By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky was one of the surprise teams in the Southeastern Conference last season, capped by an appearance in the TaxSlayer Bowl, the team’s first postseason bid in six years.
Although no longer flying under the radar, the Wildcats have a chance to match or even surpass last year’s seven-win campaign. The schedule features seven home games, including a season-ending encounter against rival Louisville on Thanksgiving weekend.
For this Kentucky team, the fifth one in the Mark Stoops era, eight wins aren’t impossible, while seven victories or even a break-even season would be considered a letdown considering last year’s success.
The following is a breakdown of the schedule and what lies ahead on the horizon.
Sept. 2 at Southern Mississippi: The Golden Eagles, along with former Kentucky offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, delivered a blow to the Wildcats last season, escaping with a 44-35 victory, the school’s first win over the Wildcats in three tries. This time, Kentucky won’t deliver a total knockout but should win the opener: Kentucky 34, Southern Miss 17.
Sept. 9, Eastern Kentucky: The Colonels are 0-4 against the Wildcats, but came close to an upset in 2015 when Kentucky edged Eastern 34-27 in overtime. Dean Hood, the Eastern coach at the time, is now outside linebackers coach and special teams coach at Kentucky and motivating the Wildcats won’t be a hard task. Kentucky 48, Eastern 10.
Sept. 16, at South Carolina: The Gamecocks have lost the last three games to Kentucky, including a 26-22 decision two years ago in Columbia. The contest is a must-win for both teams in the SEC East race, one the Cats must win to reach eight victories. Kentucky 28, S. Carolina 24.
Sept. 23, Florida: The Wildcats haven’t beaten the Gators in forever — 30 years to be exact — but stand a chance at ending the winless streak this time around. Despite closing the gap, Florida is still Florida and one of the top teams in the SEC. Florida 24, Kentucky 21.
Sept. 30, Eastern Michigan: The two teams have never played on the gridiron, but that’s no cause to hit the panic button and a good follow-up game for the Wildcats following back-to-back conference encounters. Kentucky 49, Eastern Michigan 10.
Oct. 7, Missouri: Kentucky has won the past two contests against the Tigers and playing at home should be beneficial against a Missouri team trying to reclaim the SEC East title it won in back-to-back fashion from 2013-14. Kentucky 34, Missouri 21.
Oct. 21, at Mississippi State: The Wildcats snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Bulldogs last season on their way to a break-even campaign in the SEC. If the Wildcats are to continue to climb the ladder of success, beating Mississippi State is a priority. Kentucky 24, Mississippi State 17.
Oct. 28, Tennessee: The Volunteers don’t lose to the Wildcats often and have won five straight since Kentucky ended a 26-game losing streak to its border rivals. Although Tennessee has struggled at times under Butch Jones, the Volunteers are still tough to beat. Tennessee 28, Kentucky 14.
Nov. 4, Ole Miss: The Rebels are struggling with off-the-field issues with the NCAA and such problems are hard to overcome, even if the former coach is no longer in charge. Kentucky 31, ole Miss 20.
Nov. 11 at Vanderbilt: The Wildcats haven’t won in Nashville since 2009 and a close encounter is expected between the two teams when they meet in Music City. If the Wildcats want to gain better bowl status, beating the Commodores is a must. Kentucky 24, Vandy 18.
Nov. 18 at Georgia: The Bulldogs are favored to win the East and they are tough to beat at home during any given season. Overcoming Georgia on its home turf will be almost an impossible task for the Wildcats. Georgia 32, Kentucky 14.
Nov. 25, Louisville: The Cardinals aren’t too happy about losing to the Wildcats at home last season and avenging losses has been easy for Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, who will find plenty of ways to motivate the Cards. Louisville 34, Kentucky 27.
Final record: 8-4. Bowl destination: Music City Bowl.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today, Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.