1958 Kentucky Wildcats football team

1958 Kentucky Wildcats football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record5–4–1 (3–4–1 SEC)
Head coach
Home stadiumMcLean Stadium
Seasons
← 1957
1959 →
1958 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 LSU $ 6 – 0 – 0 11 – 0 – 0
No. 4 Auburn 6 – 0 – 1 9 – 0 – 1
No. 11 Ole Miss 3 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Vanderbilt 2 – 1 – 3 5 – 2 – 3
Tennessee 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Alabama 3 – 4 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Kentucky 3 – 4 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
No. 14 Florida 2 – 3 – 1 6 – 4 – 1
Georgia Tech 2 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Georgia 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Tulane 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Mississippi State 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1958 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1958 college 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]

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

Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Jim Bowie Tackle 22 254 Philadelphia 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