LEXINGTON, Ky–
KENTUCKY POSTGAME NOTES
Central Michigan at Kentucky
Kroger Field, Lexington, Ky.
Sept. 1, 2018
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 35, Central Michigan 20
Team Records and Series Information
- This was the season opener for both teams and marked the fifth time in school history that the teams have met to begin the campaign.
- Kentucky leads the series 7-0, with all games played in Lexington.
- Along with a 7-0 record against Kent State, these are the most wins vs. an FBS opponent without a loss.
- UK is 20-3 against teams from the current alignment of the Mid-American Conference.
- UK has won 10 straight games against teams from the MAC.
Team Notes
- Beginning its 128th season of football, Kentucky is now 87-36-5 in season openers and has won two in a row.
- UK is 4-2 in season lidlifters under Coach Mark Stoops.
- This game marked the first time in school history that Kentucky fell behind by at least 10 points in the season opener and came back to win. UK trailed 17-7 in the second quarter.
- This is the eighth time under Stoops that UK has trailed by at least 10 points but rallied to win. That ties the school record, Coach Rich Brooks also had eight such games.
- UK allowed 255 yards today, fewest in a season opener since WKU in 2011 (234 yards).
- 255 yards allowed is the fewest vs. an FBS opponent since Florida in 2015 (245 yards).
- UK allowed only 3.9 yards per play, fewest vs. an FBS opponent since 2014 vs. Louisiana-Monroe (3.3 yards per play in that game).
- 299 rushing yards is most in a season opener since 1993 vs. Kent State (309 that game).
- UK had two players rush for 100 yards, first time that has happened since Benny Snell and Boom Williams did so in 2016 at Missouri.
- UK had two players rush for touchdowns of at least 50 yards, first since Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke did so vs. Vanderbilt in 2010.
- Three penalties today, fewest in a season opener since 2012 vs. Louisville (three that game).
- Since 1985, UK is 33-0 in home games when rushing for at least 250 yards.
- UK allowed only 11 first downs today, fewest since allowing eight vs. Vanderbilt in 2014.
Player Notes
- UK’s game captains were OG George Asafo-Adjei, TE C.J. Conrad, LB Josh Allen and S Mike Edwards.
- NFL Hall of Famer Dermontti Dawson was honorary captain.
- Playing in his first major-college game, sophomore quarterback Terry Wilson completed 11 of 18 passes for 78 yards. He also rushed for 38 yards.
- He is the first player to start his first UK game at quarterback since Jared Lorenzen in 2000.
- UK has started eight QBs in the season opener over the last nine seasons – Mike Hartline (2010), Morgan Newton (2011), Maxwell Smith (2012), Jalen Whitlow (2013), Patrick Towles (2014-15), Drew Barker (2016), Stephen Johnson (2017) and Wilson.
- Entering late in the second quarter after Wilson was injured, sophomore QB Gunnar Hoak saw his first collegiate action.
- On his first possession, he drove the Wildcats to a touchdown, capped by a 24-yard scoring strike to David Bouvier.
- Hoak finished the day 4-of-9 for 50 yards.
- Junior running back Benny Snell Jr. rushed 20 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
- With 2,549 career yards, he surpassed Stanley “Boom” Williams for seventh place on the UK career rushing list.
- Snell has 13 100-yard games in his career, tying Rafael Little and Moe Williams for second place in school history.
- Snell has 100 rushing yards in five straight home games, second-longest streak in school history. Artose Pinner had seven in a row in 2002.
- Snell became the first player in Kroger Field history to have 10 career 100-yard rushing games at home.
- Snell became the first player to rush for 100 yards in consecutive home openers since Sonny Collins in 1974-75.
- Snell became the seventh player in school history to reach 200 points in a career. He now has 206 points as a Wildcat. He is just the second non-kicker to reach 200, joining Randall Cobb.
- Snell has 12 rushing touchdowns in the last five home games, at least two in each of those games.
- Sophomore running back A.J. Rose rushed eight times for a career-high 104 yards and career-high two touchdowns.
- In the first quarter, he had a career-long 55-yard run for a touchdown.
- He added a four-yard TD on the first play of the fourth quarter.
- Sophomore wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. caught a career-high five passes, good for 17 yards.
- Senior tight end C.J. Conrad caught three passes for nine yards.
- Conrad made his fourth-straight start in a season opener. The last Wildcat to start four straight season openers was cornerback Trevard Lindley in 2006-09.
- Senior wide receiver David Bouvier scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Hoak just before halftime. He finished the day with three snags for 48 yards and a TD, all career bests.
- Senior wide receiver Dorian Baker caught one pass for 21 yards.
- Baker has 1,036 career receiving yards and moved up to 27th on the UK career list.
- Australian Max Duffy was outstanding in his first game as a Wildcat, punting four times for a 50-yard average. He landed two inside the 20-yard-line and the team’s net punting average was 49.8 yards per punt.
- Senior linebacker/defensive end Josh Allen had a career-high 10 tackles.
- He had a career-high three tackles for loss, including one quarterback sack.
- He entered the game leading all active SEC players in career sacks with 14.5.
- Junior linebacker Kash Daniel had a career-high 11 tackles and added two quarterback hurries.
- Sophomore linebacker Jamar “Boogie” Watson had a career-best six tackles and a pass breakup.
- Freshman OT Naasir Watkins, sophomore WR Lynn Bowden, sophomore QB Terry Wilson and junior LB Kash Daniel made their first collegiate starts.
