Believe it or not, Stoops’ troops are marching toward history

This has been one of the most improbable Kentucky football seasons ever.

Through eight games, UK is being outgained by an average of 400.1 to 341 yards a game.

Wildcats foes have more first downs (166) than the Cats (144).

UK has scored two points more — two! — than its opponents (201-199).

Yet, somehow, Kentucky (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) keeps winning.

Now, with games remaining against Mississippi (3-5, 1-4 SEC), at Vanderbilt (3-5, 0-5), at Georgia (8-0, 5-0) and vs. archrival Louisville (5-4, 2-4 ACC), UK Coach Mark Stoops and his troops have put themselves in position to achieve some substantial milestones.

Already, Kentucky has secured bowl eligibility in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2009 and ’10 seasons, the final two years in what was a five-season bowl streak.

The Wildcats have beaten South Carolina for a fourth consecutive year, the first time UK had beaten an SEC foe not named Vanderbilt in four straight seasons since Bear Bryant and the boys handled Florida between 1948 and ’51.

Last weekend, Kentucky scored a rare victory over Tennessee, beating the Volunteers for only the second time since 1984.

Looking forward, if Stoops and UK can take advantage of what seems a mostly favorable remaining slate of foes, Kentucky has a viable chance to make even more history in 2017:

1.) Chance for a Big Blue breakthrough: Win four SEC East games in one season.

Last time UK did it: Never.

Odds Kentucky does it in 2017: Good. UK has already beaten South Carolina, Missouri and Tennessee while losing to Florida and stands 3-1 in the East.

So, UK must win at either Vanderbilt (eminently possible though far from certain) or at Georgia (unlikely in the extreme) to get to four.

How big a deal would it be to get to four SEC East wins?

Consider: The SEC split into divisions in 1992. In all the years since, UK had never even won three SEC East games in a season until beating Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Missouri last year.

2.) Chance for a Big Blue breakthrough: Have a winning SEC record.

Last time UK did it: 1977, when Fran Curci’s 10-1 team, led by Art Still and Derrick Ramsey, ran the table in the SEC (6-0).

Odds Kentucky does it in 2017: Good. UK stands 3-2 with three league games left. It would be a monumental upset to win at Georgia, so the Cats will need to beat Ole Miss at home on Saturday, then claim victory at Vandy — where Stoops-coached UK teams are 0-2 — the following week.

How big a deal would it be to finish 5-3 in the SEC?

Consider: The SEC started playing football in 1933. In all the years since, Kentucky has had a winning SEC record only seven times — 1949 (4-1); 1950 (5-1); 1953 (4-1-1); 1954 (5-2); 1964 (4-2); 1976 (5-1); 1977 (6-0).

3.) Chance for a Big Blue breakthrough: Win nine games in a season.

Last time UK did it: 1984, when Jerry Claiborne’s Cats (9-3), led by George Adams, Bill Ransdell and Paul Calhoun, beat Wisconsin in the Hall of Fame Bowl.

Odds Kentucky does it in 2017: Decent. To get to nine, the Cats must win three of their final four regular-season games, or win two plus a bowl game.

How big a deal would it be to finish with nine wins?

Consider: Kentucky fielded its first football team in 1881, and started playing every year in 1891. In all the years since, it has had a nine-win season only eight times — 1904 (9-1), 1907 (9-1-1), 1909 (9-1), 1949 (9-3), 1950 (11-1), 1976 (9-3), 1977 (10-1) and 1984 (9-3).

Of all power five conference football programs, only Indiana (1967) has gone longer without a nine-win season than Kentucky.

Wouldn’t it be something if this most unusual UK football season ended up being the one where the Cats finally crossed the nine-win threshold again?

This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Believe it or not, Stoops’ troops are marching toward history."