Kentucky football upsets Ole Miss: Mark Stoops records biggest win ...

OXFORD, Miss. — Mark Stoops pushed all of his chips to the middle of the table for Kentucky football. Then Brock Vandagriff went for broke. Barion Brown came up with the goods. And Josh Kattus, in the right place at the right time, made sure the risky decision wasn’t for naught. 

Vandagriff’s 63-yard completion to Brown on fourth and 7 at Kentucky’s 20-yard line set up a game-winning score sealed by Kattus’ fumble recovery in the end zone. 

The roll of the dice paid off in the signature victory of Stoops’ 12-year tenure, as UK upset No. 5 Ole Miss, 20-17, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. 

"Couldn't be more proud of the effort," Stoops said. "I know it's one game, but it's important because of the work that's been going in for a long time. So proud for our fan base. They deserved a win like that. We've been close a lot, and we're very proud to get the victory."

Stoops' other big wins during his tenure include UK's 2022 Citrus Bowl victory against Iowa, the 2019 Citrus Bowl victory against Penn State, the 2023 Governor's Cup victory against Louisville and the streak-snapping 2018 victory against Florida.

Stoops admitted going for it just 20 yards from his own goal line, trailing 17-13 with 4:04 to play, "was a tough call" to make.

"Your analytics will tell you to punt it," he said. "I felt like they were going to be very aggressive and we'd get a 1-on-1, and Barion made a great play."

Kentucky (3-2, 1-2 SEC) going for it on fourth down Saturday — in the late stages of a close conference game — was in direct contrast to its loss to Georgia earlier this month. In that game, a 13-12 UK defeat, Stoops elected to punt on fourth and 8 with less than three minutes to play. The Bulldogs then bled off nearly all the remaining time to escape with a one-point win in Lexington. 

Two weeks after that agonizingly close loss, that choice to punt the ball — and leaving his offense little time with which to work when it finally got it back — was in the back of Stoops' mind all week leading into Saturday's game. And it was top of mind just prior to the snap.

"With this style, with this (Ole Miss) offense, I knew I had to try to steal one rather than (a) fake punt or something," Stoops said. "I just felt like I had to steal a possession or two. We went for it."

The ultra-aggressive decision also went against the grain of Stoops' image as a conservative, hard-nosed coach who rarely takes chances.

It stunned his counterpart.

"I have to credit Stoops. That's not anything he's probably ever done in his life," said Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, whose team fell to 4-1 overall and 0-1 in conference competition. "He got out of his character with 3 ½ minutes left.

"I commend him for doing that. I'm sure the ESPN percentage had us 98% winning (the game) at that point. Good throw and good play by them. We had a chance to stop them and didn't."

Of course, Brown still had to come up with the catch on the sideline, with Ole Miss cornerback Isaiah Hamilton draped all over him.

"I saw him open, so I was just praying, I guess," Stoops said with a chuckle. "But, no, I felt good about it. I saw him open."

Safe to say many UK fans were calling on a higher power when Gavin Wimsatt lost control of the football two plays later.

Luckily for the Wildcats, Kattus answered their prayers.

"That was huge to get that recovery," Stoops said. "The ball bounced our way once. We've gotta be smarter with the football."

Kentucky now heads into its first open date of the 2024 season. UK returns to the field Oct. 12, when it hosts Vanderbilt at Kroger Field. Kickoff time and television designation for the game are still to be determined. 

If nothing else, it gives the Wildcats another week to celebrate the most notable win of the Stoops era.

A triumph that compelled Stoops to reprise one of his most famous postgame locker room celebrations ever: Crowd-surfing on top of his players following a last-second win at Missouri in 2018.

Saturday was Part II.

"Stoops was in the air, and you can — I'm gonna let y'all know how the locker room was," said Kentucky receiver Dane Key, who led the Wildcats in receptions (eight) and receiving yards (105), "when Stoops is in the air, that's a pretty good thing."

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.