< PreviousUK finished the 1976 season with a Peach Bowl victory and its first-ever ranking in a final AP Poll By Corey Price JUST PEACHY@UKSportsNetwork 9 L et us take a trip back in time. The date is Sept. 11, 1976. In the world of mu- sic, “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” by KC and the Sunshine Band is the No. 1 song on the U.S. Billboard Chart. On the big screen, “Obsession” is the No. 1 box office film in America. The country as a whole was joyous in the celebration of its bicentennial and on the small screen, “Happy Days” was the No. 1-rated televi- sion show in the nation. Unfortunately for the University of Kentucky football program, there weren’t many happy days surrounding the team. The Wildcats managed to win just two games in their previous season, while the school’s all-time leading rusher, Alfred “Sonny” Collins, had just graduated. It was truly anyone’s guess as to who would step up for the offense in 1976. With the emer- gence of a dynamic quarterback, and stel- lar play from the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats enjoyed their best season in a quarter-century. To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the 1976 Kentucky football squad, here is a game-by-game recap of the Wildcats’ season that the Big Blue Nation will not soon forget. Sept. 11 vs. Oregon State Kentucky began the season at Com- monwealth Stadium, soundly defeating Oregon State, 38-13. It was the Wildcats’ sixth straight victory in a season opener, their longest win streak in season openers since 1928-1936. Kentucky overwhelmed the Beavers, scoring all 38 points in the first half, their most points scored in the first half of a game since Sept. 15, 1951 against Ten- nessee Tech (39). The Wildcats dominated the second quarter, scoring 24 points. For reference, Kentucky scored more than 24 points for an entire game just once more throughout the remainder of the season. The game was not exactly fundamentally sound though, as both teams committed six turnovers each. Junior quarterback Der- rick Ramsey let the fans, and the rest of Kentucky’s opponents, know what he was capable of, accounting for all five of the Wildcats’ touchdowns (three rushing and two passing). The season opener was also the debut of a great tradition at Kentucky, the Wildcat mascot! Gary Tanner, a junior at the university from Bowling Green, was the first student to don the costume. Sept. 18 at No. 13 Kansas As promising as the season opener was for Kentucky, it appeared as though the Wildcats left their great play in the Blue- grass State, as No. 13 Kansas humbled Kentucky in Lawrence by the score of 37- 16. In every sense of the word, this was the Wildcats’ worst defensive performance of the season, allowing season highs in points scored (37), yards of total offense (401), rushing yards (343), and first downs (21). As a result of their lackluster play, Ken- tucky suffered their worst margin of defeat in a non-conference road game (21 points) since Oct. 10, 1964 at Florida State (42 points). The Jayhawks were the first of sev- en opponents that the Wildcats faced that season that were ranked in the Associated Press Poll at the time of the game, the most in a single season in school history. Sept. 25 vs. West Virginia After the embarrassing loss to the Jay- hawks, the Wildcats needed a feel-good win against West Virginia in front of the home crowd to get back on the right track for the season. Although nothing in particular jumped out about the contest, Kentucky managed to pick up a pedestri- an victory over the Mountaineers, 14-10, despite having a negative-two turnover margin. What was most impressive is that the Wildcats held West Virginia to just 10 points while having three of their best de- fensive players unable to participate – Kelly Kirchbaum and Jim Kovach to injury and David Stephens to a suspension for violat- ing team rules. Running back Rod Stew- art’s nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the first Kentucky touchdown on the season not to involve Ramsey, with the quarterback passing or rushing for the team’s first eight touchdowns. Oct. 2 vs. No. 20 Penn State Kentucky kept the momentum going when No. 20 Penn State, led by legendary head coach Joe Paterno, came into town. The Wildcats literally ran all over the Nitta- ny Lions, resulting in a convincing 22-6 vic- tory at Commonwealth Stadium. From the very start, it was clear what Kentucky’s game plan was against Penn State, as they ran the ball 75 times, as opposed to just eight passing attempts. The 75 rushing attempts by the Wildcats were the second most in a single game in school history. As a result of their ground attack, Kentucky rushed for a season-high 399 yards against the Penn State defense. The Wildcats had two players record their first career 100-yard rushing games in the process – sophomores Chris Hill (106) and Stewart (103). But it was a run by Ramsey that stole the show though. In one of the most iconic moments of the season for Kentucky, with the Wildcats lead- ing 16-0 in the third quarter, Ramsey fought through several Nittany Lion defenders, with his jersey tearing apart in the process, to race 61 yards down the sideline to score, extending Kentucky’s lead to 22-0. With the victory, the Wildcats had already surpassed The 1976 Kentucky Wildcat team had 16 players who were eventually selected in the NFL Draft. their win total from the 1975 season just four games into the season. Oct. 9 vs. Mississippi State The Wildcats’ winning streak came to a screeching halt against Mississippi State in a neutral site contest played in Jackson. Ken- tucky simply couldn’t overcome a negative-three turnover mar- gin, as the Wildcats lost 14-7 to the Bulldogs. Fortunately though for Kentucky, the result would change in the Wildcats’ favor in the near future. In May of 1978, the NCAA had declared that Mis- sissippi State had used an ineligi- ble player, defensive lineman Lar- ry Gillard, throughout the 1976 season. As a result, Kentucky was retroactively awarded a victory for that contest. Oct. 16 vs. No. 16 LSU Kentucky returned home to Lexington and relied heavily on their defense against No. 16 LSU. The Wildcats managed to defeat the Tigers 21-7, although Kentucky had their worst offen- sive performance of the season. The Wildcats managed to amass just 210 yards of total offense, a season low, and committed four turnovers. But it was the defense that bailed out Kentucky, forcing four turnovers as well, including a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown by junior Dallas Owens in the first quarter. Stewart would tack on two rushing touch- downs, one each in the second and third quarters, to cement the victory. This was a historic win as it was the first time in school history that the Wildcats defeated a LSU team that was ranked in the AP Poll entering the game. It was also the first time that Ken- tucky won consecutive home games against opponents ranked in the AP Poll since Oct. 20 and Nov. 3 of 1951, against No. 12 Villa- nova and No. 19 Miami (FL). Oct. 23 vs. No. 10 Georgia With a highly anticipated matchup with a Top 10 conference foe ahead, the Big Blue Nation came out in full force for the Georgia game. A then-record crowd of 57,733 fans packed into Commonwealth Stadium, but the energy surrounding the contest wasn’t enough, as the No. 10 Bull- dogs defeated the Wildcats handily, 31-7. Although Kentucky had more first downs and yards of total offense than Georgia, it was the Wildcats’ five turnovers that proved to be the difference in the game. There was a glimmer of hope when Ramsey’s three- yard touchdown run in the first quarter tied the game at seven. Unfortunately, the Bull- dogs scored the game’s final 24 points. That was the only home loss of the season for Kentucky. Oct. 30 at No. 5 Maryland Kentucky’s third consecutive ranked op- ponent in as many weeks proved to be too much for the Wildcats to handle, as No. 10 Maryland handed Kentucky a 24-14 loss. The game was played in College Park, but it seemed as if the Wildcats’ rushing attack stayed behind in Lexington, as Kentucky rushed for a season-low 119 yards. A 26- yard touchdown pass from Ramsey to se- nior Charlie Dickerson in the first quarter briefly gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead. But the Terrapins took control from there, scoring the game’s next 24 points. In a bit of fore- shadowing, Maryland was coached by Jerry Claiborne, who would eventually become Kentucky’s head coach in 1982. Nov. 6 vs. Vanderbilt After consecutive losses, the Wildcats desperately needed a win as they returned home to Lexington to take on Vanderbilt. Kentucky took care of business and got the desired result, shutting out the Commo- dores, 14-0. Ramsey had his best perfor- mance on the ground of the season, rushing for a team-high 118 yards, including a 16- yard touchdown that broke a scoreless tie in the third quarter. It was his second career 100-yard rushing game. 10 @UKFootball Derrick Ramsey led the SEC in rushing yards (771) among quarterbacks and was named Third Team All-America by the Associated Press and Football News.Nov. 13 vs. No. 15 Florida In Kentucky’s final home game of the season, the seniors went out in style as the Wildcats upset No. 15 Florida, 28-9. This was arguably Kentucky’s best all-around performance of the season. On offense, the Wildcats racked up their most total yards of offense (472), most passing yards (139), and their second most points scored. On defense, Kentucky held in check the SEC’s top offense in terms of total yards (400 yards per game) and passing (162.1 yards per game). The Gators could only muster up 154 yards of total offense, including just 40 through the air. A Berj Yepremian 42-yard field goal in the second quarter gave Florida a 3-0 lead. That was the only time during the season that the Wildcats trailed in one of their victories. Kentucky ended up scoring 28 of the game’s final 34 points. This was the Wildcats’ largest mar- gin of victory against the Gators (19 points) since Nov. 4, 1950 (34 points). It was also Kentucky’s sixth home win on the season, their most home wins in a single season since 1955. Nov. 20 at Tennessee The Wildcats traveled down to Knox- ville for their annual end-of-season battle against border rival Tennessee. The two teams weren’t exactly efficient on the of- fensive side of the ball, as they combined to punt 24 times in the game. And Ken- tucky didn’t have much of an aerial at- tack, completing only three passes. But it only took one completion that provided the difference in their 7-0 victory over the Volunteers. Late in the first quarter, Ram- sey connected on a pass to a wide open senior Greg Woods, who then darted 62 yards to the end zone for the only score of the contest. This was the Wildcats’ first win against Tennessee in Knoxville since Nov. 21, 1964, and their first time shut- ting out Tennessee in Knoxville since Nov. 20, 1948. Kentucky ended the season on a high note, winning their final three games of the regular season for the first time since 1954. The Wildcats also accomplished a first in school history, defeating Florida, LSU, and Tennessee in the same season. And to top it all off, Craig Yeast, future Ken- tucky All-American and the school’s all- time leading receiver, was born on this day. With the retroactive victory against Missis- sippi State, the Wildcats were able to share the SEC championship with Georgia with a 5-1 conference record, their first confer- ence championship in football since 1950. Kentucky’s five SEC wins were their most in a single season since 1954. 12 @UKFootball Junior defensive lineman Art Still earned First Team All-SEC honors in 1976.Dec. 31 vs. No. 19 North Carolina (Peach Bowl) With a 7-4 record and three wins against opponents ranked in the AP Poll, the Wild- cats were rewarded with their first post- season appearance since the 1951 season. Kentucky was officially invited to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, where they would take on ACC foe North Carolina, ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll. The Tar Heels would be a hand- ful to prepare for, as they had the ACC Play- er of the Year and the conference’s leading rusher, Mike Voight. Unfortunately for Voi- ght, and luckily for the Wildcats, he injured his ankle in practice just two days before the game and was unable to play. Kentucky took advantage of the absence on North Carolina’s offense and had, by far, their best defensive performance of the season, result- ing in a 21-0 shutout victory. The Wildcats had their season bests in fewest first downs allowed (five) and fewest total yards of of- fense allowed (108). The most telling aspect of the game was that Kentucky intercepted as many passes as North Carolina complet- ed to their own players (three). But it wasn’t just the defense that came to play. Stewart had the best rushing performance by a Wild- cats player in a bowl game, running for a then-school bowl game record 104 yards and three touchdowns. The victory was Kentucky’s first in a bowl game since Jan. 1, 1952 against TCU in the Cotton Bowl. It was also the only shutout, and the largest mar- gin of victory, in a bowl game (21 points), in school history. This ended up being the Wildcats’ third shutout of the season, their most in a single season since 1960 (five). Kentucky also set a school record for most wins against AP Poll ranked opponents in a single season, with four. Season Recap After their dominant Peach Bowl perfor- mance, Kentucky finally was recognized for their efforts throughout the season, being ranked in the AP Poll for the first time, fin- ishing at No. 18 in the final AP Poll. It was the Wildcats’ first time being ranked in the final AP Poll since the 1953 season. With the retroactive victory against Mississippi State, Kentucky had at least nine wins in a season for the first time since 1950 (11). Se- nior offensive lineman Warren Bryant had an outstanding season, and he was deservedly recognized for it, being named a First Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, First Team All-SEC, and he was awarded the Jacobs Trophy, given an- nually to the best blocker in the SEC. Junior quarterback Ramsey led the SEC in rushing yards among quarterbacks, 771, and was named a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press and Football News. In ad- dition to Bryant, three other Wildcats were awarded with all-conference selections, with junior defensive lineman Art Still named to the First Team and junior linebacker Kovach and junior defensive back Mike Siganos named to the Second Team. When all was said and done, 16 Wildcats who earned a varsity letter in 1976 were eventually select- ed in the NFL Draft, with 10 going on to play at least one regular season game in the NFL. For a lasting legacy, four players from that squad are now in the Kentucky Football Ring of Honor at Kroger Field – Bryant, Kovach, Ramsey, and Still. With a stellar ground at- tack, and an aggressive and opportune de- fense, the Kentucky Wildcats of 1976 had a season that will forever be cherished by the faithful of the Big Blue Nation. @UKSportsNetwork 13 Senior offensive lineman Warren Bryant earned many postseason awards for his play during the season. Thank You to Our CORNERSTONE PARTNERS OFFICIAL BANK OF UK ATHLETICSNENext >