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1976 Kentucky Wildcats football
Peach Bowl champion
Peach Bowl, W 21–0 vs. North Carolina
Conference Southeastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 19
APNo. 18
Record8–4 (4–2 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJon Mirilovich (4th season)
Defensive coordinator Charlie Bailey (2nd season)
Home stadium Commonwealth Stadium
Seasons
←  1975
1977 →
1976 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   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

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.

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

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11 Oregon State*
W 38–1356,723 [5]
September 18at No. 13 Kansas*
L 16–3742,615–50,170 [6]
September 25 West Virginia*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 14–1057,703 [7]
October 2No. 20 Penn State*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 22–657,733 [8]
October 9at Mississippi State
W 7–14 (forfeit)31,500 [9] [10]
October 16No. 16 LSU
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 21–757,695 [11]
October 23No. 10 Georgia
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 7–3157,733 [12]
October 30at No. 5 Maryland*
L 14–2443,013 [13]
November 6 Vanderbilt
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY ( rivalry)
W 14–057,269 [14]
November 13No. 15 Florida
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY ( rivalry)
W 28–955,000 [15]
November 20at Tennessee
W 7–080,336 [16]
December 31vs. No. 19 North Carolina*
W 21–054,132 [17]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Team players in the 1977 NFL Draft

Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Warren Bryant Tackle 1 6 Atlanta Falcons
Randy Burke Wide Receiver 1 26 Baltimore Colts

[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 1976 Kentucky Wildcats games and scores Archived 2009-10-06 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b c d Story, Mark, UK football's greatest wins at Commonwealth, Lexington Herald-Leader, September 4, 2011
  3. ^ a b "AP Poll Archive". Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
  4. ^ a b 2001 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, '1976 Peach Bowl', p. 166
  5. ^ "Kentucky deals OSU 2nd defeat". The Oregon Statesman Journal. September 12, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Kansas trounces Kentucky and beats the heat". The Kansas City Star. September 19, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Ramsey ramrods Kentucky by West Virginia". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. September 26, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Penn State loses 3rd straight, 22–6". The Pittsburgh Press. October 3, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "UK's early bobbles are fatal in 14–7 loss to Miss. State". The Courier-Journal. October 10, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Bulldogs forced to forfeit 19 football games". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. May 24, 1978. p. 19. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  11. ^ "UK becomes contender in topsy-turvey SEC race". The Courier-Journal. October 17, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Georgia chills Kentucky 31–7". The Tennessean. October 24, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Fifth-rankes Terrapins convince Kentucky 24–14". Sunday Herald-Leader. October 31, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "'Cats celebrate homecoming by knocking off Vanderbilt". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. November 7, 1976. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Wildcats choke Gators' hopes for SEC title". The Miami Herald. November 14, 1976. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Derrick Ramsey stars as 'Cats edge Vols". The Leaf-Chronicle. November 21, 1976. Retrieved May 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Kentucky rips Voight-less Heels". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. January 1, 1977. Retrieved October 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "1977 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Archived from the original on December 22, 2007.
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