On Thursdays throughout the 2015 season we will take a trip down memory lane and look back at past great plays, players and games associated with University of Kentucky football for that given week. So be sure to check back with us each and every Thursday to relive the moments that make this football program so special.
Nov. 22
• 1969: Steve Parrish had a career-high 135 receiving yards, at the time tied for the sixth most in school history, as the Wildcats were narrowly defeated by their border rival Tennessee, 31-26.
• 1975: Quarterback Derrick Ramsey was spectacular both on the ground and through the air, but it wasn’t enough for Kentucky as the Tennessee Volunteers squeaked out a 17-13 win over the Wildcats. Ramsey rushed for 121 yards, his first career 100-yard rushing game, and his 77-yard touchdown pass to Dave Trosper was at the time tied for the third-longest passing play in school history. This was also the last game ever played at Kentucky for running back great Sonny Collins, still the school’s all-time leading rusher.
• 1997: Kentucky had a tough time stopping No. 5 Tennessee in a 59-31 loss on Senior Day at Commonwealth Stadium, but it was a showdown between the opposing quarterbacks that most people remember from this game. Sophomore quarterback Tim Couch and Volunteers’ senior quarterback Peyton Manning put on an aerial show worthy of the air raid sirens inside the stadium. The two signal callers combined to pass for 999 yards and seven touchdowns. Couch set then-school records for total offense (475 yards) passing yards (476), and consecutive completions (13). Tim’s 87-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kio Sanford in the second quarter was at the time the second-longest passing play in school history. All those offensive fireworks led to the Wildcats accumulating 634 yards of total offense, at the time the second most in school history. Kio Sanford finished the game with a career-high 147 receiving yards and running back Derek Homer had a career-high 137 rushing yards as well. To top it all off, a crowd of 61,076 attended the game, then a record for largest crowd ever at Commonwealth Stadium.
Nov. 23
• 1957: Kentucky upset No. 12 Tennessee 20-6 in Lexington.
• 1991: Kentucky lost to border rival Tennessee 17-6 in Lexington, but it was in the press box, not the field, that was most memorable on this day. The Voice Of The Wildcats, Cawood Ledford, sadly called his last Kentucky football game on that day. Ledford, primarily known for his calls of Kentucky men’s basketball games, had called games for the Wildcats for 39 years.
• 1996: Kentucky lost to No. 9 Tennessee 56-10 in the final game under head coach Bill Curry.
Nov. 24
• 1962: Darrell Cox rushed for 111 yards, his first career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats defeated their border rival Tennessee, 12-10.
• 1973: Mike Fanuzzi rushed for 160 yards, his first career 100-yard rushing game and at the time the most rushing yards by a quarterback in school history, but it wasn’t enough for the Wildcats as Tennessee escaped Lexington with a 16-14 victory.
• 1979: Chris Jones rushed for 112 yards, his fourth and final career 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky lost to border rival Tennessee, 20-17.
• 1984: George Adams rushed for 110 yards, his 10th and final career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats defeated the Volunteers, 17-12. That is currently the last time that Kentucky has defeated Tennessee in Knoxville.
• 2007: Kentucky went toe-to-toe with No. 19 Tennessee in an instant classic, but the Wildcats failed on a two-point conversion in the fourth overtime as the Volunteers prevailed, 52-50. Senior quarterback Andre’ Woodson didn’t disappoint in his final home game at Kentucky, attempting 62 passes, tied for the third most ever, with six touchdowns, also tied for the third most ever, and a career high 430 yards, the ninth most in school history. The offense was also led by a pair of 100-yard receivers, Rafael Little (108) and Jacob Tamme (104). The Wildcats also set school records for most offensive plays (110), most first downs (37), and most first downs by passing (27).
Nov. 25
• 1915: Kentucky shut out border rival Tennessee 6-0 in the school’s first ever Homecoming game.
• 1949: The Wildcats effectively moved the chains via the ground game, setting a then-school record with 23 first downs by rushing, in Kentucky’s 21-6 victory over the Miami Hurricanes.
• 2006: Tight end Jacob Tamme had a career-high 120 receiving yards and running back Rafael Little rushed for 119 yards, his seventh career 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky was narrowly defeated by border rival Tennessee, 17-12.
Nov. 26
• 1948: Ralph Genito rushed for a career-high 139 yards as Kentucky defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 25-5. One of Ralph’s carries was an 83-yard touchdown, at the time the second-longest running play in school history.
• 2011: Wide receiver Matt Roark put in a truly heroic effort in a game that many Wildcat fans could rejoice about. With the starting and backup quarterbacks unable to play, Matt Roark lined up behind center for the only time in his college career and it paid off quite well for Kentucky. Roark rushed for a career-high 124 yards as the Wildcats defeated Tennessee 10-7 for the first time since 1984.
Nov. 27
• 2004: Lonnell Dewalt used his height to his advantage on special teams, setting a school record with two blocked kicks, but it wasn’t enough for the Wildcats as Tennessee scored a touchdown in the final minute to defeat Kentucky, 37-31. The offense was led by Scott Mitchell’s career-high 111 receiving yards.
• 2010: Randall Cobb was a reliable target for Mike Hartline, resulting in 13 receptions, the second most in school history, and 116 yards in Kentucky’s 24-14 defeat to border rival Tennessee.
Nov. 28
• 1935: Kentucky defeated border rival Tennessee 27-0, their largest shutout win ever against the Volunteers in Lexington.
• 2009: Randall Cobb rushed for 101 yards, his second career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats lost a heartbreaker to border rival Tennessee in overtime, 30-24.
