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.
Sept. 20
• 1952: Harry Jones had a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown, at the time the second longest punt return in school history, in a 25-6 loss for the Wildcats against Villanova. It was the only loss in nine meetings for Kentucky between the two schools.
• 1958: Bobby Cravens ran for a career-high 153 yards as Kentucky shutout Georgia Tech 13-0.
• 1969: Roger Gann set a then-school record with 166 kickoff return yards, including a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, in a 58-30 loss to Indiana. The 95-yard kickoff return at the time tied the school record for longest kickoff return. This was also the first game under new head coach John Ray.
• 1975: Running back Sonny Collins rushed for 133 yards, his 14th career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats lost to the Kansas Jayhawks, 14-10.
• 1980: Quarterback Randy Jenkins connected with Allan Watson on an 83-yard touchdown pass, at the time the second-longest passing play in school history, but it wasn’t enough as Kentucky lost to border rival Indiana, 36-30. Allan Watson ended up with 104 receiving yards, his first career 100-yard receiving game.
• 1997: Kentucky tied a then-school record with 28 points scored in the third quarter of a 49-7 blowout victory over border rival Indiana. The offense was led by sophomore quarterback Tim Couch, who threw for a school-record seven touchdown passes and 334 yards, his third career 300-yard passing game. Junior wide receiver Craig Yeast also tied a school record with four touchdown receptions and running back Anthony White set a career high with 131 rushing yards. Linebacker Ryan Murphy helped on defense with four tackles for loss, tied for the third most in school history. This was Kentucky’s largest margin of victory ever against Indiana.
• 2003: Wide receiver Chris Bernard had a career high 100 receiving yards as Kentucky defeated the Indiana Hoosiers, 34-17.
Sept. 21
• 1935: Kentucky shut out Maryville 60-0, its largest shutout win since 1928.
• 1945: Kentucky lost to Ole Miss 21-7 in the first game under new head coach Bernie Shively.
• 1946: Don Phelps had a 91-yard kickoff return, at the time the second-longest kickoff return in school history, as the Wildcats defeated the Rebels of Ole Miss, 20-7. This was also the 250th victory in school history and the first game under new head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
• 1963: Rodger Bird had a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a career high 157 rushing yards in a 33-14 win for Kentucky over Virginia Tech.
• 1968: Kentucky set a then-school record with 490 punting yards, but it didn’t deter the Wildcats from victory as they defeated Missouri, 12-6.
• 1985: Quarterback Bill Ransdell passed for 302 yards, his second career 300-yard passing game, and Chris Derry had a career-high 108 receiving yards as the Wildcats defeated Tulane, 16-11.
• 1991: Kicker Doug Pelfrey set a then-school record for longest made field goal, 53 yards, but it wasn’t enough as border rival Indiana edged out the Wildcats 13-10.
• 2002: Running back Artose Pinner tied a school record with four touchdowns scored and rushed for 163 yards, his sixth-career 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky doubled up Middle Tennessee State in a 44-22 victory. The offense was also highlighted by Jared Lorenzen’s 305 passing yards, his 14th career 300-yard passing game, and Aaron Boone’s 111 receiving yards, his first career 100-yard receiving game.
Sept. 22
• 1894: Kentucky lost to Cincinnati 32-4 in the first game under new head coach W. P. Finney.
• 1934: Kentucky shut out Maryville 26-0 in the first game under new head coach C. A. Wynne.
• 1951: Kentucky lost to Texas 7-6 in Austin, the only meeting ever between the two schools.
• 1962: Kentucky struggled to a 0-0 tie with Florida State in the first game under new head coach Charlie Bradshaw.
• 1984: Linebacker Larry Smith set a school record with 16 solo tackles and running back George Adams rushed for 143 yards, his seventh-career 100-yard rushing game, in a 30-26 win for the Wildcats over Tulane.
• 2007: The Wildcats saved their best for last, scoring 21 fourth-quarter points, tied for the second most in school history, as Kentucky overcame a fourth quarter deficit to defeat Arkansas 42-29. This was Kentucky’s first regular season game played as an AP Poll ranked team since 1984. The offense was led by Stevie Johnson’s 111 receiving yards, his first-career 100-yard receiving game. It was Kentucky’s first win in an SEC road opener since 1999.
Sept. 23
• 1950: Bill Leskovar set a career high with 171 rushing yards in a 14-0 shutout victory for the Wildcats over LSU.
• 1995: Running back Moe Williams may have had the greatest individual performance in school history as the Wildcats defeated South Carolina 35-30 in Columbia. Moe set school records for most rushing yards (299), most rushing attempts (40), most rushing touchdowns (four) and most all-purpose yards (429). Moe’s rushing performance was highlighted by a 76-yard run, the second-longest running play to not result in a touchdown in school history. The 429 all-purpose yards are the second most in NCAA history.
• 2000: Freshman quarterback Jared Lorenzen passed for 363 yards, his fourth career 300-yard passing game, as Kentucky lost to Florida 59-31 in Gainesville. The offense was also led by Artose Pinner’s 125 rushing yards, his first career 100-yard rushing game, and Quentin McCord’s 115 receiving yards, his second career 100-yard receiving game.
• 2006: Kentucky’s special teams blocked two PATs, tied for the most in school history, in a 26-7 defeat to the Florida Gators in Gainesville.
Sept. 24
• 1927: Kentucky and Maryville played to a 6-6 tie in the first game under new head coach Harry Gamage.
• 1938: Kentucky defeated Maryville 46-7 in the 400th game played in school history and the first game under new head coach A. D. Kirwan.
• 1955: Kentucky upset 8th-ranked Ole Miss 21-14 in Lexington, its first regular-season win over a team ranked in the top 10 since 1947.
• 1977: Kentucky upset 17th-ranked West Virginia 28-13 in Lexington.
• 1994: Running back Moe Williams ran for 117 yards, his fifth-career 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky lost to South Carolina 23-9 in Lexington. This was Kentucky’s 450th loss in school history.
• 2011: Mychal Bailey tied a school record with seven kickoff returns as Kentucky lost to Florida 48-10 in Lexington.
Sept. 25
• 1903: Kentucky shut out Cynthiana 39-0 in the first game under new head coach C. A. Wright.
• 1909: The Wildcats shut out Kentucky Wesleyan 18-0 in the first game under new head coach R. Sweetland.
• 1936: Bob Davis had a 75-yard run, tied for the third-longest run in school history prior to World War II, as the Wildcats shut out Xavier, 21-0.
• 1948: Kentucky set a then-school record by intercepting six passes, led by Clayton Webb’s school record three interceptions, as the Wildcats defeated Xavier 48-7 in Lexington. The offense was led by Norman Klein’s career-high 106 rushing yards, including a 70-yard touchdown run, at the time the second-longest running play of the modern era in school history.
• 1965: Larry Seiple had a career-high 159 rushing yards, including a 70-yard touchdown run, as Kentucky defeated Ole Miss 16-7. The offense was also led by Dan Spanish’s career-high 108 receiving yards.
• 1976: Kentucky defeated West Virginia 14-10 for the school’s 400th victory.
• 1982: Running back George Adams rushed for 114 yards, his first career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats tied Kansas 13-13 in Lexington. This ended up being the only game that wasn’t a loss for the team that season.
• 2004: Kicker Taylor Begley made a 51-yard field goal, his second-longest made field goal of his career, for Kentucky’s only points in a 20-3 loss to Florida.
• 2010: Wide receiver Chris Matthews had 114 receiving yards, his first career 100-yard receiving game, and running back Derrick Locke rushed for 103 yards, his seventh career 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky lost to Florida, 48-14.
Sept. 26
• 1914: Kentucky defeated Wilmington, 87-0, setting school records for most points scored and largest margin of victory in school history.
• 1964: Rick Kestner set a then-school record with 185 receiving yards as Kentucky upset top-ranked Ole Miss 27-21. It was Kentucky’s second win ever over a top-ranked team, and the first since the 1951 Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma.
• 1981: Kicker Rick Strein made a 52-yard field goal, at the time tied for the longest made field goal in school history, but it wasn’t enough as Kentucky lost to Kansas, 21-16.
• 1998: Senior wide receiver Craig Yeast set a then-school record with 206 receiving yards and added a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on special teams as Kentucky lost to Florida 51-35 in Gainesville. The offense was also led by junior quarterback Tim Couch’s 406 passing yards and 40 completions, fifth most in school history, including a 97-yard touchdown pass to Craig Yeast, the longest play from scrimmage in school history. The defense was led by Marlon McCree’s school record six tackles for loss.
