1977 Kentucky Wildcats football team

1977 Kentucky Wildcats football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
APNo. 6
Record10–1 (6–0 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorPerry Moss (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorCharlie Bailey (3rd season)
Home stadiumCommonwealth Stadium
Seasons
← 1976
1978 →
1977 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Alabama $ 7 0 0 11 1 0
No. 6 Kentucky 6 0 0 10 1 0
Auburn 5 1 0 6 5 0
LSU 4 2 0 8 4 0
Florida 3 3 0 6 4 1
Georgia 2 4 0 5 6 0
Mississippi State 2 4 0 5 6 0
Ole Miss 3 4 0 6 5 0
Tennessee 1 5 0 4 7 0
Vanderbilt 0 6 0 2 9 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Kentucky ineligible for SEC championship due to NCAA probation. Mississippi State later forfeited all 1977 wins due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1977 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Wildcats scored 252 points while allowing 111 points. The Wildcats finished conference play undefeated but due to NCAA probation were not eligible for a share of the SEC championship or for postseason play.[1] The Wildcats finished the season ranked #6 in the final AP Poll.[2]

Kentucky's 33–13 victor over LSU was its third in four years over the Bayou Bengals, and the Wildcats' first at Tiger Stadium since 1949, when Bear Bryant was Kentucky's coach.

In the Border Battle, Kentucky beat Tennessee by a score of 21–17. Entering that game, Kentucky had seven injured starters unable to play, including quarterback Derrick Ramsey, whose arm was injured so badly he could not throw the football. Tennessee jumped out to a 17–14 lead when backup quarterback Mike Deaton completed a 36-yard pass to Felix Wilson; the injured Ramsey then entered the game and led Kentucky to a touchdown. Tennessee's offense then took the ball to Kentucky's 22-yard line but Tennessee quarterback Jimmy Streater fumbled due to a hit by Kentucky All-American defensive end Art Still, and linebacker Kelly Kirchbaum recovered the ball to preserve the win.[3]

  1. ^ "Kentucky Wildcats Official Athletic Site - Football". Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  2. ^ "Final 1977 AP Poll at AP Poll Archive.com". Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  3. ^ Story, Mark, UK football's greatest wins at Commonwealth, Lexington Herald-Leader, September 4, 2011