2020 Kentucky Wildcats football team

The 2020 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2020 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 eighth-year head coach Mark Stoops.

2020 Kentucky Wildcats football
Gator Bowl champion
Gator Bowl, W 23–21 vs. NC State
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
2020 record5–6 (4–6 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorEddie Gran (5th season)
Co-offensive coordinatorDarin Hinshaw (5th season)
Defensive coordinatorBrad White (2nd season)
Home stadiumKroger Field
(Capacity: 61,000)
2020 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
East Division
No. 13 Florida x  8 –2     8 –4  
No. 7 Georgia  7 –2     8 –2  
Missouri  5 –5     5 –5  
Kentucky  4 –6     5 –6  
Tennessee  3 –7     3 –7  
South Carolina  2 –8     2 –8  
Vanderbilt  0 –9     0 –9  
West Division
No. 1 Alabama x$#  10 –0     13 –0  
No. 4 Texas A&M  8 –1     9 –1  
Auburn  6 –4     6 –5  
LSU*  5 –5     5 –5  
Ole Miss  4 –5     5 –5  
Mississippi State  3 –7     4 –7  
Arkansas  3 –7     3 –7  
Championship: Alabama 52, Florida 46
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – ineligible for postseason due to self imposed ban
    Note: Due to COVID-19, the SEC will play a conference-only schedule.
Rankings from AP Poll.

Preseason

SEC Media Days

In the preseason media poll, Kentucky was predicted to finish in fourth place in the East Division.[1]

Media poll (East Division)
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1Florida624 (53)
2Georgia613 (43)
3Tennessee434
4Kentucky405
5South Carolina287
6Missouri224
7Vanderbilt101

Schedule

Kentucky had games scheduled against Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, and Louisville, which were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3] This will be the first season since 1993 that the Wildcats do not play Louisville. As of 10/16/2020, the SEC swapped two teams and the dates of when they will play the Wildcats. This is because of an outbreak of COVID-19 among other competing SEC football teams. Missouri will be an away game on October 24, instead of an away game on the 31st and Georgia, at home, on October 31 instead of the 24th.

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 26, 2020Noonat No. 8 AuburnNo. 23
SECNL 13–2917,490
October 34:00 p.m.Ole Miss
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY
SECNL 41–42 OT12,000
October 107:30 p.m.Mississippi State
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY
SECNW 24–212,000
October 17Noonat No. 18 Tennessee
SECNW 34–722,519
October 244:00 p.m.at Missouri
  • Faurot Field
  • Columbia, MO
SECNL 10–2011,738
October 31NoonNo. 5 Georgia
SECNL 3–1412,000
November 14NoonVanderbilt
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
SECNW 38–3512,000
November 214:00 p.m.at No. 1 Alabama
SECNL 3–6319,424
November 28Noonat No. 6 Florida
ESPNL 10–3414,453
December 57:30 p.m.South Carolina
  • Kroger Field
  • Lexington, KY
SECNW 41–1812,000
January 2, 2021Noonvs. No. 23 NC State*
ESPNW 23–2110,422

[4]

Rankings
Further information: 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final 
AP RV RV* 23 23 RV  
Coaches RV RV* 20 RV RV  
CFP Not released Not released

Game summaries

at Auburn
See also: 2020 Auburn Tigers football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
6–27 2015 Auburn, 30-27
Kentucky vs. Auburn
1 2 34Total
Wildcats 7 0 6013
Tigers 8 0 71429

at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL

  • Date: September 26, 2020
  • Game time: Noon EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: 86 • Wind: N 4 mph • Weather: Mostly Sunny; 48%hum
  • Game attendance: 17,490
  • Referee: Hubert Owens
  • TV: SECN
  • [5]

Ole Miss
See also: 2020 Ole Miss Rebels football team
Ole Miss vs. Kentucky
1 2 34Total
Rebels 7 7 72142
Wildcats 14 7 71341

at Kroger Field, Lexington, KY

  • Date: October 3, 2020
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: 70 • Wind: 9 MPH E • Weather: Mostly sunny
  • Game attendance: 12,000
  • Referee: John McDaid
  • TV: SECN
  • [6]

Mississippi State
See also: 2020 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
24-24 2019 Mississippi State, 28-13
Kentucky vs. Mississippi State
1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 0 0 202
Wildcats 0 14 01024

at Kroger Field, Lexington, KY

  • Date: October 10, 2020
  • Game time: 7:30pm EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: 85 • Wind: NNE 4mph • Weather: Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 12,000
  • Referee: Marc Curles
  • TV: SECN
  • [7]

Tennessee
See also: 2020 Tennessee Volunteers football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
26-81 2019 Tennessee, 17-13
Kentucky vs. Tennessee
1 2 34Total
Wildcats 0 17 10734
Volunteers 0 7 007

at Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN

  • Date: October 17, 2020
  • Game time: 12:00pm EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: 85 • Wind: NNE 4mph • Weather: Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 22,519
  • Referee: Marc Curles
  • TV: SECN
  • [7]

Missouri
See also: 2020 Missouri Tigers football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
7-4 2019 Kentucky, 29-7
Kentucky vs. Missouri
1 2 34Total
Wildcats 0 3 0710
Tigers 7 3 7320

at Faurot Field, Columbia, MO

  • Date: October 24, 2020
  • Game time: 4:00pm EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: 85 • Wind: NNE 4mph • Weather: Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 22,519
  • Referee: Marc Curles
  • TV: SECN
  • [7]

Georgia
See also: 2020 Georgia Bulldogs football team
Overall record Last meeting Result
12-60 2019 Georgia, 21-0
Kentucky vs. Georgia
1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 7 0 7014
Wildcats 0 3 003

at Kroger Field, Lexington, KY

  • Date: October 31, 2020
  • Game time: 12:00pm EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: 85 • Wind: NNE 4mph • Weather: Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 12,000
  • Referee: Marc Curles
  • TV: SECN
  • [7]

References
  1. "Preseason SEC media poll, All-SEC Team announced". SECSports.com. Southeastern Conference. September 23, 2020.
  2. Talty, John. "SEC moves to conference-only 2020 schedule, pushes back start of season". AL.com. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  3. Dellenger, Ross. "Sources: SEC Adopts Conference-Only Schedule With Sept. 26 Start". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  4. "2020 Kentucky Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  5. "KENTUCKY (1-0) -VS- SOUTHERN MISS (0-1)". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  6. "EASTERN KENTUCKY (0-2) -VS- KENTUCKY (2-0)". Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  7. "KENTUCKY (3-0 , 1-0) -VS- SOUTH CAROLINA (2-1 , 1-1)". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
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