1976 Kentucky Wildcats football team
1976 Kentucky Wildcats football | |
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Peach Bowl Champions | |
Peach Bowl, W 21-0 vs. North Carolina | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 19 |
AP | No. 18 |
1976 record | 8-4 (4-2 SEC) |
Head coach | Fran Curci |
Home stadium | Commonwealth Stadium |
1976 SEC football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#10 Georgia $ | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#11 Alabama | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#20 Mississippi State | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
#18 Kentucky | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ole Miss | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LSU | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1976 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. The Wildcats beat four different ranked teams during the season, scoring 209 points while allowing 151 points. Kentucky won the 1976 Peach Bowl and finished the season 8-4 and ranked #19 in the country.
Season
Kentucky opened the season with a 38-13 victory over Oregon State. Next was a 16-37 loss at Kansas. The following week, Kentucky defeated West Virginia 14-10.[1]
On October 10,[1] Kentucky hosted #20 ranked Penn State.[2] The 57,733 in attendance was the largest crowd ever for a football game in the state of Kentucky up to that time.[2] Kentucky quarterback Derrick Ramsey ran for 95 yards and a touchdown; running back Chris Hill added 106 yards and a touchdown, and safety Rick Hayden had two intereceptions.[2] Kentucky held Penn State to 212 yards of total offense and won 22-6.[1] Penn State coach Joe Paterno commented after the game, "That was a good football team we played. What can you say after you get the devil kicked out of you?"[2]
That victory was followed by a 7-14 loss at Mississippi State, a team that would finish the season with a 9-2 record.[1] The following week, Kentucky defeated LSU 21-7.[1] A 7-31 loss to Georgia was next, followed by a 14-24 loss at Maryland.[1]
Kentucky went undefeated in November, defeating Vanderbilt 14-0 and Florida 28-9, and beating Tennessee 7-0 in Knoxville.[1]
Kentucky finished the season in the 1976 Peach Bowl against 9-2 North Carolina,[1] ranked #18.[3] Kentucky outgained North Carolina 334 yards to 109; the Wildcat defense held the Tar Heels to a total of five first downs and the Wildcats forced five turnovers.[4] Kentucky won 21-0 and ended the season ranked #19 in the AP poll.[1][3][4]
Schedule
Date | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | Result | |||||
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September 11 | Oregon State* | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY | W 38-13 | ||||||
September 18 | at No. 13 Kansas* | Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS | L 16-37 | ||||||
September 25 | West Virginia* | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY | W 14-10 | ||||||
October 2 | No. 20 Penn State* | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY | W 22-6 | ||||||
October 9 | at Mississippi State | Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium • Jackson, MS (Rivalry) | L 7-14 | ||||||
October 16 | No. 16 LSU | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY | W 21-7 | ||||||
October 23 | No. 10 Georgia | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY | L 7-31 | ||||||
October 30 | at No. 5 Maryland* | Byrd Stadium • College Park, MD | L 14-24 | ||||||
November 6 | at Vanderbilt | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY | W 14-0 | ||||||
November 13 | No. 15 Florida | Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY | W 28-9 | ||||||
November 20 | at Tennessee | Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN (Battle for the Barrel) | W 7-0 | ||||||
December 31 | vs. No. 19 North Carolina | Fulton County Stadium • Atlanta, GA (Peach Bowl) | W 21-0 | ||||||
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. |
Team players in the 1977 NFL Draft
Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Club |
Warren Bryant | Tackle | 1 | 6 | Atlanta Falcons |
Randy Burke | Wide Receiver | 1 | 26 | Baltimore Colts |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1976 Kentucky Wildcats games and scores
- 1 2 3 4 Story, Mark, UK football's greatest wins at Commonwealth, Lexington Herald-Leader, September 4, 2011
- 1 2 "AP Poll Archive". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
- 1 2 2001 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, '1976 Peach Bowl', p. 166
- ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1977.htm