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1973 Kentucky Wildcats football
Conference Southeastern Conference
Record5–6 (3–4 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJon Mirilovich (1st season)
Defensive coordinator Bill Narduzzi (1st season)
Home stadium Commonwealth Stadium
Seasons
←  1972
1974 →
1973 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Alabama $ 8 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
No. 13 LSU 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
Ole Miss 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
No. 19 Tennessee 3 – 3 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
Georgia 3 – 4 – 0 7 – 4 – 1
Florida 3 – 4 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Kentucky 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Auburn 2 – 5 – 0 6 – 6 – 0
Mississippi State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 5 – 2
Vanderbilt 1 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1973 Kentucky Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1973 NCAA Division I football season. In their first season under head coach Fran Curci, the Wildcats compiled a 5–6 record (3–4 against conference opponents) and finished in a three-way tie for fifth place in the SEC. [1]

This was Kentucky's first season playing at Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcats christened the facility with a 31–26 victory vs. Virginia Tech in their season opener.

The team's statistical leaders included Sonny Collins with 1,213 rushing yards and 78 points scored, Mike Fanuzzi with 572 passing yards, and Elmore Stephens with 282 receiving yards. [2] Three Kentucky players received first-team honors from the Associated Press (AP) and/or United Press International (UPI) on the 1973 All-SEC football team: Sonny Collins (AP, UPI); and end Jim McCollum (UPI); defensive back Darryl Bishop (UPI). [3] [4]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 15 Virginia Tech*
W 31–26> 48,000 [5]
September 22 Alabama
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 14–2854,100 [6]
September 29at Indiana*
L 3–1751,523 [7]
October 6at Mississippi State
W 42–1441,000 [8]
October 13 North Carolina*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 10–1651,500 [9]
October 20at LSU
L 21–2866,991 [10]
October 27at Georgia
W 12–754,500 [11]
November 3 Tulane*dagger
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 34–719,360 [12]
November 10at Vanderbilt
W 27–1729,350 [13]
November 17 Florida
L 18–2055,328 [14]
November 24 Tennessee
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY ( rivalry)
L 14–1654,000 [15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

Roster

References

  1. ^ "1973 Kentucky Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "1973 Kentucky Wildcats Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "3 Gators Named All-SEC". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. December 6, 1973. Retrieved June 7, 2015 – via Google news archive. Open access icon
  4. ^ David Moffit (November 30, 1973). "Alabama Dominates All-SEC Team". Galveston Daily News. p. 9. Retrieved June 7, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ D.G. Fitzmaurice (September 16, 1973). "Kentucky Holds Off Late Tech Rally For 31-26 Win". The Lexington Herald. pp. 25, 40 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Kentucky fails to hold lead, falls, 28–14". Tulsa Daily World. September 23, 1973. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Indiana breaks into win column with win over Kentucky". The Vincennes Sun-Commercial. September 30, 1973. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Cats smash Miss. State". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. October 7, 1973. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Tar Heels shock Kentucky, 16–10". The Charlotte Observer. October 14, 1973. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Second half doldrums thwart Kentucky again". Messenger-Inquirer. October 21, 1973. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Curci's Kentucky Cats Bulldogs Georgia 12–7". The Tampa Tribune. October 28, 1973. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ D.G. Fitzmaurice (November 4, 1973). "Fanuzzi Can't 'Recall' Cats Bowling Over Tulane". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Kentucky wins, 27–17". The Charlotte Observer. November 11, 1973. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Gators outlast Wildcats, 20–18". The Bradenton Herald. November 18, 1973. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Rick Bailey (November 25, 1973). "Steele's Kick Falls Short And Kentucky's Hopes End As Vols Hang On 16-14". Lexington Herald-Leader – via Newspapers.com.
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