1958 Kentucky Wildcats football team

1958 Kentucky Wildcats football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1958 record	5–4–1 (3–4–1 SEC)
Head coach	Blanton Collier
Home stadium	McLean Stadium

1958 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#1 LSU $	6	–	0	–	0			11	–	0	–	0
#4 Auburn	6	–	0	–	1			9	–	0	–	1
#11 Ole Miss	4	–	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
#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 in the 1958 college football season. The Wildcats scored 136 points while allowing 115 points, and finished with a record of 5–4–1.^[1]

Season

Kentucky opened with a 51–0 win over Hawaii at Cardinal 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

Date	Opponent^#	Rank^#	Site	Result
September 13	Hawaii*		Cardinal Stadium • Louisville, KY	W 51–0
September 20	Georgia Tech		McLean Stadium • Lexington, KY	W 13–0
September 27	at No. 9 Ole Miss	No. 17	Crump Stadium • Memphis, TN	L 6–27
October 11	No. 1 Auburn		McLean Stadium • Lexington, KY	L 0–8
October 18	at No. 9 LSU		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA	L 7–32
October 25	at Georgia		Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA	L 0–28
November 1	Mississippi State		McLean Stadium • Lexington, KY	W 33–12
November 8	Vanderbilt		McLean Stadium • Lexington, KY	T 0–0
November 15	Xavier*		McLean Stadium • Lexington, KY	W 20–6
November 22	at Tennessee		Shields-Watkins Field • Knoxville, TN (Battle for the Barrel)	W 6–2
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. ^#Rankings from AP Poll.

Schedule source:^[7][8]

Team players in the 1959 NFL Draft

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL Club
Jim Bowie	Tackle	22	254	Philadelphia Eagles

^[9][10]

References

1. "1958 Kentucky Wildcats results". Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
2. September 22, 1958 AP poll at AP Poll Archive
3. "1958 Kentucky Wildcats scores". Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
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. "College Football Reference". Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
8. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.168, 207
9. "1959 NFL Draft Listing | Pro-Football-Reference.com". Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
10. 1997 Kentucky Wildcats Football Media Guide, p.166