The 2023 football season has come to an end for the University of Pikeville. The Bears went 7-3 on the season, 5-1 in their first year in the AAC and completely abused the record book.
 
Here's a look at some of the numbers and the records that were established this season:
 

• The Bears scored 383 points, tying the school record for points in a season. The mark was established in 2018. The Bears defense was the equal of the offense, allowing only 233 points. That is the third fewest allowed in a full season in school history. In school history, the Bears had posted only nine shutouts, but had two this season

 

• The Bears have never had a game in which it didn't punt. Entering this season, they had only punted one time in five games. It happened three times this season alone

 

• The Bears set a record with a 68-point margin of victory against St. Andrews. Earlier this season, they beat Campbellsville by a single point, the fourth time that has ever happened

 

• Quarterback Lee Kirkland, who announced he will return to the team next season for his Covid year, has battered the record book. For the season, he was 219-for-358 for 2,741 yards. The completions and yards are records for a single season. He threw 31 touchdowns, also a school record, and only six interceptions

 

• With Saturday's 379-yard game at St. Andrews, Kirkland broke his tie with a former mentor of his, Trevor Hoskins, and has eight career 300-yard passing games

 

• Kirkland is on the verge of breaking most of Hoskins' career passing marks. He will enter next season with 544 completions, only nine shy of the record; 919 attempts, with the record standing at 1,073; 5,879 yards, with the record standing at 7.414; and his 63 career touchdown passes is one short of the record

 

• Sophomore receiver Derrick Griffith II had 811 receiving yards, which is a new record. The old mark was also his, 803, last season. His 81.1 receiving yards per game is also a new mark, edging past Jordan Amis' 2010 average of 80.0

 

• Alex Sanders' career came to an end with a two-touchdown game last Saturday. He leaves with a few school records of his own. His 520 carries is nearly 100 more than the next rusher, and he had 12 career 100-yard rushing games. His total of 2,648 rushing yards is second on the career list

 

• Kicker Jakob Headley, who also announced he would return next season, will do so already at the top of a couple of career kicking lists. He has now made 104 of 118 extra-point tries. Both are the most ever by a Bear

 
Several single-game marks fell this season as well. Among them:
 

• Kirkland set records with 38 completions, 58 attempts and 614 yards against Union on Sept. 30, and broke the record with seven touchdown passes at St. Andrews in the finale

 

• Griffith had 233 receiving yards in the Union game to establish a new mark

 

• Tyrese Christian established a new record when he caught 11 passes on Sept. 9 at Georgetown

 

• Diego Soto tied the school record with three touchdown catches against Point on Oct. 28, becoming the eight Bear to do so