2017 Kentucky Wildcats football team

2017 Kentucky Wildcats football
Music City Bowl, L 23–24 vs. Northwestern
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Eastern Division
Record	7–6 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach	Mark Stoops (5th season)
Offensive coordinator	Eddie Gran (2nd season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Darin Hinshaw (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Matt House (1st season)
Base defense	3–4 or 4–3
Home stadium	Kroger Field
Seasons ←  2016 2018  →

2017 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 2 Georgia x$^		7	–	1					13	–	2
South Carolina		5	–	3					9	–	4
Kentucky		4	–	4					7	–	6
Missouri		4	–	4					7	–	6
Florida		3	–	5					4	–	7
Vanderbilt		1	–	7					5	–	7
Tennessee		0	–	8					4	–	8
West Division
No. 10 Auburn xy		7	–	1					10	–	4
No. 1 Alabama x#^		7	–	1					13	–	1
No. 18 LSU		6	–	2					9	–	4
No. 19 Mississippi State		4	–	4					9	–	4
Texas A&M		4	–	4					7	–	6
Ole Miss*		3	–	5					6	–	6
Arkansas		1	–	7					4	–	8
Championship: Georgia 28, Auburn 7
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant * Ole Miss ineligible for postseason due to NCAA sanctions Rankings from AP Poll

The 2017 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky played as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. They were led by fifth-year head coach Mark Stoops. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in SEC play to finish in a tie for third place in the Eastern Division. They were invited to the Music City Bowl where they lost to Northwestern.

Offseason

Spring Game

The spring game took place on April 14, in Lexington.

Date	Time	Spring Game	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
April 14	7:30 p.m.	Blue vs. White	Kroger Field • Lexington, KY	SEC Network	31–14 Blue	37,172

Departures

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Notes
Jeff Badet	#13	WR	6'0"	182	Junior	Orlando, FL	Transferred to Oklahoma
Alvonte Bell	#92	DE	6'5"	260	Junior	Miramar, FL	Kicked off team
Tanner Fink	#49	TE	6'2"	251	Senior	Louisville, KY	Graduated
Nico Firios	#40	LB	6'2"	245	Sophomore	Longwood, FL	Transferred
Jabari Greenwood	#8	WR	6'3"	195	Sophomore	Washington D.C.	Transferred
J.D. Harmon	#11	DB	6'2"	200	Senior	Paducah, KY	Graduated
Jojo Kemp	#3	RB	5'10"	200	Senior	DeLand, FL	Graduated
De'Niro Laster	#44	LB	6'4"	241	Junior	Cleveland Heights, OH	Transferred
Blake McClain	#24	DB	5'11"	200	Senior	Winter Park, FL	Graduated
Marcus McWilson	#15	DB	6'0"	210	Senior	Youngstown, OH	Graduated
Courtney Miggins	#94	DT	6'5"	285	Senior	Lithonia, GA	Graduated
Zach Myers	#57	C	6'3"	305	Senior	Miamisburg, OH	Graduated
Ryan Timmons	#1	WR	5'10"	198	Senior	Frankfort, KY	Graduated
Jon Toth	#72	C	6'5"	310	Senior	Indianapolis, IN	Graduated
Roland Walder	#33	LB	6'3"	215	Freshman	Dayton, OH	Transferred
Kobie Walker	#8	LB	6'3"	215	Sophomore	Baltimore, MD	Transferred
Stanley Williams	#18	RB	5'9"	196	Junior	Monroe, GA	Entered 2017 NFL draft
Zane Williams	#78	DT	6'4"	290	Senior	Lexington, KY	Graduated

2017 signing class

See also: American football positions, Glossary of American football, and Recruiting (college athletics)

Prior to National Signing Day on February 1, 2017, seven players enrolled for the spring semester in order to participate in spring practice and included six former high school seniors and one junior college transfer. ^[1] On National Signing Day, Kentucky signed an additional seventeen players out of high school and junior college that completed the 2017 recruiting class. ^[2]

US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald #54 DE	Lakeland, FL	Lakeland Christian	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	245 lb (111 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Tyrell Ajian #17 ATH	Mansfield, OH	Madison High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Josh Ali #54 WR	Hollywood, FL	Chaminade-Madonna Prep	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Quinton Bohanna #69 DT	Cordova, TN	Cordova High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	320 lb (150 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Lynn Bowden #4 ATH	Youngstown, OH	Warren G. Harding High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Danny Clark #15 QB	Columbus, OH	Archbishop Hoban High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	230 lb (100 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Yusuf Corker #36 DB	McDonough, GA	Woodland High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	183 lb (83 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Jamin Davis #60 LB	Ludowici, GA	Long County High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	210 lb (95 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Sebastien Dolcine #39 OG	Hollywood, FL	Miramar High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	295 lb (134 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Cedrick Dort #157 DB	Palm Beach Gardens, FL	William T. Dwyer High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	170 lb (77 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Austin Dotson #142 OT	Belfry, KY	Belfry High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	305 lb (138 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Isaiah Epps #206 WR	Jenks, OK	Jenks High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Phil Hoskins #6 DT (JUCO)	Toledo, OH	Highland Community College	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	280 lb (130 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Lonnie Johnson Jr. #5 S (JUCO)	Gary, IN	Garden City Community College	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	215 lb (98 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Alex King #39 DE	Mason, OH	Mason High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	225 lb (102 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Bryant Koback #34 RB	Holland, OH	Springfield High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	200 lb (91 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Michael Nesbitt #83 DB	Fort Lauderdale, FL	Boyd H. Anderson High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Josh Paschal #11 DE	Olney, MD	Our Lady of Good Counsel High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	270 lb (120 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Javonte Richardson #48 WR	Maple Heights, OH	Maple Heights High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	230 lb (100 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Clevan Thomas #103 WR	Miami, FL	Charles W. Flanagan High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Naasir Watkins #103 OT	Olney, MD	Our Lady of Good Counsel High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	300 lb (140 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Chris Whittaker #65 DE	Hollywood, FL	Chaminade-Madonna Prep	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	260 lb (120 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Walker Wood #20 QB	Lexington, KY	Lafayette High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Jordan Wright #28 DE	Fort Lauderdale, FL	Dillard High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	330 lb (150 kg)
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A    247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2017 Kentucky Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 1, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 1, 2017. "2017 Kentucky Wildcats football team". 247sports.com. Retrieved February 1, 2017.

Personnel

Coaching staff

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops enters his fifth season as the Wildcat's head coach for the 2017 season. During his previous four seasons he led the Wildcats to an overall record of 19 wins and 30 losses.

On January 18, 2017, Defensive Coordinator D.J. Eliot announced he would not return to the program for the 2017 season as the defensive coordinator to instead continue his career at Colorado. ^{[3] [4]} In his place Kentucky promoted special teams coordinator Matt House as Defensive Coordinator at Kentucky. ^[5]

Name	Position	Consecutive season at Kentucky in current position
Mark Stoops	Head coach	5th
Eddie Gran	Offensive coordinator, Running backs	2nd
Matt House	Defensive coordinator, Inside linebackers	1st
Steve Clinkscale	Defensive backs	2nd
Derrick LeBlanc	Defensive line	1st
Lamar Thomas	Wide receivers	2nd
Vince Marrow	Tight ends, Recruiting coordinator	5th
John Schlarman	Offensive line	5th
Darin Hinshaw	Quarterbacks	2nd
Dean Hood	Special teams	1st
Corey Edmond	Strength and conditioning	1st
Reference:

Roster

2017 Kentucky Wildcats football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 Lynn Bowden Fr WR 2 Dorian Baker   Sr RB 3 Jojo Kemp Sr WR 6 Blake Bone Sr QB 7 Drew Barker Jr WR 9 Garrett Johnson Sr RB 10 A. J. Rose RFr WR 11 Tavin Richardson So QB 12 Gunnar Hoak RFr QB 13 Danny Clark Fr QB 14 Luke Wright Jr QB 15 Stephen Johnson Sr QB 17 Walker Wood  Fr WR 18 Clevan Thomas Fr WR 19 Kayaune Ross Jr WR 20 Ryan Kendall Jr RB 22 Sihiem King Jr WR 23 Brayden Berezowitz RFr RB 24 Bryant Koback  Fr RB 25 Harold Turks RFr RB 26 Benny Snell So WR 27 Bryan Berezowitz RFr RB 28 Zach Johnson RFr WR 31 David Bouvier Jr RB 32 William Mahone Sr WR 42 Kynan Smith Fr FB 48 Will Collins Sr TE 49 Tanner Fink Sr C 52 Drake Jackson RFr G 55 David Baumer Jr G 61 Austin Dotson  Fr G 62 Dylan Greenburg Sr G 64 George Asafo-Adjei Jr G 65 Jervontius Stallings Jr OT 66 Naasir Watkins Fr OT 67 Landon Young So G 68 Nick Haynes Sr G 71 Logan Stenberg So G 72 E.J. Price  So OT 73 Kyle Meadows Sr G 74 Cole Mosier  Sr OT 75 Tate Leavitt Jr OT 76 Sebastien Dolcine Fr OT 77 Mason Wolfe RFr OT 79 Luke Fortner RFr WR 80 JaVonte Richardson  Fr WR 81 Isaiah Epps Fr WR 82 Josh Ali Fr TE 83 Justin Rigg So WR 84 Charles Moushey Sr TE 85 Greg Hart Sr TE 86 Darryl Long So TE 87 C. J. Conrad Jr WR 88 Charles Walker Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 3 Jordan Griffin So DE 4 Josh Paschal Fr CB 5 Kendall Randolph Sr S 7 Mike Edwards Jr CB 8 Derrick Baity Jr CB 9 Davonte Robinson RFr CB 13 Zy'Aire Hughes RFr LB 15 Jordan Wright  Fr S 16 Marcus Walker So CB 17 Tobias Gilliam RFr DE 20 Kengera Daniel Jr CB 21 Chris Westry Jr DB 23 Tyrell Ajian  Fr S 25 Darius West Jr DB 26 Jack Jackson RFr DB 26 Michael Nesbitt  Fr DB 27 Cedrick Dort  Fr CB 29 Yusuf Corker  Fr CB 30 Isaiah Brown Fr LB 31 Jamar Watkins RFr LB 32 Eli Brown So LB 34 Jordan Jones Jr DE 35 Denzil Ware Jr DT 36 Jacob Hyde Sr LB 37 Spencer Foy Jr LB 38 William Nalty Fr LB 39 Elijah Barnett So LB 41 Josh Allen Jr LB 43 Logan Blue Jr LB 44 Jamin Davis Fr LB 45 Jaylin Bannerman RFr LB 46 Drew Schlegel RFr LB 47 Jordan Bonner Jr LB 48 Brett Slusher So LB 51 Courtney Love Sr LB 56 Kash Daniel So LB 58 Alex King  Fr DT 59 Kordell Looney RFr DE 60 Calvin Taylor So DT 69 Matt Elam Sr DT 77 Naquez Pringle Sr DE 90 T. J. Carter So DE 91 Kevin Kirby Fr DT 92 Phil Hoskins  Fr DT 93 Ja'Quize Cross RFr DT 95 Quinton Bohanna Fr DE 96 Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald  Fr DE 97 Chris Whittaker  Fr DE 98 Tymere Dubose Jr DT 99 Adrian Middleton Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class LS 42 Tristan Yeomans Jr LS 53 Blake Best So P 86 Grant McKinniss So P 91 Tyler Pack RFr P 93 Matt Panton Sr PK 95 Miles Butler Jr PK 99 Austin MacGinnis Sr	Head coach Mark Stoops [6] Coordinators/assistant coaches Eddie Gran Offensive coordinator/running backs Darin Hinshaw Quarterbacks coach Lamar Thomas Wide receivers Vince Marrow Tight ends John Schlarman Offensive line Matt House Defensive coordinator/linebackers Derrick LeBlanc Defensive line Steve Clinkscale Defensive backs Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: August 1, 2017

Schedule and results

The Wildcats' 2017 schedule consisted of seven home games and five away games. Kentucky hosted three of its four non-conference games—against Eastern Kentucky from the Ohio Valley Conference, Eastern Michigan from the Mid-American Conference, and Louisville from the ACC. They traveled to Southern Miss for their only road non-conference game. The Wildcats played eight conference games, hosting Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, and Ole Miss and traveling to South Carolina, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Georgia.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	4:00 p.m.	at Southern Miss *	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, MS	CBSSN	W 24–17	22,761
September 9	12:00 p.m.	Eastern Kentucky *	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	W 27–16	54,868
September 16	7:30 p.m.	at South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	W 23–13	82,493
September 23	7:30 p.m.	No. 20 Florida	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry)	SECN	L 27–28	62,945
September 30	4:00 p.m.	Eastern Michigan *	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	W 24–20	50,593
October 7	7:30 p.m.	Missouri	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	W 40–34	57,476
October 21	3:00 p.m.	at Mississippi State	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	SECN	L 7–45	58,963
October 28	7:30 p.m.	Tennessee	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry)	SECN	W 29–26	57,543
November 4	4:00 p.m.	Ole Miss	Kroger Field Lexington, KY	SECN	L 34–37	55,665
November 11	4:00 p.m.	at Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	W 44–21	27,346
November 18	3:30 p.m.	at No. 7 Georgia	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (SEC Nation)	CBS	L 13–42	92,746
November 25	12:00 p.m.	Louisville *	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry)	SECN	L 17–44	56,186
December 29	4:00 p.m.	vs. No. 23 Northwestern *	Nissan Stadium Nashville, TN (Music City Bowl)	ESPN	L 23–24	48,675
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game All times are in Central time

Schedule Source: ^[7]

Game summaries

At Southern Miss

See also: 2017 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

Kentucky vs. Southern Miss

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	14	10	0	24
Golden Eagles	0	3	7	7	17

at M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

• Date: September 2, 2017
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 86 • Wind: N 4 mph • Weather: Mostly Sunny; 48%hum
• Game attendance: 22,761
• Referee: Hubert Owens
• TV: CBSSN
• ^[8]

Game information

Second quarter 14:54 Kentucky – Stephen Johnson 8 yard run (Austin MacGinnis kick), Kentucky 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 1:16 8:21 Southern Miss – Parker Shaunfield 22 yard field goal, Kentucky 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 82 yards, 6:29 7:01 Kentucky – C.J. Conrad 23 yard pass from Stephen Johnson (Austin MacGinnis kick), Kentucky 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 37 yards, 1:09 Third quarter 10:40 Southern Miss – Korey Robertson 42 yard pass from Kwadra Griggs (Parker Shaunfield kick), Kentucky 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:12 2:03 Kentucky – Austin MacGinnis 41 yard field goal, Kentucky 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 3:27 0:49 Kentucky – Denzil Ware 20 yard fumble return (Austin MacGinnis kick), Kentucky 24–10. Drive: 3 plays, -5 yards, 1:14 Fourth quarter 12:42 Southern Miss – Korey Robertson 26 yard pass from Kwadra Griggs (Parker Shaunfield kick), Kentucky 24–17. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:07 Leading Passers USM – Kwadra Griggs, 15–26, 222 yards, 2 TD UK – Stephen Johnson, 11–20, 176 yards, 1 TD Leading Rushers USM – Ito Smith, 16 carries, 37 yards UK – Benny Snell Jr., 20 carries, 67 yards Leading Receivers USM – Korey Robertson, 7 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TD UK – C. J. Conrad, 3 receptions, 97 yards, 1 TD Leading Tacklers USM – Tarvarius Moore, 8 tackles UK – Courtney Love, 9 tackles

Eastern Kentucky

See also: 2017 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

Eastern Kentucky vs. Kentucky

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	7	6	3	0	16
Wildcats	3	7	7	10	27

at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky

• Date: September 9, 2017
• Game time: Noon EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 70 • Wind: 9 MPH E • Weather: Mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 54,868
• Referee: John McDaid
• TV: SEC Network
• ^[9]

At South Carolina

See also: 2017 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

Kentucky vs. South Carolina

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	7	7	3	6	23
Gamecocks	6	0	0	7	13

at Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina

• Date: September 16, 2017
• Game time: 7:30pm EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 85 • Wind: NNE 4mph • Weather: Partly Cloudy
• Game attendance: 82,483
• Referee: Marc Curles
• TV: SEC Network
• ^[10]

#20 Florida

See also: 2017 Florida Gators football team

#20 Florida vs. Kentucky

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
#20 Gators	0	14	0	14	28
Wildcats	7	7	10	3	27

at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky

• Date: September 23, 2017
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 80 °F (27 °C) • Wind: NE at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Clear
• Game attendance: 62,945
• Referee: James Carter
• TV announcers (SEC Network): Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic
• ^[11]

Game information

First Quarter Kentucky – Blake Bone 14-yard pass from Stephen Johnson (Austin MacGinnis kick), 5:06 Second Quarter Florida – Kadarius Toney 36-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 14:16 Kentucky – Garrett Johnson 9-yard pass from Stephen Johnson (Austin MacGinnis kick), 7:24 Florida – Tyrie Cleveland 45-yard pass from Feleipe Franks (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 3:16 Third Quarter Kentucky – C. J. Conrad 23-yard pass from Stephen Johnson (Austin MacGinnis kick), 12:11 Kentucky – Austin MacGinnis 42-yard field goal, 5:54 Fourth Quarter Kentucky – Austin MacGinnis 50-yard field goal, 11:33 Florida – Brandon Powell 6-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 7:58 Florida – Freddie Swain 5-yard pass from Luke Del Rio (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 0:43 Passing leaders FLA – Feleipe Franks – 7/12, 85 yards, 1 touchdown KEN – Stephen Johnson – 17/25, 196 yards, 3 touchdowns Rushing leaders FLA – Malik Davis – 21 carries, 93 yards KEN – Sihiem King – 5 carries, 63 yards Receiving leaders FLA – Tyrie Cleveland – 4 receptions, 110 yards, 1 touchdown KEN – Garrett Johnson – 4 receptions, 56 yards, 1 touchdown Tackling leaders FLA – David Reese – 8 tackles KEN – Mike Edwards – 11 tackles

Eastern Michigan

See also: 2017 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

Eastern Michigan vs. Kentucky

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	7	7	0	6	20
Wildcats	7	7	3	7	24

at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky

• Date: September 30, 2017
• Game time: 4:00pm EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 71 • Wind: 12 ENE • Weather: Sunny, breezy
• Game attendance: 50,593
• Referee: Steve Marlowe
• TV: SEC Network
• ^[12]

Missouri

See also: 2017 Missouri Tigers football team

Missouri vs. Kentucky

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	14	13	7	34
Wildcats	10	10	7	13	40

at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky

• Date: October 7, 2017
• Game time: 7:30pm EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 75 • Wind: S10 • Weather: Cloudy
• Game attendance: 57,476
• Referee: Ken Williamson
• TV: SEC Network
• ^[13]

At Mississippi State

See also: 2017 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	7	0	0	7
Bulldogs	7	10	7	21	45

at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi

• Date: October 21, 2017
• Game time: 4:00p.m. EST
• Game weather: Temperature:83 • Wind:SE @ 12 • Weather:partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 58,963
• Referee: John McDaid
• TV: SECN
• ^[14]

Tennessee

See also: 2017 Tennessee Volunteers football team and Kentucky–Tennessee football rivalry

Tennessee vs. Kentucky

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Volunteers	6	14	3	3	26
Wildcats	7	14	0	8	29

at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky

• Date: October 28, 2017
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Temperature:38 • Wind:5mph NW • Weather:Cloudy
• Game attendance: 57,543
• Referee: David Smith
• TV: SECN
• ^[15]

Ole Miss

See also: 2017 Ole Miss Rebels football team

Ole Miss vs. Kentucky

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Rebels	7	10	10	10	37
Wildcats	3	17	7	7	34

at Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky

• Date: November 4, 2017
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 65 • Wind: 6mph S • Weather: Cloudy
• Game attendance: 55,665
• Referee: Marc Curles
• TV: SECN
• ^[16]

At Vanderbilt

See also: 2017 Vanderbilt Commodores football team and Kentucky–Vanderbilt football rivalry

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	7	13	21	3	44
Commodores	7	0	14	0	21

at Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: November 11, 2017
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 61 • Wind: S6 • Weather: Partly Cloudy
• Game attendance: 27,346
• Referee: David Smith
• TV: SECN
• ^[17]

At #7 Georgia

See also: 2017 Georgia Bulldogs football team

Kentucky vs. #7 Georgia

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	6	0	7	0	13
#7 Bulldogs	7	14	7	14	42

at Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia

• Date: November 18, 2017
• Game time: 3:45 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 68 • Wind: 9 SW • Weather: Overcast
• Game attendance: 92,746
• Referee: Hubert Owens
• TV: CBS
• ^[18]

Game information

First quarter UK – Austin MacGinnis 37 yd field goal, 9:40. UK 3–0. UGA – Nick Chubb 8 yd run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 3:19. UGA 7–3. UK – Austin MacGinnis 35 field goal, 0:11. UGA 7–6. Second quarter UGA – Javon Wims 27 yd pass from Jake Fromm (R. Blankenship kick), 4:56. UGA 14–6. UGA – Sony Michel 37 yd run (R. Blankenship kick), 1:51. UGA 21–6. Third quarter UK – Benny Snell 1 yd run (A. MacGinnis kick), 11:29. UGA 21–13. UGA – Sony Michel 8 yd run (R. Blankenship kick), 8:16. UGA 28–13. Fourth quarter UGA – Nick Cubb 55 yd run (R. Blankenship kick), 14:17. UGA 35–13. UGA – Sony Michel 4 yd run (R. Blankenship kick), 10:59. UGA 42–13. Passing leaders UGA – Jake Fromm – 9/14, 123 yards, TD, INT UK – Stephen Johnson – 12/22, 138 yards Rushing leaders UGA – Nick Chubb – 15 carries, 151 yards, 2 TD UK – Benny Snell – 22 carries, 94 yards, TD Receiving leaders UGA – Javon Wims – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD UK – Blake Bone – 1 reception, 45 yards

Louisville

See also: 2017 Louisville Cardinals football team and Governor's Cup (Kentucky)

Louisville at Kentucky

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	17	14	3	10	44
Wildcats	7	3	0	7	17

at Kroger Field • Lexington, Kentucky

• Date: November 25, 2017
• Game time: Noon EST
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 56,816
• http://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=400933935

#23 Northwestern–Music City Bowl

See also: 2017 Northwestern Wildcats football team and 2017 Music City Bowl

Music City Bowl

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
UK Wildcats	7	0	7	9	23
#23 NU Wildcats	3	14	0	7	24

at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: December 29, 2017
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
• Game attendance: 48,675
• Referee: Chris Coyte
• TV announcers (ESPN): Taylor Zarzour, Andre Ware and Olivia Harlan

Game information

First quarter 12:42 Kentucky – Benny Snell 3-yard run (Austin MacGinnis kick), Kentucky 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 2:18 3:14 Northwestern – Charlie Kuhbander 33-yard field goal, Kentucky 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 4:00 Second quarter 14:07 Northwestern – Justin Jackson 5-yard run (Charlie Kuhbander kick), Northwestern 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:09 5:12 Northwestern – Justin Jackson 2-yard run (Charlie Kuhbander kick), Northwestern 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:05 Third quarter 7:11 Kentucky – Stephen Johnson 3-yard run (Austin MacGinnis kick), Northwestern 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:30 Fourth quarter 7:49 Northwestern – Kyle Queiro 26-yard interception return (Charlie Kuhbander kick), Northwestern 24–14. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:35 4:24 Kentucky – Austin MacGinnis 48-yard field goal, Northwestern 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 3:25 0:37 Kentucky – Stephen Johnson 9-yard run (2-point pass by Stephen Johnson failed), Northwestern 24–23. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:54 Top passers UK – Stephen Johnson – 19/36, 257 yards, 2 INT NU – Matt Alviti – 4/11, 50 yards Top rushers UK – Sihieim King – 7 carries, 30 yards NU – Justin Jackson – 32 carries, 157 yards, 2 TD Top receivers UK – Tavin Richardson – 5 receptions, 89 yards NU – Charlie Fessler – 1 reception, 28 yards

Awards and milestones

SEC honors

All-SEC First Team

• Benny Snell, RB (AP) ^[19]

All-SEC Second Team

• Josh Allen, LB (AP) ^[19]
• Benny Snell, RB (coaches) ^[19]

Freshman All-SEC

• Lynn Bowden, RS ^[20]

School records

• Most touchdowns scored in a season: 18, Benny Snell (ongoing)
• Most rushing touchdowns in a season: 18, Benny Snell (ongoing) ^[19]
• Most career rushing touchdowns: 31, Benny Snell (ongoing) ^[19]
• Most points scored in a season: 110, Benny Snell (ongoing) ^[19]
• Most career points scored: 354, Austin MacGinnis (ongoing)
• Most field goals in a season: 21, Austin MacGinnis (ongoing; ties own record from 2016)
• Most career field goals: 71, Austin MacGinnis (ongoing)

National awards and honors

• Wuerffel Trophy — Courtney Love ^[21]

References

1. Roberts, Ben (January 13, 2016). "UK announces seven football recruits have enrolled early for spring semester". Lexington Herald-Leader . Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
2. Roberts, Ben (February 1, 2017). "Meet UK's football signees for the recruiting class of 2017". Lexington Herald-Leader . Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
3. Hale, Jon (January 18, 2017). "Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot leaving UK". The Courier-Journal . Louisville. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
4. Crawford, Eric (January 19, 2017). "Defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot leaving Kentucky for Colorado, according to reports". WDRB. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
5. Hale, Jon (January 30, 2017). "UK promoting House to defensive coordinator". The Courier-Journal . Louisville. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
6. "Football – 2015 Coaches". University of Kentucky Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
7. "2017 Kentucky Wildcats Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
8. "KENTUCKY (1-0) -VS- SOUTHERN MISS (0-1)". Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
9. "EASTERN KENTUCKY (0-2) -VS- KENTUCKY (2-0)". Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
10. "KENTUCKY (3-0, 1-0) -VS- SOUTH CAROLINA (2-1, 1-1)". Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
11. "FLORIDA (2-1, 2-0) -VS- KENTUCKY (3-1, 1-1)". Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
12. "EASTERN MICHIGAN (2-2, 0-1) -VS- KENTUCKY (4-1, 1-1)". Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
13. "MISSOURI (1-4, 0-3) -VS- KENTUCKY (5-1, 2-1)". Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
14. "KENTUCKY (5-2, 2-2) -VS- MISSISSIPPI STATE (5-2, 2-2)". University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
15. "TENNESSEE (3-5, 0-5) -VS- KENTUCKY (6-2, 3-2)". Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
16. "OLE MISS (4-5, 2-4) -VS- KENTUCKY (6-3, 3-3)". Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
17. "KENTUCKY (7-3, 4-3) -VS- VANDERBILT (4-6, 0-6)". Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
18. "KENTUCKY (7-4, 4-4) -VS- GEORGIA (10-1, 7-1)". Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
19. "Kentucky's Josh Allen and Benny Snell Jr. Earn All-SEC Honors" (Press release). Kentucky Wildcats. December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
20. "Bowden Jr. Named to Freshman All-SEC Team" (Press release). Kentucky Wildcats. December 7, 2017. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
21. "2017 College Football Awards: Baker Mayfield takes Davey O'Brien, Maxwell Awards". ESPN.com. December 8, 2017. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.