A Brief History of Kentucky Football in the Music City Bowl

In one week the Kentucky football team will return to a familiar setting. The Music City Bowl will host the Wildcats for the sixth time in the Nashville bowl game’s 24-year history. Minnesota is the only other school to play in the game more than twice.

Before we spend a week getting you more well acquainted with Kentucky’s Music City Bowl foe, Iowa, let’s revisit the Wildcats’ first five appearances. Kentucky is 2-3 overall with all five games decided by one score. There have been early exits from superstars, monumental upsets and plenty of theatrics whenever the Cats travel to Nashville.

1999: Kentucky Loses James Whalen in Air Raid Loss

A year after the Air Raid was outmanned by Penn State in the Outback Bowl, the shoe was on the other foot closer to home against Syracuse. A Kentucky-dominant crowd watched Dusty Bonner lead the Wildcats down the field for an early touchdown. On the verge of taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, disaster struck.

All-American tight James Whalen caught the ball at the 6-yard line and landed awkwardly and dislocated his elbow in a gruesome injury. “Taken off the field on a cart, Whalen’s screams echoed in the stadium tunnel as doctors popped the joint back into place,” wrote the Associated Press.

The injury completely deflated Hal Mumme’s football team. Without their top offensive playmaker, the Cats settled for a field goal and only scored three more points the entire game. Syracuse won 20-13.

2006: Biggest Upset in Music City Bowl History

The Wildcats were 10-point underdogs to Clemson in Nashville, but you couldn’t tell that to the 30,000 Kentucky fans that welcomed the team to the stadium. This warm reception started a new tradition, the Cat Walk. That rowdy crowd helped Andre Woodson propel his team to an improbable victory.

The Kentucky defense and special teams made big plays all afternoon long. The Cats got a piece of a 28-yard Clemson field goal that kept points off the scoreboard. Freshman cornerback Trevard Lindley made one of the mot incredible interceptions ever by a Kentucky Wildcat, using one-hand and dragging his feet in the back of the end zone to eliminate a Clemson scoring opportunity.

Momentum swung in Kentucky’s favor before half thanks to a bold call from Rich Brooks. The Wildcats called a fake punt from their own 25-yard line. The pass from the punter moved the chains. One play later Kentucky went for the knockout punch. DeMoreo Ford got behind the safeties and Andre Woodson found him downfield for a 70-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-6 lead before halftime. The Kentucky defense forced a fumble in the third quarter, turning into a 24-yard Dicky Lyons Jr. touchdown reception. A touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme made it 28-6 to put the game out of Clemson’s reach.

2007: Kentucky Cruises Past Short-Handed Florida State

Free Shoes University had a widespread off-the-incident prior to the bowl game. Shocking, I know.

In one of Bobby Bowden’s final seasons coaching the Seminoles, 34 players were sidelined for the Music City Bowl, most suspended for participating in a widespread academic cheating scandal. A tumultuous season, the Seminoles finished 7-6 after falling 35-28 to Kentucky, Bowden’s worst record since he recorded a losing season in 1976.

Andre Woodson was once against the Music City Bowl MVP. Playing in his final game as a Wildcat, the North Hardin signal caller set UK bowl records by completing 32 of 50 passes for 358 yards and four touchdowns.

2009: Clemson gets Music City Bowl Revenge

After a one-year hiatus to Memphis, Kentucky was back in Nashville, facing their first postseason victim from Rich Brooks’ run as the Cats’ head coach. Unfortunately, Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke‘s heroics could not get Brooks a win in his final game on the UK sideline. The two combined for 224 all-purpose yards, but were outdone by All-American running back C.J. Spiller. Clemson won 21-13, Dabo Swinney’s first postseason victory as the Tigers’ head coach.

2017: Benny Snell Ejected in One-Point Loss

Kentucky was without its superstar for most of the chilly 2017 Music City Bowl, but the Cats were still only one play away from knocking off a nine-win Northwestern football team.

Trailing 10-7 in the second quarter, a ref offered Benny Snell a hand up after the Kentucky running back was taken to the turf. Instead, Snell swiped the official’s hands away. The running back was flagged for making contact with an official and ejected, drawing a chorus of boos from Nashville and beyond.

Even without the 1,000-yard rusher, it was an exciting affair between the two Wildcats. A Northwestern Pick Six gave the Big Ten team a 10-point fourth quarter lead, but Stephen Johnson had one more rally left in him. Austin MacGinnis kicked a 48-yard field goal to pull the Cats within a touchdown with less than five minutes to play. The Kentucky defense stuffed Northwestern on fourth down to give the Wildcats the ball back for one final drive. Four plays later Johnson scrambled nine yards into the end zone, making it a 24-23 game with :37 on the clock.

Mark Stoops went for two and the win. The pass to Tavin Richardson sailed just over his fingertips. Kentucky has not lost a non-conference game since.