1958 Kentucky Wildcats football team

The 1958 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1958 NCAA University Division football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Blanton Collier, the Wildcats compiled an overall record of 5–4–1 with a mark of 3–4–1 in conference play, placing tied for sixth in the SEC.[1]

1958 Kentucky Wildcats football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record5–4–1 (3–4–1 SEC)
Head coach
Home stadiumMcLean Stadium
1958 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 1 LSU $ 6 –0 –011 –0 –0
No. 4 Auburn 6 –0 –19 –0 –1
No. 11 Ole Miss 3 –2 –09 –2 –0
Vanderbilt 2 –1 –35 –2 –3
Tennessee 4 –3 –04 –6 –0
Alabama 3 –4 –15 –4 –1
Kentucky 3 –4 –15 –4 –1
No. 14 Florida 2 –3 –16 –4 –1
Georgia Tech 2 –3 –15 –4 –1
Georgia 2 –4 –04 –6 –0
Tulane 1 –5 –03 –7 –0
Mississippi State 1 –6 –03 –6 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Season

Kentucky opened with a 51–0 win over Hawaii at Fairgrounds Stadium in Louisville. A 13–0 win in the SEC opener against Georgia Tech followed. 2–0 Kentucky, then ranked #17 in the AP poll,[2] then lost four games in a row: 27–6 to #9 Ole Miss in Memphis, 8–0 to #1 Auburn, 32–7 at #9 LSU and 28–0 at Georgia. A 33–12 win over Mississippi State was followed by a 0–0 tie against Vanderbilt. After a 20–6 win against Xavier, Kentucky closed the season with a 6–2 victory at Tennessee.[3][4]

The victory over Tennessee was Kentucky's second in a row, and second in a stretch of four games in which Kentucky denied Tennessee a win.[5] The Wildcats were invited to participate in the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl but declined due to what they considered to be poor treatment during their season opener, a win against Hawaii in the stadium in which the Bluegrass Bowl would be played.[6] Florida State and Oklahoma State played in the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl instead.

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 13vs. Hawaii*
W 51–016,000[7]
September 20Georgia Tech
W 13–030,000[8]
September 27at No. 9 Ole MissNo. 17
L 6–2726,626[9]
October 11No. 1 Auburn
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 0–836,000[10]
October 18at No. 9 LSU
L 7–3265,000[11]
October 25at Georgia
L 0–2831,000[12]
November 1Mississippi State
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 33–1227,000[13]
November 8Vanderbilt
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
T 0–028,000[14]
November 15Xavier*
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 20–625,000[15][16]
November 22at Tennessee
W 6–241,600[17]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Schedule source:[18][19]

Team players in the 1959 NFL Draft
PlayerPositionRoundPickNFL club
Jim BowieTackle22254Philadelphia Eagles

[20][21]

References
  1. "1958 Kentucky Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  2. "September 22, 1958 AP poll at AP Poll Archive". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  3. "1958 Kentucky Wildcats scores". Archived from the original on October 6, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  4. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.168, 207
  5. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.207
  6. Rice, Russell, 'The Wildcats: A Story of Kentucky Football', ISBN 0-87397-075-6
  7. "Wildcats win first opener since 1951". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. September 15, 1958. Retrieved October 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "U.K. surprises Ga. Tech in S.E.C. opener". The Courier-Journal. September 21, 1958. Retrieved October 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Ole Miss scores 27–6 in downing Kentucky". The Commercial Appeal. September 28, 1958. Retrieved October 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Auburn uses passing of Nix in second half to nudge Kentucky 8–0". The Courier-Journal. October 12, 1958. Retrieved October 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Cannon booms twice, LSU beats Cats, 32–7". The Sunday Courier & Press. October 19, 1958. Retrieved October 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Georgia scores 3 in 4th period, whips Kentucky 28–0". The Chattanooga Sunday Times. October 26, 1958. Retrieved October 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Cats shock Maroons in SEC battle 33–12". The Jackson Sun. November 2, 1958. Retrieved October 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Kentucky and Vanderbilt battle to scoreless tie". The Jackson Sun. November 9, 1958. Retrieved October 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Bill Ford (November 15, 1958). "XU Closes Season at Kentucky Today". Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 1C. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  16. Bill Ford (November 16, 1958). "0-0 For 3 Periods, Then UK 20, XU 6". Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 1H. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  17. "Kentucky repulses repeated Vol threats for 6–2 victory". Johnson City Press-Chronicle. November 23, 1958. Retrieved March 31, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "College Football Reference". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  19. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.168, 207
  20. "1959 NFL Draft Listing | Pro-Football-Reference.com". Archived from the original on May 27, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
  21. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.166
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