2018 GAME NOTES SATURDAY, SEPT. 1 • 3:30 ET • ESPNU vs. LEXINGTON, KY • KROGER FIELD (61,000) CATS OPEN 2018 SEASON WITH EYES ON TAKING NEXT STEP Coming off back-to-back bowl appearances the Kentucky football program is banking on an KENTUCKY WILDCATS experienced roster to take the next step in 2018 in its climb toward joining the Southeastern (0-0, 0-0 SEC) Conference’s elite teams. The journey begins this Saturday vs. Central Michigan at Kroger Field. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. 9/1 CENTRAL MICHIGAN [ESPNU] 3:30 p.m. The Cats return 19 total starters, the 11th most in the country, to a team that has won 14 9/8 at Florida* [SECN] 7:30 p.m. 9/15 MURRAY STATE [SECN-A] Noon games the past two seasons, including eight in league play. Led by All-America candidates Josh 9/22 MISSISSIPPI STATE* TBA Allen (OLB), C.J. Conrad (TE) and Benny Snell Jr. (RB), and a defense that has 14 of its top 19 tack- 9/29 SOUTH CAROLINA* TBA lers back, the Cats are primed for a breakthrough. 10/6 at Texas A&M* TBA Snell will lead an offense deep in skill players and an experienced line as a new quarterback set- 10/20 VANDERBILT* TBA tles in as the pilot of the attack. The junior back is on target to re-write the UK record books for 10/27 at Missouri* TBA rushing in his third season. 11/3 GEORGIA* TBA 11/10 at Tennessee* TBA GAME CENTER - #CMUvsUK 11/17 MIDDLE TENNESSEE TBA 11/24 at Louisville TBA KENTUCKY WILDCATS C. MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS Record: 0-0 (0-0 SEC) Record: 0-0 (0-0 MAC) All times ET; *SEC game; Home games in bold Ranking: AP - RV; Coaches - RV Ranking: AP - NR; Coaches - NR Coach: Mark Stoops (Iowa, ‘89) Coach: John Bonamego (C. Michigan, ‘87) Record: 26-36 (6th season) Record: 21-18 (4th season) CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS at UK: 26-36 (6th season) at CMU: 21-18 (4th season) (0-0, 0-0 MAC) vs. CMU: 0-0 vs. UK: 0-0 Last Game: L, 23-24, vs. Northwestern Last Game: L, 14-37, vs. Wyoming (12/22); 9/1 at Kentucky [ESPNU] 3:30 p.m. (12/29) Music City Bowl Idaho Potato Bowl 9/8 KANSAS 3 p.m. Series: Kentucky leads 6-0 Last Meeting: UK won 27-13 in Lex. (9/10/11) 9/15 at Northern Illinois* 3:30 p.m. 9/22 MAINE TBA 9/29 at Michigan State TBA QUICK NOTES 10/6 BUFFALO* TBA • Kentucky kicks off its 128th season of intercollegiate football against Central Michigan seeking 10/13 BALL STATE* TBA a third consecutive bowl appearance and with eyes on continuing to move up the Southeastern 10/20 WESTERN MICHIGAN* 3 p.m. Conference ladder behind an experienced squad on both sides of the ball. 10/27 at Akron* TBA • 11/3 at Eastern Michigan* Noon UK is 86-36-5 (.705) all-time in season openers and 3-2 under coach Mark Stoops. 11/10 BOWLING GREEN* 3 p.m. • The Wildcats have won eight of their past 11 season openers, including a road win at Southern 11/23 at Toledo* TBA Miss last season. • This is coach Mark Stoops’ sixth season in Lexington and the Wildcats have either matched or exceeded the previous season’s win total in each of the past five seasons. All times ET; *MAC game; Home games in bold • UK was one of only two schools in the nation that has tied or improved its win total in each of the last five seasons. The other was New Mexico State. • Last season, the Wildcats finished 7-6, overall 4-4 in the SEC. It marked the first time in 40 ABOUT THE GAME years that UK has won at least seven games and finished at least .500 in the SEC in back-to-back seasons. TV • SEC NETWORK • It was UK’s second consecutive 4-4 league mark, the first time the Wildcats have achieved that Play-by-Play Kevin Brown since 1998-99. Analyst Andre Ware • UK finished third in the SEC Eastern Division in 2017 and second in 2016, marking UK’s highest finishes since the league split into division in 1992. RADIO • UK SPORTS NETWORK • The Cats have appeared in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2009 and 2010. Play-by-Play Tom Leach • Five Wildcats have received preseason praise, led by the sturdy legs of junior running back Benny Analyst Jeff Piecoro Snell Jr. and the explosive playmaking of senior tight end C.J. Conrad on offense as well as the Sideline Dick Gabriel dynamic pass rushing of senior linebacker Josh Allen and Mr. Consistency senior saftey Mike Edwards on defense. Sophomore all-purpose player Lynn Bowden Jr., has also been recognized SATELLITE RADIO as a receiver and return specialist. Channel 192 - XM Channel 108 - Sirius • Five Wildcats are on national award watch lists. Josh Allen - Bednarik Award and Butkus Award; INTERNET RADIO • www.UKathletics.com Lynn Bowden Jr. - Paul Hornung Award; C.J. Conrad - Allstate FCA Good Works Team, Mackey Live Audio - free; Live Stats Award; Wuerffel Trophy; Mike Edwards - Bednarik Award, Thorpe Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy; Benny Snell Jr. - Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year. TICKETS • UKathletics.com • The Wildcats are scheduled to face a challenging schedule as they will play two opponents ranked in the AP Preseason Top 25, including No. 3 Georgia, and No. 18 Mississippi State and three more HASHTAG • #CMUvsUK who are receiving votes (South Carolina, Florida and Texas A&M). • Three of UK’s wins last season were against teams that finished with at least seven wins – at Southern Mississippi (8-5), at South Carolina (9-4) and vs. Missouri (7-6). 2018 FOOTBALL GAME NOTES 1 2018 GAME NOTES ALPHABETICAL ROSTER NUMERICAL ROSTER 94* Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald, DT, Fr-RS, Lakeland, Fla. 1 Lynn Bowden Jr. WR 6-1 195 So-1L Youngstown, Ohio (Warren Harding) 84 B.J. Alexander, WR, Fr-HS, Miami Gardens, Fla. 2 Dorian Baker WR 6-3 205 Sr-3L Cleveland Heights, Ohio (Cleveland Heights) 23* Tyrell Ajian, S, Fr-RS, Mansfield, Ohio 3* Terry Wilson QB 6-3 205 So-JC Oklahoma City, Okla. (Garden City CC/Oregon/Del City) 82 Josh Ali, WR, So-1L, Hollywood, Fla. 3* Jordan Griffin S 6-0 194 Jr-2L Riverdale, Ga. (Jonesboro) 41 Josh Allen, OLB, Sr-3L, Montclair, N.J. 4 Joshua Paschal DL 6-3 278 So-1L Olney, Md. (Our Lady of Good Counsel) 64 George Asafo-Adjei, OT, Sr-3L, West Chester, Ohio 6 Lonnie Johnson Jr. CB 6-3 206 Sr-1L Gary, Ind. (Garden City CC/Gary West Side) 8* Derrick Baity Jr., CB, Sr-3L, Tampa, Fla. 7 Mike Edwards S 6-0 201 Sr-3L Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods) 2 Dorian Baker, WR, Sr-3L, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 8* Derrick Baity Jr. CB 6-3 188 Sr-3L Tampa, Fla. (H.B. Plant) 8* Danny Clark QB 6-2 232 Fr-RS Columbus, Ohio (Archbishop Hoban) 39 Elijah Barnett, OLB, Jr-Sq, Lexington, Ky. 9 Davonte Robinson S 6-2 200 So-1L Lexington, Ky. (Henry Clay) 80 Brenden Bates, TE, Fr-HS, Cincinnati, Ohio 10 Asim “A.J.” Rose RB 6-1 208 So-1L Cleveland, Ohio (Garfield Heights) 37* Tyler Beisner, WR, Fr-HS, Goshen, Ky. 11 Tavin Richardson WR 6-3 207 Jr-2L Greer, S.C. (Byrnes) 23* Brayden Berezowitz, WR, Jr-Sq, Lexington, Ky. 12* Gunnar Hoak QB 6-4 206 So-Sq Dublin, Ohio (Dublin Coffman) 27* Bryan Berezowitz, WR, Jr-Sq, Lexington, Ky. 12* Chance Poore K 6-2 210 Fr-HS Anderson, S.C. (Westside) 29* Zac Berezowitz, WR, Fr-HS Lexington, Ky. 13 Zy’Aire Hughes WR 6-1 182 So-1L Paducah, Ky. (McCracken County) 53 Blake Best, LS, Jr-2L, Duluth, Ga. 14 Ahmad Wagner WR 6-5 238 Jr-TR Huber Heights, Ohio (Iowa/Wayne) 95* Quinton Bohanna, NG, So-1L, Cordova, Tenn. 15* Kolbe Langhi QB 6-4 209 Fr-HS Hopkinsville, Ky. (Christian County) 33 David Bouvier, WR, Sr-Sq, Lexington, Ky. 15* Jordan Wright OLB 6-5 236 Fr-RS Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Dillard) 1 Lynn Bowden Jr., WR, So-1L, Youngstown, Ohio 17 Walker Wood QB 6-0 190 Fr-RS Lexington, Ky. (Lafayette) 35* Immanuel Bowie, DB, Fr-HS, Lexington, Ky. 18 Clevan Thomas Jr. WR 5-11 207 So-1L Miami, Fla. (Charles W. Flanagan) 32* Jamari Brown, DB, 6-1, Sunrise, Fla. 19 Akeem Hayes WR 5-8 153 Fr-HS Hollywood, Fla. (Chaminade-Madonna) 95* Miles Butler, K, Sr-1L, Paducah, Ky. 20* Kengera Daniel DE 6-5 235 Sr-3L Raleigh, N.C. (Millbrook) 90 T.J. Carter, DE, Jr-2L, Mableton, Ga. 20* Kavosiey Smoke RB 5-9 219 Fr-HS Wetumpka, Ala. (Wetumpka) 8* Danny Clark, QB, Fr-RS, Columbus, Ohio 21 Chris Westry CB 6-4 197 Sr-3L Orange Park, Fla. (Oakleaf) 87 C.J. Conrad, TE, Sr-3L, LaGrange, Ohio 22* Sihiem King RB 5-9 172 Sr-3L Colquitt, Ga. (Colquitt County) 29* Yusuf Corker, S, Fr-RS, McDonough, Ga. 22* Chris Oats LB 6-3 228 Fr-HS Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods) 23* Brayden Berezowitz WR 5-9 180 Jr-Sq Lexington, Ky. (Henry Clay) 62 Tyler Couch, OL, Fr-HS, Paintsville, Ky. 23* Tyrell Ajian S 6-0 187 Fr-RS Mansfield, Ohio (Madison Comprehensive) 48 Will Crum, WR, Fr-HS, Louisville, Ky.