This Week in UK Football History: 48th Anniversary of Northington's Debut

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. 27
•    1902: The Wildcats shutout Q and C Railroad 22-0 in the first game under new head coach E. W. McLeod.
•    1913: Kentucky defeated Butler 21-7 in the first game under new head coach Alpha Brumage.
•    1952: Steve Meilinger tied his career high with 108 receiving yards on just four receptions, his second career 100-yard receiving game, as Kentucky battled Ole Miss to a 13-13 tie.This was the 30th tie in school history.
•    1958: Calvin Bird had a career high 130 receiving yards, but it wasn’t enough for Kentucky as it was defeated by Ole Miss 27-6.
•    1969: The Wildcats upset No. 8 Ole Miss 10-9 in Lexington
•    1975: Kentucky had two 100-yard rushers, Sonny Collins (161) and Steve Campassi (104), as the Wildcats played to a 10-10 tie against No. 20 Maryland. The Terrapins were coached by future Kentucky head coach Jerry Claiborne. This was the 40th tie in school history.
•    1980: Jim Campbell had a career high 140 receiving yards in a 21-20 victory for the Wildcats over Bowling Green.
•    1986: Kentucky had 160 interception return yards, second most in school history, in a 37-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats. David Johnson contributed to that total with a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown, tied for the third longest in school history.
•    1997: Quarterback Tim Couch passed for 348 yards, tying Bill Ransdell’s school record for most career 300-yard passing games (four), in a 55-28 defeat to the Florida Gators. The offense was also led by Craig Yeast’s 125 receiving yards, his first career 100-yard receiving game.
•    2008: Derrick Locke had his first career kickoff return for a touchdown as Kentucky handily defeated intrastate foe Western Kentucky, 41-3.

Sept. 28
•    1974: Kentucky had two 100-yard rushers, running back Sonny Collins (160) and quarterback Mike Fanuzzi (114), as the Wildcats defeated border rival Indiana 28-22.
•    1985: Quarterback Bill Ransdell passed for 300 yards, his third consecutive 300-yard passing game, as the Wildcats defeated Cincinnati 27-7. The offense was also led by Eric Pitts’ career high 118 receiving yards and Marc Logan’s 112 rushing yards, his second career 100-yard rushing game.
•    1996: Punter Jimmy Carter had a busy day on the field, tying a school record with 13 punts and setting a school record with 539 punting yards, in a 65-0 defeat to the Florida Gators.
•    2002: Kentucky’s special teams had a game to remember down in Gainesville as the Wildcats lost to the Gators, 41-34. The team had 203 kickoff return yards, setting a then-school record, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Derek Abney. Derek also added a punt return for a touchdown and the team blocked a total of three kicks, setting a school record. The Wildcats’ 28 points scored in the third quarter are tied for the second most points scored in the third quarter in school history.

Sept. 29
•    1900: Kentucky lost to Cincinnati 20-6 in the first game under new head coach W. H. Kiler.
•    1917: The Wildcats shutout Butler 33-0 in the first game under new head coach S. A. Boles.
•    1923: Kentucky shutout Marshall 41-0 in the first game under new head coach J. Winn.
•    1951: Tom Fillion had a career high 108 rushing yards as the Wildcats lost to the Ole Miss Rebels, 21-17.
•    1973: Sonny Collins rushed for 112 yards, his third-career 100-yard rushing game, in a 17-3 loss for the Wildcats against the Indiana Hoosiers.
•    2001: Running back Artose Pinner rushed for 130 yards, his second career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats lost to Ole Miss, 42-31. It was the school’s 500th loss.
•    2007: Quarterback Andre’ Woodson passed for 301 yards, his fourth career 300-yard passing game, as the Wildcats beat Florida Atlantic 45-17. In this game Andre’ Woodson had his streak of 325 consecutive passing attempts without an interception snapped, setting what was then an NCAA record. This was Kentucky’s 550th victory.

Sept. 30
•    1904: The Wildcats shutout the Paris Athletic Club 28-0 in the first game under new head coach F. E. Schact.
•    1911: Kentucky shutout Maryville 13-0 for the school’s 100th victory and the first game under new head coach P. P. Douglass.
•    1933: Kentucky shutout Sewanee 7-0 in the school’s first ever SEC conference game. It was also the Wildcats’ 200th victory.
•    1967: Kentucky lost to Ole Miss 26-13 in Lexington, but the score didn’t matter this day as history was made when the Wildcats’ Nate Northington became the first African-American to appear in an SEC football game.
•    1972: Ray Barga had a career high 117 receiving yards and Sonny Collins rushed for 118 yards, his first career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats were narrowly defeated by Indiana 35-34.
•    1995: Running back Moe Williams rushed for 160 yards, his ninth-career 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky lost to Auburn, 42-21.
•    2006: Keenan Burton had 124 receiving yards, his third career 100-yard receiving game, in a 45-36 victory for the Wildcats over Central Michigan.

Oct. 1
•    1927: Kentucky were shutout by border rival Indiana 21-0 in the school’s 300th game played.
•    1977: The Wildcats traveled to Happy Valley and upset No. 4 Penn State 24-20, their first win over a top-five opponent since 1964.
•    1949: Kentucky set an NCAA record with 240 interception return yards, including a then-school record 93-yard interception return for a touchdown by Don Frampton, as the Wildcats shutout Ole Miss, 47-0.
•    1955: Howard Schnellenberger had 110 receiving yards, his second-career 100-receiving yard game, as Kentucky shutout Villanova, 28-0.
•    1966: Larry Seiple had 116 receiving yards, his fifth-career 100-yard receiving game, as Kentucky defeated Auburn 17-7.
•    1988: Alfred Rawls had 132 rushing yards, his first-career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats lost to Alabama, 31-27. The Crimson Tide were coached by future Kentucky head coach Bill Curry.

Oct. 2
•    1915: The Wildcats shutout Butler 33-0 in the first game under new head coach J. J. Tigert.
•    1920: Kentucky shutout S. P. U. 62-0 in the first game under new head coach W. J. Juneau.
•    1965: Kentucky had two 100-yard receivers, Larry Seiple (135) and Bob Windsor (118), as the Wildcats lost to Auburn 23-18. One of Bob Windsor’s receptions, a 76-yard touchdown pass from Rick Norton, was at the time the second longest pass play in school history.
•    1976: The Wildcats pounded the ball on the ground, rushing the ball 75 times, the second most in school history, as Kentucky upset No. 20 Penn State 22-6. The rushing attack was led by two 100-yard rushers, Chris Hill (106) and Rod Stewart (103).
•    1993: Kentucky upset No. 25 Ole Miss 21-0 in Lexington, their largest shutout win over a ranked opponent since 1976.
•    1999: The Wildcats upset No. 20 Arkansas 31-20 in Lexington.
•    2010: Kentucky had a couple big special-teams plays, a 73-yard punt by Ryan Tydlacka, fourth longest in school history, and a career long 50-yard field goal by Craig McIntosh, as the Wildcats lost to Ole Miss 42-35 in a shootout. The Wildcats’ offense were led by Mike Hartline’s 300 passing yards and two 100-yard receivers, Randall Cobb (108) and Derrick Locke (108).

Oct. 3
•    1896: Kentucky lost to the Lexington Athletic Club 10-0 in the first game under new head coach Dudley Short.
•    1914: Kentucky shutout Maryville 80-0, tied for the fifth most points scored in school history. Cecil Tuttle set a school record with 43 points scored (six touchdowns and seven extra points).
•    1953: Steve Meilinger had 106 receiving yards, his third career 100-yard receiving game, as Kentucky defeated Florida, 26-13.
•    1964: Rodger Bird returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown, setting a then-school record for longest interception return, as Kentucky shut out No. 7 Auburn, 20-0. Bird also shined on the offensive side of the ball, rushing for 112 yards, his third career 100-yard rushing game.
•    1970: The Wildcats were defeated by Auburn 33-15 in Lexington, the school’s 300th loss.
•    1981: Rick Massie had a career-high 107 receiving yards as the Wildcats lost to eventual national champion Clemson, 21-3.
•    1987: Kentucky dominated Ohio on the ground, rushing for 400 yards, the fifth most in school history, as the Wildcats shutout the Bobcats 28-0. Their rushing attack was led by Mark Higgs’ 169 rushing yards, his fifth career 100-yard rushing game.
•    1998: Quarterback Tim Couch launched an air assault, setting school records for passing completions (47), passing attempts (67), and passing yards (499), but it wasn’t enough as the Wildcats lost to Arkansas, 27-20. Kevin Coleman was a beneficiary of the passing game with a career high 105 receiving yards. Kentucky also had 92 offensive plays, the fourth most in school history, but were slowed down by tying a school record with 18 penalties.