1998 Kentucky Wildcats football team

1998 Kentucky Wildcats football
Outback Bowl, L 26–14 vs. Penn State
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Record7–5 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorMike Leach (2nd season)
Offensive schemeAir raid
Defensive coordinatorMike Major (2nd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumCommonwealth Stadium
Seasons
← 1997
1999 →
1998 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 1 Tennessee x$#   8 – 0     13 – 0  
No. 5 Florida  %   7 – 1     10 – 2  
No. 14 Georgia   6 – 2     9 – 3  
Kentucky   4 – 4     7 – 5  
Vanderbilt   1 – 7     2 – 9  
South Carolina   0 – 8     1 – 10  
Western Division
Mississippi State xy   6 – 2     8 – 5  
No. 16 Arkansas x   6 – 2     9 – 3  
Alabama   4 – 4     7 – 5  
Ole Miss   3 – 5     7 – 5  
LSU   2 – 6     4 – 7  
Auburn   1 – 7     3 – 8  
Championship: Tennessee 24, Mississippi State 14
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1998 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Quarterback Tim Couch was the first pick overall in the 1999 NFL draft.

Couch led Kentucky to seven wins, including a win on the road at #21 LSU and a spot in the 1999 Outback Bowl, where Couch completed 30 of 48 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns, though Kentucky lost to Penn State, 26–14. In the Kentucky–Louisville rivalry, the Wildcats beat the Cardinals to claim the Governor's Cup. In the Border Battle, Tennessee beat Kentucky by a score of 59–21 to claim the Beer Barrel.[1]

Schedule

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 53:00 pmat Louisville*
FSNW 68–3442,643[2]
September 121:30 pmEastern Kentucky*
W 52–757,776[3]
September 191:30 pmIndiana*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
W 31–2757,788[4]
September 263:30 pmat No. 8 Florida
CBSL 35–5185,011[5]
October 36:00 pmat No. 22 Arkansas
ESPN2L 20–2755,782[6]
October 107:00 pmSouth Carolinadagger
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 33–2857,739[7]
October 179:00 pmat No. 21 LSU
ESPN2W 39–3680,524[8]
October 2412:30 pmNo. 11 Georgia
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
JPSL 26–2857,838[9]
November 76:00 pmMississippi State
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
ESPN2W 37–3557,760[10]
November 141:30 pmVanderbilt
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
W 55–1757,521[11]
November 2112:30 pmat No. 1 Tennessee
CBSL 21–59107,252[12]
January 111:00 amvs. No. 20 Penn State*
ESPNL 14–2666,005[13]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Rankings

[edit]
See also: 1998 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
APRVRVRVRVRV—RVRVRVRVRVRV————
CoachesRVRVRV25RVRVRVRVRVRVRV25RVRV—RV
BCSNot released———————Not released

Roster

[edit]
1998 Kentucky Wildcats football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 2 Tim Couch Jr
WR 3 Craig Yeast Sr
QB 16 Matt Mumme Sr
WR 25 Quentin McCord So
RB 32 Anthony White Jr
C 61 Paul McGonagle Sr
TE 85 James Whalen Jr
RB Artose Pinner Fr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
CB 20 Eric Kelly So
LB 30 Marlon McCree So
DT Chris Demaree Fr
DE Dennis Johnson Fr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 10 Seth Hanson So
P 18 Jimmy Carter Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Mike Leach – Offensive coordinator/wide receivers
  • Chris Hatcher – Quarterbacks
  • Tony Franklin – Running backs
  • Mike Fanoga – Tight ends/assistant offensive line
  • Guy Morriss – Offensive line/assistant head coach
  • Mike Major – Defensive coordinator/linebackers
  • Bob Brush – Defensive assistant
  • Tom Adams – Defensive line
  • Darrell Patterson – Safeties
  • Tim Keane – Cornerbacks
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

1999 NFL draft

[edit]
Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Tim Couch Quarterback 1 1 Cleveland Browns

[14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Mcubed.net : NCAA Football : Series Records : Tennessee vs. Kentucky".
  2. ^ "Couch means ouch for Cards". Messenger-Inquirer. September 6, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Cats cream Colonels 52–7". Lexington Herald-Leader. September 13, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Whitmire, Tim (September 20, 1998). "Cats escape Indiana, 31-27". Messenger-Inquirer. Associated Press. p. 1B. Retrieved October 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Florida outguns Kentucky, Couch 51–35". Messenger-Inquirer. September 27, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Aw, Nutts! Hogs overtake 'Cats". The Paducah Sun. October 4, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Balanced attack lifts Kentucky over South Carolina". The Charlotte Observer. October 11, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Wildcats nip LSU". Daily World. October 18, 1998. Retrieved July 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Botched kick snaps Couch's final march". The Paducah Sun. October 25, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "MSU falls short against 'Cats". The Greenwood Commonwealth. November 8, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "If it was a farewell, it was a doozy". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 15, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Top-ranked Vols wallop flat Wildcats". Messenger-Inquirer. November 22, 1998. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Paterno has plenty of time, but Couch doesn't". The Los Angeles Times. January 2, 1999. Retrieved October 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "1999 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.


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