UK will go bowling for a fourth straight year. Where does that streak rank?
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Gameday: Kentucky vs. Tennessee Martin
Click below to view more of Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s University of Kentucky football game against Tennessee Martin at Kroger Field.
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Kentucky’s victory over Tennessee Martin improved its record to 6-5 overall this season.
Here’s a look at what else the win means, beyond the scoreboard.
Sinking SEC
Kentucky couldn’t achieve a winning record in the Southeastern Conference but it managed to become bowl eligible. That’s more than what four other teams in the league accomplished — and possibly more than up to seven did.
Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina and Vanderbilt all will sit out this December. They were aware of their bowl fates entering Saturday, as they’d each lost at least seven games with only two weeks left to play.
Missouri has (sort of) known it wouldn’t be bowl eligible all season, as the Tigers were handed a postseason ban by the NCAA before the year. They were 5-5 entering the week and travel to Arkansas to finish the year, meaning a 6-6 finish, at worst, should be attainable. Mizzou’s appeal of the postseason ban is ongoing, but for now it’s out.
Tennessee was 5-5 entering the week with games against Missouri and Vanderbilt. Mizzou’s something of a toss-up but the Volunteers should handle Vandy; let’s assume they make it.
And then there’s Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (4-6) hosted Abilene Christian, an FCS school, on Saturday night. Put that one in the win column. They then host Mississippi in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving night to close the regular season. The Rebels have nothing to play for but pride at this point, but they’ll be coming off a bye week while the Bulldogs will have a short week to get ready for their rivals — not exactly ideal.
Bowl marks
UK will play in a bowl game for the fourth straight season. It’s only the second time in program history that feat has been achieved, and it ties Mark Stoops for the best streak by a coach in program history.
Kentucky played in five straight bowls from 2006-2010, its best streak. Rich Brooks coached the first four teams, setting the record by a single coach, while Joker Phillips led the 2010 group.
Before Brooks and Phillips’ run UK only once before had made three consecutive bowl trips, from 1949 to 1951 under Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Stoops, who’s in his seventh season, matched Brooks and Bryant as the only coaches who four times have led UK to bowl eligibility.
Louisville look-ahead
Kentucky owns the slightest advantage, 16-15, over Louisville in the all-time series between the two schools but trails 15-10 since an annual bout between the programs was established in 1994. Stoops has made strides at UK, but his 2-4 mark against the Cardinals is a blemish that could be covered up a bit with a victory next week at home.
Coming into the weekend the commonwealth’s top two clubs were basically even in Jeff Sagarin’s ratings: Kentucky ranked 48th (73.34) while Louisville was at No. 53 overall (72.02). The Cardinals’ strength of schedule ranked 27th to UK’s 53rd.
Both of Stoops’ wins came in the last three years. It will be Louisville Coach Scott Satterfield’s first taste of the rivalry.
The Cardinals (6-4) were bowl eligible before Saturday. They hosted Syracuse on Saturday.
This story was originally published November 23, 2019 at 6:57 PM.
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