5 best seasons in Kentucky history
While Kentucky lacks a deep football tradition enjoyed by many of its SEC counterparts, the Wildcats have seen individual seasons and eras under multiple coaches to be proud of, including two in the past decade.
But which seasons are the best in Kentucky history? We combed through UK’s history and identified five.
5. 2006 8-5 (4-4)
Won Music City Bowl
Recap: The first of what turned into four consecutive winning seasons under Rich Brooks, the Wildcats turned a 3-3 start into a four-game winning streak including wins over Mississippi State, Georgia and Vanderbilt. They were led by a combination of Andre Woodson, Rafael Little and Keenan Burton on offense. They won the first of two straight Music City Bowl games over Clemson, 28-21. The third-place SEC East finish was the program’s best since 1993.
“Rich Brooks changed the culture and direction of the University of Kentucky football program,” UK President Lee Todd said when Brooks retired. “He was willing to take the heat and face the critics in the early years and build our program the right way. His no-nonsense, high-integrity approach earned the respect of his players, our fans and the media.”
4. 2007 8-5 (3-5)
Won Music City Bowl
Recap: Another eight-win season, the first such feat in 30 years, included a series of highlights. UK beat rival Louisville and shocked LSU in triple overtime. Both were top 10 teams, and No. 1 LSU went on to win the national title.
#TBT – Kentucky defeats #1 LSU in OT 43-37 in 2007. pic.twitter.com/pQB63gR3w8
— Kentucky Football Recruiting (@UKStoopsTroops) April 7, 2016
It was the first time since 1977 that UK defeated a top-10 team. It was only the third time in school history, and the first in 43 years, that UK knocked off a pair of top-10 ranked foes in the same season. The LSU win was the first since 1964 that the program beat a top-ranked team.
Andre Woodson threw 40 touchdown passes in 2007, which remains an SEC record.
3. 1984 9-3 (3-3)
Won Hall of Fame Bow, No. 19 final ranking
Recap: Jerry Claiborne’s third season at Kentucky was led by quarterback Bill Ransdell, George Adams’ 1,085 rushing yards and seven interceptions by Paul Calhoun.
It was not only one of the high water marks historically, but the best season by far of the Claiborne era. It was the second straight appearance in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
In the SEC, the Wildcats beat Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Tennessee, and losses to No. 10 Louisiana State, No. 13 Georgia and No. 5 Florida.
The Wildcats had just one winning season over the next 13 years.
2. 1977 10-1 (6-0)
No. 6 final ranking
Recap: While the program was banned from a postseason bowl by NCAA probation, Fran Curci’s 1977 team produced the only undefeated SEC team in program history. Curci is also the longest-tenured Kentucky coach at nine years and a record of 47-51-2.
The season was impressive, especially after Kentucky lost to Baylor, and then won at Penn State, (24-20), at LSU (33-13), at Georgia (33-0) at Florida (14-7) and Tennessee (21-17) in Lexington.
A memorable play that season was an interception by Dallas Owens at No. 4 Penn State, which was memorialized by the Herald-Leader in 2013.
1. 1950: 11-1 (5-1)
Won SEC, won Sugar Bowl, co-national champion, No. 7 final ranking
Recap: Bear Bryant’s team was 5-1 to win the SEC, despite a 7-0 loss at Tennessee, and was No. 7 in the country before it beat No. 1 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl 13-7. It snapped Oklahoma’s 31-game winning streak, which at one time was seventh-longest in NCAA history.
Jeff Sagarin, 40 years later, reconstructed seasons and found that Kentucky was the top team in 1950 even though the NCAA record book said four teams could claim the 1950 title.
Bryant was 60-23-5 in eight seasons at UK before leaving for Texas A&M and ultimately Alabama. He remains the winningest coach in Wildcats’ history, the only coach with more than 50 wins.