Eight realistic ways Kentucky football can make positive history in 2020
Although current indicators seem positive, we still do not know if the coronavirus will be sufficiently contained to allow for NCAA college football to be played in 2020.
Kentucky Wildcats backers should be among those most fervently wishing for a football season this autumn.
If UK is allowed to play in 2020, Mark Stoops, Terry Wilson, Josh Paschal and Co. have at least seven realistic shots at making positive history.
Target of opportunity No. 1: Beat Louisville on the road for a third straight time.
The back story: UK has won its past two games at U of L, a 41-38 upset of Lamar Jackson and the No. 11 Cardinals in 2016 and a 56-10 pulverization of the Cards in 2018.
Since Cardinal Stadium opened in 1998, Kentucky is 6-5 vs. Louisville at The Ville; however, UK has never beaten U of L three straight on the road in the modern history of The Governor’s Cup rivalry.
Odds of a Big Blue breakthrough: Good. Having been outscored a combined 101-23 in its past two meetings vs. Kentucky, Louisville will by hyper-motivated against the Cats in 2020.
That is not likely to matter, though, unless Scott Satterfield coaxes dramatic improvement in his team’s line play on both sides of the ball over what U of L displayed in 2019.
Target of opportunity No. 2: Beat Missouri for a sixth straight time.
The back story: Other than Vanderbilt (six straight from 1976-81), Kentucky has never beaten an SEC opponent in six consecutive seasons.
UK enters 2020 having beaten Missouri the past five years and will be seeking its third straight win at Columbia. In 2018, the Cats escaped Mizzou with a miraculous 15-14 come-from-behind victory by scoring the game-winning touchdown on an untimed final down.
Odds of a Big Blue breakthrough: Good. After Barry Odom broke even (25-25) in four seasons as Tigers head coach, Mizzou cut him loose. In his place, Missouri took a flier on Eli Drinkwitz.
In his one prior season as a head coach, the 37-year-old inherited the very strong roster Scott Satterfield had built at Appalachian State and did well, going 12-1. Drinkwitz is completely unproven as a Power Five conference head coach, however.
Target of opportunity No. 3: Beat Florida in Gainesville for a second straight time
The back story: In 2018, UK snapped an embarrassing 31-game losing streak vs. SEC East rival Florida with a 27-16 upset of the No. 25 Gators in The Swamp.
Kentucky last beat Florida two straight in Gainesville in 1977 (14-7) and 1979 (31-3).
Odds of a Big Blue breakthrough: Not likely, but not impossible.
Target of opportunity No. 4: Produce a fifth straight winning season.
The back story: Kentucky has gone 7-6, 7-6, 10-3 and 8-5 over the past four years.
Last time UK produced five straight winning seasons was when teams coached by Bear Bryant and Blanton Collier combined for 11 straight victorious years from 1946-56.
Odds of a Big Blue breakthrough: High.
Target of opportunity No. 5: Win at least eight games in a third consecutive season.
The back story: Over the past two seasons, Stoops’ troops have gone 10-3 (2018) and 8-5 (2-19).
The last time Kentucky football teams reached at least eight victories in three straight years, Bear Bryant was the UK coach and the Cats went 9-3 in 1949, 11-1 in 1950 and 8-4 in 1951.
Odds of a Big Blue breakthrough: Good. It will be a disappointment if a veteran UK team does not exceed last year’s 7-5 regular season.
Target of opportunity No. 6: Win a third straight bowl game.
The back story: Having beaten Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl and Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl over the past two seasons, Kentucky enters 2020 on a postseason win streak.
UK has not won bowls in three straight seasons since winning the Music City Bowl in 2006 and 2007 over Clemson and Florida State, respectively, and ending the 2008 season with a victory over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl.
Odds of a Big Blue breakthrough: Good.
Target of opportunity No. 7: Give Mark Stoops an overall winning record as UK head coach.
The back story: Stoops enters his eighth season as top Cat with a 44-44 record.
No Kentucky head coach has left Lexington above .500 since Blanton Collier went 41-36-3 as UK coach from 1954-1961.
Odds of a Big Blue breakthrough: High.
Target of opportunity No. 8: Give Kentucky an all-time winning record as a football program.
The back story: After producing four straight winning seasons, Kentucky will enter 2020 with a 624-626-44 overall mark.
If Stoops and Co. can at least match last season’s plus-three in the win/loss column, UK will end a season as an all-time winning program for the first time since 2011.
Odds of a Big Blue breakthrough: Good.
