< Previous38 @UKFootball Kentucky Football History 7, breaking Oklahoma’s 31-game winning streak which is currently the ninth-longest in NCAA history. In the 1990s, research by Jeff Sagarin, who compiles the Sagarin Computer Ratings for USA Today, indicated that UK is the na- tional champion for the 1950 season under that ranking system. Also under Bryant, tackle Bob Gain be- came the first UK and SEC player to win the Outland Trophy in 1950. Other standouts in the Bryant era included George Blanda, All-American Babe Parilli, and eventual UK coach Jerry Claiborne. Bryant left Kentucky following the 1953 season. He compiled an impressive 60-23-5 record in eight years. Bryant’s 60 victories are still a UK football record for head coaches. Blanton Collier had the task of following in Bryant’s footsteps. He stayed eight years at UK as well, etching a 41-36-3 record from 1954 to 1961. Kentuckians best remember Collier for his 5-2-1 record against arch-rival Tennessee. He coached All-Americans Lou Michaels (1957-58) and Howard Schnellen- berger (1955) at UK. Charlie Bradshaw became the head mentor at UK in time for the 1962 season. Bradshaw, a UK graduate who lettered four years (1946-49), managed only a 25-41-4 record in seven seasons. One highlight of his term at UK came in 1964, a 27-21 upset of No. 1-ranked Ole Miss in Jackson, Miss. John Ray entered the scene in 1969 as head coach. In four years, Ray was 10-33. His biggest win came during his first year as Kentucky again victimized Ole Miss and Archie Manning. The Cats upset the Rebels, 10-9, in Lexington. The Fran Curci era began in 1973, the same year Kentucky moved from ancient Stoll Field/McLean Stadium to spacious Com- mon-wealth Stadium. Though Curci had only one winning campaign during his first three years, things got interesting beginning with the 1976 season. UK ended the ’76 year with an 8-3 record and its second SEC championship. UK helped secure its second league ti- tle on the strength of a 62-yard touchdown pass from Derrick Ramsey to Greg Woods to beat Tennessee, 7-0, at Knoxville, Tenn. The victory clinched a berth in the Peach Bowl against North Carolina, UK’s first postseason appearance in 25 years. Before a UK contin- gent estimated at 25,000, the Cats blanked the Tar Heels, 21-0. The following year, Kentucky went on NCAA probation. Despite an early season loss at Baylor, the Wildcats rolled to an im- pressive 10-1 record doing it the hard way. Kentucky defeated Penn State (24-20) in University Park, Pa., defeated LSU (33-13) in Baton Rouge, La., blanked Georgia (33-0) in Athens, Ga., and beat Florida (14-7) in Gainesville, Fla. In the Curci era, players like Sonny Col- lins (UK career leader with 3,835 yards rushing), All-Americans Warren Bryant and Art Still and multi-talented Derrick Ram- sey, wore the blue and white. In all, Curci worked nine years, the longest term of any UK head coach. Jerry Claiborne answered the call of his alma mater in December of 1981 and was named the school’s 31st head football coach. Claiborne had played at UK from 1946-49 and was an assistant coach under Bryant at UK in 1952-53. After an 0-10-1 mark in Claiborne’s first season, his 1983 squad tied for the nation’s most improved program with a regular-sea- son record of 6-4-1 and a berth in the Hall of Fame Bowl. Kentucky improved in 1984, finishing with a 9-3 record which included a thrilling 20-19 win over Wisconsin in the ’84 Hall of Fame Bowl. Claiborne won 41 games during his eight seasons with the Wildcats. Claiborne and Bryant are the only two UK coaches to win at least five games in seven consecutive seasons. During Claiborne’s tenure, UK captured the 1989 CFA Academic Achievement Award. UK led the SEC in SEC Academic Honor Roll selections (68) during the Clai- borne era, including a then-league record of 17 players named to the 1989 honor roll. Individually, quarterback Bill Ransdell played under Claiborne and left as UK’s all-time leader in passing and total offense. Mark Higgs departed as the school’s sec- ond-leading rusher and tackle Oliver Barnett set a UK record with 26 quarterback sacks. After Claiborne’s retirement, Bill Curry took over as head coach in 1990. The high- light of Curry’s term came in 1993 as the Wildcats played in the Peach Bowl. In 1994, the Wildcats faced intrastate ri- val Louisville for the first time in 70 years and defeated the Cardinals 20-14 in front of a then-record 59,162 fans in Common- wealth Stadium. The 1995 season was highlighted by tail- back Moe Williams, who rushed for 1,600 yards, broke three SEC records, and broke or tied 15 school records. Williams had 429 all-purpose yards in a win at South Caroli- na, the second-highest single-game total in NCAA history. The arrival of Coach Hal Mumme in 1997 unleashed a lightning bolt of enthu- siasm for Kentucky football. Mumme’s dy- namic “Air Raid” offense put UK among the national leaders in passing yardage and total offense and the ’97 team broke or tied 51 school records and 15 Southeastern Confer- ence records. UK returned to the bowl scene in 1998 when the Wildcats won seven games. Quarterback Tim Couch was a first-team All-American, SEC Player of the Year, and a finalist for the Heisman Trophy while re- writing NCAA, SEC, and UK record books. Wide receiver Craig Yeast became the lead- ing pass catcher in SEC history. The Wildcats capped their season by playing Penn State in the Outback Bowl, the school’s first New Year’s Day bowl game in 47 years. Following the Outback Bowl season, Commonwealth Stadium was expanded. UK enclosed both end zones and added personal suites in time for the 1999 season, boosting seating capacity to 67,606. The Wildcats celebrated the stadium expansion with another bowl season. All-America tight end James Whalen helped lead UK to the 1999 HomePoint.com Music City Bowl, marking the school’s first back-to-back bowl appearances since 1983-84. Guy Morriss coached the Wildcats in 2001-02. He guided UK to seven wins in Art Still earned consensus first-team All-America honors at defensive end in 1977.‘02, but the Wildcats could not go to a bowl game because of NCAA probation. Derek Abney returned six kicks for touchdowns, more than any player in one season in NCAA history, and was named first-team All-Ameri- ca along with punter Glenn Pakulak. Pakulak emerged as the best punter in school history and won the Mosi Tatupu Award as National Special Teams Player of the Year. Inheriting a roster weakened by proba- tion was the major obstacle for Rich Brooks when he took over as head coach in 2003. Brooks’ rebuilding efforts began bearing fruit in 2006. The Wildcats had their best season in 22 years by winning eight games, includ- ing a 28-20 upset of highly favored Clemson in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. Led by quarterback Andre’ Woodson, tailback Rafael Little, wide receiver Keenan Burton, tight end Jacob Tamme and line- backer Wesley Woodyard, the 2007 season contained some of the most exciting mo- ments in school history. UK notched its first win over a Top- 10 opponent in 30 years with a dramat- ic comeback victory over No. 9 Louis- ville. UK reached the Top-10 rankings for the first time since 1977 and the popular “ESPN GameDay” crew made its first visit to campus. UK also knocked off No. 1-ranked LSU -- the eventual national champion -- with a 43-37 triple-overtime thriller. The campaign was capped with another Music City Bowl win, this time over traditional power Florida State. UK capped the 2008 season with a win over East Carolina in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the first time in school history that UK won bowl games in three consecutive seasons. Brooks retired following the 2009 sea- son, handing the reins to former Wildcat player and long-time assistant coach Joker Phillips. Sparked by All-America receiver Randall Cobb, Phillips became the first head coach in UK history to take the Wildcats to a bowl game in his first season, completing a school-record streak of five-straight post- season appearances. Another highlight of Phillips’ term was ending the 26-year losing streak vs. Tennessee with a 10-7 win over the Volunteers in 2011. A new era began in 2013 with the hiring of Mark Stoops as head coach. Stoops made steady progress, tying or improving the team’s record for six straight seasons. The Wildcats returned to the postseason scene at the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl, followed by a trip to the 2017 Music City Bowl. Stoops’ building culminated in 2018 with a 10-3 record, UK’s best season in 41 years and only the third 10-win season in school history. UK’s 5-3 SEC record also was the team’s first winning league mark since 1977. Highlights included ending a 31- game losing streak vs. Florida with a 27-16 win in The Swamp; a miraculous comeback win at Missouri; a 56-10 win at Louisville that is the largest margin of victory in the Governor’s Cup series; and the season was topped by a 27-24 win over No. 12 Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl. A rock-ribbed defense was led by line- backer Josh Allen, who broke the single-sea- son and school records for quarterback sacks en route to winning the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Award and Lott Trophy as the Na- tional Defensive Player of the Year. He was UK’s first unanimous first-team All-Amer- ican since Art Still in 1977. Running back Benny Snell had three straight 1,000-yard seasons, breaking UK career records with 3,873 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns. He was a second-team All-American. Helping pave the way for Snell’s exploits was guard Jervontius “Bunchy” Stallings, who received first-team All-America accolades. With massive personnel losses on de- fense, and the quarterback corps wiped out by injuries, the 2019 Wildcats overcame adversity to become one of the feel-good stories of college football. Wide receiver/ kick returner Lynn Bowden Jr. took over at QB, leading the Cats to a 6-2 record down the stretch, including a dramatic, come- from-behind Belk Bowl win over Virginia Tech. Bowden was named the winner of the Paul Hornung Award as the Most Versatile Player in College Football and Max Duffy claimed the Ray Guy Award as top punter in the land. Wildcats also were recognized for their all-around excellence. Linebacker Court- ney Love won the 2017 Danny Wuerffel Trophy and tight end C.J. Conrad the 2018 Pop Warner Award, both emblematic of ex- emplary community service and excellence on the field and in the classroom. In 2019, Landon Young was the 15th player in UK history to earn a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Work Team and the school’s first to be named Good Works Team captain. Despite the distractions of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kentucky made its fifth-con- secutive postseason appearance in 2020 and notched its third-straight bowl win by knocking off North Carolina State in the Tax- Slayer Gator Bowl -- making Mark Stoops the first coach in school history to take Ken- tucky to five-straight bowl games. Josh Allen and Benny Snell Jr. celebrate UK's 27-24 win over Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl. Kentucky Football History 40 @UKFootball42 @UKFootball Kroger Field First Game n Sept. 15, 1973 (UK 31, Virginia Tech 26) Largest Crowd Since 2015 Renovation n 63,543, 2018 (UK 17, Georgia 34) Kroger Field Record n 171-137 (.555), 35-21 (.625) under Mark Stoops Field Name n C.M. Newton Grounds in honor of the former UK Director of Athletics Seating Capacity n 61,000, including the Kroger Field Suites. n UK announced its first sellout since 2010 when 62,933 fans attended the season opener vs. Louisiana Lafayette on Sept. 5, 2015. Attendance n Since the 1999 expansion, UK has averaged 60,261 fans per game and ranked in the nation’s top 30 teams in attendance in 16 of the last 18 seasons. Both the single game and season attendance record has been broken in recent years. *Note: Kroger Field capacity was limited to 12,000 fans per game in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions Playing Field n UK switched from natural grass to synthetic turf for the 2015 season. Other SEC schools with a turf surface are: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Missouri. n The end zones and team sideline areas feature a checkerboard pattern in alternating shades of blue. It was designed to mimic the pattern of Secretariat’s silks, which has been part of the football uniforms for five seasons. The school’s new interlocking “UK” logo is positioned in the center of the field. Video Boards n Video boards by Daktronics measuring at 39 by 79 feet, each, bring a total of 6,162 square feet of video capability. The video boards put UK among the nation’s leaders in video square footage. The interior seating bowl also has LED ribbon boards. Sound System n Sportsound system delivers pounding bass energy, smooth mid- and high-range frequencies, and high-impact entertainment. Components of the sound system include a main speaker cluster behind the end zone, under-balcony speakers and concourse speakers. 1. 63,543 Georgia 2018 2. 63,407 Auburn 2015 3. 63,380 EKU 2015 4. 63,081 South Carolina 2018 5. 63,076 Florida 2019 * Since 2015 Renovation 1973 When first constructed in 1973 as Commonwealth Stadium, Kroger Field had a capacity of 57,800 and was completed at a cost of $12 million by the firm of Huber, Hunt and Nichols. The stadium and parking areas rest on an 86-acre plot that was once part of the UK Experimental Station Farm Grounds. The stadium was officially opened on Sept. 15, 1973, as the Wildcats moved into their new home after spending 48 years at Stoll Field/McLean Stadium across from Memorial Coliseum. Kentucky defeated Virginia Tech in the stadium opener, 31-26, as quarterback Ernie Lewis ran for two touchdowns and threw for another TD to lead the Wildcats. 1999 The stadium was expanded in 1999. Both end zones were enclosed, along with the construction of 40 suites, 10 in each corner of the stadium. The project was handled by HNTB of Kansas City, Mo., and Turner Construction of Cincinnati, Ohio. A total of $27.6 million was allocated for the expansion, which also included the original Mitsubishi Diamond Vision video boards, new scoreboards and additional restrooms and concession stands. The attendance capacity was 67,942 in 2012. 2015 Kroger Field was transformed into a state-of-the-art facility after a $120-million reinvention which was completed prior to the 2015 season. The project was also handled by HNTB. The outside of the stadium underwent a dramatic external facelift, receiving a modern look, but one that remained uniquely Kentucky. Inside, the capacity of Kroger Field was reduced over the course of the two-year project to approximately 61,000, but the value of all remaining seats were increased, from the top of the upper deck to front-row seats at midfield. Concourses were revamped and widened throughout the stadium with improved concessions, restrooms and security. Players and coaches reaped the benefits of the new Kroger Field as well, as home-team facilities were built, while a new multi-purpose recruiting room hosts future Wildcats on their on-campus visits. Kroger Field Quick Facts Top Home Attendances44 @UKFootball Kroger Field KENTUCKY FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE IN KROGER FIELD Former Kentucky linebacker Terry Clayton, who is deaf, could not hear the roar of the crowd at Kroger Field. “But,” Clayton said, “I can feel the rumble!” Year ..............G ..................Total ......Avg./Game 1973.............5 .............250,055 .............50,011 1974.............6 .............328,785 .............54,797 1975.............6 .............341,204 .............56,867 1976.............7 .............393,483 .............56,211 1977.............5 .............288,990 .............57,798 1978.............6 .............346,341 .............57,723 1979.............5 .............289,042 .............57,808 1980.............7 .............392,898 .............56,128 1981.............6 .............334,837 .............55,809 1982.............6 .............329,207 .............54,867 1983.............7 .............395,365 .............56,480 1984.............7 .............387,959 .............55,422 1985.............7 .............398,788 .............56,969 1986.............7 .............384,802 .............54,971 1987.............6 .............331,923 .............55,321 1988.............7 .............337,972 .............48,292 1989.............7 .............374,248 .............53,464 1990.............6 .............332,840 .............55,473 Year ..............G ..................Total ......Avg./Game 1991.............6 .............327,250 .............54,542 1992.............6 .............324,875 .............54,146 1993.............6 .............318,178 .............53,030 1994.............7 .............352,012 .............50,287 1995.............6 .............299,772 .............49,446 1996.............6 .............243,884 .............40,647 1997.............6 .............354,662 .............59,110 1998.............6 .............346,422 .............57,737 1999.............6 .............406,536 .............67,756 2000.............6 .............392,772 .............65,462 2001.............6 .............380,881 .............63,480 2002.............7 .............449,084 .............64,155 2003.............7 .............454,457 .............64,922 2004.............6 .............374,002 .............62,334 2005.............6 .............374,697 .............62,450 2006.............7 .............401,307 .............57,330 2007.............8 .............550,588 .............68,824 2008.............7 .............486,038 .............69,434 Year ..............G ..................Total ......Avg./Game 2009.............7 .............487,156 .............69,594 2010.............7 .............462,488 .............66,070 2011.............7 .............420,052 .............60,007 2012.............7 .............347,838 .............49,691 2013.............7 .............416,303 .............59,472 2014.............7 .............403,002 .............57,571 2015.............8 .............490,361 .............61,295 2016.............7 .............370,500 .............58,038 2017.............7 .............395,276 .............56,468 2018.............7 .............385,820 .............55,117 2019.............8 .............425,023 .............53,128 2020* ...........5 ...............60,000 .............12,000 Total ...........312 ......17,776,258 .............56,975 Since 1999 .150 ........9,039,181 .............60,261 (Note: stadium was expanded in 1999) * Kroger Field capacity was limited to 12,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictionsWhen you become an Active Member of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, you help UK transform the lives of our students, serve alumni and improve lives in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond. www.ukalumni.net/membership Help make Big Blue Nation Stronger than Ever!46 @UKFootball Wildcat Marching Band Entertaining thousands of fans with their spirited, high- energy performances, the Wildcat Marching Band enjoys a nation- al reputation as one of the finest collegiate marching bands in the country. The Wildcat Marching Band has participated in nu- merous post-season bowl games, BOA Re- gional Championships, a Presidential Inau- guration, a World Series, and the 2008 Ryder Cup. The basketball pep bands also follow both the men’s and women’s basketball teams throughout postseason play. Marching Band (MUC 190) is a one credit hour class that rehearses Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30-7:30PM. In addition, the Wildcat Marching Band represents nearly every academic major on campus and is the largest student organization at the University of Kentucky while maintaining some of the highest GPA’s on campus. Sweetheart Majorettes As the first female members to join the University of Kentucky Wildcat Marching Band in 1960, the UK Feature Twirlers and Sweetheart Majorette Twirling line is rich in tradition, excellence, and is comprised of national champion twirlers from all over the United States. Taking pride in being one of the best twirling schools in the SEC, the UK Twirling program loves being a part of the Wildcat Marching Band and representing twirling in front of 60,000+ CATS fans at Kroger Field. The UK Feature Twirlers and Sweetheart Ma- jorette line also perform at other UK Athlet- ic events, around the Lexington community, and compete on the local, regional, and na- tional level. Kentucky Cheer, Dance and Mascots The University of Kentucky spirit squads are an important part of the game day expe- rience for the Big Blue Nation. Both the UK cheerleading and dance programs play a key role in helping to preserve and continue the traditions and pageantry that come with any Kentucky game day. Kentucky’s cheerleading squad is, quite simply, the gold standard in the sport. With a record 24 Universal Cheer Association national championships, UK has an un- paralleled tradition in the world of college cheerleading. Kentucky has won 11 of the last 14 national championships and, since 2000, has won the title 16 out of 22 times. Kentucky is the only school to ever win more than two championships in a row, and UK has done so on multiple occasions. Ken- tucky won a record eight straight champi- onships from 1995-2002, won three straight from 2004-06, won three more in a row from 2008-10, then won four in a row from 2016-19. The UK Dance Team has developed into one of the premier programs in the nation as well. At last year’s Universal Dance Asso- ciation competition in Orlando, UK placed second in both the gameday and hip-hop portions of the competitions. Those finishes were the best in UK history. The dance squad energizes the crowd at UK games and keeps the fans engaged from beginning to end. Their high-energy routines have become a regular part of the game day tradition at Kentucky. Both programs re- ceive significant nation- al exposure each year during their national competitions, for UCA and UDA, which air on ESPN. The UK cheerlead- ers are considered some of the best ath- letes on the entire UK campus, while the dance team’s athlet- icism is on display during all of their game day routines. In addition to bring- ing their talent to game days, cheerleaders and dancers represent the universities at numer- ous functions through- out each school year. Kentucky’s mascots, Wildcat and Scratch, are also fan favorites in the Bluegrass. Both mascots appear at UK games year ‘round, bringing joy to UK fans young and old. Wildcat SpiritUK SPORTS NETWORK TV AFFILIATES SPORTS NETWORKSPORTS NETWORK Louisville Paducah Bowling Green Johnson City, TNNext >