# 2019 Kentucky Wildcats football team

The 2019 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2019 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 seventh-year head coach Mark Stoops.

## Preseason
### SEC preseason poll

The 2019 SEC Media Days were held July 15–18 in Birmingham, Alabama. In the preseason media poll, Kentucky was projected to finish in sixth in the East Division.
Media poll (East Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Georgia | 1789 (233) |
| 2 | Florida | 1499 (21) |
| 3 | Missouri | 1149 (3) |
| 4 | South Carolina | 883 (1) |
| 5 | Tennessee | 804 (1) |
| 6 | Kentucky | 798 (1) |
| 7 | Vanderbilt | 358 |

### Preseason All-SEC teams

The Wildcats had four players selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.

## Schedule

Kentucky announced its 2019 football schedule on September 18, 2018.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 12:00 p.m. | Toledo* | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN | W 38–24 | 54,610 |
| September 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan* | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN Alt. | W 38–17 | 55,240 |
| September 14 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 9 Florida | Kroger FieldLexington, KY (rivalry, SEC Nation) | ESPN | L 21–29 | 63,076 |
| September 21 | 4:00 p.m. | at Mississippi State | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | SECN | L 13–28 | 54,556 |
| September 28 | 7:30 p.m. | at South Carolina | Williams–Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | SECN | L 7–24 | 80,828 |
| October 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Arkansas | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN | W 24–20 | 57,060 |
| October 19 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 10 Georgia | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA | ESPN | L 0–21 | 92,746 |
| October 26 | 7:30 p.m. | Missouri | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN | W 29–7 | 48,446 |
| November 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Tennessee | Kroger FieldLexington, KY (rivalry) | SECN | L 13–17 | 56,760 |
| November 16 | 3:30 p.m. | at Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN (rivalry) | SECN | W 38–14 | 23,288 |
| November 23 | 3:30 p.m. | UT Martin* | Kroger FieldLexington, KY | SECN | W 50–7 | 41,495 |
| November 30 | 12:00 p.m. | Louisville* | Kroger FieldLexington, KY (Governor's Cup) | SECN | W 45–13 | 48,336 |
| December 31 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Virginia Tech* | Bank of America StadiumCharlotte, NC (Belk Bowl) | ESPN | W 37–30 | 44,138 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 5 released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
| AP | — | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Toledo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rockets | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 38 |

### Eastern Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Wildcats | 14 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 38 |

### Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Gators | 7 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 29 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |

### At Mississippi State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |

### At South Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Gamecocks | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### Arkansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Razorbacks | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |

### At Georgia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 10 Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |

### Missouri

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 29 |

### Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Volunteers | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
| Wildcats | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |

### At Vanderbilt

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 3 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 38 |
| Commodores | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |

### UT Martin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Skyhawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Wildcats | 16 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 50 |

### Louisville

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 45 |

### Vs. Virginia Tech (Belk Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hokies | 10 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 37 |

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Name | Position |
| Mark Stoops | Head coach |
| Eddie Gran | Offensive coordinator/Associate head coach, RB Coach |
| Darin Hinshaw | Co-offensive coordinator, Quarterbacks coach |
| Brad White | Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach |
| Vince Marrow | Tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator |
| Steve Clinkscale | Secondary Coach |
| Michael Smith | Wide receivers coach |
| John Schlarman | Offensive line coach |
| Derrick LeBlanc | Defensive line coach |
| Dean Hood | LB Coach/special teams coordinator |

## Players drafted into the NFL

Kentucky had two players selected in the 2020 NFL draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 3 | 80 | Lynn Bowden | WR | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 4 | 121 | Logan Stenberg | OG | Detroit Lions |