2002 Kentucky Wildcats football team

2002 Kentucky Wildcats football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Record7–5 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBrent Pease (2nd season)
Offensive schemePro set
Defensive coordinatorJohn Goodner (2nd season)
Base defense4–2–5/4–4–3
Home stadiumCommonwealth Stadium
Seasons
← 2001
2003 →
2002 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 3 Georgia x$   7 1     13 1  
Florida   6 2     8 5  
Tennessee   5 3     8 5  
Kentucky   3 5     7 5  
South Carolina   3 5     5 7  
Vanderbilt   0 8     2 10  
Western Division
Arkansas xy   5 3     9 5  
No. 14 Auburn x   5 3     9 4  
LSU x   5 3     8 5  
Ole Miss   3 5     7 6  
Mississippi State   0 8     3 9  
No. 11 ^Alabama   6 2     10 3  
Championship: Georgia 30, Arkansas 3
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • ^ – Alabama had the best division record, but did not participate in postseason play due to NCAA probation.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2002 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Wildcats scored 385 points while allowing 301 points.[1]

Though finishing with a 7–5 record, the Wildcats were not bowl eligible due to NCAA sanctions resulting from the tenure of former head coach Hal Mumme.

Kentucky opened with a 22–17 win at #17 Louisville, a nationally broadcast upset at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in which Kentucky reclaimed the Governor's Cup. A 77–17 win over UTEP followed (the second largest point total in school history at the time), and wins against Indiana and Middle Tennessee State put Kentucky at 4–0. A 41–34 loss at #7 Florida was followed by a 16–12 loss to South Carolina that came down to the final play. A 29–17 win at Arkansas followed. A 52–24 loss to #5 Georgia was followed by a 45–24 win at Mississippi State. A 33–30 loss to #16 LSU on the game's final play was followed by a 41–21 win against Vanderbilt and a 24–0 loss at Tennessee.[2][3]

  1. ^ "2002 Kentucky Wildcats results". Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  2. ^ "2002 Kentucky Wildcats scores". Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  3. ^ AP Poll Archive Archived 2009-04-26 at the Wayback Machine