1996 Kentucky Wildcats football team

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]

1996 Kentucky Wildcats football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
1996 record4–7 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorElliot Uzelac (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorRick Smith (1st as DC, 7th overall season)
Home stadiumCommonwealth Stadium
(Capacity: 57,800)
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

Season

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]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 316:30 p.m.Louisville*
L 14–3859,384
September 73:30 p.m.at Cincinnati*
L 3–2430,729
September 217:00 p.m.Indiana*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, Kentucky (rivalry)
W 3–040,500
September 283:30 p.m.at No. 1 Florida
CBSL 0–6585,422
October 52:00 p.m.at No. 13 Alabama
PPVL 7–3570,123
October 127:00 p.m.South Carolina
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, Kentucky
L 14–2550,500
October 198:00 p.m.at No. 17 LSU
PPVL 14–4179,660
October 267:00 p.m.Georgia
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, Kentucky
W 24–1734,000
November 91:30 p.m.Mississippi State
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, Kentucky (rivalry)
W 24–2126,500
November 1612:30 p.m.Vanderbilt
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, Kentucky (rivalry)
JPSW 25–033,000
November 233:30 p.m.at No. 9 Tennessee
CBSL 10–56102,534

[11][12][13]

Roster
1996 Kentucky Wildcats football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB 2 Tim Couch Fr
QB 7 Billy Jack Haskins Jr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DB 17 Van Hiles Jr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured
    • Redshirt

    Team players in the 1997 NFL Draft
    PlayerPositionRoundPickNFL club
    Van HilesDefensive back5141Chicago Bears
    Chris WardDefensive end7205Baltimore Ravens

    [14][15]

    Postseason

    Leading rusher Derick Logan, the SEC Freshman Player of the Year, did not return. Head coach Bill Curry was replaced by Hal Mumme. Sometime-starting quarterback Billy Jack Haskins transferred to Rhode Island after Mumme announced that Tim Couch would take the starting spot.[16]

    References
    1. "1996 Kentucky Wildcats results". jhowell.net. Archived from the original on October 5, 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 5, 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 5, 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 5, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
    10. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide
    11. "College Football Reference". jhowell.net. Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
    12. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.168, 209
    13. 1996 Kentucky football scores Archived 2009-10-07 at WebCite
    14. "1997 NFL Draft Listing". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on October 5, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
    15. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.166
    16. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide
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