Hello to all Wildcat football fanatics and welcome back to my countdown of the Top 10 Kentucky Football Biggest Victories and the Top 10 Kentucky Football Heartbreaking Losses of the past 25 seasons. Today’s installment will include the #6 games on my lists. Let’s check them out:
#6 Biggest Victory: Kentucky 16 #11 Georgia 10 – October 22nd, 1988 Commonwealth Stadium
To say the least, Kentucky was struggling coming into the Georgia game. The Wildcats had a 2-4 record coming into the game, including an 8 game losing streak in the SEC dating back to the 1987 season. But they had improved in their last 2 games against SEC opponents, losing to Alabama and LSU by a combined 7 points. Georgia, on the other hand, were a dominant team coming into the game with a 5-1 record, a perfect 4-0 in the SEC, and #11 in the latest AP Poll. Plus, the Bulldogs had dominated the Wildcats over the past two decades, winning 20 of the past 22 meetings, including the last 10 meetings by a combined score of 270-93.
Georgia received the ball to start the game and moved the marched on down the field on their first possession, but were finally halted and resorted to a 43-yard field goal attempt by kicker John Kasay. Kasay missed the field goal attempt though and the Wildcats gained possession of the ball giving up no points. However, Kentucky couldn’t capitalize on their defensive stop as quarterback Glenn Fohr threw a pass that deflected off tight end Charlie Darrington and into the hands of linebacker Morris Lewis and just like that Georgia regained possession of the ball. The Wildcats defense stepped up again though, forcing a Bulldogs punt. Kentucky then finally capitalized on their great defensive play. The Wildcats went on a methodical, 14 play, 85 yard drive that was capped off by a 2 yard touchdown run by running back Ivy Joe Hunter and Kentucky had the first lead of the game at 7-0 in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Fohr threw yet another interception, once again to linebacker Lewis, and the Bulldogs were on the move offensively. Georgia marched all the way down to the 3 yard line, but Kentucky’s defense stiffened up when they needed to the most and forced the Bulldogs into another field goal attempt. This time Kasay made the 20-yard field goal and Kentucky’s lead was cut to 7-3. The score remained at 7-3 at halftime.
The Wildcats started the second half with the ball but couldn’t muster up any offense and was forced to punt to the Bulldogs. Georgia finally took full advantage and scored on a 1 yard touchdown run by Tim Worley on 4th and goal and the Bulldogs took their first lead of the game at 10-7. With UK’s offense struggling, head coach Jerry Claiborne decided to bench starting quarterback Fohr and bring in backup Chuck Broughton. Unfortunately, Broughton didn’t provide a spark either as on his second possession with the offense he threw an interception to Rusty Beasley. But the Wildcats defense returned the favor. On Georgia’s ensuing possession quarterback Wayne Johnson fumbled on a handoff attempt and linebacker Chris Chenault recovered the football for Kentucky as the Bulldogs were not able to build on their three point lead. With momentum in Kentucky’s favor they didn’t disappoint the Commonwealth Stadium crowd. On the second play after the turnover, running back Alfred Rawls, a Georgia native and former Georgia signee, broke two tackles and raced down the right sideline 48 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The ensuing extra point hit the left upright and Kentucky’s lead was at 13-10 heading into the fourth quarter.
Georgia had possession of the ball to start the fourth quarter. The quarter couldn’t have started off any better for the Wildcats defense as they sacked quarterback Johnson on back-to-back plays and forced a Bulldogs punt. Then came a crucial play in favor of the Wildcats offense. Facing a 3rd and 2 on Georgia’s 35 yard line, flanker Ray Gover took a handoff from quarterback Broughton and was attempting to try a pass of his own. With no one to pass to, Gover tucked the ball in and ran 21 yards all the way down to the Georgia 14 yard line. Four plays later kicker Ken Willis successfully made a 29-yard field goal and the Wildcats had a 16-10 with just under eleven minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Kentucky defense was the story the rest of the game as Georgia only had the ball twice after Willis’ field goal and the Bulldogs offense could muster only one first down on those two offensive drives combined. Kentucky got the ball back with a little over two minutes left and ran out the clock with two first downs and the Wildcats had done the unthinkable, defeating the SEC unbeaten and 11th ranked Georgia Bulldogs 16-10.
The fans at Commonwealth Stadium went into a frenzy as they had every right to. It was the first time that Kentucky had defeated Georgia since 1977 and their first win against a SEC opponent in their last nine tries. It was also Kentucky’s first win against a ranked opponent since defeating #19 Wisconsin in the 1984 Hall Of Fame Bowl. Kentucky went on to win two of their last four games of the season and finished the 1988 season with a record of 5-6. Georgia rebounded quite well from the loss, winning four of their last five games, including a victory over Michigan State in the Gator Bowl, and finished the season with a 9-3 record. It ended up being Georgia head coach Vince Dooley’s last game against Kentucky. The star of the game had to be running back Alfred Rawls as he gained 128 yards on 15 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown against the school he originally signed with.
#6 Heartbreaking Loss: Kentucky 35 #6 Tennessee 38 – November 17th, 2001 Commonwealth Stadium
Kentucky and Tennessee were going into the annual border battle in completely opposite directions. The Wildcats were 2-7 in 2001 going into the game, but had defeated Vanderbilt 56-30 the week before. Kentucky was also 5-20 in their last 25 games dating back to the 1999 season. The Volunteers were 7-1, ranked #6 in the AP Poll, and riding a four game win streak going into the game. Not to mention, Tennessee had absolutely dominated the series against Kentucky, winning 32 of the last 36 meetings between the two schools, including the last 16 meetings by a combined score of 668-247.
Kentucky received the ball to start the game and didn’t disappoint the home crowd on their first drive. The Wildcats marched down the field in 13 plays and scored on a 6 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jared Lor
enzen to wide receiver Tommy Cook and Kentucky had the first lead of the game at 7-0 with about nine and a half minutes left in the first quarter. The story for the rest of the first quarter was no doubt the Wildcats defense. Kentucky allowed only 14 total yards of offense to the Volunteers in the first quarter and didn’t allow a single first down.
The Wildcats added to their lead on the first drive of the second quarter when Lorenzen bowled into the endzone from 2 yards out and the lead was now 14-0 with eleven minutes left in the first half. Kentucky’s defense continued to dominate and five and a half minutes later the Wildcats scored yet again, this time a 2 yard touchdown pass from Lorenzen to tight end Chase Harp, and Kentucky’s lead then ballooned to 21-0 with five and a half minutes left in the second quarter. The Big Blue Faithful in Commonwealth Stadium were finally starting to think that this could be the year that the losing streak to the Volunteers would finally end. The Wildcats defense finally showed a chink in their armor when they allowed Tennessee their first 1st down with four and a half minutes left in the first half. Then Tennessee went for a homerun the very next play, and quarterback Casey Clausen connected with wide receiver Donte Stallworth on a 59 yard touchdown pass and Kentucky’s lead was trimmed to 21-7 with four minutes left in the second quarter. The score remained 21-7 going into halftime.
The Volunteers started the second half picking up right where they left off at the end of the second quarter. Clausen threw another deep bomb, this time a 48 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kelley Washington, and the lead was now just 21-14 with a little over eight minutes left in the third quarter. Then Tennessee got a little luck on the defensive side of the ball. On Kentucky’s ensuing possession, Lorenzen attempted a pass but the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage and then intercepted by defensive tackle Rashad Moore. Moore was rumbling towards the endzone and was sure to score, but he fumbled the ball near the goal line and the ball rolled into the endzone. Unfortunately, defensive end Constantin Ritzmann recovered the ball in the endzone for the Volunteers, and just like that Kentucky’s 21-0 lead had disappeared and the game was all tied up at 21 with about six minutes left in the third quarter. Kentucky needed something positive on their next drive to kill Tennessee’s momentum and they did just that. Lorenzen hooked up with wide receiver Derek Abney on a 4 yard touchdown pass and Kentucky had regained the lead at 28-21 with about two minutes left in the third quarter.
Unfortunately Kentucky’s touchdown late in the third quarter didn’t kill Tennessee’s momentum. Clausen hooked up with Stallworth yet again on back-to-back possessions, a 23 yard touchdown pass and a 38 yard touchdown pass, and unthinkably the Volunteers erased a 21-0 deficit and had their first lead of the game at 35-28 with about five and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter. The crowd was stunned and no one could blame them. Kentucky could’ve folded it in and just taken it as yet another close call loss to the hated Volunteers. But the Wildcats responded and responded quickly. About a minute and a half after Tennessee scored the go-ahead touchdown, Lorenzen hooked up with wide receiver Anthony Kelly on a 62 yard touchdown pass and just like that the game was tied at 35 with just under four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. But Tennessee wasted no time after getting the ball back, moving the ball 38 yards in six plays, and the Volunteers were forced to try a field goal. Alex Walls successfully made a 44-yard field goal and Tennessee regained the lead yet again at 38-35 with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Kentucky received the ball after the go-ahead field goal and were moving the ball down the field, trying to set up for a game-winning touchdown. Then Lorenzen hit tight end Chase Harp on a first down pass, and Harp was fighting for extra yardage and inexplicably fumbled the ball and Tennessee defensive lineman Will Overstreet recovered the ball for the Volunteers with just over two minutes left in the game. Tennessee ran out the rest of the clock and the Volunteers outscored the Wildcats 38-14 over the last 35 minutes of the game and their amazing comeback resulted in a 38-35 win and yet another heartbreaking loss for Kentucky against their border rivals.
This game was truly a head-scratcher. The Wildcats had outgained the Volunteers 543 yards to 367 yards in total offense and held the ball for 14 minutes longer than Tennessee throughout the game. But Kentucky ended up making the bigger mistakes, turning the ball over twice and committing ten penalties for 69 yards while Tennessee didn’t turn the ball over and committed only five penalties. Kentucky lost to Indiana 26-15 in their 2001 season finale and ended the year with a 2-9 record. Tennessee won three of the last four games of the season, including a 45-17 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, and finished the season at 11-2.
Make sure and check back tomorrow for the #5 games in my countdown of the Top 10 Kentucky Football Biggest Victories and the Top 10 Kentucky Heartbreaking Losses of the past 25 seasons. Here are links to the previous games in my countdown:
Kentucky Football: The Thrill Of Victory And The Agony Of Defeat: #10
Kentucky Football: The Thrill Of Victory And The Agony Of Defeat: #9
Kentucky Football: The Thrill Of Victory And The Agony Of Defeat: #8
Kentucky Football: The Thrill Of Victory And The Agony Of Defeat: #7
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