From UK Athletics...
Kentucky takes one week away from the rigors of
Southeastern Conference play and will host Eastern Michigan as it looks to get
back on the winning track this Saturday. It is the Wildcats' last non-conference
game until Louisville comes to Lexington in the regular season finale on Nov.
25.
Both the Wildcats and Eagles will be looking to ease the disappointment of their
previous games. UK lost 28-27 to Florida as a 13-point fourth quarter lead
slipped away, while the Eagles dropped a double-overtime decision in their first
Mid-American Conference tilt of the season.
The game will kick off at 4 p.m. ET at Kroger Field and air on the SEC Network.
Sunday was a generally terrible day for Mark Stoops.
Forced to relive the particulars of an excruciating loss to Florida in film
review, misery had company in the Joe Craft Football Training Facility as the
Kentucky coaching staff began to turn the page to Eastern Michigan.
"It was a long 24 hours, that's for sure," Stoops said.
The time came with self-reflection for Stoops, which was probably the most
difficult thing. He had to continually face the reality that had he done one or
two things just a little differently, UK very well might have won and moved to
4-0.
"There's thing that we all can do better, starting with myself, that hurt, that
we have to accept responsibility for, that we have to do better," Stoops said.
"It starts with me."
Stoops was frank in taking responsibility for mistakes made on Saturday, namely
the two uncovered Gator receivers who scored touchdowns. Though in 30 years of
coaching football he has never had a team fall victim to that mistake, he's
adjusting by assigning two people on his staff to watch the perimeter of the
field every play...Read More
Scouting Eastern Michigan
• Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton has the Eagles on the right
trajectory since his arrival in 2014. The Eagles went 2-10 his first season and
1-11 in his second before winning seven games and earning an invite to the
Bahamas Bowl last season.
• Creighton has been successful at each of his head coaching stops: He won two
conference titles and advanced to the NAIA playoffs twice while at Ottawa
(Kan.); won four conference titles and appeared in three Division III playoffs
at Wabash; was twice co-champion of the Pioneer Football League (FCS) while at
Drake.
• Last season, Creighton led the Eagles to their first bowl appearance in 29
years following one of EMU's most successful seasons in its 125-year history.
The Eagles are continuously showing improvement as they continue to better their
win total each year.
• Eastern Michigan is coming off a 2016 season that saw the Eagles go 7-6
overall, including 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference.
• The Eagles are currently 2-1 and ranked 5th in MAC West. One of the first two
wins of this season included a 16-13 victory over Rutgers, which was the
program's first win against a Power Five school in team history.
• Eastern Michigan's quarterback play has been solid so far in the 2017 season.
Senior Brogan Roback is establishing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in
the MAC.
• Senior wide receiver Sergio Bailey II has continued to display offensive
consistency this season. Bailey had a big game against Rutgers, catching five
passes 107 yards.
• Eastern Michigan's defense play has also been extremely dominant as they are
allowing just 15.7 points a game.
• Eight defensive starters from the 2016 season have returned, including junior
defensive back Brody Hoying and senior defensive back Jason Beck. Hoying is
currently leading the team with 21 tackles for the 2017 season while Beck
follows with 15. Last season Beck was second on the team in tackles with 104 to
go along with 7.0 tackles for loss.
Series Record vs. EMU
• This is the first meeting between the two programs.
• The Wildcats are 29-7-1 all-time vs. current members of the Mid-American
Conference:
Akron: 1-0
Ball State: 1-0
Bowling Green: 2-1
Central Michigan: 6-0
Kent State: 7-0
Miami (Ohio): 8-4-1
Ohio: 4-2
• UK's last meeting against a MAC opponent was in 2014 vs. Ohio. The Wildcats
won at home on Sept. 6, 20-3.
A UK Win Would...
• Give the Cats their fi rst win over Eastern Michigan and ninth consecuO ve win
over a MAC team, dating back to 2006.
• Give the Cats 11 wins in their past 16 regular season games.
• Give the Cats a 6-2 record in non-conference games the past two seasons.
• Give UK a 4-1 start to the season, it's best start since 4-1 in 2015.
• Improve UK's record at Kroger Field to 155-130-4 overall, including 18-14
under Mark Stoops.
• Be starO ng QB Stephen Johnson's 11th win since taking over in 2016, ninth as
a starter and two in a relief role.
• Be the Cats' 18th win on the SEC Network since Mark Stoops took over as head
coach (18-14).
• Make UK 3-0 in day games this season.
Texas Roadhouse Countdown to Kickoff Show
The Countdown to Kickoff show will air starting two hours prior to kickoff.
Freddie Maggard will serve as the analyst on the Texas Roadhouse Countdown to
Kickoff alongside host Christi Thomas. For home games, the show will air live
from in front of Nutter Field House outside gate 1 of Kroger Field with special
guests and giveaways. The set of the show is conveniently located near the Coke
Fan Zone in Nutter Field House and the Cat Walk presented by Chevy.
For the first time, the Texas Roadhouse Countdown to Kickoff will go on the road
and broadcast live from select Kroger locations in Kentucky.
Oct. 21 (Mississippi State) – 300 Brighton Park Boulevard, Frankfort
Nov. 11 (Vanderbilt) – 212 Kroger Way, Versailles
Nov. 18 (Georgia) – 3175 Beaumont Circle, Lexington