From University of Kentucky Media Relations:
KENTUCKY POSTGAME NOTES
Kentucky at Louisville
Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Ky.
Nov. 26, 2016
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 41, No. 11/11 Louisville 38
Team Records and Series Notes
- Kentucky ends the regular season 7-5 overall. Louisville is 9-3.
- Kentucky leads the series 15-14, ending a five-game losing streak vs. Louisville.
- UK is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2010. Bowl announcements will be made Sunday, Dec. 4.
Kentucky Team Notes
- This was Kentucky’s first win over a ranked opponent since a 21-13 win over No. 25 Missouri in 2015.
- This was Kentucky’s first win over a ranked opponent on the road since a 22-17 win at No. 17 Louisville in 2002.
- This is Kentucky’s first seven-win regular season since the Wildcats went 7-5 in 2009.
- Kentucky had 581 total offensive yards today. It was the fourth time this season that UK had at least 581 and first time in school history that UK had four games of at least 581.
- Kentucky rushed for 229 yards today. It is the most this season against Louisville, which came into the game sixth in the nation in rush defense at 99.2 yards per game.
- Kentucky passed for a season-high 352 yards today.
- Of Kentucky’s seven scores today, only two came in the red zone. UK did not start a play closer than the Louisville 16-yard line all game.
- Kentucky had touchdown passes today of 75, 63 and 35 yards. The last time UK had two TD passes of at least 63 yards was Sept. 3, 2006, when Andre’ Woodson connected on TDs of 73 yards to Keenan Burton and 80 yards to Dicky Lyons at Louisville.
- Kentucky was 10-of-18 on third-down conversions today, tying the win at Missouri (also 10-of-18) for the best performance of the season in that category.
- UK converted its only fourth-down attempt today, leading to the field goal that tied the game at 31. The Wildcats are 10-of-12 on the season. The Cats lead the Southeastern Conference in fourth-down conversions at 83.3 percent.
- Kentucky has scored at least 35 points seven times this season, the most since the 2007 team did it in nine games.
- UK has back-to-back 40-point games, first time since wins over South Carolina and Louisiana-Monroe in 2014.
- UK has 2,895 rushing yards this season, most since 1976 (2,960).
- UK’s game captains were senior center Jon Toth, junior wide receiver Jeff Badet, junior linebacker Courtney Love and senior defensive lineman Courtney Miggins. It is the ninth time this season that this combination of players have been captains.
Kentucky Player Notes
- Junior quarterback Stephen Johnson won the Howard Schnellenberger Award as the Most Valuable Player for the winning team.
- Johnson completed 16-of-27 passes for a career-high 338 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns.
- He also led Kentucky in rushing with eight carries for a career-high 83 yards.
- He had a career-high 421 yards total offense.
- On UK’s first offensive play, he hit Garrett Johnson on a 75-yard bomb. It is Stephen’s longest pass as a Wildcat, although he did have a 75-yarder for Grambling in 2014.
- In the second quarter, he hit Garrett Johnson again with a 63-yard score.
- On the final game-winning field goal drive, he completed 2-of-2 passes for 34 yards and also had a 15-yard run for a first down.
- Junior running back Stanley “Boom” Williams had 14 carries for 63 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown run.
- Williams has 1,135 yards this season, sixth on the UK single-season list. It’s the most in one season since Artose Pinner ran for 1,414 yards in 2002.
- Williams now has 2,413 career rushing yards, seventh on the UK career list.
- True freshman running back Benny Snell rushed 11 times for 51 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown run.
- He has 13 rushing touchdowns this season, tied for second on the UK single-season list. Moe Williams set the record with 17 rush TDs in 1995.
- He has 1,057 rushing yards for the season, eighth on the UK single-season rushing list.
- Senior running back Jojo Kemp had 10 carries for 32 yards, including three crucial carries on UK’s game-winning field-goal drive.
- Kemp now has 1,681 rushing yards as a Wildcat, moving up one spot to 15th place on the UK career list.
- Williams and Snell have combined for 20 rushing touchdowns this season, most by a duo since Moe Williams and Billy Jack Haskins combined for 21 rushing TDs in 1995.
- Junior Garrett Johnson caught five passes for a career-high 164 yards and career-high-tying two touchdowns.
- On UK’s first offensive play, he caught a 75-yard touchdown bomb, the longest catch of his career.
- In the second quarter, he caught a 63-yard TD bomb.
- He has 104 receptions as a Wildcat, becoming the 15th player in Kentucky history with at least 100 receptions in his career.
- He now has 1,533 career receiving yards, moving up six spots to eighth place on the UK career receiving yardage list.
- Junior wide receiver Dorian Baker had one catch today, good for a 35-yard touchdown. It is his first scoring grab of the season.
- Junior wide receiver Jeff Badet had four catches for 52 yards. He has 1,354 receiving yards as a Wildcat, moving up two spots to 15th place on the career yardage list.
- Senior wide receiver Ryan Timmons had four catches for 50 yards today. He has 1,224 receiving yards as a Wildcat, moving up four places to a tie for 20th on the career yardage list.
- Junior kicker Austin MacGinnis made both field goal attempts (35 and 47 yards) and all five extra points today.
- His 47-yard field goal with 12 seconds left was his second game-winning kick of the season. He made a 51-yard field goal as time expired for a 40-38 win over Mississippi State.
- MacGinnis has made six field goals in Governor’s Cup games, most in Governor’s Cup history.
- He now has 253 career points, moving past Joey Worley for second place on the all-time UK scoring list.
- Sophomore safety Mike Edwards had a career-high two interceptions today.
- His interception in the third quarter set up Dorian Baker’s 35-yard touchdown catch.
- His interception on the final play of the game sealed the win for the Wildcats.
- Edwards’ two interceptions ties the record for most pickoffs in a Governor’s Cup game, also ties the record for most Governor’s Cup interceptions in a career.
- These were his second and third interceptions of the season, as he also had one last week vs. Austin Peay. He now has four pickoffs in his career.
- Edwards also had six tackles, including one-half quarterback sack.
- Sophomore linebacker Jordan Jones led the Wildcats with 10 tackles, his fourth double-figure tackle game of the season.
- He also had a 12-yard quarterback sack and an additional three-yard tackle for loss.
- Senior safety Blake McClain had an interception in the fourth quarter, his third interception of the season.
- Junior linebacker Courtney Love had a fumble recovery that set up UK’s game-winning drive. It is Love’s first fumble recovery as a Wildcat.
- Senior center Jon Toth made his 47th consecutive start.