2006 Kentucky Wildcats

2006 Kentucky Wildcats Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

 
Dec. 28
Music City Bowl
Kentucky 28 ... Clemson 20
A fired up Kentucky team scored 21 straight points on three Andre Woodson touchdown passes with a 70-yard play to DeMoreo Ford, sparked by a little trickery on a fake punt on the previous play, a 24-yard pass to Dicky Lyons, and a 13-yard pass to Jacob Tamme for a 28-6 lead it was able to hold on to deep into the fourth quarter. Clemson's offense struggled for about 50 minutes only managing a 32-yard touchdown catch from Durrell Barry until Will Proctor threw the second of three touchdown passes on the day on a 17-yard play with 7:25 remaining. In a mad scramble, the Tigers were able to go 74 yards in eight plays finishing with a 17-yard touchdown catch from Aaron Kelly, followed up by a two-point conversion, to pull within eight with less than a minute remaining.
Player of the game ... Kentucky QB Andre Woodson completed 20 of 28 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Clemson - Passing: Will Proctor, 23-39, 272 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: James Davis, 8-53  Receiving: Aaron Kelly, 6-66, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 20-28, 299 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Rafael Little, 17-54  Receiving: Keenan Burton, 5-30
Notes & Thoughts ... Kentucky had the fan base and the fire, while Clemson appeared to be going through the motions for way too long. The Tigers were outplayed and outcoached as Rich Brooks and his staff pulled out all the stops, and QB Andre Woodson was terrific. He didn't make the mistakes needed to get Clemson back into the game early, and he showed to a national audience, and to all the scouts, how he can make all the throws. ... Where was the Clemson offensive line? UK's defense has been pushed around all season long, but the Tigers never got the running game on track, and all but abandoned it when things started to go south. Had Clemson been patient, stuck with the ground attack, and pounded, pounded, pounded, it would've worked well late. As Arkansas can attest to, sometimes the best home runs come from the backs, and James Davis and C.J. Spiller can certainly tear off yards in chunks. When QB Will Proctor gets the most carries and Davis and Spiller combine for 13, things aren't working.

2006 Schedule CFN Prediction: 4-8 2006 Record: 8-5 Preview 2006 predicted wins
9/2	at Louisville L 59-28
9/9	Texas State W 41-7
9/16	Ole Miss W 31-14
9/23	at Florida L 26-7
9/30	Central Mich W 45-36
10/7	South Carolina L 24-17
10/14	at LSU L 49-0
10/28	at Miss State W 34-31
11/4	Georgia W 24-20
11/11	Vanderbilt W 38-26
11/18	UL Monroe W 42-40
11/25	at Tennessee L 17-12
12/29	Music City Bowl Clemson W 28-20

2005 Schedule CFN Prediction: 2-9 2005 Record: 3-8 Preview 2005 predicted wins
9/4	Louisville L 31-24
9/10	Idaho State W 41-29
9/17	at Indiana L 38-14
9/24	Florida L 49-28
10/8	at So Carolina L 44-16
10/22	at Ole Miss L 13-7
10/29	Miss State W 13-7
11/5	Auburn L 49-27
11/12	at Vanderbilt W 48-43
11/19	at Georgia L 45-13
11/26	Tennessee L 27-8

Nov. 25
Tennessee 17 ... Kentucky 12
Tennessee got out early 10-0 on a James Wilhoit 24-yard field goal and a 15-yard touchdown catch from Robert Meachem, but had to hold on for dear life. UK scored all its points in the second quarter on two field goals and a five-yard Rafael Little touchdown catch, and had a shot to take the lead late getting down to the Volunteer six before stalling after a Andre Woodson misfired on a fourth down pass. LaMarcus Coker scored on a one-yard run to give the Vols the lead early in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game ... Tennessee WR Robert Meachem caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 15-33, 240 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Lamarcus Coker, 22-90, 1 TD  Receiving: Robert Meachem, 6-116, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 26-39, 282 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Rafael Little, 23-119  Receiving: Jacob Tamme, 7-120
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... After the way the defense played against UL Monroe, it was night and day better against Tennessee. The corners held their own more often than not against the great UT receiving corps, while the run defense didn't give up any home runs. UK, after the way this season has gone, wasn't going to be happy with a loss no matter what, but it proved it could play well against one of the league's better teams. Now the team has to prove this year was for real with a good performance in the bowl.

Nov. 18
Kentucky 42 ... UL Monroe 40
UL Monroe's two-point conversion attempt after a one-yard Kinsmon Lanscaster touchdown run came up short as Kentucky held on in the final minute to get the tough win. The Wildcats roared out to a 28-10 lead helped by two of Keenan Burton's three touchdown catches and an 84-yard Rafael Little punt return for a score, but the Warhawks stayed alive with three Calvin Dawson touchdown runs after opening the scoring with a blocked field goal for a score from Greg James. The two teams combined for 958 yards and 52 first downs.
Player of the game ... Kentucky QB Andre Woodson threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns on 25-of-35 passing.
Stat Leaders: UL Monroe - Passing: Kinsmon Lancaster, 8-15, 128 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Calvin Dawson, 26-179, 3 TDs  Receiving: LaGregory Sapp, 4-104
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 25-35, 359 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Rafael Little, 19-82  Receiving: Keenan Burton, 9-115, 3 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... If UL Monroe isn’t the worst team in America, it’s in the team photo, yet the UK defense made the Warhawks look like Ohio State. The run defense was non-existent with the ULM running game working well inside and out. Andre Woodson and Keenan Burton once again came up with tremendous games to save the day, but to have any shot against Tennessee, the linebackers have to be night-and-day better over the next week. The Vols will roll for at least 500 yards, so the UK offense had better be ready for a shootout.

Nov. 11
Kentucky 38 ... Vanderbilt 26
In a wild shootout with 1,218 yards of total offense and 896 passing yards, Kentucky became bowl eligible thanks to a 21-point fourth quarter to pull away with Andre Woodson throwing two of his four touchdown passes, and Rafael Little running for a three-yard score. Vanderbilt got huge days from QB Chris Nickson and WR Earl Bennett as the two combined 11 times for 220 yards and a 41-yard touchdown, while Nickson ran for two touchdowns. Keenan Burton caught 11 passes for 17 1yards with touchdowns from six and 57 yards out.
Player of the game ... Kentucky QB Andre Woodson completed 29 of 42 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson, 23-27, 446 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Chris Nickson, 16-71, 2 TD. Receiving: Earl Bennett, 11-220, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 29-42, 450 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Rafael Little, 20-132, 1 TD  Receiving: Keenan Burton, 11-171, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... It can't be understated just how big bowl eligibility is at Kentucky. After years and years of futility for Rich Brooks, getting the extra game, thanks to a three-game winning streak, means everything. The defense continues to be awful, but the improvement of Andre Woodson week by week has made the offense so explosive that it can strike from anywhere, anytime. It doesn't hurt to get Rafael Little back as the do-it-all difference maker to use as a safety valve for the passing game as well as a runner. The good vibes will continue with UL Monroe up next week before the regular season finale against Tennessee.

Nov. 4
Kentucky 24 ... Georgia 20
Kentucky's Tony Dixon ran for a three-yard touchdown with just over a minute to play, and then Trevard Lindley sealed the upset picking off Matthew Stafford. The Bulldogs took the lead halfway through the third quarter on a three-yard Danny Ware touchdown run, but the extra point went wide leaving the door open for UK to tie it with a field goal and leading to the Dixon run. Stafford threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to Mario Raley in the first quarter and Brannan Southerland ran for a one-yard score to take a 14-3 lead in the first half, but UK came back on two Keenan Burton touchdown catches.
Player of the game ... Kentucky WR Keenan Burton caught seven passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns and returned four kickoffs for 83 yards
Stat Leaders: Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 16-28, 230 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Kregg Lumpkin, 13-85. Receiving: Martrez Milner, 4-70
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 23-32, 204 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Alfonso Smith, 19-76  Receiving: Keenan Burton, 7-73, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Give Kentucky credit for showing plenty of heart. Georgia came up with the big score late to take all the momentum, but Andre Woodson and the offense went on a brilliant 11-play, 69-yard drive going for a touchdown all the way when it could've just played for a field goal. With Rafael Little still out of the mix, the running game still rumbled on the tough Dawg D with Alfonso Smith and Tony Dixon coming up with nice days to take the heat of Andre Woodson. Now the Cats just need to beat Vanderbilt, UL Monroe or Tennessee over the last three weeks to go bowling.

Oct. 28
Kentucky 34 ... Mississippi State 31
Kentucky got three touchdown passes from Andre Woodson with two to Keenan Burton including a 33-yard play in the fourth quarter, and then the D held on as Tony Burks caught his second touchdown pass of the game and Anthony Dixon ran for a one-yard score to pull within three, but UK was able to run out the clock. Burks caught a 75-yard touchdown pass in the first half as Michael Henig bombed away for 384 yards and three touchdowns, but MSU had no running game gaining just 24 yards.
Player of the game ... Kentucky QB Andre Woodson completed 19 of 28 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Michael Henig, 22-41, 384 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Brandon Thornton, 9-17,  Receiving: Tony Burks, 7-192, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 19-28, 284 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Alfonso Smith, 17-92, 1 TD. Receiving: Dicky Lyons, 8-117, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Kentucky didn't have its best defensive game against Mississippi State getting thrown on for 384 yards, but the run defense was a rock. Andre Woodson has shown he can be effective against bad defenses, and he's always better when there's a running game to support him with Alfonso Smith coming up with a nice game against the Bulldogs. UK has now won more games than it did last season, and with winnable dates against Vanderbilt and UL Monroe ahead, a bowl game is there for the taking. Fortunately, the secondary will get a break over the next three weeks against average passing teams.

Oct. 14
LSU 49 ... Kentucky 0
LSU rolled over Kentucky with 278 passing yards and 268 on the ground with JaMarcus Russell and Matt Flynn each throwing two touchdown passes and Jacob Hester running for two first half scores. Russell connected with Dwayne Bowe on first half scoring passes from seven and 48 yards out on the way to a 28-0 first half lead, and then Bowe caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Matt Flynn in the third. Kentucky only gained 227 yards of total offense.
Player of the game ... LSU WR Dwayne Bowe caught six passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: JaMarcus Russell, 15-18, 226 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Charles Scott, 9-56,  Receiving: Dwayne Bowe, 6-111, 3 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 14-37, 151 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Curtis Pulley, 5-32. Receiving: Keenan Burton, 7-62
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... With a winnable game against Mississippi State coming up, the Wildcats need to have a short memory and get over the flop against LSU. The Tigers are rocking at home against everyone, so there's no reason to get too upset about the blowout loss. It would've been nice if Andre Woodson could've generated some sort of an offense, but it didn't happen. UK can't commit nine penalties and go five of 17 on third downs against the better teams.

Oct. 7
South Carolina 24 ... Kentucky 17
Trick plays proved to be the difference as South Carolina took the lead for good on a double reverse that turned into a 22-yard touchdown pass from WR Kenny McKinley to a QB Syvelle Newton. Newton also ran for a seven-yard score, and Cory Boyd ran for a five yard touchdown. Kentucky used a sneaky play getting QB Andre Woodson into the end zone from a yard out and got a nine-yard touchdown catch to Dicky Lyons with less than three minutes to play, but a last gasp drive stalled just past midfield.
Player of the game ... South Carolina RB Cory Boyd ran 25 times for 113 yards and a touchdown and led the team with four catches for 61 yards.
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 18-31, 289 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rafael Little, 13-50. Receiving: Jacob Tamme, 4-48
South Carolina - Passing: Syvelle Newton, 14-22, 171 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Cory Boyd, 25-113, 1 TD  Receiving: Cory Boyd, 4-61
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... UK might not have beaten South Carolina, but it hung around and stayed in the game late even though the running game wasn't working and the passing attack was less than effective. Andre Woodson continues to play well, but it would be nice if Rafael Little could finally get healthy and play like the do-it-all star of last year. Converting more third down chances will be key to stay with LSU next week.

Sept. 30
Kentucky 45 ... Central Michigan 36
Kentucky survived 558 yards of total Central Michigan offense thanks to a quick 21-0 lead on three of Andre Woodson's four touchdown passes and a three-yard Rafael Little scoring run with 4:30 to play to finally put the game away. With backup quarterback Dan LeFevour leading the way, CMU mounted a tremendous comeback with four touchdown passes including two to Damien Linson and a 23-yard play to Bryan Anderson to pull within two with just under seven minutes to play, but the two-point conversion failed and UK went on a 65-yard scoring drive culminating in the Little run. CMU fumbled eight times and lost three to go along with an interception.
Player of the game ... Kentucky WR Keenan Burton caught nine passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 20-32, 266 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rafael Little, 12-70, 1 TD  Receiving: Keenan Burton, 9-124, 2 TD
Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 22-38, 360 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Marcel Archer, 16-69 . Receiving: Bryan Anderson, 8-137, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Kentucky's defense didn't show up against Central Michigan and it almost meant an epic collapse. Fortunately for the Wildcats, there were just enough turnovers and just enough big plays from Andre Woodson and the offense to survive. It's doubtful South Carolina will be able to put up big offensive numbers next week, but stopping the short to midrange passing game is going to be an issue if the back seven plays like it did against CMU.

Sept. 23
Florida 26 ... Kentucky 7
Florida wasn't sharp, but it had few problems with Kentucky thanks to DeShawn Wynn and the running game which cranked out 203 yards and a 13-yard touchdown dash from Wynn with :22 left in the first half and a four-yard scoring run from Kestahn Moore in the third quarter. Jemalle Cornelius started off the scoring with a 33-yard touchdown grab, but the extra point was blocked. Kentucky took the lead late in the first half on a one-yard Maurice Grinter touchdown catch, but the Gators answered with a  78-yard drive in 1:37 culminating with the Wynn score. Kentucky was without star RB Rafael Little, who sat out with an injury.
Player of the game ... Florida RB DeShawn Wynn ran 12 times for 95 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 22-31, 195 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Tony Dixon, 6-24  Receiving: Curtis Pulley, 5-59
Florida - Passing: Chris Leak, 12-20, 214 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: DeShawn Wynn, 12-95, 1 TD. Receiving: Dallas Baker, 4-89
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Kentucky didn't play all that poorly in the loss to Florida, but it needed more weapons, particularly RB Rafael Little, and the offensive line struggled in pass protection. The defense came up with a nice game from the secondary and showed that this isn't the same old Kentucky that'll get pushed around by the big boys. Of course, the run D got pushes around, but the team stayed in it until late. There can't be a letdown next week against Central Michigan in a must win to keep bowl hopes alive.

Sept. 16
Kentucky 31 ... Ole Miss 14
Kentucky took advantage of five Ole Miss turnovers to overcome an early 7-0 lead and break open a 14-14 tie with 17 unanswered points highlighted by a 22-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Pulley. Dicky Lyons score UK's first two touchdowns of the day on a 26-yard pass from Andrew Woodson and a six-yard play early in the third quarter. Ole Miss started off the scoring with a 47-yard touchdown catch from Marshay Green and got a 27-yard scoring grab from Robert Hough, but the turnovers proved to be too costly.
Player of the game ... Kentucky QB Andre Woodson completed 21of 34 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 21-34, 290 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Rafael Little, 12-57. Receiving: Dicky Lyons, 4-83, 2 TD
Ole Miss - Passing: Brent Schaeffer, 13-26, 190 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: BenJarvis Green-Ellis, 19-85. Receiving: Marshay Green, 3-53, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Shhhhhh. Don't look now, but Kentucky is in a great position for a bowl bid. With four more wins needed after the great game against Ole Miss, it has good shots at beating Central Michigan, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and UL Monroe. An upset over someone like South Carolina would help. What's most impressive has been how QB Andre Woodson has stepped up. RB Rafael Little hasn't been nearly the same producer he was last year. Eventually, he'll have to get the ground game going.

Sept. 9
Kentucky 41 ... Texas State 7
It took about a quarter, but Kentucky got on a run with a 27-point first half on two Andre Woodson touchdown passes to Dicky Lyons, an eight-yard Tony Dixon scoring run, and a 17-yard John Connor touchdown catch. Rafael Little added a 24-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Maurice Grinter scored from one-yard out for a 41-0 lead before TSU scored on a four-yard Cameron Luke catch. UK outgained Texas State 425 yards to 210.
Player of the game ... Kentucky QB Andre Woodson completed 13 of 20 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns and an interception
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 13-20, 197 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rafael Little, 12-91, 1 TD. Receiving: Keenan Burton, 5-80
Texas State - Passing: Chase Wasson, 9-20, 85 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chase Wasson, 11-44. Receiving: Adrian Thomas, 2-52
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Kentucky got to take its frustrations from the Louisville game out on poor Texas State with an easy whupping, and now it has to find the same sort of offensive consistency against Ole Miss next week in the SEC opener. The 178 rushing yards were nice, but the solid performance. The only problem was the nine penalties for 101 yards. For UK to win in the SEC, it has to do all the little things right.

Sept. 3
Louisville 59 ... Kentucky 28
Louisville blasted Kentucky with 631 yards, outrushed the Cats 363 yards to 22, and scored 14 points in each quarter except for the second when it put up 17, but it was still a disappointing night after star RB Michael Bush broke his leg and is out for the year. Bush scored three touchdowns in the first 20 minutes as the Cardinals jumped out to a 31-0 lead, but Kentucky hit on several big plays to make it interesting with a 73-yard pass play and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score from Keenan Burton and an 80-yard touchdown from Dicky Lyons, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Player of the game ... Louisville RB Michael Bush ran 17 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 9-24, 231 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Rafael Little, 7-21. Receiving: Keenan Burton, 4-127, 1 TD
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 19-31, 254 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Michael Bush, 17-128, 3 TD. Receiving: Harry Douglas, 5-87
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Kentucky got several big plays against Louisville, but it just wasn't consistent enough on offense to keep the Cardinal offense off the field. Louisville has the type of offense that can blow up anyone, so UK has to put this game out of mind and get things working against Texas State. If the Cats can beat Ole Miss in two weeks, all will quickly be forgotten. To do that, UK has to average more than 1.2 yards per carry.

2006 Kentucky Preview

Offense | Defense | Depth Chart | Further Analysis

Is Kentucky a case of a young team on the verge of doing some big things after suffering through growing pains, or did head coach Rich Brooks and his staff stock the shelves for next year's coaching staff to shine with?

With five wins in the last two seasons and one winning campaign since 2000, UK football hasn't exactly been a juggernaut. There are several obvious issues from the perception of being a basketball school to the rough life in the SEC, but if Louisville can become a powerhouse, then so can Kentucky ... some day.

50 lettermen and 14 starters return providing experience, but this is still a very, very young team relying on several sophomores needing to play like longtime veterans. There are still too many question marks and a sure problem with continuity just about everywhere, so it might be another long season unless everything clicks at once.

Who's the starting quarterback going to be? Can the veteran offensive line get any sort of a push for the ground game? Is there a number two receiver to help out Keenan Burton, and can Burton finally stay healthy? Will the front four do anything after getting shoved all over the place while failing to generate any sort of a pass rush? Can the secondary pick off a pass after helping the D pick off only five passes? Can new placekicker J.J. Housley produce like Taylor Begley? And the biggest question of all, is Rich Brooks the right coach for the program?

This has been asked from the moment his was hired a few years ago with some UKers considering him a lame-duck coach after all the problems of the last two years. Of the nine wins in the Books era, two have been against D-IAA teams, two have been over Vanderbilt, two have been over Mississippi State, two have been over Indiana, and one was against Ohio. Brooks doesn't have to win the SEC East, but his team has to be far more competitive against the big boys and could use a win over someone with a pulse.

Can Kentucky do what Vanderbilt did last year and be a surprise team in the East? It has the potential and enough athleticism to come close, and the schedule is conducive to flirting with bowl eligibility. No matter what happens, this will be a turning point season for the program.

The Schedule: If you're assuming the battles against heavyweights like Louisville, Florida, LSU and Tennessee are going to be losses no matter what, then playing those games on the road is a plus. The SEC slate is as easy as it can possibly get playing Ole Miss and Mississippi State from the West. The home slate is conducive for at least five wins with Texas State, Central Michigan, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and UL Monroe all must-victories to have any dreams of a bowl bid, while the road trip to Mississippi State has to be circled as an opportunity for another win. There's a nice stretch of three home games late in the season before finishing up against Tennessee.

Best Offensive Player: Junior RB Rafael Little. Can the do-it-all star stay healthy? He led the team in rushing and receiving last year and was one of the nation's best punt returners. There's more talent around him this year, but he'll be the sparkplug who makes everything else go. He was dinged up in spring ball and has to play a full season for the Wildcats to have any hope of winning six games.

Best Defensive Player: Junior LB Wesley Woodyard. Cornerback Bo Smith was in the running for the honor of being the team's best defensive player before getting booted off the team. Woodyard move from safety last season to outside linebacker and was a smashing success leading the team in tackles while continuing to be a strong player in pass coverage. He's expected to wreak even more havoc on the weakside now that he knows what he's doing.

Key player to a successful season: Junior QB Andre Woodson and/or sophomore QB Cutis Pulley. They're accurate combining to complete 59% of their passes last season, but one has to step up and become the playmaking leader of the team. Woodson is a linebacker-sized passer while Pulley is a dual-threat athlete with a ton of upside. All that matters is putting points on the board, and one has to show he can do it.

The season will be a success if ... Kentucky wins six games and is better against the big boys. There's absolutely no reason to shoot for anything less than a bowl game considering the relatively easy schedule. Beating teams like LSU, Florida and Tennessee might be too much to ask for, but the Wildcats have to be more competitive against the good teams. Anything less than the post-season might mean the end of the Rich Brooks era.

Key game: October 7 vs. South Carolina. Consider this the litmus test for where the program is at. This isn't a good enough team with at Florida, and it's strong enough to beat Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. South Carolina is a mid-level team coming into Lexington thinking it can roll over UK after winning 44-16. With games against LSU and Georgia over the next few weeks, a win over the Gamecocks might be a must.

2005 Fun Stats: 
- Passing touchdowns: Opponents 24 - Kentucky 6
- Punt return average: Kentucky 17.2 - Opponents 6.3
- Second quarter scoring: Opponents 148 - Kentucky 43

The Last Time Kentucky…
…played in a bowl game…1999 (Music City Bowl vs. Syracuse)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…1996 (Vanderbilt)
…was shutout…2004 (Louisville)
…scored 50 points…2004 (Indiana)
…went undefeated…1898
…won a conference title…1976 (share, SEC)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2000 (Jared Lorenzen)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Rafael Little)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…1999 (James Whalen)
…had a first-round draft choice…2003 (DT Dewayne Robertson)