< PreviousF rom UK’s first All-American, Clyde John- son, to its most recent, Lynn Bowden Jr. and Max Duffy; from Professor A.M. Miller to Coach Mark Stoops; from old Stoll Field to Commonwealth Stadium to Kroger Field; from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association to the Southeastern Conference; and with all the ensuing changes, Kentucky football holds a unique and storied tradition that began in 1881. UK football holds a captivating list of firsts: UK was the first South eastern Confer- ence team to introduce football, which it did in 1881; UK played in the first and only Great Lakes Bowl in 1947, defeating Villanova, 24- 14; Kentucky tackle Bob Gain was awarded the 1950 Outland Trophy, making him the first player from the SEC to claim the honor; Josh Allen was the first UK player to win the National Defensive Player of the Year when he received the Bednarik Award, the Nagur- ski Award and the Lott Trophy in 2018; the Wildcats’ Nat Northington was the first Af- rican-American player to sign with a South- eastern Conference institution and the first to play in a league contest – vs. Ole Miss in 1967, and in 1969 Wilbur Hackett became the first African-American captain for any SEC team. Then, in 1989, UK became the first SEC school to win the coveted College Football Association Academic Achievement Award for highest graduation rate. In 130 seasons, Kentucky has participat- ed in 1,305 contests. UK football has won one national championship, two South- eastern Conference championships and ap- peared in 20 bowls. UK football has had 17 National Foot- ball League first-round draft choices, one Bednarik Trophy winner, one Nagurski Trophy winner, one Lott Trophy winner, one Outland Trophy winner, one Hornung Award winner, one Ray Guy Award winner, one Wuerffel Trophy winner, 29 first-team All-Americans (selected 33 times), 20 Ac- ademic All-Americans (selected 25 times), 86 first-team All-SEC players (selected 112 times), 700 Academic All-SEC selections and one SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Kentucky football got its start on Nov. 12, 1881. Kentucky, known in those days as A&M College, Kentucky State College and/ or State University of Kentucky, defeated Kentucky University by the clumsy score of 7 1/4 to 1. The game of football resembled more of a rugby form and the scoring proce- dure is still unclear. Though football came to Kentucky in 1881, it quickly vanished after the three-game season. UK finished 1-2 in the inaugural campaign, but the lid was shut on UK football for the next nine seasons. Football returned to the University of Ken- tucky in 1891, when UK defeated George- town College, 8-2, on April 10, 1891. The sport would not again be interrupted until the 1943 season because of World War II. The first known head football coach at Kentucky was Professor A.M. Miller, who the students asked to coach despite his admitted limited knowledge of the game. Miller began the 1892 season, then graciously stepped aside later in the year for John A. Thompson, who had more experience with the sport. Some successful years in the early 1900s dot the UK record book. Kentucky finished 7-1 in 1903 under Coach C.A. Wright; 9-1 in 1904 under Coach F.E. Schact; 9-1-1 in 1907 with Coach J. White Guyn, and 9-1 in 1909 under E.R. Sweetland. The greatest UK team of that era was the 1898 squad, known simply to Kentuckians as “The Immortals.” To this day, the Immor- tals remain the only undefeated, untied, and unscored upon team in UK football history. The Immortals were coached by W.R. Bass and ended the year a perfect 7-0-0, despite an average weight of 147 pounds per player. Victories came easily for this squad, as the Immortals raced by Kentucky University (18- 0), Georgetown (28-0), Company H of the 8th Massachusetts (59-0), Louisville Athletic Club (16-0), Centre (6-0), 160th Indiana (17- 0) and Newcastle Athletic Club (36-0). Besides Bass, two of the most successful coaches in the early stages of UK football were E.R. Sweetland and Harry Gamage. Sweetland compiled a 23-5 mark in three seasons (1909-10, 12). His best year was 9-1 in ’09. Gamage took the reins of the UK program in 1927 and remained until follow- ing the 1933 campaign. In between, Gam- age led the Wildcats to a combined 32-25-5 record. His best season was 6-1-1 in ’29. One of Gamage’s brightest moments came during the 1930 season. During the 57-0 blanking of Maryville, UK running back Shipwreck Kelly rushed for a school-record 280 yards in leading the Cats. More than a decade after Gamage had left UK, a young man by the name of Paul “Bear” Bryant arrived on the scene at Lex- ington in 1946. Bryant quickly grabbed the UK program by the collar and turned the Cats into a national power. Bryant took UK to eight consecutive winning seasons (1946-53) and helped the Wildcats claim their first national champi- onship and Southeastern Conference cham- pionship in 1950. He also sent UK squads to four bowl games which included the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl, 1950 Orange Bowl, 1951 Sugar Bowl, and the 1952 Cotton Bowl. The biggest win in UK football history came under Bryant. After leading Kentucky to its first SEC title and a 10-1 regular-sea- son record, UK found itself matched with defending national champion Oklaho- ma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl. The Wildcats scored early and held off the Sooners, 13- 7, breaking Oklahoma’s 31-game winning Walt Yowarsky was named MVP of the 1951 Sugar Bowl. Coach Bear Bryant guided Kentucky to eight consecutive winning seasons and four bowl games from 1946-53. 38 @UKFootball Kentucky Football HistoryWe’re your Shield. We’re your Shelter. 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We’re honored to be ranked the BEST Auto Insurance Company in the USAstreak 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 ‘02, but the Wildcats could not go to a bowl game because of NCAA probation. Derek Art Still earned consensus first-team All-America honors at defensive end in 1977. 40 @UKFootball Kentucky Football HistoryCorbin | Floyd | Hardin | La Grange | Lexington | Louisville | Madisonville | Paducah | Richmond BE A PART OF OUR TEAM. DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE IN A CARING, COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT. A career with Baptist Health offers you a chance to make a difference in a place that values your contributions. With opportunities in all areas of clinical care, support and management, you’re sure to find a rewarding role in a place where you’ll feel at home. Scan the QR code, or visit BaptistHealth.com/Careersto apply. BaptistHealth.com BE inspired impactful includedAbney 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 Hines-Allen, who broke the single-season and school records for quar- terback sacks en route to winning the Bednarik Award, Nagurski Award and Lott Trophy as the National Defensive Player of the Year. He was UK’s first unanimous first-team All-American since Art Still in 1977. Running back Benny Snell had three straight 1,000-yard seasons, break- ing UK career records with 3,873 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns. He was a sec- ond-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 ad- versity to become one of the feel-good sto- ries 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. Despite the distractions of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kentucky made its fifth-consecutive postseason appear- ance in 2020 and notched its third- straight bowl win by knocking off North Carolina State in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl — making Mark Stoops the first coach in school history to take UK to five-straight bowl games. Another 10-win season came in 2021, just the fourth in UK history and second under Stoops. Highlights featured the first home win over Flor- ida since 1986, a third-straight Gov- ernor’s Cup triumph over Louisville and a dramatic come-from-behind over Iowa in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl. The Wildcats had three All-Americans, offen- sive tackle Darian Kinnard; defensive end and big-play machine Josh Paschal; and re- cord-setting wide receiver Wan’Dale Robin- son. Stoops kept the momentum going in 2022 and 2023 by posting seven wins each season and extending the school-record bowl streak to eight consecutive postsea- son appearances. Highlighting the ‘22 cam- paign was a 26-16 win at No. 12/19 Florida, giving Stoops his school-record 61st career victory and marking the first back-to-back defeats of the Gators since 1976-77. Under Stoops, Wildcats also have been recognized for their all-around excellence. Linebacker Courtney Love won the 2017 Danny Wuerffel Trophy and tight end C.J. Conrad the 2018 Pop Warner Award, both emblematic of exemplary community ser- vice and excellence on the field and in the classroom. Kentucky has had 17 players selected for the Allstate AFCA Good Work Team, third- most of any school, with Kenneth Horsey the most recent selection in 2021. Josh Pas- chal, who overcame cancer to become a leader on the team, in the community and in the classroom, received the 2021 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award. Another milestone of the Stoops era was the 2015 re-imagination of Commonwealth Stadium, a renovation that cost $126 million and made the place more fan-friendly with wider concourses, more restrooms and con- cessions areas, benchback seats through- out most of the stadium and new premium spaces and suites. The venue was renamed Kroger Field in 2017 and the playing surface is named C.M. Newton Grounds in honor of the former director of athletics. Josh Hines-Allen and Benny Snell Jr. celebrate UK's 27-24 win over Penn State in the VRBO Citrus Bowl. 42 @UKFootball Kentucky Football HistoryFirst 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 186-144-4 (.556), 50-28 (.641) under Mark Stoops Field Name n The stadium footprint is named C.M. Newton Grounds at Kroger Field 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 2015 when 62,945 fans attended the Florida game on Sept. 23, 2017. 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 in 2015. Other SEC schools with a turf surface are: Vanderbilt and Missouri. The school’s new interlocking “UK” logo is positioned in the center of the field. A new turf field was installed in 2023. Video Boards n In 2024, a new LED lighting system was installed that included the ability to do light shows during timeouts and breaks. New ribbon boards have greater functionality, featuring sharper visual resolution than the previous set and expanded capability for display of video and graphics. 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 Attendances Kroger Field n Home Field of the University of Kentucky 44 @UKFootballEARN MONEY AND SAVE FOR THAT WILDCAT BLUE GECKO YOU ALWAYS WANTED. Sign up now for our new energy efficiency programs and use your rewards for … whatever you’re into. lge-ku.com/saveFormer 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 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 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 2021.............7 .............394,105 .............56,301 2022.............8 .............482,312 .............60,289 2023.............7 .............426,572 .............60,939 Total ...........334 ......19,079,247 .............57,123 Since 1999 .172 ......10,342,170 .............60,128 (Note: stadium was expanded in 1999) * Kroger Field capacity was limited to 12,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions 46 @UKFootball Kroger Field n Home Field of the University of Kentucky Kentucky Football Attendance in Kroger FieldYOUR TAILGATING HEADQUARTERS 2187 HARRODSBURG RD. 3292 RICHMOND RD. & DOWNLOAD OUR APP FOR $5 OFF citybbq.comNext >