KENTUCKY FOOTBALL

"Our college sportbook ratings guide points out Bodog.com has taken their place among the elite online casinos, race books, and sports books for offshore sportsbetting.

NCAA Football History - College Football Team History - Kentucky Football History

Kentucky Wildcats Football History

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (2)
1950 Southeastern Conference Champions
1976 Southeastern Conference Co-Champions

SEC East Division Champions (0)

CONFERENCE AFFILIATIONS
1881-1895 Independent
1896-1921 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc.
1922-1932 Southern Conference
1933-Current Southeastern Conference

No Team: 1882-1889, 1943

Wildcat Mascot

The Wildcat mascot originated during the 1976-77 academic year at UK. Gary Tanner was the original Wildcat, dancing and entertaining thousands of UK fans at Commonwealth Stadium and Rupp Arena during athletics events.

A few years later, he was joined by another Cat - walking on stilts - who made his appearance during UK's twin tower era of Melvin Turpin and Sam Bowie. Even today, the original mascot is joined by Scratch, who's a more child-friendly mascot and serves as the host of UK's official Kids Club.

Today, both mascots attend each football and basketball game, several academic functions and generally serve as friendly ambassadors for the University.

In January 2003, Scratch placed seventh in the Universal Cheer Association College Mascot National Championships. Just a few months later, it was announced that he was named to the Capital One All-America Mascot Team.

Wildcats Nickname

The official nickname for the University of Kentucky's athletics teams is "Wildcats." The nickname became synonymous with UK shortly after a 6-2 football victory over Illinois on Oct. 9, 1909, on the road.

Commandant Carbusier, then head of the military department at old State University, told a group of students in a chapel service following the game that the Kentucky football team had "fought like Wildcats."

Later the name Wildcats became more and more popular among UK followers as well as with members of the media. As a result, the nickname was adopted by the University.

The University of Kentucky adopted blue and white as its official colors in 1892. Originally, however, UK students had decided on blue and light yellow prior to the Kentucky-Centre College football game on December 19, 1891.

The shade of blue, which is close to a royal blue, was chosen when a student asked the question, "What color blue?" At the time, Richard C. Stoll (who lettered in football at UK in 1889-94) pulled off his necktie and held it up. The students then adopted that particular shade of blue.

A year later, UK students officially dropped the light yellow color for white.

INDEPTH Kentucky Football History

From UK’s first All-American, Clyde Johnson, to its most recent, Derek Abney and Glenn Pakulak; from Professor A.M. Miller to Rich Brooks; from old Stoll Field to Commonwealth Stadium; 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 Southeastern Conference 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; the Wildcats’ Nat Northington was the first African-American player to sign with a Southeastern Conference institution and the first to play in a league contest – vs. Ole Miss in 1967; in 1983, Kentucky became the first school in NCAA history to go to a bowl game after being winless the previous season. And in 1989, UK became the first SEC school to win the coveted College Football Association Academic Achievement Award for highest graduation rate.

In 113 seasons, Kentucky has participated in 1,095 contests and owns 532 wins, 519 losses and 44 ties. The 532 victories rank 43rd among Division 1-A programs in most wins. UK’s overall winning percentage is .506.

Kentucky football has won one national championship, two Southeastern Conference championships and appeared in 10 bowls. UK also claimed the CFA Academic Achievement Award on May 8, 1989. The Wildcats owned a graduation rate of 90 percent after 18 of 20 of their 1983 incoming freshman signees left UK with a diploma.

UK football has had 15 National Football League first-round draft choices, one Outland Trophy winner, 22 first-team All-Americans (selected 26 times), 9 Academic All-Americans, 65 first-team All-SEC players (selected 87 times), and 310 Academic All-SEC selections.

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 procedure 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 Kentucky in 1891, when UK defeated Georgetown 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, a Princeton graduate. Miller began the 1892 season as head coach and led UK to a 2-2-1 ledger through five games. He was replaced by John A. Thompson at the conclusion of the 1892 campaign.

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 Immortals 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 easy 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, on the other hand, had the longest tenure of any head coach during the first 43 years of Kentucky football. Gamage took the reigns of the UK program in 1927 and remained until following the 1933 campaign. In between, Gamage 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 Lexington 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 championship and Southeastern Conference championship 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-season record, UK found itself matched with national champion Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar Bowl. The Wildcats scored early and held off the Sooners, 13-7, breaking Oklahoma’s 31-game winning streak which is currently the seventh-longest in NCAA history.

Also under Bryant, tackle Bob Gain became 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 victoriesare still a UK football record for head coaches.

Blanton Collier had the uneasy task of following in Bryant’s footsteps. Collier took over the Kentucky football program in 1954 and promptly led the Wildcats to a 7-3 record during his initial campaign.

Collier 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 Schnellenberger (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 coaching career featured an upset of No. 1-ranked Ole Miss early in the 1964 season. Bradshaw’s Cats held off the Rebels, 27-21, in Memorial Stadium at Jackson, Miss., and ranks as one of UK’s all-time biggest victories.

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, at Lexington.

The Fran Curci era began in 1973, the same year Kentucky moved from ancient Stoll Field/McLean Stadium to spacious Common-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.

Kentucky helped secure its second league title 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 contingent 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 impressive 10-1 record doing it the hard way. Kentucky defeated Penn State (24-20) at University Park, Pa., defeated LSU (33-13) at Baton Rouge, La., blanked Georgia (33-0) at Athens, Ga., beat Florida (14-7) at Gainesville, Fla., and defeated Tennessee (21-17) at Lexington.

In the Curci era, players like Sonny Collins (UK career leader with 3,835 yards rushing), All-Americans Warren Bryant and Art Still and multi-talented Derrick Ramsey, wore the blue and white.

Curci stepped down following the 1981 season. In all, Curci worked nine years as UK head coach (longest of any UK football coach) and was 47-51-2 overall. 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.

His first campaign, 1982, was murderous from a schedule standpoint. The ’82 UK schedule was rated as the nation’s second-toughest and featured the likes of Oklahoma, Clemson, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kansas and Kansas State. The Cats were caught in the process of rebuilding and stumbled to an 0-10-1 record.

The winless mark would not deter Claiborne, however. In fact, his 1983 squad tied for the nation’s most improved program with a regular-season record of 6-4-1. As a reward, the Hall of Fame Bowl offered an invitation and UK accepted to give the Cats their sixth bowl appearance.

Kentucky improved in 1984, finishing with a 9-3 record which included a thrilling 20-19 victory over Wisconsin in the ’84 Hall of Fame Bowl. The nine victories were the most by a UK squad since the 1977 season.

After the ’84 campaign, Kentucky strung together 5-6, 5-5-1, 5-6, 5-6, and 6-5 records to close out Claiborne’s career. He stepped down with a 41-46-3 record in eight seasons at UK. Claiborne and Bryant, to this date, ended their careers as the only two coaches to win at least five games in seven consecutive seasons.

During Claiborne’s tenure, Kentucky captured its first national title by winning the 1989 CFA Academic Achievement Award. UK led the SEC in Academic All-SEC Honor Roll selections (68) during the Claiborne era, including a league record of 17 players named to the 1989 Academic All-SEC 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 second-leading rusher and tackle Oliver Barnett set a UK record with 26 quarterback sacks.

On Jan. 8, 1990, Kentucky began a new era by hiring its 32nd head football coach in Bill Curry.

Curry led Kentucky back to post-season play for the first time in nine years as the 1993 Wildcats finished third in the SEC Eastern Division (fourth overall) and qualified for the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Ga., when the Wildcats lost to Clemson, 14-13, to finish 6-6 on the season.

In 1994, the Wildcats faced intrastate rival Louisville for the first time in 70 years and defeated the Cardinals 20-14 in front of a then-record 59,162 fans in Commonwealth Stadium.

The 1995 season was highlighted by tailback 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 Carolina, the second-highest single-game total in NCAA history.

The arrival of Coach Hal Mumme in 1997 unleashed a lightning bolt of enthusiasm for Kentucky football. Mumme’s dynamic “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 Conference records.

Kentucky 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 rewriting NCAA, SEC, and UK record books. Wide receiver Craig Yeast became the leading 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 67,530. 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 Abney returned six kicks for touchdowns, more than any player in one season in NCAA history, and was named first-team All-America 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.

A new era of Kentucky football began in 2003 as Rich Brooks took over as head coach of the Wildcats.

Kentucky Wildcats Betting

We strive to provide you with the best NCAA sportsbooks online. We judge the college football sportsbooks by quality, security, and customer service. Our best ncaa football sportsbooks all have to have the combination of a solid reputation, large bonuses, super fast payouts, great lines and of course a wide variety of college betting options and inseason promotions. Join any of the online college football betting sportsbooks listed below and get a large bonus added to your bankroll or simply use them all to shop lines. When you sign up for one of these online NCAA sportsbooks you can do so online or you can call the toll free numbers and speak to one of their operators.

Reviews For Highest Rated NCAA Sportsbook

We Recommend...

#1 MY SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE FOOTBALL WAGERING

Review of MYSPORTSBOOK Online NCAA football sportsbook, poker rooms, racebook, and casino Special NCAA Offers At MySportsbook - Click Here To Join Today - 10% Sign Up Bonus. New Progressive Parlays! All new - Buy Points for your Football Wagering. No Juice College Football Game Of The Week, Saturday NCAA Specials, BCS predictions college football betting Bowl Mania contest. The web's best college props and 2005 Futures already up. We highly recommend checking this top college football wagering sportsbook out. Simply the best in the business! Learn More About NCAA Football Promotions >> Learn More About Their Casino Games Here>> Learn More About Their Poker Rooms Here >>

MySportsbook.com is listed here because they meet wager on football's online NCAA sportsbook reviews stringent standards. Wager On Football will not hesitate to remove them if they become a source of poor service to our guests. There are literally thousands of online college football sportsbooks out there, we only make room for the best online NCAA wagering websites!

For More College Football Wagering check out our
NCAA Sportsbooks Ratings Guide

TOP | College Football Wagering | NCAA Sportsbook | NCAA Football Betting