The 2014 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats competed as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as part of its Eastern Division. The team was led by head coach Mark Stoops, in his second year, and played its home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. The team started 5–1, but lost their final six games and finished the season 5–7, 2–6 in SEC play, and sixth place in the Eastern Division.
Pre-season
Schedule changes for 2014 Three of UK's annual opponents – Louisville, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt – will be played at different points in the schedule beginning in 2014. As requested by the SEC and the ACC, the Kentucky vs. Louisville game will be moved to the final game of the regular season on an annual basis. The leagues moved the game as a result of adjustments in scheduling brought on by the conference expansions undertaken in both the SEC and ACC. The switch of the Kentucky-Louisville game date means that there will be four SEC vs. ACC in-state rivalry matchups on the final weekend of the season. The Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech and South Carolina-Clemson tilts also are on that weekend. The UK vs. UofL game had been played early in the schedule since the series was renewed in 1994. For Kentucky, moving the game to the end of the regular season also will require another adjustment. Tennessee has been scheduled as the Wildcats' final foe since 1953 and the Volunteers will now move to November 15, 2014, meaning that UK will close the regular season with a pair of rivalry games. One other significant timing change comes with the Vanderbilt game. Having played VU in November every season since 1953, the Wildcats hosted the Commodores on September 27, 2014.
Commonwealth Stadium renovations Construction has begun on the $120 million renovation of Commonwealth Stadium, a project that features a new look for the exterior of the stadium, wider and redesigned concourses, new concession stands and rest rooms, new suites and other premium seating, a recruiting room and a new press box. It is a two-year project but there should be minimal disruption for the 2014 season. Part of the southside upper deck has been removed in order to begin the new suite/press box complex and there will be some utility and other site preparation work done this year. Seating capacity for the stadium will be 62,093 for the 2014 campaign. The majority of the construction will begin immediately after the last home game on Nov. 8. The reworked stadium is expected to be complete in time for the 2015 season. Meanwhile, UK also has begun planning for a $45 million football office/practice complex that will be built on the south end of the existing Nutter Field House. Construction of that facility is expected to commence following the season, with completion targeted for 2016.
2014 signing class
2015 commitments
Personnel
Roster and staff
Depth chart As of 9/1 for UT-Martin game
Schedule
Schedule source:
Game summaries
UT Martin
Sources:
Statistics UTMUK First downs 25 23 Total yards 398 656 Rushing yards 183 234 Passing yards 215 422 Turnovers 5 0 Time of possession 36:18 23:42 Team Category Player StatisticsUT Martin Passing Jarod Neal 18/25, 173 yards, TD Rushing Abou Toure 17 rushes, 81 yards Receiving William Tanner 4 receptions, 61 yardsKentucky Passing Patrick Towles 20/29, 377 yards, TD Rushing Braylon Heard 2 rushes, 116 yards, 2 TD Receiving Demarco Robinson 1 receptions, 79 yards
Braylon Heard's first-half touchdown runs of 73 and 43 yards spurred Kentucky to a season-opening, 59–14 rout of Tennessee–Martin on Saturday.
Quarterback Patrick Towles added a TD passing and running in his first career start for Kentucky, which outgained the Skyhawks 656–398. The Wildcats' sophomore threw for 370 yards, but Kentucky's tailbacks set the tone by flying through huge holes and scoring virtually untouched.
The Wildcats' improved grasp of the Air Raid offense was supposed to be displayed through the air behind Towles, who won a three-man competition for the starting job. He definitely did his part in completing 20 of 29 attempts without an interception, but the backfield rushed for 234 yards and ended up showing the scheme's big-play potential.
Heard demonstrated that on both TDs, blazing through big holes on consecutive drives to put Kentucky up 21–0 and keep the air raid sirens blaring.
Towles wasn't fazed about his tailbacks stealing the spotlight because of how well he managed the offense. The Kentucky native made good reads, avoided sacks by getting rid of the ball quickly and most importantly, showed that he could quickly hit short and long throws.
In between completions that moved the ball downfield, Towles hit several long ones to set up Kentucky scores. The first, a 44-yarder down the middle to Javess Blue, resulted in Kemp's 2-yard touchdown run soon after.
Towles followed with a 56-yard completion to Ryan Timmons to UTM's 39, a play that led to his 29-yard TD pass to freshman Blake Bone, who found a hole in the flat and then space en route to the end zone and a 28–0 lead.
Horton's 18-yard TD run came two plays after Towles' 36-yarder to Bone on the left sideline.
Ohio
Sources:
Statistics OHIOUK First downs 13 24 Total yards 223 402 Rushing yards 74 232 Passing yards 149 170 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 21:34 38:26 Team Category Player StatisticsOhio Passing J. D. Sprague 13/25, 143 yards Rushing Dazmond Patterson 14 rushes, 44 yards Receiving Brendan Cope 4 receptions, 57 yardsKentucky Passing Patrick Towles 17/31, 170 yards, TD Rushing Stanley Williams 5 rushes, 60 yards, TD Receiving Ryan Timmons 10 receptions, 95 yards
Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles threw for 170 yards and rushed for 59 more to lead the Wildcats to a 20–3 win over Ohio Saturday.
Towles completed 17 of 31 passes and one touchdown and led the Wildcats to their first 2–0 start since 2011. Although Kentucky's offense wasn't as explosive as last week's 59–14 rout of Tennessee Martin, it was enough to help the Wildcats avenge a 28–16 loss to the Bobcats in 2004.
Kentucky was without starting running back Braylon Heard who sat out because of a sprained ankle. Heard, a junior transfer from Nebraska, rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the team's opener last week.
Jojo Kemp and freshman Boom Williams split time in the backfield in Heard's absence. Williams led the Wildcats with 60 yards rushing on five carries, including a 53-yard touchdown run with 8:24 remaining in the first quarter.
Towles had six rushes of 10 yards or more on 22 attempts, including a 16-yard jaunt in the second quarter. Towles made successful completions to four different receivers, with sophomore receiver Ryan Timmons catching 10 passes for 95 yards, both career highs.
Dorian Baker had two catches for 41 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown reception to open Kentucky's scoring with 3:33 remaining in the first quarter.
After two straight scoring drives to open the contest, Kentucky's offense managed just three points on its final four possessions of the first half. Towles completed 10 of 17 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown in the first two quarters. He added 46 yards on 13 carries.
At Florida
Sources:
Statistics UKFLA First downs 23 28 Total yards 450 532 Rushing yards 81 237 Passing yards 369 295 Turnovers 3 1 Time of possession 26:21 33:39 Team Category Player StatisticsKentucky Passing Patrick Towles 24/45, 369 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT Rushing Braylon Heard 12 rushes, 39 yards Receiving Garrett Johnson 6 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TDFlorida Passing Jeff Driskel 25/43, 295 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Matt Jones 29 rushes, 156 yards, TD Receiving Demarcus Robinson 15 receptions, 216 yards, 2 TD
Florida (2–0, 1–0 SEC) was an 18-point favorite in the game, no surprise given how lopsided the series has been. The Gators haven't lost to Kentucky (2–1, 0–1) since 1986 and haven't lost a game against the Wildcats at Florida Field since 1979.
The streak looked to be in jeopardy several times late in the SEC opener for both teams.
Matt Jones' 1-yard plunge in triple overtime gave Florida a 36–30 victory over Kentucky on Saturday night, extending the Gators' winning streak in the Southeastern Conference series to 28 games.
Kentucky's Austin MacGinnis, who hit a 51-yarder to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, missed a 41-yarder to start the third extra frame.
The play of the game was Florida's fourth-and-7 conversion in the first overtime. Jeff Driskel floated a ball to the back corner of the end zone and found Demarcus Robinson for a 9-yard score.
Robinson finished with 15 receptions for 216 yards and two scores. He tied Carlos Alvarez's school record for catches in a single game. No other Florida receiver caught more than two passes. Driskel completed 25 of 43 passes for 295 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.
On Kentucky's first play of overtime, Stanley Williams reversed field, outran several tackles and scored from 25 yards out. The Gators struggled to answer, but eventually did on the fourth-down play.
The teams exchanged field goals in the second overtime. Florida could have found the end zone, but Driskel was late delivering the ball to Robinson near the front pylon.
Frankie Velez hit from 20-yard out to send it to the third extra frame.
Velez missed from 39 yards out in the fourth quarter that would have given Florida a little breathing room.
Austin Hardin, Florida's stronger-legged kicker, had a chance to win it regulation. But he pushed his 52-yarder wide right.
Florida trailed twice in the third quarter, falling behind 10–6 and then 17–13 on touchdown passes from Patrick Towles to Garrett Johnson.
Towles picked apart Florida's inexperienced secondary, throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson was his top target, finishing with six catches for 154 yards. He burned the Gators for a 60-yard touchdown, and then added a 33-yard score on the next drive.
Vanderbilt
Sources:
Statistics VANUK First downs 8 23 Total yards 139 384 Rushing yards 54 183 Passing yards 85 201 Turnovers 3 3 Time of possession 21:27 38:33 Team Category Player StatisticsVanderbilt Passing Wade Freeback 8/25, 85 yards, 3 INT Rushing Ralph Webb 13 rushes, 44 yards Receiving C. J. Duncan 3 receptions, 48 yardsKentucky Passing Patrick Towles 23/30, 201 yards, TD, INT Rushing Braylon Heard 15 rushes, 62 yards Receiving Stanley Williams 3 receptions, 39 yards
Patrick Towles threw a 20-yard touchdown pass and scored on a 1-yard run, and Kentucky made three fourth-quarter interceptions to hold off Vanderbilt 17–7 on Saturday to end a 17-game Southeastern Conference losing streak.
Though the Wildcats (3–1, 1–1) sent 56,940 away happy with their first conference win since November 2011 against Tennessee, there was no wild on-field celebration by Kentucky players after escaping the Commodores (1–4, 0–3). Coach Mark Stoops congratulated several players and shook hands with Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason before departing to cheers.
All of the game's scoring came in the first half with Towles doing the work with his arm and feet. He connected with Ryan Timmons to cap a 99-yard, 13-play opening drive, then followed Austin MacGinnis' 44-yard field goal with a 1-yard sneak just before halftime.
Kentucky's defense, particularly defensive back Marcus McWilson, A.J. Stamps and Ashely Lowery, kept the Commodores from scoring again with timely pickoffs. The Wildcats held the Commodores to just 57 second-half yards and 139 total, the fewest total yards Kentucky has given up to an SEC opponent since Vanderbilt had 91 in 1996.
Towles completed 23 of 30 passes for 201 of Kentucky's 384 yards but lost a fourth-quarter fumble and had a second-quarter interception returned 13 yards by Darrius Sims for Vanderbilt's only points. He was also sacked four times.