Kentucky Wildcats football

NCAAFootballSchool
TeamName = Kentucky Wildcats Football


CurrentSeason = 2008 Kentucky Wildcats football team
ImageSize = 150px
HeadCoachDisplay = Rich Brooks
HeadCoachLink = Rich Brooks
HeadCoachYear = 6th
HCWins = 29
HCLosses = 35
HCTies = 0
Stadium = Commonwealth Stadium (Kentucky)
Location = Lexington, Kentucky
StadCapacity = 67,606
StadSurface = Bermuda Grass
ConferenceDisplay= SEC
ConferenceLink = Southeastern Conference
ConfDivision = East
FirstYear = 1881
AthlDirectorDisp =
AthlDirectorLink =
AllAmericans =
WebsiteName =
WebsiteURL = http://UKathletics.com
ATWins = 555
ATLosses = 546
ATTies = 44
ATPercentage = .503
BowlWins = 7
BowlLosses = 5
BowlTies = 0
NatlTitles =
ConfTitles = 2
Heismans =
Color1 = Blue
Color1Hex = 00407a
Color2 = White
Color2Hex = ffffff
FightSong = On, On, U of K, Kentucky Fight
MascotDisplay =
MascotLink =
MarchingBand =
PagFreeLabel = Rivals
PagFreeValue = Louisville Cardinals
Tennessee VolunteersThe Kentucky Wildcats are a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.

Eras

Paul "Bear" Bryant EraAs a member of the football-heavy SEC, they compete against many of the top college football programs in the nation. They play at Commonwealth Stadium, which replaced Stoll Field in 1973. Paul "Bear" Bryant was Kentucky's head football coach for eight seasons.

Under Bryant the Wildcats won the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl, lost the 1950 Orange Bowl, won the 1951 Sugar Bowl and the 1952 Cotton Bowl. In final AP polls, the Wildcats were ranked #11 in 1949, #7 in 1950, #15 in 1951, #20 in 1952 and #16 in 1953. The final 1950 poll was taken prior to the bowl games; Kentucky then defeated undefeated and #1 ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and claims that this win earned them a national championship for the 1950 season, since they were ranked #1 in the Sagarin Ratings. The NCAA recognizes Kentucky as a co-national champion on its Past Football Bowl Subdivision National Champions Web site.

Fran Curci EraThe 1976 Wildcats retroactively claimed a share of the Southeastern Conference championship under coach Fran Curci via a loss later forfeited by Mississippi State (and despite losing at home to conference champion Georgia) and won the Peach Bowl, finishing #18 in the final AP poll. The 1977 Kentucky team went 10-1 and was undefeated in SEC play but, despite finishing the season ranked #6 in the AP poll, did not play in a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. Kentucky finished at #6 and Penn State at #5 despite the fact that Kentucky defeated Penn State at Penn State during the regular season.

Jerry Claiborne EraCoach Jerry Claiborne led the Wildcats to the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl. In 1984 Kentucky returned to the Hall of Fame Bowl and defeated a ranked Wisconsin team to finish the season with a 9-3 record and a #19 ranking in the final AP poll.

Bill Curry EraThe Wildcats played in the 1993 Peach Bowl under coach Bill Curry.

Hal Mumme EraCoach Hal Mumme led the Wildcats to the 1998 Outback Bowl and the 1999 Music City Bowl but the program was hit with severe sanctions for infractions during Mumme's tenure.

Guy Morriss EraUnder coach Guy Morriss the Wildcats posted a 7-5 record in 2002 but were not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.

Rich Brooks EraThe team's current coach is Rich Brooks, who led the team to an 8-5 regular season record in 2006, including a memorable upset over the defending SEC champion Georgia, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Brooks also led the football team to its first bowl game since 1999 and its first bowl game victory since 1984, as Kentucky defeated the Clemson University Tigers 28-20 in the Music City Bowl. [http://www.dicksonherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061229/SPORTS06/61229025] On September, 15 2007. Brooks led UK to a 40-34 upset win over #9 Louisville. This marked UK's first win over Louisville since 2002 and the first win over a top 10 team since #4 Penn State in 1977. The Wildcats were ranked 8th in the nation before a loss to South Carolina on October 4. After the loss to South Carolina, Kentucky bounced back on October 13 to defeat #1 LSU in a historic triple overtime game.

The 2007 Kentucky Wildcats football defeated the Florida State Seminoles 35-28 in the 2007 Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 31, 2007. It was the Wildcats second straight bowl appearance after a drought dating back to 1999. Quarterback Andre' Woodson was named the Music City Bowl MVP for the second year in a row. The last three bowl appearances for the Cats have been in the Music City Bowl, which they have appeared in more than any other SEC team in the conference's affiliation with the game, which dates back to the inaugural game in 1998.

One obscure statistic illustrates the competitive challenge Kentucky has historically faced in football. The recruiting site "Rivals.com" recently pointed out that in the five seasons from 2003 through 2007, the Wildcats have only signed a total of six prospects who were rated by the site as four stars (out of five) or higher, (with the exception of Micah Johnson) none of them rated as five-star prospects. By contrast, Florida, who is grouped with Kentucky in the SEC East, signed 20 players rated four stars or higher by the same site in the 2007 class alone.cite web|url=http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=722756 |title=Olin's Mailbag: Everyone just looking for love |publisher="Rivals.com" |first=Olin |last=Buchanan |date=2007-10-05 |accessdate=2007-10-05]

Bowl Games

College

Outland Trophy Winner

*Bob Gain - 1950