Kentucky Football Countdown: 40 Days till Kickoff

We are entering the final week of July. Next week pads will be popping at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. Kentucky football season is almost here. Only 40 more days till it’s Football Time in the Bluegrass.

Kentucky Football 40s

This year Luke Fulton will be wearing No. 40 for the Wildcats. A former Michigan State Spartan, the middle linebacker is entering his second season in Lexington. He was a consensus four-star prospect in the class of 2019. He’s one of more than a dozen Youngstown products to come to UK since Mark Stoops arrived in Lexington. Last season Fulton saw in action in ten games, primarily on special teams, a role he’ll play once again in 2022.

The most famous Wildcat to ever wear No. 40 is Sonny Collins. The star UK running back (72-75) was a first team All-SEC selection in three of his four years in Lexington. He rushed for 3,835 yards during his illustrious career. The Madisonville native held the school’s all-time rushing record for 43 years until Benny Snell‘s historic score in the Citrus Bowl.

No. 40 in 2021

UK opponents averaged 340.7 yards per game last year. Brad White’s unit ranked fourth in the SEC in total defense and No. 25 nationally.

DeAndre Square and Jacquez Jones each recorded a team-high 40 solo tackles last fall, however, the Ole Miss transfer picked up a handful of more assists to lead the team with 86 total. It’s rare for a UK defense to return its top two tacklers.

Chris Rodriguez concluded the 2021 season with a go-ahead touchdown score in the Citrus Bowl to improve his career rushing total to 2,740 yards. He ranks sixth all-time, just 1,134 yards away from breaking Benny Snell’s record.

After C-Rod’s touchdown Iowa marched all the way down to the UK 40-yard line with 48 seconds on the clock. Only needing two more first downs to get into field goal range to tie the game, the Hawkeyes ran into a buzzsaw. Yusuf Corker hit Spencer Petras, forcing an errant throw that Square picked off to seal the UK victory.

Historic Kentucky Football Wins

The goalposts at Kroger Field have been torn down only twice. Fans stormed the field and ripped fown the uprights after Kentucky upset Alabama 40-34 in overtime. The 1997 win was the first by the Wildcats over the Crimson Tide in 75 years. Fans also tore down the goalposts after a 2006 win over Georgia. They’ll never be torn down by fans again. Citing safety concerns, UK Athletics installed collapsible ones that can fold up following every game.

Kentucky fans could not tear down the goalposts the following year when Stevie Got Loose. Do you remember the final score to the win over No. 9 Louisville? It was 40-34, just like Couch to Yeast. That wasn’t the only score Andre’ Woodson threw to Stevie Johnson that season. Woodson is the only quarterback in UK history to throw for 40 touchdowns in a single season. He accomplished that feat in 2007. Woodson also holds the career passing touchdown record with one more touchdown (79) than Jared Lorenzen.