In the big picture, UK football must have success vs. these 4 teams
Over the course of its often star-crossed football history, Kentucky has amassed all-time winning records vs. only four of its 15 current Southeastern Conference rivals.
The Wildcats are on the plus side of the win/loss ledger vs. Arkansas (UK is 5-3); Mississippi State (26-25); Missouri (9-5); and Vanderbilt (49-45-4).
Alas, none of those four will be annual opponents for Kentucky under the new SEC football scheduling format that begins in 2026 (and will be in place through 2029 at the least).
Due to the scheduling alterations made as the SEC moves to a nine-game league slate starting this fall, UK will face only three conference foes annually — Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.
That means that the Gators, Gamecocks and Volunteers, plus Kentucky’s annual intrastate rival Louisville, will be the only four teams that UK will play every season.
For new top Cat Will Stein to prosper, success against these four annual opponents will be vital.
In the big picture, let’s take a look at how UK stacks up against its new “Benchmark Four.”
Florida
All-time series record: UK is 22-54 on the field vs. the Gators.
Last 10 meetings: 5-5 on the field.
Recent trend: Kentucky has won five of its past eight meetings with Florida.
Gators’ record last five years: 29-34.
Gators’ record last year: 4-8
The series storyline: Kentucky compiled an embarrassing 31-game losing streak vs. Florida from 1987 through 2017.
However, under now-former UK coach Mark Stoops, the Wildcats played UF tougher than they had since the 1970s. Stoops went 5-8 vs. the Gators, and four of his losses were by single digits.
Looking forward: The coaching tenures of UK’s Stein and new Florida head man Jon Sumrall will always be linked. Sumrall, a former Kentucky linebacker and assistant coach, had successful head coaching stints at Troy and Tulane. As a result, he was often linked with the Wildcats’ top job at the end of the Stoops era.
When the UK job finally opened after last season, however, Sumrall opted for a program with greater football tradition than Kentucky. The UK ties of the UF coach will make this a massive game for both head men.
South Carolina
All-time series record: Kentucky is 14-22-1 all-time on the field vs. South Carolina.
Last 10 meetings: 5-5 on the field.
Recent trend: South Carolina has won four straight.
Gamecocks’ record last five years: 33-30
Gamecocks’ record last year: 4-8.
The series storyline: Since South Carolina entered the SEC in 1992, its series with Kentucky has been defined by pendulum swings.
In the 1990s, UK went 5-3 vs. USC. During the 2000s, South Carolina was 10-0 vs. Kentucky. However, in the 2010s, the Wildcats went 6-4 vs. the Gamecocks. The current decade has seen South Carolina go 4-2 vs. UK.
Looking forward: Kentucky had won seven of the previous eight in the series when Shane Beamer was hired prior to the 2021 season. Under Beamer, the Gamecocks have gone 4-1 vs. the Cats.
In the Stoops era, success vs. South Carolina was one of the first indicators that Kentucky’s football fortunes were turning. It’s hard to envision Stein succeeding as Cats coach without a similar reversal vs. the Gamecocks.
Tennessee
All-time series record: The Wildcats are 26-86-9 vs. their border state rivals.
Last 10 meetings: UK is 2-8.
Recent trend: Tennessee has won five straight.
Volunteers’ record last five years: 45-20.
Volunteers’ record last year: 8-5
The series storyline: No institution has inflicted more pain on the Big Blue Nation than the Tennessee football program. Since World War II, Kentucky has employed 12 coaches (not counting Stein). Exactly one of them, Blanton Collier (5-2-1 vs. UT from 1954 through 1961), had a winning record vs. the Volunteers.
Stoops went 2-11 vs. Tennessee — and had more wins over the Rocky Toppers than any of his six immediate UK coaching predecessors.
Looking forward: Kentucky is 0-4 in its past four home games vs. Tennessee, including defeats by four, three and six points. Over its past 13 games vs. UT that were decided by one score, UK has gone 2-11.
For Stein to make Tennessee respect Kentucky as a football rival, the Wildcats have to protect their home field and must win more of the close ones vs. UT.
Louisville
All-time series record: Kentucky leads 20-17 in on-the-field results.
Last 10 meetings: UK leads 6-4.
Recent trend: Louisville has won the past two by a combined margin of 82-14.
Cardinals’ record last five years: 42-28
Cardinals’ record last year: 9-4.
The series storyline: The modern series (since 1994) between UK and U of L has been a see-saw rivalry. Kentucky started by going 3-2; Louisville then won seven of eight; UK next claimed four straight; U of L took five in a row; the Wildcats went 6-1; and the Cardinals have now won the past two by a combined score of 82-14.
Looking forward: As an FBS head coach, Louisville’s Jeff Brohm is 8-3 vs. his teams’ archrivals. Nevertheless, Stein’s task is to flip the Governor’s Cup rivalry back in UK’s favor quicker than has been the historical norm in the series.
