AP, Football News) 1999 James Whalen, Tight End (Football News) 2002 Glenn Pakulak, Punter (Camp, College Football News) 2003 Derek Abney, Kick Returner (AP) 2008 Trevard Lindley, Cornerback (Camp, CollegeFootballNews.com) 2010 Randall Cobb, All-Purpose Player (Rivals.com, CollegeFootballNews.com, Phil Steele’s College Football) 2011 Danny Trevathan, Linebacker (SI.com) 2018 Benny Snell Jr., Running Back (Camp, College Football News, USA Today, AFCA) 2018 Jervontius “Bunchy” Stallings, Offensive Guard (SI, USA Today, Athlon) 2019 Logan Stenberg, Offensive Guard (FWAA, Phil Steele) Third-Team All-Americans 1950 Al Bruno, End (AP, UPI) 1962 Tom Hutchinson, End (Coaches) 1963 Herschel Turner, Tackle (UPI) 1974 Sonny Collins, Tailback (Football News) 1975 Warren Bryant, Off. Tackle (Football News) 1976 Derrick Ramsey, Quarterback (AP, Football News) 1984 Paul Calhoun, Safety/Punter (AP) 1989 Oliver Barnett, Def. Tackle (AP) 1998 Craig Yeast, Wide Receiver (Football News) 1999 James Whalen, Tight End (The Sporting News) 2001 Dennis Johnson, Def. End (Football News) 2001 Glenn Pakulak, Punter (Football News) 2002 Glenn Pakulak, Punter (AP) 2008 Trevard Lindley, Cornerback (Phil Steele’s College Football) 2011 Danny Trevathan, Linebacker (Rivals.com) 2012 Larry Warford, Off. Guard (AP, Phil Steele’s College Football) 2014 Alvin “Bud” Dupree, DE/LB (Phil Steele’s College Football) 2018 Benny Snell Jr., Running Back (AP, Phil Steele, Athlon) 2018 Jervontius “Bunchy” Stallings, Offensive Guard (Athlon, Phil Steele) All-Americans Lynn Bowden Jr. was named a First-Team All-American in 2019 @UKSportsNetwork 49Next >