4 Milestones Kentucky Football Could Surpass in 2023

Mark Stoops has “knocked down doors” throughout his 11 seasons at Kentucky. The longest-tenured coach in the school’s history has snapped streaks and broken barriers, but a few remain ahead of the 2023 football season.

Last fall there were a pair of firsts for Mark Stoops. The Wildcats had not shut out an opponent or returned a kickoff for a touchdown since 2009. They did both in the month of September. Barion Brown housed a kickoff in the opening game of the season, then two weeks later the Cats blanked Stoops’ hometown team 31-0 on a day where the university celebrated him as the program’s winningest coach.

Similar records and milestones have been broken almost every year under his watchful eye. These Kentucky Wildcats can keep that trend rolling this fall.

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A 3,000-Yard Passer

Terry Wilson racked up 17 victories, the second-most ever by a UK starter. Will Levis dropped bombs and jumped over opponents. Stephen Johnson was sensational, yet neither of them threw for more than 3,000 yards in a season.

Levis came close, finishing 173 yards shy of the milestone in 2021, but Kentucky has not had a 3,000-yard passer since Mike Hartline in 2010. The quarterback averaged 33.75 attempts and and 264.8 yards per game during Joker Phillips’ first season as the Wildcats’ head coach.

Personnel and scheme play a role in the Wildcats’ lack of volume through the air. Neal Brown continued to throw the ball around the yard, but the Cats never really clicked offensively under Stoops until Eddie Gran went to the ground. In order to give a QB a chance to reach this milestone, he needs opportunities. Hartline had 405 passing attempts. A Kentucky QB has only attempted 300+ passes in four seasons since.

This year the personnel should demand more passing attempts from Devin Leary than the 26 per game Levis averaged during his two-year tenure. Leary has more experienced weapons at his disposal and a 3,400-yard passing season already on his resume. During his record-breaking 2021 season, Leary averaged 35.9 attempts per game. Levis only threw 30+ passes in seven games over two seasons. That must change for Kentucky to surpass this significant quarterback milestone.

20+ Receptions for a Kentucky Tight End or Running Back

There has been one Kentucky tight and one running back that has caught more than 20 passes for Mark Stoops. Can you name them?

I’m sure you guessed C.J. Conrad. He had 30 receptions during his senior campaign in 2018. Justin Rigg had exactly 20 during his senior season, just as Jordan Dingle did last fall as a redshirt freshman. What’s even more befuddling is out of the backfield. The last running back with 20+ receptions in a season was Braylon Heard in 2014. The Nebraska transfer caught 21 passes for 108 yards during his only season in Lexington.

To be frank, we’re in week two of camp and I feel like I’ve already beaten this horse to death. Kentucky must utilize its running backs and tight ends more in the passing game out of necessity and it’s already playing an integral role in the playbook. Jordan Dingle has yet to practice this preseason while dealing with a nagging soft tissue injury, but if he’s at full strength this fall he could be the team’s third or fourth-leading receiver. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and JuTahn McClain are candidates to catch 20+ passes; my money is on the N.C. State transfer.

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A 10-Sack Season at Kentucky

Typically when players are asked about specific goals for the upcoming season, they’ll respond by saying, “I have a few, but I’m going to keep them to myself for now.” J.J. Weaver did not do that at SEC Media Days. In fact, he took it a completely different direction. He wants 10+ sacks in the 12-game season.

Before Josh Allen‘s record-breaking campaign in 2018, the last Wildcat to conquer that feat was Dennis Johnson in 2001. His 12 takedowns were the UK single-season record until Allen came to town. Only four players have tallied 10-sack seasons since it became a stat in 1971.

Weaver would need to double his career sack total of 10.0 to reach that goal, but after packing on 25 pounds this offseason, hopes are high that he can have a breakthrough season. The most important thing for Weaver is his health. The additional weight should increase his durability and show the BBN what he’s truly capable of as a pass rusher.

Beat an SEC West Team on the Road

Barion Brown was 5-years-old the last time Kentucky beat an SEC West team on the road. Will Fidler, Morgan Newton and Randall Cobb split snaps at quarterback and each rushed for a score as Kentucky upset Auburn 21-14 on The Plains back in 2009. The unexpected triumph over the Tigers was one year removed from Kentucky’s last win at Davis Wade Stadium, a narrow 14-13 victory over Sylvester Croom’s Mississippi State squad.

There have been close calls throughout this losing streak. Last year’s loss at Ole Miss was one of the most gut-wrenching defeats of note. Close will not cut it this year. Even though the scales between Kentucky and Mississippi State remain level, this year the Bulldogs are breaking in a new coach. It’s now or never for the Cats, quite literally. This is the final year of divisions and the series record is tied 25-25. Kentucky needs to end with a bang and knock down one more door for Mark Stoops.