For once, the key to a UK football season is extending streaks, not ending them

In the second decade of the 21st Century, the University of Kentucky football experience has been animated by the attempt to end negative streaks.

Joker Phillips, Randall Cobb and the 2010 Wildcats took care of one such streak, rallying to beat then-South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier 31-28 after the Cats had lost 17 straight to the Head Ball Coach.

In 2011, Matt Roark, wide receiver turned emergency quarterback, directed Kentucky to one of the epic moments in its sports history, snapping a 26-game losing skid to Tennessee with a 10-7 shocker.

Last season, Kentucky failed in maddening fashion to end what is now a 31-game losing streak to Florida. Coach Mark Stoops’ Cats lost a 27-13 fourth-quarter lead and fell 28-27 to the visiting Gators in a contest in which UF scored two touchdowns on passes to receivers who UK left uncovered at the snap.

Given the recent focus on ending streaks, it carries irony that a big key to whether Stoops and the 2018 Wildcats can earn a third straight bowl trip will be whether the Cats can extend winning streaks against three SEC East foes who, unlike the Cats, will enter the coming season with accomplished, veteran quarterbacks:

South Carolina

2017 record: 9-4, 5-3 SEC

2018 vs. UK: Sept. 29 at Kroger Field

The streak: Kentucky has beaten South Carolina four seasons in a row. It is the first time UK has beaten an SEC foe other than Vanderbilt in four consecutive years since Bear Bryant’s Wildcats bested Florida from 1948 through 1951. Other than Vandy, Kentucky has never beaten an SEC team in five-straight years.

The quarterback: Junior Jake Bentley is 13-7 as South Carolina’s starting QB. The 6-foot-4, 224-pound junior from Opelika, Ala., threw for 2,794 yards and 18 touchdowns last season with 12 interceptions. In last season’s 23-13 loss to Kentucky, Bentley passed for 304 yards and two TDs but was also intercepted twice.

The skinny: After losing explosive playmaker Deebo Samuel to a broken foot in last season’s defeat to UK in the third game, many expected Will Muschamp’s Gamecocks to wither. Instead, South Carolina thrived, posting a winning league mark and beating Michigan 26-19 in the Outback Bowl. Now, the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum is touting the Gamecocks as the biggest 2018 SEC East threat to defending champion Georgia.

Vanderbilt

2017 record: 5-7, 1-7 SEC

2018 vs. UK: Oct. 20 at Kroger Field

The streak: At Vandy, James Franklin went 3-0 vs. Kentucky (2011-13) before leaving to become head coach at Penn State. Since then, UK has beaten Derek Mason’s Commodores three out of four, including two in a row.

The quarterback: Kyle Shurmur needs to throw for 2,963 yards and 20 touchdowns this season as a senior to erase Jay Cutler’s Vanderbilt career records for passing yards (8,697) and touchdown passes (59). Last season, Shurmur passed for 2,823 yards and 26 TDs. Shurmur will presumably be highly motivated against Kentucky after throwing four picks in UK’s 44-21 victory in Nashville last year.

The skinny: In his four seasons at Vanderbilt, Mason has produced two wins over Tennessee and a bowl trip (2016). Still, he’s yet to engineer a winning year in Nashville. Commodores fans — all 37 of them — got used to better when Vanderbilt went 24-15 under Franklin.

Missouri

2017 record: 7-6, 4-4 SEC

2018 vs. UK: Oct. 27 at Missouri

The streak: After entering the SEC in 2012, Mizzou beat Kentucky the first two times the teams met but the Wildcats have taken the last three in a row, including a 40-34 shoot-out in Lexington last season.

The quarterback: Drew Lock threw for 3,964 yards last year and broke ex-UK star Andre Woodson’s SEC record (40 in 2007) for touchdown passes in a season with 44. The 6-4, 225-pound senior from Lees Summit, Mo., passed for 355 yards and three touchdowns against UK last season but a potential game-winning drive ended in Kentucky territory as time expired.

The skinny: After Missouri started 1-5 last season, Tigers head man Barry Odom was at the top of most “coaching hot seat” lists. Then, an offensive explosion saved Odom. Missouri averaged 51.3 points a game in winning its final six regular-season games. That eruption propelled Mizzou offensive coordinator Josh Heupel into the Central Florida head coaching job.

Odom brought in former Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley — presumably sans the orange slacks — to run the Mizzou offense. Missouri’s season likely depends on whether Dooley can keep the fireworks going.

This story was originally published April 7, 2018 at 5:42 PM with the headline "For once, the key to a UK football season is extending streaks, not ending them."