Kentucky can't repeat the same mistakes it made at Texas in 1951

Kentucky played at Texas one other time in its storied college football history. The year was 1951. Tony Bennett’s “Because Of You” was the top song on the charts, and CBS was a week away from broadcasting the first college football game in color.

On Kentucky’s sideline, Bear Bryant was in his sixth season as the head coach of the Wildcats, and excitement was high around the program following the 1950 national championship season, which ended with an upset of No. 1 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Adding to UK’s excitement around its first trip to Austin, Kentucky scored 72 points in its season opener at the old McLean Stadium, a 59-point win over Tennessee Tech.

On the other side of Texas’s Memorial Stadium, wearing burnt orange and ranked 11th in the country, stood the Texas Longhorns, another team coming off a remarkable year; although, Texas’s last game was a loss to Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Wildcats, having already played the week before, were the first game on the 1951 schedule at Texas.

The final score on Opening Day ’51 at Memorial Stadium did not favor Kentucky, even though Kentucky outgained Texas, 287-221, in total offense and had nearly triple the number of first downs.

The low-scoring game was ultimately decided early when the home team struck first on a 13-yard touchdown pass from T. Jones to Don Barton and the ensuing PAT, which proved to be the game-winning point. The game’s first touchdown came with a minute to go in the first quarter following one of six Kentucky turnovers in the 7-6 loss, which is our first of two don’t-do-that-agains in this game.

Protect the ball

Kentucky was lucky to be within a point of Texas after turning the ball over six times in Austin in 1951. The official box score (I’m going off of that because I was not alive for any of this) says Kentucky fumbled three times, all recovered by Texas.

And it wasn’t just a fumbling problem that kept Kentucky from finishing its drives. Texas also intercepted three Kentucky passes on 33 attempts. Don Menasco, Bobby Dillon, and June Davis each picked off Babe Parilli in the win.

Kentucky can’t repeat its turnover problems, especially not six of them. Also, Kentucky’s 1951 defense did a great job in allowing only one touchdown off of six Kentucky turnovers in that game. The defensive effort can be repeated and is not part of this conversation.

Make kicks

Points aren’t easy to get in Austin, so it’s critical to make your field goals and extra points. It’s how Kentucky lost in 1951, a missed PAT after Kentucky’s third-quarter touchdown could’ve evened the game at 7-7. The Wildcats found life when Parilli hit Bucky Gruner for a six-yard touchdown reception with 8:40 left in the third, but Kentucky failed to convert the game-tying extra point in the 7-6 loss at Texas. It was a tough loss for the Wildcats in UK’s only game in Austin.

I hope you enjoyed today’s history lesson before Kentucky tries to even the all-time series with Texas at one win apiece on Saturday. Go Cats.