2021 Kentucky Wildcats football | |
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Citrus Bowl champion | |
Citrus Bowl, W 20–17 vs. Iowa | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Eastern Division | |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 15 |
AP | No. 18 |
Record | 10–3 (5–3 SEC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Liam Coen (1st season) |
Offensive scheme | Multiple pro-style |
Defensive coordinator | Brad White (3rd season) |
Co-defensive coordinator | Jon Sumrall (1st season) |
Base defense | 3–4 or 4–3 |
Home stadium | Kroger Field |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 1 Georgia x#^ | 8 | – | 0 | 14 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 18 Kentucky | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Carolina | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida | 2 | – | 6 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 Alabama x$^ | 7 | – | 1 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 11 Ole Miss | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 21 Arkansas | 4 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mississippi State | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas A&M | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LSU | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Alabama 41, Georgia 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2021 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky (UK) in the 2021 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 ninth-year head coach Mark Stoops.
Back | B | Center | C | Cornerback | CB | Defensive back | DB | |||
Defensive end | DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E | |||
Fullback | FB | Place Kicker | PK | Guard | G | Halfback | HB | Kicker | K | |
Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker | LB | |||
Long snapper | LS | Split end | SE | Punter | P | Punt returner | PR | Quarterback | QB | |
Running back | RB | Safety | S | Tight end | TE | Wide receiver | WR |
Listed in the order that they were released
Award | Player | Position | Year |
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Name | Position | Years at Kentucky | |
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Mark Stoops | Head coach | 9th | |
Vince Marrow | Associate head coach/tight end coach | 9th | |
Liam Coen | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach | 1st | |
Brad White | Defensive coordinator/Outside linebackers coach | 4th | |
John Settle | Running backs coach | 1st | |
Jon Sumrall | Inside linebackers coach /co-defensive coordinator | 3rd | |
Frank Buffano | Safeties coach | 2nd | |
Eric Wolford | Offensive line coach | 1st | |
Scott Woodward | Wide receivers coach | 1st | |
Anwar Stewart | Defensive line coach | 2nd | |
Mark Hill | Strength and conditioning | 6th | |
Reference: |
The Wildcats were scheduled to hold spring practices in March and April 2021 with the Kentucky football spring game, which took place in Lexington, KY in April 2021.
The 2021 Kentucky regular-season schedule consisted of seven home games and five away games. UK hosted four SEC opponents: Florida, LSU, Missouri, and rival Tennessee. UK traveled to four SEC opponents: Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. Kentucky was not scheduled to play SEC West opponents Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M in the 2021 regular season. The Wildcats' bye week was during week 8 (on October 23, 2021). [1]
Kentucky's out-of-conference opponents represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Southern Conference (SoCon), and Sun Belt Conference (SBC), as well as one FBS independent. The Wildcats hosted SoCon member Chattanooga, SBC member Louisiana-Monroe, and independent New Mexico State. The Wildcats closed out the regular season by traveling to Louisville, KY to face in-state rival Louisville for the Governor's Cup.
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 4 | 12:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe * | SECN | W 45–10 | 47,693 | ||
September 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Missouri |
| SECN | W 35–28 | 58,437 | |
September 18 | 12:00 p.m. | Chattanooga * |
| ESPN+/SECN+ | W 28–23 | 55,214 | |
September 25 | 7:00 p.m. | at South Carolina | ESPN2 | W 16–10 | 77,559 | ||
October 2 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 10 Florida |
| ESPN | W 20–13 | 61,632 | |
October 9 | 7:30 p.m. | LSU | No. 16 |
| SECN | W 42–21 | 61,690 |
October 16 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 1 Georgia | No. 11 | CBS | L 13–30 | 92,746 | |
October 30 | 7:00 p.m. | at Mississippi State | No. 12 | SECN | L 17–31 | 49,487 | |
November 6 | 7:00 p.m. | Tennessee | No. 18 |
| ESPN2 | L 42–45 | 61,690 |
November 13 | 7:00 p.m. | at Vanderbilt | ESPN2 | W 34–17 | 25,798 | ||
November 20 | 12:00 p.m. | New Mexico State * |
| SECN | W 56–16 | 47,749 | |
November 27 | 7:30 p.m. | at Louisville * | ESPN2 | W 52–21 | 55,018 | ||
January 1, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. No. 15 Iowa * | No. 22 | ABC | W 20–17 | 50,769 | |
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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UK −31.0 | 54 |
Statistics | ULM | Kentucky |
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First downs | 12 | 24 |
Total yards | 87 | 564 |
Rushing yards | 17 | 145 |
Passing yards | 70 | 419 |
Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
Time of possession | 28:13 | 31:47 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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ULM | Passing | Rhett Rodgriuez | 9/17, 56 yards |
Rushing | Chandler Rogers | 7 carries, 11 yards | |
Receiving | Boogie Knight | 6 receptions, 58 yards | |
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 18/26, 367 yards, 4 TD's |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 19 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Josh Ali | 5 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD |
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Statistics | Missouri | Kentucky |
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First downs | 25 | 26 |
Total yards | 398 | 520 |
Rushing yards | 104 | 341 |
Passing yards | 294 | 179 |
Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
Time of possession | 27:12 | 32:48 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Missouri | Passing | Connor Bazelak | 34/51, 294 yards, 4 TD’s, 1 INT |
Rushing | Tyler Badie | 14 carries, 61 yards | |
Receiving | Tyler Badie | 10 receptions, 88 yards, 1 TD | |
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 10/18, 179 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 27 carries, 207 yards, 2 TD’s | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 5 receptions, 101 yards |
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Statistics | Chattanooga | Kentucky |
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First downs | 16 | 20 |
Total yards | 339 | 356 |
Rushing yards | 171 | 102 |
Passing yards | 168 | 254 |
Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
Time of possession | 31:42 | 28:18 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Chattanooga | Passing | Cole Copeland | 21/35, 168 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Ailym Ford | 21 carries, 128 yards | |
Receiving | Reginald Henderson | 9 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD | |
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 23/35, 254 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 13 carries, 46 yards | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 8 receptions, 111 yards |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Kentucky | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
at Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina
Game information |
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Statistics | UK | SC |
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First downs | 22 | 12 |
Plays–yards | 66–332 | 51–216 |
Rushes–yards | 230 | 58 |
Passing yards | 102 | 158 |
Passing: comp–att–int | 15–22–1 | 17–25–0 |
Time of possession | 35:36 | 24:24 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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UK | Passing | Will Levis | 15/22, 102 yards, INT |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr | 26 carries, 144 yards | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 7 receptions, 65 yards | |
SC | Passing | Luke Doty | 17/25, 158 yards, TD |
Rushing | Kevin Harris | 12 carries, 38 yards | |
Receiving | Jalen Brooks | 4 receptions, 63 yards, TD |
This was the Wildcats' first home win over Florida since 1986. [3]
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Statistics | Florida | Kentucky |
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First downs | 21 | 13 |
Total yards | 382 | 224 |
Rushing yards | 171 | 137 |
Passing yards | 211 | 87 |
Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
Time of possession | 36:18 | 23:42 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Florida | Passing | Emory Jones | 23/31, 203 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Emory Jones | 13 carries, 63 yards | |
Receiving | Jacob Copeland | 6 receptions, 59 yards | |
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 7/17, 87 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 19 carries, 99 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 4 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD |
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Statistics | LSU | Kentucky |
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First downs | 22 | 24 |
Total yards | 408 | 475 |
Rushing yards | 147 | 330 |
Passing yards | 261 | 145 |
Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
Time of possession | 27:48 | 32:12 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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LSU | Passing | Max Johnson | 22/38, 261 yards, 1 TD |
Rushing | Tyrion Davis-Price | 22 carries, 147 yards, 2 TD’s | |
Receiving | Kayshon Boutte | 8 receptions, 73 yards | |
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 14/17, 145 yards, 3 TD’s |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 16 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 8 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD |
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Statistics | Kentucky | Georgia |
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First downs | 16 | 20 |
Total yards | 243 | 416 |
Rushing yards | 51 | 166 |
Passing yards | 192 | 250 |
Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
Time of possession | 37:47 | 22:13 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 32/42, 192 yards, 2 TD’s |
Rushing | Kavosiey Smoke | 5 carries, 14 yards | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 12 receptions, 39 yards, 1 TD | |
Georgia | Passing | Stetson Bennett | 14/20, 250 yards, 3 TD’s |
Rushing | James Cook | 6 carries, 51 yards | |
Receiving | Brock Bowers | 5 receptions, 101 yards, 2 TD’s |
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Statistics | Kentucky | Miss State |
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First downs | 14 | 27 |
Total yards | 216 | 438 |
Rushing yards | 66 | 94 |
Passing yards | 150 | 344 |
Turnovers | 4 | 0 |
Time of possession | 18:50 | 41:10 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 17/28, 150 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT’s |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 8 carries, 34 yards | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 9 receptions, 79 yards | |
Miss State | Passing | Will Rogers | 36/39, 344 yards, 1 TD |
Rushing | Jo’Quavious Marks | 20 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Jaden Walley | 6 receptions, 95 yards |
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Statistics | Tennessee | Kentucky |
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First downs | 17 | 35 |
Total yards | 461 | 612 |
Rushing yards | 145 | 225 |
Passing yards | 316 | 387 |
Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
Time of possession | 13:52 | 46:08 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
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Tennessee | Passing | Hendon Hooker | 15/20, 316 yards, 4 TD’s |
Rushing | Jabari Small | 4 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Velus Jones Jr. | 5 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD | |
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 31/49, 372 yards, 3 TD’s, 1 INT |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 22 carries, 109 yards | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 13 receptions, 166 yards, 1 TD |
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Statistics | Kentucky | Vanderbilt |
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First downs | 21 | 16 |
Total yards | 413 | 266 |
Rushing yards | 236 | 96 |
Passing yards | 177 | 170 |
Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
Time of possession | 29:46 | 30:14 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 14/22, 177 yards, 2 TD’s, 1 INT |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 16 carries, 144 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 6 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD | |
Vanderbilt | Passing | Ken Seals | 12/17, 87 yards, 1 INT |
Rushing | Patrick Smith | 18 carries, 84 yards | |
Receiving | Chris Pierce Jr | 6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD |
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Statistics | New Mexico St | Kentucky |
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First downs | 13 | 29 |
Total yards | 282 | 707 |
Rushing yards | 101 | 248 |
Passing yards | 181 | 459 |
Turnovers | 2 | 4 |
Time of possession | 26:07 | 33:53 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
New Mexico St | Passing | Jonah Johnson | 16/35, 181 yards, 1 INT |
Rushing | Juwaun Price | 11 carries, 51 yards | |
Receiving | Justice Powers | 1 reception, 41 yards | |
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 21/31, 419 yards, 4 TD’s, 1 INT |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 16 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 8 receptions, 181 yards |
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Statistics | Kentucky | Louisville |
---|---|---|
First downs | 28 | 20 |
Total yards | 511 | 352 |
Rushing yards | 362 | 144 |
Passing yards | 149 | 208 |
Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
Time of possession | 35:04 | 24:56 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 14/18, 149 yards |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 16 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 9 receptions, 97 yards | |
Louisville | Passing | Malik Cunningham | 12/20, 145 yards, 1 INT |
Rushing | Jalen Mitchell | 11 carries, 53 yards | |
Receiving | Marshon Ford | 6 receptions, 68 yards |
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Statistics | Iowa | UK |
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First downs | 0 | 24 |
Total yards | 0 | 354 |
Rushing yards | 0 | 121 |
Passing yards | 0 | 233 |
Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
Time of possession | 22:06 | 37:54 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Iowa | Passing | Spencer Petras | 19/30, 211 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT’s |
Rushing | Gavin Williams | 16 carries, 98 yards | |
Receiving | Sam LaPorta | 7 receptions, 122 yards, 1 TD | |
Kentucky | Passing | Will Levis | 17/28, 233 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | 20 carries, 107 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Wan'Dale Robinson | 10 receptions, 170 yards |
Week | ||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
AP | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | 16 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 18 | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 25 | 18 |
Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 17 | RV | RV | 25 | 22 | 20 | 15 |
CFP | Not released | 18 | — | — | — | 23 | 22 | Not released |
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The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ten states, three additional public land-grant universities, and one private research university. The conference is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The SEC participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I in sports competitions; for football it is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A.
ESPN College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football across ESPN properties, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+, ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPNews and ESPN Radio. ESPN College Football debuted in 1982.
The Kentucky Wildcats football program represents the University of Kentucky in the sport of American football. The Wildcats compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Wildcats play their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky and are led by head coach Mark Stoops.
The Florida–Kentucky rivalry is a college sports rivalry between the University of Florida Gators and the University of Kentucky Wildcats. The rivalry between these schools, both founding members of the Southeastern Conference, has existed since before the conference's founding. Both teams are historic basketball rivals, both winning multiple national championships and conference championships over the past 100 years. In recent years, the football rivalry between Kentucky and Florida has escalated due to Kentucky breaking a streak of 31 consecutive years where the Florida Gators had beaten them. Despite the lopsidedness of the football series, Kentucky has won four of the last six appearances between the two.
The 2015 Kentucky Wildcats football team represents the University of Kentucky in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats compete in its 122nd season and 82nd as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as part of its Eastern Division. The team is led by head coach Mark Stoops, which is his third year coaching the team, and the Wildcats play its home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
The 2016 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season was the program's 123rd overall and 83rd as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Stoops and the played home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in SEC play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the Eastern Division. They were invited to the TaxSlayer Bowl where they lost to Georgia Tech.
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.
The 2017 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gators played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. Florida played as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Jim McElwain until his dismissal on October 28, after which defensive coordinator Randy Shannon served as the interim head coach until the end of the season.
The 2018 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This season marked the Crimson Tide's 124th overall season, 85th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and 27th within the SEC Western Division. They played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and were led by twelfth-year head coach Nick Saban.
The 2018 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by sixth-year head coach Mark Stoops.
The 2019 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the Crimson Tide's 125th overall season, 86th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and 28th within the SEC's Western Division. They played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and were led by 13th-year head coach Nick Saban.
The 2019 Belk Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 2019, with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 18th edition of the Belk Bowl, and was one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by department store chain Belk.
The 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the Crimson Tide's 126th overall season, 87th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and 29th within the SEC Western Division. They played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and were led by 14th-year head coach Nick Saban.
The 2020 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia and were led by fifth-year head coach Kirby Smart. For the first time since 2016, the Bulldogs did not win the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), finishing second behind rival Florida.
The 2020 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2020 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 eighth-year head coach Mark Stoops.
The 2021 Citrus Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2021, with kickoff at 1:00 p.m. EST on ABC. It was the 75th edition of the Citrus Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by Vrbo, a vacation rental marketplace owned by the HomeAway division of Expedia, the game was officially known as the Vrbo Citrus Bowl.
The 2021 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 2, 2021, with kickoff at noon EST on ESPN. It was the 76th edition of the Gator Bowl, and was one of the 2020–21 bowl games concluding the 2020 FBS football season. Sponsored by financial technology company TaxSlayer, the game was officially known as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Kentucky would go on to win the Taxslayer Gator Bowl against North Carolina State 23-21. This was Kentucky's third straight bowl victory following the 2019 Citrus Bowl and the 2019 Belk Bowl. The last time the Kentucky football program won three straight bowl games was 2006 to 2008, winning back-to-back Music City Bowls and Liberty Bowl.
The 2022–23 NCAA football bowl games were a series of college football games played to complete the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Team-competitive games began in mid-December and concluded with the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 9, 2023, which was won by the Georgia Bulldogs. The all-star portion of the schedule began on January 14 and concluded on February 25, 2023.
The 2022 Music City Bowl was a college football bowl game that was played on December 31, 2022, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The 24th annual Music City Bowl, featured Iowa from the Big Ten Conference and Kentucky from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game began at 11:10 a.m. CST and aired on ABC. It was one of the 2022–23 bowl games concluding the 2022 FBS football season. Sponsored by translation and language services company TransPerfect, the game was officially known as the TransPerfect Music City Bowl.
The 2023 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Aggies played their home games at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by Jimbo Fisher in his sixth year as the team's head coach before his firing on November 12, 2023. Defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson served as the team's interim head coach for the final 2 games of the season.