Kentucky Football: Do Wildcats have enough firepower to compete for SEC title?
Kentucky football has been following the steps of Georgia and Florida in the SEC East for years. This season will be crucial with the talent they possess.
Winning comes naturally for most college football programs like Alabama, Oklahoma or Ohio State. For other programs like Kentucky, it takes a serious process and determination. For the past four seasons, the Wildcats have been in contention for the SEC East title.
Kentucky is a program that demands much from its athletic teams, but the sport of basketball remains one of the top programs in the country. With their football program, the Wildcats knew they need more intensity after the departure of disappointing head coach Joker Phillips. They decided to go with a smart coach that comes from a determined football family in former Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.
It took a while for the Wildcats to build their program since arriving in 2013 but they seem to be on the right track now. In the past four seasons, the Wildcats have appeared in four consecutive bowl games which are the second-most consecutive times they have been to the postseason. Stoops has coached the Wildcats to a 32-20 record and 16-16 in SEC play.
The Wildcats play in a very competitive SEC as well as some non-conference play including their rival Louisville. In the past four seasons, the Wildcats have a 4-7 record against ranked opponents. Five of those losses include SEC opponents that were ranked in the top 10.
The 2018 season when they finished 10-3 was the best year under Stoops as well as their best since 1977. The Wildcats had a 3-1 record against ranked opponents including a 27-24 victory over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl. Kentucky had a team of under-recruited and undervalued players that eventually made their way to NFL rosters.
For the Wildcats to do this again for the 2020 season, they will need to utilize their player’s best abilities as playmakers. The Wildcats have a wide variety of talent on both sides of the ball that help them compete in an SEC East that is wide open.