1953 Kentucky Wildcats football team

Last updated

1953 Kentucky Wildcats football
Conference Southeastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 15
APNo. 16
Record7–2–1 (4–1–1 SEC)
Head coach
Home stadium McLean Stadium
Seasons
←  1952
1954  →
1953 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 13 Alabama $ 4 –0 –36 –3 –3
No. 8 Georgia Tech 4 –1 –19 –2 –1
No. 16 Kentucky 4 –1 –17 –2 –1
Ole Miss 4 –1 –17 –2 –1
No. 17 Auburn 4 –2 –17 –3 –1
Mississippi State 3 –1 –35 –2 –3
Tennessee 3 –2 –16 –4 –1
LSU 2 –3 –35 –3 –3
Florida 1 –3 –23 –5 –2
Vanderbilt 1 –5 –03 –7 –0
Georgia 1 –5 –03 –8 –0
Tulane 0 –7 –01 –8 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1953 Kentucky Wildcats football team was an American football team that represented the University of Kentucky as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1953 college football season. In their eighth year under head coach Bear Bryant, the Wildcats compiled an overall record of 7–2–1, with a conference record of 4–1–1, and finished third in the SEC. The team scored 201 points while allowing 116 points. [1] This was Bryant's final season as head coach at Kentucky.

Contents

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 19 Texas A&M *
L 6–735,000 [2]
September 26at Ole Miss
L 6–22 [3]
October 3 Florida
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
W 26–13 [4]
October 10at No. 17 LSU
T 6–638,000 [5]
October 17No. 20 Mississippi State
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 32–1336,000 [6]
October 24 Villanova *No. 16
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 19–030,000 [7]
October 31at No. 12 Rice *No. 19
W 19–1333,000 [8]
November 7at Vanderbilt No. 14
W 40–1426,000 [9]
November 14 Memphis State *No. 13
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 20–720,000 [10]
November 21 Tennessee No. 13
  • McLean Stadium
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
W 27–2137,000 [11]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[12]

Roster

PlayerPositionSummary
Steve Meilinger End
Tommy AdkinsCenter
Bob HardyQuarterback24 Cmp, 47 Att, 418 Yds, 5 TD
Ralph PaoloneRunning Back108 Att, 620 Yds, 5.7 Avg
Tom FillionRunning Back
Jim ProffittEnd
Howard Schnellenberger End
Duke CurnutteOffensive Line
Ray CorrellOffensive Line
Harry KirkOffensive Line
Joe KochOffensive Line
Ray CallahanFull Back

[13]

Awards and honors

1954 NFL draft

PlayerPositionRoundPickNFL club
Steve Meilinger End18 Washington Redskins
Tommy Adkins Center17197 Baltimore Colts

[13]

References

  1. ↑ "1953 Kentucky Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Record opening crowd of 35,000 sees Texas Aggies edge Wildcats, 7–6". Sunday Herald-Leader. September 20, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Ole Miss whips UK". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. September 27, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Kentucky stops Florida Gators in 26–13 clash". The Selma Times-Journal. October 4, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Kentucky battles Louisiana State to 6–6 deadlock". The Owensboro Messenger. October 11, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Cats have no respect for Mississippi State". The Commercial Appeal. October 18, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Kentucky whips Villanova, 19–0". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. October 25, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Kentucky upsets Rice 19–13 in game of Halloween chills". The Courier-Journal. November 1, 1953. Retrieved October 4, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Wildcats coast to 40–14 win over improved Vandy". The Park City Daily News. November 8, 1953. Retrieved October 5, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Kentucky has to struggle for 20–7 edge over surprising Memphis State". Lexington Herald-Leader. November 15, 1953. Retrieved September 21, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Kentucky gains first victory in 18 years over Tennessee". The Owensboro Messenger. November 22, 1953. Retrieved March 29, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p. 168
  13. 1 2 "1954 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
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