Kentucky Quarterback named to Manning Award Watch List

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - University of Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey is drawing national attention.

Minchey earned a place on the Manning Award Watch List, awarded each year to college football’s top quarterback.

The award, presented annually since 2004, recognizes the nation’s top college quarterback.

Kentucky is ranked No. 12 in both the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls. The Wildcats have two wins against top-10 opponents this season.

Minchey, a 6-foot-2, 211-pound senior from Hendersonville, Tennessee, transferred to Kentucky in the spring. He has started all seven games and guided Kentucky to six wins in his first seven starts.

In a 35-34 overtime win against then-No. 10 LSU on Oct. 10, Minchey scored the game-winning 2-point conversion on a run. One week earlier, he threw the game-winning 2-point conversion pass to tight end Willie Rodriguez in overtime at South Carolina, completing the largest road comeback in program history.

This season, Minchey is 141-of-206 passing for 1,552 yards with 13 touchdowns and one interception, along with one rushing touchdown. He has a 68.4% completion rate, which ranks fourth in the Southeastern Conference and 22nd nationally. His 13 touchdown passes rank sixth in the conference and 27th nationally, and his 1,552 passing yards rank sixth in the conference and 37th nationally.

Minchey has thrown 206 passes with one interception to start the season, a program record. The previous record was 183 passes with one interception by Maxwell Smith in 2013.

The Wildcats will face off against the Vanderbilt Commodores at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.24.