The 2021 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky (UK) in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky, and competed in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by ninth-year head coach Mark Stoops.
On August 2, 2024, the NCAA announced that the University of Kentucky has agreed to accept penalties for violations of impermissible benefits as 11 football players were paid for jobs which they did not perform in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Under a program created by former UK player and current UK administrator J.J. Housley, football players worked at UK HealthCare as patient transporters. However, time records were falsified and players did not show up and still received payment. A woman employee was terminated but Housley escaped accountability. Although the NCAA has not announced the full penalties, it has been indicated by the university that those penalties will include a 2–year probation and vacation of all games in which the ineligible players participated for those two seasons.
Preseason
SEC Media Days
Media poll (East Division) 1 Georgia 923 (124) 2 Florida 784 (7) 3 Kentucky 624 (2) 4 Missouri 555 5 Tennessee 362 6 South Carolina 355 (1) 7 Vanderbilt 149
Media poll (SEC Championship) 1 Alabama 84 2 Georgia 45 3 Ole Miss 14 Texas A&M 1 Florida 1 Kentucky 1 South Carolina 1
Preseason All-SEC teams
Personnel
Coaching staff Mark Stoops Head coach 9th Vince Marrow Associate head coach/tight end coach 9th Liam Coen Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach 1st Brad White Defensive coordinator/Outside linebackers coach 4th John SettleRunning backs coach 1st Jon Sumrall Inside linebackers coach /co-defensive coordinator3rd Frank Buffano Safeties coach 2nd Eric Wolford Offensive line coach 1st Scott Woodward Wide receivers coach1st Anwar Stewart Defensive line coach 2nd Mark Hill Strength and conditioning 6thReference:
Schedule
Spring game The Wildcats were scheduled to hold spring practices in March and April 2021 with the Kentucky football spring game, which took place in Lexington, KY in April 2021.
Regular season The 2021 Kentucky regular-season schedule consisted of seven home games and five away games. UK hosted four SEC opponents: Florida, LSU, Missouri, and rival Tennessee. UK traveled to four SEC opponents: Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. Kentucky was not scheduled to play SEC West opponents Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M in the 2021 regular season. The Wildcats' bye week was during week 8 (on October 23, 2021).
Kentucky's out-of-conference opponents represented the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Southern Conference (SoCon), and Sun Belt Conference (SBC), as well as one FBS independent. The Wildcats hosted SoCon member Chattanooga, SBC member Louisiana-Monroe, and independent New Mexico State. The Wildcats closed out the regular season by traveling to Louisville, KY to face in-state rival Louisville for the Governor's Cup.
Game summaries
Louisiana–Monroe
Statistics ULMKentucky First downs 12 24 Total yards 87 564 Rushing yards 17 145 Passing yards 70 419 Turnovers 0 3 Time of possession 28:13 31:47 Team Category Player StatisticsULM Passing Rhett Rodgriuez 9/17, 56 yards Rushing Chandler Rogers 7 carries, 11 yards Receiving Boogie Knight 6 receptions, 58 yardsKentucky Passing Will Levis 18/26, 367 yards, 4 TD's Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 19 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD Receiving Josh Ali 5 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD
Missouri
Sources:
Statistics MissouriKentucky First downs 25 26 Total yards 398 520 Rushing yards 104 341 Passing yards 294 179 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 27:12 32:48 Team Category Player StatisticsMissouri Passing Connor Bazelak 34/51, 294 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Tyler Badie 14 carries, 61 yards Receiving Tyler Badie 10 receptions, 88 yards, 1 TDKentucky Passing Will Levis 10/18, 179 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 27 carries, 207 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 5 receptions, 101 yards
Chattanooga
Sources:
Statistics ChattanoogaKentucky First downs 16 20 Total yards 339 356 Rushing yards 171 102 Passing yards 168 254 Turnovers 1 3 Time of possession 31:42 28:18 Team Category Player StatisticsChattanooga Passing Cole Copeland 21/35, 168 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Ailym Ford 21 carries, 128 yards Receiving Reginald Henderson 9 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TDKentucky Passing Will Levis 23/35, 254 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 13 carries, 46 yards Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 8 receptions, 111 yards
At South Carolina
No. 10 Florida
This was the Wildcats' first home win over Florida since 1986.
Sources:
Statistics FloridaKentucky First downs 21 13 Total yards 382 224 Rushing yards 171 137 Passing yards 211 87 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 36:18 23:42 Team Category Player StatisticsFlorida Passing Emory Jones 23/31, 203 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Emory Jones 13 carries, 63 yards Receiving Jacob Copeland 6 receptions, 59 yardsKentucky Passing Will Levis 7/17, 87 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 19 carries, 99 yards, 1 TD Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 4 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD
LSU
Sources:
Statistics LSUKentucky First downs 22 24 Total yards 408 475 Rushing yards 147 330 Passing yards 261 145 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 27:48 32:12 Team Category Player StatisticsLSU Passing Max Johnson 22/38, 261 yards, 1 TD Rushing Tyrion Davis-Price 22 carries, 147 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Kayshon Boutte 8 receptions, 73 yardsKentucky Passing Will Levis 14/17, 145 yards, 3 TDs Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 16 carries, 147 yards, 1 TD Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 8 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD
At No. 1 Georgia
Sources:
Statistics KentuckyGeorgia First downs 16 20 Total yards 243 416 Rushing yards 51 166 Passing yards 192 250 Turnovers 0 0 Time of possession 37:47 22:13 Team Category Player StatisticsKentucky Passing Will Levis 32/42, 192 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Kavosiey Smoke 5 carries, 14 yards Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 12 receptions, 39 yards, 1 TDGeorgia Passing Stetson Bennett 14/20, 250 yards, 3 TDs Rushing James Cook 6 carries, 51 yards Receiving Brock Bowers 5 receptions, 101 yards, 2 TDs
At Mississippi State
Sources:
Statistics KentuckyMiss State First downs 14 27 Total yards 216 438 Rushing yards 66 94 Passing yards 150 344 Turnovers 4 0 Time of possession 18:50 41:10 Team Category Player StatisticsKentucky Passing Will Levis 17/28, 150 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 8 carries, 34 yards Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 9 receptions, 79 yardsMiss State Passing Will Rogers 36/39, 344 yards, 1 TD Rushing Jo'Quavious Marks 20 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD Receiving Jaden Walley 6 receptions, 95 yards
Tennessee
Sources:
Statistics TennesseeKentucky First downs 17 35 Total yards 461 612 Rushing yards 145 225 Passing yards 316 387 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 13:52 46:08 Team Category Player StatisticsTennessee Passing Hendon Hooker 15/20, 316 yards, 4 TDs Rushing Jabari Small 4 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD Receiving Velus Jones Jr. 5 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TDKentucky Passing Will Levis 31/49, 372 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 22 carries, 109 yards Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 13 receptions, 166 yards, 1 TD
At Vanderbilt
Sources:
Statistics KentuckyVanderbilt First downs 21 16 Total yards 413 266 Rushing yards 236 96 Passing yards 177 170 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 29:46 30:14 Team Category Player StatisticsKentucky Passing Will Levis 14/22, 177 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 16 carries, 144 yards, 1 TD Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 6 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TDVanderbilt Passing Ken Seals 12/17, 87 yards, 1 INT Rushing Patrick Smith 18 carries, 84 yards Receiving Chris Pierce Jr 6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD
New Mexico State
Sources:
Statistics New Mexico StKentucky First downs 13 29 Total yards 282 707 Rushing yards 101 248 Passing yards 181 459 Turnovers 2 4 Time of possession 26:07 33:53 Team Category Player StatisticsNew Mexico St Passing Jonah Johnson 16/35, 181 yards, 1 INT Rushing Juwaun Price 11 carries, 51 yards Receiving Justice Powers 1 reception, 41 yardsKentucky Passing Will Levis 21/31, 419 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 16 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 8 receptions, 181 yards
At Louisville
Sources:
Statistics KentuckyLouisville First downs 28 20 Total yards 511 352 Rushing yards 362 144 Passing yards 149 208 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 35:04 24:56 Team Category Player StatisticsKentucky Passing Will Levis 14/18, 149 yards Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 16 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 9 receptions, 97 yardsLouisville Passing Malik Cunningham 12/20, 145 yards, 1 INT Rushing Jalen Mitchell 11 carries, 53 yards Receiving Marshon Ford 6 receptions, 68 yards
Vs. No. 15 Iowa (Citrus Bowl)
Sources:
Statistics IowaUK First downs 0 24 Total yards 0 354 Rushing yards 0 121 Passing yards 0 233 Turnovers 3 1 Time of possession 22:06 37:54 Team Category Player StatisticsIowa Passing Spencer Petras 19/30, 211 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs Rushing Gavin Williams 16 carries, 98 yards Receiving Sam LaPorta 7 receptions, 122 yards, 1 TDKentucky Passing Will Levis 17/28, 233 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Chris Rodriguez Jr. 20 carries, 107 yards, 1 TD Receiving Wan'Dale Robinson 10 receptions, 170 yards
Rankings
Statistics
Scoring
Scores by quarter (All Home Games)
Scores by quarter (All Away Games)
Scores by quarter (All Neutral Field Games)
Scores by quarter (Home Games – SEC)
Scores by quarter (Away Games – SEC)
Scores by quarter (Neutral Field – SEC)
Scores by quarter (Home Games – NC)
Scores by quarter (Away Games – NC)
Scores by quarter (Neutral Field – NC)
Scores by quarter (All NC Opponents)
Scores by quarter (All SEC Opponents)
Scores by quarter (All opponents)
Media affiliates
Radio WHAS (AM) (News Radio 840 WHAS), WBUL-FM – Nationwide (Dish Network, SiriusXM, TuneIn radio and iHeartRadio)
TV CBS Family – WKYT (CBS), CBS Sports Network ESPN/ABC Family – WTVQ (ABC), ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network) FOX Family – WDKY (FOX), FOX/FS1, FSN NBC – WLEX, NBC Sports, NBCSN
References