This Week in UK Football History: Vandy Edition
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. 8
• 1952: Bradley Mills intercepted Tulane’s quarterback three times, tying a school record, as Kentucky defeated the Green Wave, 27-6. The offense was led by Steve Meilinger’s 105 rushing yards, his first career 100-yard rushing game.
• 1969: Kentucky had a pair of great offensive performances, Steve Parrish’s 116 receiving yards and Roger Gann’s 103 rushing yards, in the Wildcats’ 42-6 defeat to Vanderbilt.
• 1980: Greg Wimberly had 103 receiving yards, his first career 100-yard receiving game, in the Wildcats’ 31-10 victory over Vanderbilt.
• 1986: Ivy Joe Hunter ran all over the Vanderbilt defense, rushing for a then-school record 238 yards in the Wildcats’ 34-22 victory over the Commodores.
• 2008: Winston Guy returned a kickoff 96 yards, the longest kickoff return in school history that didn’t result in a touchdown, as Kentucky was narrowly defeated by No. 14 Georgia, 42-38.
Nov. 9
• 1946: Don Phelps returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown, setting a then-school record for longest punt return, in the Wildcats’ 35-0 shutout win over Marquette.
• 1974: Ken Northington had an 80-yard rushing touchdown, at the time the seventh-longest run play in school history, in the Wildcats’ convincing win over Vanderbilt, 38-12.
• 1985: Quarterback Bill Ransdell led an aerial assault against the Vanderbilt defense, passing for a career-high 322 yards, in the Wildcats’ 31-24 loss to the Commodores.
• 1996: Running back Derick Logan pounded the ball on the ground, tying his own school record with 41 carries for a career high 186 yards, as Kentucky defeated Mississippi State, 24-21.
• 2002: The Wildcats lost in the most heartbreaking of ways against No. 16 LSU when the Tigers scored on a 74-yard pass on the final play of the game, resulting in a 33-30 loss for Kentucky. Kentucky had a couple great offensive performances though, with Artose Pinner’s 143 rushing yards and Aaron Boone’s 112 receiving yards.
Nov. 10
• 1979: Chris Jones rushed for 125 yards, his third-career 100-yard rushing game, as the Wildcats defeated Vanderbilt, 29-10.
• 1984: Mark Higgs rushed for 128 yards, including an 84-yard rushing touchdown, in Kentucky’s 27-18 victory over Vanderbilt. Special-teams play helped as well with Joey Worley’s 50-yard field goal, the second-longest made field goal of his career.
• 1990: Al Baker rushed for 151 yards, his third and final 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt, 28-21.
• 2001: Sophomore quarterback Jared Lorenzen overwhelmed Vanderbilt’s defense for 485 yards of total offense, the fourth most in school history, and six passing touchdowns, tied for the third most in school history, as the Wildcats thoroughly defeated the Commodores, 56-30. The offense was also led by a pair of 100-yard receivers, Derek Smith (130) and Derek Abney (113). The 56 points are the most points that Kentucky has ever scored against Vanderbilt.
Nov. 11
• 1972: Kentucky narrowly defeated Vanderbilt 14-13 in the Wildcats’ last game ever played at Stoll Field/McLean Stadium, their football home for 56 years. The offense was led by Sonny Collins’ 113 rushing yards, his second-career 100-yard rushing game.
• 1978: Kentucky overwhelmingly defeated Vanderbilt 53-2 in the Wildcats’ largest margin of victory in an SEC game in school history.
• 1995: Moe Williams ran all over the Cincinnati defense, tying a then-school record with 40 carries for 272 rushing yards, the second most in school history, as the Wildcats defeated the Bearcats, 33-14.
• 2000: Kentucky’s offense effectively moved the chains against Vanderbilt’s defense, producing 33 first downs, the third most in school history, but it wasn’t enough for the Wildcats as they were defeated by the Commodores, 24-20. The offense was led by Jared Lorenzen’s 385 passing yards, his seventh career 300-yard passing game
• 2006: Keenan Burton had a career-high 171 receiving yards, the fifth most in school history, in Kentucky’s 38-26 win over Vanderbilt. The Wildcats’ 21 fourth-quarter points are tied for the second most fourth quarter points scored in school history. The offense was also led by Andre’ Woodson’s career-high 450 passing yards, but it was running back Rafael Little who stole the show. Rafael had 132 rushing yards and 114 receiving yards, becoming the only player in school history to have at least 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game twice in his career.
Nov. 12
• 1881: Kentucky, known back then as A&M College, defeated Kentucky University, now known as Transylvania, by the odd score of 7.25-1, in the first football game ever played in school history.
• 1960: Bill Ransdell, Sr. had 125 rushing yards, including an 88-yard rushing touchdown, tied for the second-longest running play in school history, as the Wildcats shut out Xavier, 49-0. The offense was also led by Dave Chapman’s career-high 110 receiving yards.
• 1966: Dicky Lyons, Sr. had a 97-yard punt return for a touchdown, the longest punt return in school history, as the Wildcats lost to Houston, 56-18.
• 2005: Rafael Little did a little bit of everything for the Wildcats against Vanderbilt, resulting in 372 all-purpose yards, the second most in school history, in Kentucky’s 48-43 shootout victory over the Commodores. Included in Little’s 372 all-purpose yards were his career-high 192 rushing yards. Kentucky scored 21 points in the first quarter, tied for the most first-quarter points scored in school history.
Nov. 13
• 1954: Kentucky intercepted Memphis’ quarterbacks five times, tied for the third most in school history, as the Wildcats thoroughly defeated the Tigers, 33-7.
• 1965: Quarterback Rick Norton picked apart Houston’s defense, passing for a then-school record 373 passing yards, in Kentucky’s 38-21 loss to the Cougars. The offense was also led by Larry Seiple’s career-high 167 receiving yards.
• 1976: Kentucky upset the No. 15 Florida Gators, 28-9, in Lexington. This was Kentucky’s largest margin of victory against a ranked SEC opponent since 1964.
• 1982: Linebacker Scott Schroeder was all over the field on defense for the Wildcats, setting a then-school record with 24 total tackles, as Kentucky lost to Florida, 39-13.
• 1993: Moe Williams rushed for 129 yards, his fourth career 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky defeated East Carolina in a low-scoring affair, 6-3.
• 2004: Kentucky overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat Vanderbilt, 14-13. At the time this was Kentucky’s largest fourth quarter comeback in school history.
• 2010: The Wildcats had a ground attack led by a pair of 100-yard rushers, Randall Cobb (170) and Derrick Locke (145), in Kentucky’s 38-20 victory over Vanderbilt.
Nov. 14
• 1959: Calvin Bird had an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first kickoff return for a touchdown by Kentucky since 1946, in the Wildcats’ 41-0 shutout victory over Xavier.
• 1992: Tim Calvert had a career-high 130 receiving yards as the Wildcats lost to Cincinnati, 17-13.
• 1998: Junior quarterback Tim Couch led an aerial assault against Vanderbilt, completing 44 passes, the second most in school history, for 492 yards, the fourth most in school history, in Kentucky’s 55-17 win over the Commodores. The offense was also led by Craig Yeast’s greatest performance by a wide receiver in school history, setting school records for receptions (16) and receiving yards (269). The 679 yards of total offense by Kentucky were the second most in school history. The Wildcats blew the game open with their 31 third-quarter points, the most third-quarter points scored in school history.
• 2009: Derrick Locke rushed for 144 yards, his third career 100-yard rushing game, as Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt, 24-13.
