Looking Back at UK Football's Previous Wins in Top-10 Matchups
This Saturday the Wildcats will take on the Georgia Bulldogs in a gridiron battle for the right to play in the SEC Championship Game. A Kentucky victory would firmly cement the game as one of the biggest wins in program history. To set the stage for the contest, here’s a look back at Kentucky’s past victories in matchups of ranked teams in the Associated Press Poll.
Oct. 18, 1947: No. 20 Kentucky – 14 No. 10 Vanderbilt – 0 (Nashville)
The Wildcats were simply too much for the Commodores to handle, shutting out Vanderbilt on the road, 14-0. Kentucky quarterback George Blanda was a one-man show on offense, contributing to all 14 points scored. Blanda sneaked into the end zone from one yard out in the first quarter, completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Chink Sengel in the second quarter, and successfully made both extra points. The Wildcats dominated the game statistically, outgaining Vanderbilt 315-151 in yards of total offense. Kentucky handed the Commodores their first loss of the season, and this was the Wildcats’ second win over an AP Poll ranked opponent in program history, previously defeating No. 9 Georgia the week before.
Nov. 4, 1950: No. 5 Kentucky – 40 No. 17 Florida – 6 (Lexington)
In Kentucky’s most dominant win in an AP Poll ranked matchup, the Wildcats thoroughly outplayed the Gators from the opening kick, sending the home fans happy with a resounding 40-6 victory. The Wildcats led Florida 26-6 at halftime and cruised in the second half, scoring one touchdown in each of the final two quarters. Kentucky signal caller Babe Parilli performed well in poor weather conditions, tossing two touchdown passes, 26 yards to Shorty Jamerson and 16 yards to Benny Zaranka. Jamerson added a seven-yard touchdown run to lead the team in scoring. The Wildcats run defense was stifling, holding Florida to a meager negative-eight yards rushing. This, at the time, set a school record for most consecutive victories, eight. Total offense was the greatest indication of Kentucky’s dominance, with the Wildcats outgaining the Gators, 458 to 101.
Jan. 1, 1951: No. 7 Kentucky – 13 No. 1 Oklahoma – 7 (Sugar Bowl, New Orleans)
In arguably the greatest victory in program history, Kentucky traveled down to the Big Easy and knocked off the top-ranked Sooners, 13-7, in the Sugar Bowl. Kentucky did all of its damage in the first half, with Shorty Jamerson scoring both of the Wildcats’ touchdowns. Jamerson caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Babe Parilli in the first quarter, then had a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Oklahoma scored in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late for the Sooners. Although the Sooners outgained Kentucky in terms of total offense, 227 yards to 189 yards, the Wildcats won the game due to their opportunistic defense. Kentucky forced Oklahoma into committing five turnovers, all fumbles. The win secured the Wildcats a school-record 11-win season, and ended Oklahoma’s 31-game winning streak, the longest winning streak in the country at the time.
Nov. 3, 1951: No. 14 Kentucky – 32 No. 19 Miami (FL) – 0 (Lexington)
In Kentucky’s largest shutout win in an AP Poll ranked matchup, the Wildcats blanked the Hurricanes 32-0 on Homecoming Day in Lexington. Wildcats’ quarterback Babe Parilli had no trouble against the third-best pass defense in the country, passing for 103 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Steve Meilinger. Kentucky’s defense was the best unit on the field that day, limiting Miami to just four first downs and a miniscule 22 yards of total offense.
Jan. 1, 1952: No. 15 Kentucky – 20 No. 11 TCU – 7 (Cotton Bowl, Dallas)
Kentucky capped off another successful season with their second consecutive bowl victory, knocking off the Horned Frogs in a gritty battle in the Cotton Bowl, 20-7. Wildcat great Babe Parilli struggled in his final collegiate game, completing less than half of his passes for just 85 yards. But Parilli did toss two touchdowns to Emery Clark, a five-yard toss in the first quarter and a 13-yard strike in the second quarter. TCU scored in the third quarter to cut the deficit to just six points, but Kentucky put the game away in the fourth quarter with a three-yard touchdown run by Ed Hamilton. With the two offenses evenly matched, the Horned Frogs outgaining the Wildcats by a thin 300 yards to 298 yards margin, Kentucky’s bend-but-don’t-break defense provided the difference in the game. The Wildcats stopped four TCU drives in the first half inside the 25-yard line, including three inside the five yard line.
Oct. 31, 1953: No. 19 Kentucky – 19 No. 12 Rice – 13 (Houston)
On Halloween the host Owls gave Kentucky a scare late in the game, but the Wildcats thwarted the comeback attempt, resulting in a 19-13 victory. Both teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter, but a missed extra point for the Wildcats gave Rice a slim one-point lead heading into the second half. But Kentucky came out firing in the third quarter, scoring the game’s next 13 points to put the game out of reach. The Wildcats did their scoring on both sides of the ball, with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Bob Hardy to Steve Meilinger and a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown by Joe Platt.
Oct. 15, 1977: No. 12 Kentucky – 33 No. 16 LSU – 13 (Baton Rouge)
Kentucky spoiled the Tigers’ homecoming, with the Wildcats defeating LSU with ease, 33-13. This was the Wildcats’ first win against the Tigers in Baton Rouge since 1949. Kentucky won this contest with a complete and total team effort, scoring in all three phases of the game. On special teams, kicker Joe Bryant made two field goals in the first half, while defensive standout Art Still returned a blocked field goal attempt 52 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. On offense, quarterback Derrick Ramsey added two touchdown runs of one yard and four yards. Finally, on defense, Dallas Owens had an electrifying 81-yard interception return for a touchdown to conclude Kentucky’s scoring in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats’ patented ground attack under head coach Fran Curci showed up, gaining 264 yards, with Randy Brooks leading the team with 121 yards himself.
Oct. 13, 2007: No. 17 Kentucky – 43 No. 1 LSU – 37 (Lexington)
In one of the biggest wins in program history, the Wildcats mounted a furious comeback to topple the Tigers in a three-overtime thriller, 43-37, in front of a raucous home crowd in Lexington. This was Kentucky’s third victory over the top-ranked team of the AP Poll in school history, and the first since 1964 against Ole Miss. The Wildcats opened up the scoring late in the first quarter, when tight end T.C. Drake caught a deflected pass from quarterback Andre’ Woodson in the end zone. LSU then took over the game for most of the next two quarters, outscoring Kentucky 27-7 over that span. The Wildcats never gave up though, fighting back late to score the game’s last 13 points in regulation, capped off by kicker Lones Seiber’s 27-yard field goal with 4:21 remaining in the contest. Sixty minutes wasn’t enough for these teams as the game headed into overtime. Both teams traded short touchdown runs in the first overtime and long field goals in the second overtime. In the third overtime, Woodson found wide receiver Stevie Johnson open in the corner of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown pass. On LSU’s ensuing possession, the Wildcats’ defense stuffed the Tigers on four consecutive runs, ending the classic contest.
