Mark Stoops, Wildcats Agree To Long-Term Extension

After leading the Kentucky Wildcats to a 9-3 record, Mark Stoops was rewarded with a long-term contract extension.

Per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Stoops signed a new deal that has him signed with Kentucky through 2028.

In nine seasons at the school, Stoops has compiled a 58-53 record, which includes five winning campaigns. Stoops has led the Wildcats to five bowl games, leading them to victories in the 2019 Citrus Bowl, the 2019 Belk Bowl and the 2021 Gator Bowl.

"I'm excited to continue to build this program to national prominence," Stoops said in a statement, per Rittenberg. "We're on our way and I'm more confident in Kentucky football than I've ever been. I thank President (Eli) Capilouto and (athletic director) Mitch Barnhart for their support. The continuity among us for the last nine years is extremely valuable and I'm looking forward to more success together.”

Kentucky opened the 2021 season with a six-game losing streak. However, they proceeded to drop three games in a row, to No. 1 ranked Georgia, Mississippi State and Tennessee.

Stoops and the Wildcats managed to rebound with three straight wins to close out the season. After defeating Vanderbilt 34-17 in Week 11, Kentucky cruised to a 56-16 blowout win over New Mexico State.  They finished the regular season with an easy 52-21 win over Louisville.

Kentucky finished second in the SEC East, behind only the aforementioned top ranked Georgia team.

The betting odds for the Wildcats’ next game will be released after their bowl game is announced.  Multiple states are offering a betmgm bonus code for multiple sports leagues, including college football.

Schoop Injury Update On Josh Paschal

Standout Kentucky defensive end Josh Paschal suffered a leg injury during Saturday’s victory over Louisville. 

It’s unclear at this time if Paschal will be able to play in Kentucky’s upcoming bowl game (opponent and date to be announced). 

Stoops confirmed that Paschal is dealing with an injury on his radio show (h/t Jack Pilgrim of KSR). while emphasizing that the team wants to protect its star pass rusher.

“I know Josh, he wants to play, he wants to practice, but we have to protect him,” Stoops said. “We’ll keep a very close eye on him. You know, he definitely has an injury.”

Paschal, in his fifth season, recorded career-highs in sacks (five) and total tackles (52) this season.

Wildcats Claim Last Spot In AP Top 25

The Wildcats’ aforementioned blowout win over Louisville was enough for them to sneak into the AP Top 25 Poll for Week 14. 

Stoops’ group claimed the No. 25 spot, which was occupied by Arkansas in Week 13. Kentucky received 10 votes last week.

This is the Wildcats’ first appearance in the AP Top 25 since Week 10, when they landed at No. 18. 

This week’s AP Top 25 saw drastic changes in the top 10. Michigan moved up to No. 6 after defeating archrival Ohio State, who fell from second to seventh. Oklahoma (13th) fell out of the top 10, allowing Oregon to climb into the No. 10 spot after placing 11th last week.

Oklahoma State (previously No. 7), moved into the No. 5 spot. Cincinnati (3) and Alabama (4) swapped spots.

Prediction: Wildcats Beat Iowa In Citrus Bowl

Several analysts are projecting a Citrus Bowl showdown between Kentucky and the Iowa Hawkeyes. This includes Bill Bender of Sporting News, CollegeFootballNews.com, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic (subscription required) and Nick Bromberg of Yahoo.

The 10-2 Hawkeyes will next face No. 2 ranked Michigan on Saturday (8:00 p.m. EST) in the Big Ten Championship Game. 

If the Wildcats and Hawkeyes indeed meet at the Citrus Bowl, who comes out on top? It’s early, but such a matchup would be an essential coinflip.

The Wildcats unquestionably have the advantage on offense, having averaged 33.3 points per game, a far better number than the 25.7 points Iowa averaged per contest.

However, Iowa has a slight edge on the defensive side of the ball. They averaged only 17.3 points per game, fourth fewest in the Big Ten. Kentucky, on the other hand, allowed 22.1 points per contest.

That said, it’s hard not to like the Wildcats’ chances against Iowa given their superiority on offense The Wildcats have the edge at quarterback with Will Levis, who has the better set of playmakers in running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (1,272 rushing yards and eight touchdowns) and receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (94 receptions, 1,164 yards and seven touchdowns).

Iowa would most certainly lean heavily on star running back Tyler Goodson, who’s up to 1,01 yards and six touchdowns on the year. 

But if the Wildcats can prevent him from taking over the game, the offense should do more than enough to claim the Citrus Bowl.

Prediction: Kentucky 30, Iowa 23