If you are a member of the Big Blue Nation, I’m sure you’re real excited about the upcoming college football campaign.
We do know Kentucky has gotten more respect over the years under coach Mark Stoops, who is now entering his ninth season in Lexington. But how good are the 2021 Cats, who have several preseason All-SEC standouts? How will the more talented and deeper Wildcats fare with the new starting quarterback by the name of Will Levis, a transfer from Penn State?
Well, read on and here’s my annual UK football’s game-by-game forecast for the 2021 season:
• University of Louisiana Monroe (Sept. 4, Lexington): The Warhawks are coming off a horrible campaign of 0-10 in 2020 and they aren’t expected to do any better this season. But there is excitement at the ULM camp with the hiring of new head coach in Terry Bowden, the former boss at Auburn for several years during the 1990s. In the past two seasons, Bowden served as an offensive analyst on Dabo Swinney’s staff at Clemson. Bowden also hired Rich Rodriguez as ULM’s associate head coach and offensive coordinator. As you may recall, Rodriguez was the head coach at West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona. ULM also plays at LSU in late November. The season opener will be shown on the SEC Network, beginning at 12 noon ET. Prediction: UK by 24.
Graduate transfer Will Levis, who played three seasons with Penn State, will lead Kentucky’s offense this season. (Photo by Jacob Noger, UK Football)
• Missouri (Sept. 11, Lexington): This is a very crucial showdown for the Wildcats if they want go anywhere special this fall. Eli Drinkwitz’s Mizzou Tigers are coming off a 5-5 campaign against all-SEC slate in 2020. They also received a bid to the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, but the Tigers had to drop out due to COVID-19 issues. SEC Network will televise the 7:30 p.m. (ET) contest. Prediction: UK by 6.
• University of Tennessee Chattanooga (Sept. 18, Lexington): During the 2020-21 season, the Mocs didn’t play a complete schedule due to COVID. They finished with a 3-2 mark, including a 13-10 loss to Western Kentucky in late October while playing the remaining four games in the spring. A member of NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Chattanooga is projected to capture the Southern Conference title, according to Athlon Sports. The 12 noon (ET) game will be seen on SEC Network Plus & ESPN Plus (digital platform). Prediction: UK by 20.
• South Carolina (Sept. 25, Columbia): With Will Muschamp gone after a disappointing 2-8 season in 2020, the Gamecocks have a new boss in Shane Beamer. The son of Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer, the younger Beamer comes to USC from Oklahoma where he has served as the assistant head coach for offense for the last three seasons. The Sooners led the nation in total offense, scoring offense and yards per play in 2018. (By the way, Muschamp is still in the SEC as he has joined the Georgia Bulldogs as a defensive analyst. His son is also a redshirted freshman walk-on QB at UGA.) The Gamecocks have a dangerous running back in junior Kevin Harris. The Wildcats have beaten South Carolina six times in the last seven games, including a 41-18 win last season when then-UK sophomore running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 139 yards in 14 carries, including three TDs. Prediction: UK by 6.
• Forida (Oct. 2, Lexington): Coach Dan Mullen has found a lot of success against the Cats over the years with a remarkable 10-2 mark, and his Gators once again will be hard to beat this time. Before meeting Kentucky, Florida faces Alabama and Tennessee at the Swamp on consecutive weekends. Prediction: Florida by 6.
• LSU (Oct 9, Lexington): Even though Ed Orgeron’s Tigers posted a 5-5 mark last season after a national championship in 2019, they still are a pretty dangerous club for the Wildcats. Interestingly, the Tigers will be making its first trip to Lexington since 2007 when then-No 1 LSU dropped to 17th-ranked UK 43-37 in three overtimes. The Tigers, who are currently ranked No. 16 in Associated Press’ preseason Top 25 poll, also will be playing at UCLA for the season opener during the Labor Day weekend. Prediction: LSU by 3.
Jamie H. Vaught, a longtime sports columnist in Kentucky, is the author of five books about UK basketball, including recently-published “Chasing the Cats: A Kentucky Basketball Journey.” He is the editor and founder of KySportsStyle.com Magazine, and a professor at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Middlesboro. You can follow him on Twitter @KySportsStyle or reach him via email at KySportsStyle@gmail.com.• Georgia (Oct. 16, Athens): The Bulldogs are perhaps the toughest SEC team other than Alabama. Coach Kirby Smart has an outstanding QB by the name of JT Daniels, a junior who is a possible Heisman Trophy candidate. The Wildcats perhaps have a chance to beat the Bulldogs on the road this time after a respectable 14-3 setback against Georgia last fall in Lexington but they still have to find a way to overcome UGA’s hard-hitting defense. Prediction: Georgia by 9.
• Mississippi State (Oct. 30, Starkville): Coach Mike Leach will try to do a better job than last fall when his Bulldogs posted a 4-7 record, including an Armed Forces Bowl win over Tulsa. But Athlon Sports has the Dogs to finish last in the SEC West Division. MSU should be a fun team to watch with its Air Raid offense. Prediction: UK by 6.
• Tennessee (Nov. 6, Lexington): The Vols have a new coach again. Ever since Phillip Fulmer stepped down after the 2008 season, UT has struggled to find the right boss for its pigskin program. Lane Kiffin came to Knoxville but it didn’t work out. Derek Dooley came but it didn’t work out. Butch Jones came but it didn’t work out. Jeremy Pruitt came but it didn’t work out. So the new boss is Josh Heupel, who arrived in the Big Orange country after a successful three-year stint at Central Florida. Prediction: UK by 7.
• Vanderbilt (Nov. 13, Nashville): Like Tennessee and South Carolina, Vandy has a new boss. His name is Nashville native Clark Lea who returned to Music City from Notre Dame where he was the defensive coordinator. Lea is also a graduate of Vandy with two degrees (undergraduate and graduate) in political science, and played at fullback for two years. By the way, Vandy’s ex-boss Derek Mason remains in the SEC as he is the new defensive coordinator at Auburn. Anyhow, it’s the same old Vandy as we have known for years, even though the Cats will likely struggle. Prediction: UK by 10.
• New Mexico State (Nov. 20, Lexington): As you may know, the Aggies (2-10 in 2019 with the 2020 season postponed before playing two games during spring of 2021) are still led by former Wildcat Doug Martin, who played during the early 1980s. He is now in his ninth year at NM State. Kentucky isn’t the only SEC school the Aggies will face this season. NM State will be traveling to Alabama in Tuscaloosa the previous weekend (Nov. 13). Prediction: UK by 24.
• Louisville (Nov. 27, Louisville): Coach Scott Satterfield is beginning his third year at the Cardinal helm. His Cards have posted a two-year mark of 12-12 and they are expected to be a middle-of-the-pack team in ACC Atlantic Division. Satterfield was in hot water back in early December when he talked to South Carolina about its then-vacated post after previously denying interest in that job. He later apologized to U of L’s season ticket holders. In the last two meetings between both rivals, Kentucky whipped Louisville 56-10 in 2018 and 45-13 in 2019. The 2020 game was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic. Prediction: UK by 10.
And Kentucky’s final record would be 9-3 on paper. This is probably the most optimistic UK football forecast that I’ve ever had in my long sportswriting career and I certainly hope I’m right.
But that doesn’t mean the Cats will go 9-3 on the field but they nevertheless should have a very enjoyable campaign. We’ll find out soon.
