# 1997 Kentucky Wildcats football team

The 1997 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. They participated as members of the Southeastern Conference in the Eastern Division. They played their home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. The team was coached by Hal Mumme.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 1:30 p.m. | Louisville* | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY (Governor's Cup) | | W 38–24 | 59,186 |
| September 6 | 12:30 p.m. | at Mississippi State | Scott FieldStarkville, MS | JPS | L 27–35 | 30,121 |
| September 20 | 2:00 p.m. | at Indiana* | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN (rivalry) | | W 49–7 | 41,149 |
| September 27 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 1 Florida | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY (rivalry) | CBS | L 28–55 | 59,224 |
| October 4 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 20 Alabama | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY | PPV | W 40–34 $^{OT}$ | 59,226 |
| October 11 | 12:30 p.m. | at South Carolina | Williams–Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | JPS | L 24–38 | 75,936 |
| October 18 | 7:00 p.m. | Northeast Louisiana* | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY | | W 49–14 | 57,500 |
| October 25 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 16 Georgia | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA | CBS | L 13–23 | 85,672 |
| November 1 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 16 LSU | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY | ESPN2 | L 28–63 | 58,450 |
| November 15 | 2:00 p.m. | at Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN (rivalry) | | W 21–10 | 40,256 |
| November 22 | 12:30 p.m. | No. 5 Tennessee | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY (rivalry) | ESPN2 | L 31–59 | 61,076 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Louisville

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 24 |
| Wildcats | 21 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| Statistics | LOU | UK |
| First downs | 25 | 15 |
| Total yards | 519 | 291 |
| Rushing yards | 121 | 87 |
| Passing yards | 398 | 204 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 35:18 | 24:42 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Louisville | Passing | Chris Redman | 17/28, 204 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Louisville | Rushing | Otis Floyd | 14 rushes, 62 yards, TD |
| Louisville | Receiving | Rico Williams | 3 receptions, 82 yards |
| Kentucky | Passing | Tim Couch | 36/50, 398 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Anthony White | 16 rushes, 94 yards, TD |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Kio Sanford | 6 receptions, 120 yards, TD |

### At Mississippi State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 7 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 27 |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 35 |

### At Indiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 7 | 14 | 28 | 0 | 49 |
| Hoosiers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |

### No. 1 Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 1 Gators | 28 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 55 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |

### No. 20 Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| No. 20 Crimson Tide | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
| Wildcats | 10 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 40 |

### At South Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 14 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Gamecocks | 0 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 38 |

### Northeast Louisiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Indians | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Wildcats | 21 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 49 |

### At No. 16 Georgia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| No. 16 Bulldogs | 0 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 23 |

### No. 16 LSU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Tigers | 12 | 8 | 22 | 21 | 63 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 28 |

### At Vanderbilt

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Commodores | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |

### No. 5 Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Volunteers | 17 | 7 | 21 | 14 | 59 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| Statistics | TENN | UK |
| First downs | 30 | 27 |
| Total yards | 695 | 634 |
| Rushing yards | 150 | 158 |
| Passing yards | 545 | 476 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 25:12 | 34:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tennessee | Passing | Peyton Manning | 25/35, 523 yards, 5 TD |
| Tennessee | Rushing | Jamal Lewis | 21 rushes, 128 yards, 3 TD |
| Tennessee | Receiving | Marcus Nash | 7 receptions, 195 yards, 3 TD |
| Kentucky | Passing | Tim Couch | 35/50, 476 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Kentucky | Rushing | Derek Homer | 18 rushes, 137 yards |
| Kentucky | Receiving | Kio Sanford | 9 receptions, 147 yards, TD |