Soccer
Kentucky closes the most unusual of regular seasons this Saturday when it hosts South Carolina on Senior Day at Kroger Field. The game is at 7:30 pm EST and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
The Wildcats will honor 19 players before the game, a group that played a significant role in the Citrus Bowl and Belk Bowl wins, the first season of 10 wins and the SEC record since 1977, ending a 31-year losing streak for Florida, the first Tennessee victory since 1984, five victories over ranked opponents and consecutive defeats by rival Louisville.
The game also offers an opportunity for the Cats to end their third consecutive regular season with a win and build momentum at the end of a season that tested their determination on and off the field. He can also see running back AJ Rose Jr. enter the all-time career at school running in the top 10 if he runs for at least 48 yards.
South Carolina has had its own races this season and is coached on an interim basis by Mike Bobo, who had previously been Colorado State head coach. Kentucky has won five of its last six meetings between SEC East rivals.
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| Kentucky vs. South Carolina | ||
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| Saturday, December 5 – 7:30 pm ET Kroger Field Lexington, Ky. Game notes: United Kingdom | SC Digital Gameday Program Gameday app |
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TV: SEC Network |
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| UK | Team stats | SC |
| 3-6 | Record | 2-7 |
| 3-6 | Conference Registration | 2-7 |
| 19.6 | Score / game | 24.1 |
| 291.8 | Total offense / game | 349.7 |
| 175.9 | Racing Yards / Game | 153.6 |
| 115.9 | Pass Yards / Game | 196.1 |
| 20.1 | Initial return (average) | 16.5 |
| 12.4 | Punt returns (average) | 3.9 |
| 46.3 | Punting (average) | 43.3 |
| 30:22 | Possession / game time | 29:44 |
| 38.3% | Third conversion | 37.4% |
| 41.7% | Fourth conversion | 71.4% |
| 27.3 | Allowed points / game | 35.4 |
| 385.1 | Total yards allowed / game | 447.0 |
| 152.2 | Running yards allowed / game | 184.8 |
| 232.9 | Pass yards allowed / game | 262.2 |
Cat scratches: Kentucky hopes to send seniors in style
Kentucky’s senior football team will play their last home game on Saturday when the Cats host South Carolina at Kroger Field. 2020 seniors played an important role in building a high-level program during their time in Lexington.
Counting that and the previous three, Kentucky won 28 games over a four-year period. The Cats have been to three bowl games, winning the Citrus Bowl after the 2018 season and winning the Belk Bowl last year. This 2018 team also won 10 games and had one of the best seasons in Kentucky football history.
UK head coach Mark Stoops you know how vital this group has been to the program.
“I appreciate our veterans. This is their last game for them to play at home,” said Stoops. “Hopefully, we will send them in the right way. They have been very helpful in winning a lot of football games in recent years. I mean how much respect and I appreciate our seniors.” Read More
Series vs. South Carolina
• South Carolina leads historical series 18-12-1.
• Gamecocks have a 9-7 lead at Lexington, but Kentucky have won each of their last three games at Kroger Field.
• Overall, the UK has won five of the last six meetings in the series.
• The series was defined by extended winning streak, one from each team. South Carolina won for 10 consecutive 2000-09 wins, ahead of the 2014-18 UK race.
• Cats have passed 200 run yards three times in the past six encounters.
• The teams met for the first time in 1937, a 27-7 victory in the UK, and not again until 1978. They have met annually since 1992, when Gamecocks joined the SEC.
• UK coach Mark Stoops 5-2 against Gamecocks.
• UK’s biggest win: 20 (27-7 in 1937; 30-10 in 1999)
• South Carolina’s biggest win: 51 (54-3 in 2011)
• Games decided by eight points or less: Draw 8-8-1
Kentucky-South Carolina connections
• Kentucky has four players from the state of South Carolina: PK Chance Poore (Anderson), RB Travis Tisdale (Andrews), DB Andru Phillips (Mauldin) and DB Jalen Geiger (Columbia).
• South Carolina does not have a Kentucky player on its list.
• Geiger was a teammate from South Carolina P / K Alex Herrera and DS Hunter Rogers at Spring Valley High School.
A victory in the UK would be …
• Be the sixth in the UK in the last seven games in the series.
• Be the UK’s fourth consecutive victory in Lexington against South Carolina.
• Be the third consecutive season in which the Cats win the regular season final.
• Improves the UK record against SEC opponents East Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt to 17-7 under coach Mark Stoops.