1976 Kentucky Wildcats football team

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.

1976 Kentucky Wildcats football
Peach Bowl champion
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 19
APNo. 18
1976 record8–4 (4–2 SEC)
Head coach
Home stadiumCommonwealth Stadium
1976 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 10 Georgia $ 5 –1 –0  10 –2 –0
No. 11 Alabama 5 –2 –0  9 –3 –0
No. 20 Mississippi State 4 –2 –0  9 –2 –0
Florida 4 –2 –0  8 –4 –0
No. 18 Kentucky 4 –2 –0  8 –4 –0
LSU 3 –3 –0  6 –4 –1
Auburn 3 –3 –0  4 –7 –0
Ole Miss 3 –4 –0  5 –6 –0
Tennessee 2 –4 –0  6 –5 –0
Vanderbilt 0 –6 –0  2 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Mississippi State later forfeited all 1976 wins due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

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 interceptions.[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
DateOpponentSiteResult
September 11Oregon State*
W 38–13
September 18at No. 13 Kansas*
L 16–37
September 25West Virginia*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 14–10
October 2No. 20 Penn State*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 22–6
October 9at Mississippi State
L 7–14
October 16No. 16 LSU
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 21–7
October 23No. 10 Georgia
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 7–31
October 30at No. 5 Maryland*
L 14–24
November 6at Vanderbilt
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 14–0
November 13No. 15 Florida
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 28–9
November 20at Tennessee
W 7–0
December 31vs. No. 19 North Carolina
W 21–0
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Team players in the 1977 NFL Draft
PlayerPositionRoundPickNFL Club
Warren BryantTackle16Atlanta Falcons
Randy BurkeWide Receiver126Baltimore Colts

[5]

References
  1. 1976 Kentucky Wildcats games and scores Archived 2009-09-27 at WebCite
  2. Story, Mark, UK football's greatest wins at Commonwealth, Lexington Herald-Leader, September 4, 2011
  3. "AP Poll Archive". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
  4. 2001 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, '1976 Peach Bowl', p. 166
  5. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1977.htm
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