Kentucky

Opinion – Keith Taylor: 7-5 sounds about right for Kentucky football this season – NKyTribune

Published

5 months ago

August 25, 2024

Opinion – Keith Taylor: 7-5 sounds about right for Kentucky football this season – NKyTribune

Kentucky hasn’t missed a bowl game in eight years but that streak could be in jeopardy this season, considering a schedule that no longer includes permanent Southeastern Conference opponents such as Missouri and Mississippi State.

The Wildcats will play eight home games and just four road encounters in Mark Stoops’ 12th season at the helm. A quick glance at the schedule forecasts a 7-5 record and an ninth straight bowl appearance.

Keith Taylor

The following is a breakdown of what could be in store when the season kicks off against Southern Mississippi on Aug. 31 at Kroger Field.

SOUTHERN MISS, Aug. 31

Surprisingly, the Golden Eagles have played the Wildcats closer than expected in the previous two games between the two teams. Southern Miss stunned Kentucky 44-35 in 2016 and escaped with a 24-17 victory in Hattiesburg a year later in 2017.

Prediction: Kentucky 34, Southern Miss 13.

SOUTH CAROLINA, Sept. 7

Kentucky had a three-game wining streak against the Gamecocks snapped last season when Shane Beamer’s squad defeated the Wildcats 17-14 last year in Columbia for one of South Carolina’s five victories last season.

Prediction: Kentucky 28, South Carolina 20

GEORGIA, Sept. 14

It’s been 14 years since Kentucky defeated Georgia and the Bulldogs continually are one of the top teams not only in the Southeastern Conference, but in the nation. Kentucky surrendered 51 points to Kirby Smart’s squad last season and the Bulldogs are poised to make a run for the national title again and the Wildcats will likely have to wait to end the losing skid against the Bulldogs.

Prediction: Georgia 48, Kentucky 17

OHIO, Sept. 21

Kentucky will play the Bobcats in the last of four straight home games to open the season. Ohio has won 10 games in each of the past two seasons but will be hard pressed to continue the trend again. Kentucky lost to the Bobcats in 2004, but defeated Ohio 20-3 in the last meeting between the two teams in 2014.

Prediction: Kentucky 34, Ohio 13

At OLE MISS, Sept. 28

Lane Kiffin has the Rebels on the national stage and poised for a breakout season. Kentucky’s first road game of the season in Oxford won’t be an easy task in the SEC opener for Kiffin’s squad. Ole Miss has won three in a row over the Wildcats, all by three points or less.

Prediction: Ole Miss 41, Kentucky 24

VANDERBILT, Oct. 12

In the Commodores’ last visit to Lexington in 2022, Vandy stunned Kentucky 24-21 but the Wildcats returned the favor with a 45-28 win a year ago in Nashville. The Commodores went winless in the league last season and enters the season on a 10-game losing streak.

Prediction: Kentucky 42, Vandy 10

At FLORIDA, Oct. 19

For the longest time, Kentucky couldn’t beat the Gators, but ended a 31-game losing streak to Florida with a memorable 27-16 stunner in 2018. Since then, Kentucky has won three of the past five games and carries a three-game winning streak into this year’s contest in Gainesville.

Prediction: Florida 23, Kentucky 20

AUBURN, Oct. 26

The two teams haven’t played since 2020 and Hugh Freeze hopes to take the Tigers to the next level in his second season on The Plains. Auburn has won three in a row over Kentucky and 18 of the last 19 encounters between the two teams.

PREDICTION: Auburn 28, Kentucky 24

At TENNESSEE, Nov. 2

The Volunteers have scored at least 30 points in the past three games against the Wildcats and Volunteers coach Josh Heupel is 3-0 against Kentucky. Tennessee edged the Wildcats 33-27 a year ago in Lexington after surrending 89 points to Tennessee in the previous two encounters.

Prediction: Tennessee 31, Kentucky 21

MURRAY STATE, Nov. 16

The Racers will provide a relief for the Wildcats going into the final three games of the season. Kentucky is 2-0 against Murray State and defeated the Racers 48-10 in the last game between the two teams at Kroger Field in 2018.

Prediction: Kentucky 42, Murray State 14

At TEXAS, Nov. 23

The last time the Wildcats and the Longhorns played, Texas escaped with a 7-6 victory in 1951. The two teams will produce more scoring this time but the Longhorns will be too much for the Wildcats as Texas makes its first tour of duty through the SEC.

Prediction: Texas 38, Kentucky 13

LOUISVILLE, Nov. 30

Jeff Brohm guided the Cardinals to 10 wins last season and an appearance in the ACC Championship game in his first season as coach of the Cardinals, but Kentucky’s 38-31 win was the first of three straight setbacks by the Cardinals to end the season. Kentucky carries a five-game winning streak into the 30th anniversary of the series renewal between the two in-state foes.

Kentucky 34, Louisville 31

FINAL RECORD: 7-5.

Keith Taylor is sports editor of Kentucky Today, where this column first appeared.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Derby standings after 14 points preps

Published

2 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky Derby standings after 14 points preps

Photo:

Ben Breland / Eclipse Sportswire

The winner and runner-up from Saturday’s Grade 3 Lecomte joined the top 10 in the points standings for Kentucky Derby 2025.

Disco Time brought his record to 3-for-3 with his win by a neck over Built over the muddy Fair Grounds track to earn 20 points and move into third place. Built, who already had earned 10 points for his win in the Gun Runner, picked up another 10 to move into fourth place.

The third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers got their first qualifying points. Innovator earned 6 points, good for 18th place. Golden Afternoon is in 28th place with 4 points, and Maximus Promise earned 2 points, putting him at no. 44.

One points prep is on the calendar for this weekend. The Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn drew a field of 10, with Gaming, fifth on the leaderboard, drawing the rail.

The following weekend brings four preps, the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream, the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita and the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct. All three, along with the Southwest, offer 20-10-6-4-2 points to the top five finishers.

Horse	Points	Trainer	Last race	Earnings*
1. Citizen Bull	40	Bob Baffert	1st, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile	$1,256,000
2. Coal Battle	20	Lonnie Briley	1st, Smarty Jones	$434,500
3. Disco Time	20	Brad Cox	1st, Lecomte	$150,000
4. Built	20	Wayne Catalano	2md, Lecomte	$110,000
5. Gaming	18	Bob Baffert	2nd, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile	$544,000
6. Getaway Car	16	Bob Baffert	4th, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile	$308,000
7. Jonathan’s Way	15	Philip Bauer	2nd, Kentucky Jockey Club	$213,530
8. Chancer McPatrick	10	Chad Brown	6th, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile	$480,000
9. East Avenue	10	Brendan Walsh	9th, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile	$368,750
10. First Resort	10	Eoin Harty	1st, Kentucky Jockey Club	$296,776
11. Poster	10	Eoin Harty	1st, Remsen	$137,500
12. Journalism	10	Michael McCarthy	1st, Los Alamitos Futurity	$120,000
13. Sovereignty	10	Bill Mott	1st, Street Sense	$119,280
14. Cyclone State	10	Chad Summers	1st, Jerome	$82,500
15. Hill Road	9	Adrian Murray	3rd, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile	$180,000
16. Tiztastic	8	Steve Asmussen	3rd, Kentucky Jockey Club	$665,800
17. Ferocious	8	Gustavo Delgado	5th, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile	$232,500
18. Innovator	6	D. Wayne Lukas	3rd, Lecomte	$66,250
19. Dapper Moon	6	Dallas Stewart	4th, Kentucky Jockey Club	$46,238
20. Owen Almighty	5	Brian Lynch	2nd, Iroquois	$163,060
21. Tip Top Thomas	5	Todd Pletcher	2nd, Champagne	$100,000
22. Speed King	5	Chad Brown	2nd, Springboard Mile	$60,000
23. Aviator Gui	5	Chad Brown	2nd, Remsen	$59,000
24. Mo Quality	5	Chris Davis	2nd, Smarty Jones	$48,750
25. Omaha Omaha	5	Michael Gorham	2nd, Jerome	$30,000
26. Magnitude	5	Steve Asmussen	2nd, Gun Runner	$22,505
27. Studlydoright	4	Jerry Robb	4th, Jerome	$256,250
28. Golden Afternoon	4	Nicholas Vaccarezza	4th, Lecomte	$78,375
29. Sandman	4	Mark Casse	3rd, Street Sense	$27,995
30. Render Judgment	4	Kenny McPeek	3td, Gun Runner	$21,610
31. Mo Plex	3	Jeremiah Englehart	2nd, Sleepy Hollow	$156,250
32. Kale’s Angel	3	Peter Miller	3rd, Smarty Jones	$118,625
33. McKinzie Street	3	Tim Yakteen	3rd, American Pharoah	$96,000
34. Filoso	3	Chad Summers	3rd, Breeders’ Futurity	$59,875
35. Dominant Spirit	3	Bret Calhoun	3rd, Springboard Mile	$48,000
36. Giocoso	3	Keith Desormeaux	1st, CD allowance	$33,025
37. Mesero	3	Dale Romans	3rd, CD allowance	$31,200
38. Tux	3	Bill Mott	3rd, Street Sense	$30,000
39. Ican	3	Rick Dutrow	3rd, Jerome	$18,000
40. Smoken Wicked	2	Dallas Stewart	1st, CD allowance	$109,200
41. Dr Ruben M	2	Doug O’Neill	4th, Springboard Mile	$18,000
42. Bon Temps	2	D. Wayne Lukas	4th, Smarty Jones	$14,625
43. Rank	2	Doug O’Neill	4th, Los Alamitos Futurity	$12,500
44. Maximus Promise	2	Kenny McPeek	5th, Lecomte	$5,000
45. Admiral Dennis	2	Brad Cox	4th, Gun Runner	$4,000
46. Jolly Samurai	1	Danny Pish	5th, Springboard MIle	$99,000
47. Vekoma Rides	1	John Kimmel	2nd, Nashua	$20,000
48. Keewaydin	1	Chad Brown	5th Resen	$10,000
49. Hot Property	1	Brad Cox	5th Smarty Jones	$9,750
50. Show of Force	1	Todd Fincher	5th American Pharoah	$8,000
51. Mansetti	1	Kevin Attard	5th, Jerome	$7,500
52. Bracket Buster	1	Vicki Oliver	5th, Street Sense	$5,820
53. Mellencamp	1	Bob Baffert	5th, Los Alamitos Futurity	$4,000
54. Chris’s Revenge	1	Brittany Russell	5th, Gun Runner	$2,000
*Non-restricted stakes earnings

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Kentucky

Bipartisan bill filed that would target violence committed by minors

Published

10 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Bipartisan bill filed that would target violence committed by minors

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentucky’s general assembly is currently on a break after convening for four days to start 2025 legislative session.

However, hundreds of bills were filed in those four days.

“I feel like too many young people are committing act of violence with guns and we need to get it under control,” said Rep. Kim Banta (R-Ft. Mitchell).

Republican Rep. Banta said House Bill 55 does not just apply to guns.

“My party asked me they said, ‘look why pick on guns, why not any weapon?’,” she said. “And so, I changed it and so if you buy your child a machete and they choose to put it in their backpack and go to school and harm people, you’re going to be held accountable for it.”

The bill would make parents or guardians civilly liable for injury caused by a destructive device, explosive, firearm or other deadly weapon. The bill would apply to legal guardians who allow the minor to have the device, know that the minor has a delinquent history or knows that the intended use is to commit a crime.

“Anything that we can do that may deter a horrific crime would be something I’m all about,” said Rep. Tina Bojanowski (D-Louisville).

Democratic Rep. Bojanowski said she is cosponsoring House Bill 55 because as a teacher, she said it is important for parents or legal guardians to have a pulse on their child.

“You know maybe yeah your son really enjoys hunting and you gave them this knife, but you may want to think twice if he’s been accused and found guilty of a crime already,” said Rep. Bojanowski.

As the session continues, Rep. Banta said she hopes to convey that the bill is not about taking away guns or imposing restrictions.

Kentucky’s House of Representatives and Senate will meet for part II of the 2025 legislative session on Feb. 4.

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Kentucky

Strack scores 25, Amoore has 24, and No. 12 Kentucky women top Georgia 78-64

Published

18 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Strack scores 25, Amoore has 24, and No. 12 Kentucky women top Georgia 78-64

Associated Press

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Led by Clara Strack with 25 points and Georgia Amoore with 24 points, No. 12 Kentucky defeated Georgia 78-64 on Sunday.

Strack made 9 of 19 shots and 6 of 7 free throws. She had 12 rebounds to complete her fourth double-double this season. Amelia Hassett had 14 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double this season and Amoore had eight assists.

Trinity Turner scored 19 points and De’Mauri Flournoy had 19 of Georgia’s 21 bench points.

Kentucky dominated the first quarter, building a 23-4 lead. All three players who scored for the Wildcats — Amoore (11 points), Strack (6) and Hassett (6) — outscored Georgia. The Bulldogs made one of 16 shots.

Kentucky led 44-31 at halftime before being outscored by nine points in the second half.

After the disastrous first quarter, Georgia battled back and got as close as 69-57 with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. A layup by Asia Avinger had Georgia within 12 points again, 73-61, with a minute to go but Amoore hit a jumper and Cassidy Rowe made 3 of 4 free throws to close it out.

The Wildcats are 16-1 overall and 5-0 in the Southeastern Conference, marking their fourth-best start to a season through 17 games in program history and their best start to league action since 2012-13. That season, the Cats won their first six conference games.

The win for the Wildcats was their 15th by at least 10 points but the 14-point margin ended a streak of six straight wins by 16 points or more.

Kentucky visits Texas A&M on Thursday.

Georgia (9-11, 1-5 SEC) is idle until a road game next Sunday against No. 13 Oklahoma. ___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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