1977 University of Kentucky football season
The 1977 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season . The Wildcats scored 252 points while allowing 111 points. The Wildcats finished conference play undefeated but due to NCAA probation were not eligible for a share of the SEC championship or for postseason play.[ 1] The Wildcats finished the season ranked #6 in the final AP Poll .[ 2]
Kentucky's 33–13 victor over LSU was its third in four years over the Bayou Bengals, and the Wildcats' first at Tiger Stadium since 1949, when Bear Bryant was Kentucky's coach.
In the Border Battle, Kentucky beat Tennessee by a score of 21–17. Entering that game, Kentucky had seven injured starters unable to play, including quarterback Derrick Ramsey , whose arm was injured so badly he could not throw the football. Tennessee jumped out to a 17–14 lead when backup quarterback Mike Deaton completed a 36-yard pass to Felix Wilson; the injured Ramsey then entered the game and led Kentucky to a touchdown. Tennessee's offense then took the ball to Kentucky's 22-yard line but Tennessee quarterback Jimmy Streater fumbled due to a hit by Kentucky All-American defensive end Art Still , and linebacker Kelly Kirchbaum recovered the ball to preserve the win.[ 3]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source September 10 North Carolina * W 10–757,796 [ 4] September 17 at Baylor * L 6–2130,000 [ 5] September 24 West Virginia * Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, KY W 28–1357,796 [ 6] October 1 at No. 4 Penn State * W 24–2062,196 [ 7] October 8 Mississippi State No. 16 Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, KY W 23–757,914 [ 8] October 15 at No. 16 LSU No. 12 W 33–1371,495 [ 9] October 22 at Georgia No. 8 W 33–059,100 [ 10] October 29 Virginia Tech * No. 7 Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, KY W 32–057,914 [ 11] November 5 at Vanderbilt No. 7 W 28–634,694 [ 12] November 12 at Florida No. 7 W 14–758,125 [ 13] November 19 Tennessee No. 7 Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, KY (rivalry ) W 21–1757,914 [ 14] *Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 15] [ 16]
1977 Kentucky Wildcats football team roster Players Coaches Offense Pos. # Name Class RB Randy Brooks QB Mike Deaton RB Joe Dipre OL Tom Dornbrook OL Dan Fowler OL Will Grant RB Robert Hawkins RB Chris Hill OL Dave Hopewell OL Tom Kearns TE Greg Nord RB Henry Parks TE Scott Petersen OL Larry Petkovsek QB Derrick Ramsey RB Chuck Servino RB Rod Stewart WR Bill Tolston WR David Trosper RB Fred Williams WR Felix Wilson
Defense Pos. # Name Class DL Jerry Blanton DB Ritchie Boyd DL Bud Diehl DB Rich Hayden DL Richard Jaffe LB Kelly Kirchbaum LB Mike Martin DB Dallas Owens DL James Ramey DB Mike Siganos DL David Stephens DE Art Still DT 83 Bob Winkel Sr
Special teams Pos. # Name Class K Joe Bryant
Head coach Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt
1 2 3 4 Total • Kentucky 7 7 10 0 24 Penn St 10 10 0 0 20
Scoring summary 1 PSU Bahr 20 yard field goal PSU 3-0 1 PSU Cefalo 75 yard punt return (Bahr kick) PSU 10-0 1 KEN Owens 23 yard interception return (Bryant kick) PSU 10-7 2 KEN Servino 1 yard run (Bryant kick) KEN 14-10 2 PSU Guman 29 yard pass from Fusina (Bahr kick) PSU 17-14 2 PSU Bahr 25 yard field goal PSU 20-14 3 KEN Bryant 30 yard field goal PSU 20-17 3 KEN Ramsey 1 yard run (Bryant kick) KEN 24-20
1 2 3 4 Total • Kentucky 0 10 10 13 33 Georgia 0 0 0 0 0
Scoring summary Q2 KY Bryant 51 yard field goal KY 3–0 Q2 KY Williams 1 yard pass from Ramsey (Bryant kick) KY 10–0 Q3 KY Tropser 17 yard pass from Ramsey (Bryant kick) KY 17–0 Q3 KY Bryant 51 yard field goal KY 20–0 Q4 KY Wilson 12 yard pass from Ramsey (Bryant kick) KY 27–0 Q4 KY Nord 10 yard pass from Deaton (kick failed) KY 33–0
[ 17]
Team players in the NFL [ edit ] [ 18]
^ "Kentucky Wildcats Official Athletic Site - Football" . Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2014 . ^ "Final 1977 AP Poll at AP Poll Archive.com" . Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2009 . ^ Story, Mark, UK football's greatest wins at Commonwealth, Lexington Herald-Leader, September 4, 2011 ^ "Kentucky Wildcats claw Carolina 10–7" . Rocky Mount Telegram . September 11, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Baylor bounces Kentucky, 21–6" . The Odessa American . September 18, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Kentucky plows over W. Virginia" . The Tampa Tribune-Times . September 25, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Kentucky shocks Penn State" . The Tennessean . October 2, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Wildcats blitz State, 23–7" . The Montgomery Advertiser . October 9, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Kentucky romps over LSU, 33–13" . The Miami Herald . October 16, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Georgia blanked 33–0 by 'Cats" . The Times Recorder . October 23, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "Mistakes don't matter as UK smothers VPI" . The Courier-Journal . October 30, 1977. Retrieved December 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com . ^ " 'Cats nail Vandy for victory No. 8" . The Paducah Sun-Democrat . November 6, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "UK Wildcats 'purrr...fect' against UF" . The Pensacola News-Journal . November 13, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com . ^ "UK nips tough Tennessee, ends 10–1" . The Courier-Journal . November 20, 1977. Retrieved May 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com . ^ 1997 Kentucky Football Media Guide, p.168 ^ "Kentucky in the 1977 AP polls, AP Poll Archive" . Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2009 . ^ Ocala Star-Banner. 1977 Oct 23. Retrieved 2018-Nov-03. ^ "1978 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 22, 2007.
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