KENTUCKY VS. AKRON
KROGER FIELD – LEXINGTON, KY.
SEPT. 16, 2023
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 35, Akron 3
Team Records and Series Information
• Kentucky is 3-0 on the season and Akron is 1-2.
o Kentucky leads the all-time series 2-0.
• Next up, UK begins Southeastern Conference action with the first road trip of the season, Saturday, Sept. 23 at Vanderbilt.
o The game time is noon ET (11 a.m. CT in Nashville) and it will be televised on the SEC Network.
Team Notes
• Kentucky opened the season 3-0 for the third season in a row.
o It is the first time UK has done that in 112 years, and only the third time in school history, also 1909-11 and 1902-04.
• The Wildcats have won their last 19 regular-season nonconference games, which is the second-longest active streak in the nation, behind Georgia.
o UK has won 17 straight nonconference games at Kroger Field.
o UK has won its 23rd nonconference game in its last 24 nonconference games (includes bowl games).
• UK scored 35 points, the second time in the last three seasons (also 2021) that UK has scored at least 28 points in the first three games of the season.
• Kentucky has scored at least 26 points in each of the first three games of the season in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997-2000.
• UK won its first three games of the season by at least 11 points for the first time since 2018.
• UK has won each of the first three games of the season by at least 10 points in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1929-30.
• Kentucky allowed only three points, the first time the Wildcats have kept the opponent from scoring a touchdown since the 31-0 shutout of Youngstown State last season.
• This is the second season in a row that UK has held its first three opponents to 17 points or fewer. It’s the first time UK has done that since 1949-50.
• Under defensive coordinator Brad White, the UK defense has held its opponents to 24 points or fewer in 19 of the last 20 games.
• UK limited Akron to 49 rushing yards.
o It is the first time since 2017 that UK has held the first three opponents under 100 rushing yards.
o The Wildcats have held their opponents to less than 100 yards rushing in their last four games.
o The last time the Wildcats held a team to as few yards was against Mississippi State on Oct. 15, 2022 (22 yards rushing).
• UK has forced at least one turnover in eight straight home games and 16 of the last 17 home games.
• Friday, Sept. 15 was the 50th anniversary of the first game at Kroger Field, then known as Commonwealth Stadium.UK had five honorary captains tonight, one from each decade.
o Ray Barga (pronounced “bar-jee”), 1973 captain who scored the first touchdown of the new stadium, a 13-yard reception from quarterback Ernie Lewis
o Oliver White, 1984 captain
o Tim Couch, 1998 captain
o Dougie Allen, 2001 captain
o Jojo Kemp, 2016 captain
Coach Mark Stoops
• Mark Stoops is in his 11th season as Kentucky’s head coach, extending his school record for the most seasons as the UK head coach.
• UK is 3-0 for the fifth time in the last seven seasons under head coach Mark Stoops, joining 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022.
• Stoops extended his school records for most total victories (69) and home victories (49).
• After two games of the 2016 season, Stoops’ record was 12-26, but he has gone 57-33 (.633) since.
Player Notes
• Quarterback Devin Leary completed 16 of his 26 pass attempts for 315 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
o It marked the ninth game of his career that he has thrown for at least 300 yards.
o He is the first UK quarterback with at least three touchdown passes in consecutive games since Mike Hartline vs. South Carolina and Georgia in 2010.
o He is the 15th QB in school history to throw for at least 300 yards in a game.
• Running back Ray Davis led Kentucky in yards rushing (72) and yards receiving (97).
o He had seven carries for 72 yards rushing, including a career-long, 55-yard run for a touchdown on UK’s first possession of the fourth quarter.
o He also had three receptions for a career-best 97 yards receiving, including a career-long, 58-yard receptionfor a touchdown late in the third quarter.
o His performance against Akron marked the fifth game of his career that he has had both a touchdown rushing and a touchdown receiving in the same game.
o He is the first Wildcat with two touchdowns of at least 50 yards in the same game since Garrett Johnson at Louisville in 2016.
• Running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye had four carries for 58 yards and one touchdown.
o On his third rush of the game, he had a career-best, 42-yard rush for a first down, which eventually set up his four-yard jaunt into the endzone for a score.
• Running back Ramon Jefferson had two rushes for 12 yards.
o He now needs just 11 more yards to eclipse 3,000 career yards.
• Wide receiver Tayvion Robinson led Kentucky with five receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown.
o He has recorded touchdowns in two straight games, marking just the second instance in his college career he has scored in back-to-back games.
• Tight end Josh Kattus had the first score of his careerthanks to a six-yard touchdown reception on Kentucky’s first drive of the game.
o It also marked his first catch of the season.
o He combined for career-high-tying two catches for 24 yards and the lone touchdown in the game.
• Tight end Jordan Dingle had a career-high-tying four receptions for a career-high 89 yards, including a career-long, 59-yard reception in the second quarter.
• Wide receiver Barion Brown improved his streak of 16 straight games with a reception, making two receptions for 19 yards.
• Defensive back Maxwell Hairston led Kentucky with seven total tackles and five solo tackles.
o He had one tackle for loss (2 yards).
• Inside linebackers Trevin Wallace and Martez Throwerhad five tackles apiece.
o Wallace added a career-best two sacks (6 yards).
o Thrower’s five tackles were a career best.
• Defensive back Jantzen Dunn made the first tackle of his college career against Akron, combining for four total tackles, including three solo tackles.
• Kicker Chance Poore was 3-of-6 on kickoff touchbacks and is now 16 of 19 for the season.
• Game captains: Devin Leary, Trevin Wallace, Deone Walker, Zion Childress