1996 Kentucky Wildcats football team

1996 Kentucky Wildcats football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Record4–7 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorElliot Uzelac (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorRick Smith (1st as DC, 7th overall season)
Home stadiumCommonwealth Stadium
Seasons
← 1995
1997 →
1996 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 1 Florida x$   8 – 0     12 – 1  
No. 9 Tennessee   7 – 1     10 – 2  
South Carolina   4 – 4     6 – 5  
Kentucky   3 – 5     4 – 7  
Georgia   3 – 5     5 – 6  
Vanderbilt   0 – 8     2 – 9  
Western Division
No. 11 Alabama xy   6 – 2     10 – 3  
No. 12 LSU x   6 – 2     10 – 2  
No. 24 Auburn   4 – 4     8 – 4  
Mississippi State   3 – 5     5 – 6  
Ole Miss   2 – 6     5 – 6  
Arkansas   2 – 6     4 – 7  
Championship: Florida 45, Alabama 30
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1996 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Wildcats scored 138 points while allowing 322 points; they opened the season with 1 win and 6 losses, and then after the firing of head coach Bill Curry was announced, the Wildcats won three straight SEC games before losing their final game to finish 4–7.[1][2]

Kentucky opened with a 38–14 loss to Louisville, then lost 24–3 at Cincinnati due to repeated special teams breakdowns. A game in a driving rainstorm against Indiana remained a scoreless tie until the final seconds when a Kentucky field goal led to a 3–0 win. A 65–0 loss at Florida and 35–7 loss at Alabama were followed by Kentucky blowing a second half lead to lose 25–14 to South Carolina. After a 41–14 loss at LSU, Kentucky stood at 1–5 on the season and the firing of head coach Bill Curry was announced. The Wildcats responded by reeling off three victories in a row: 24–17 against Georgia, 24–21 against Mississippi State and 25–0 against Vanderbilt. A 56–10 loss to Tennessee ended the season with the Wildcats at 4–7.[3][4]

Kentucky's victories over Georgia and Mississippi State kept those two teams out of bowl games, as each finished 5–6 due to their losses to Kentucky. Kentucky's 25–0 shutout of Vanderbilt on November 16 was the team's first shutout since a 21–0 win against #25 Ole Miss on October 2, 1993.[5][6] Kentucky played four road games against ranked teams in 1996.[7] Kentucky's three game SEC win streak (Georgia, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt) was its first since 1993 (South Carolina, Ole Miss, LSU).[8][9] This was the first college season for highly touted freshman quarterback Tim Couch, who later went on to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and was the #1 overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft.[10]

  1. ^ "1996 Kentucky Wildcats results". jhowell.net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  2. ^ 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.209
  3. ^ 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.209
  4. ^ "1996 Kentucky Wildcats scores". jhowell.ent. Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  5. ^ 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.209
  6. ^ "1996 Kentucky Wildcats scores". jhowell.ent. Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  7. ^ 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.168, 209
  8. ^ 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.209
  9. ^ "1996 Kentucky Wildcats scores". jhowell.net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  10. ^ 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide