1993 • PEACH BOWL // CLEMSON 14, KENTUCKY 13 he Wildcats met the 24th-ranked Clemson Tigers in the 26th annual Peach Bowl and came within one minute of winning their sixth bowl in eight tries. But a Clemson TD in the closing seconds sent UK home with a 14-13 loss. Kentucky took the opening kickoff and marched down the field to the Clemson 2-yard line, where what appeared to be a QB Pookie Jones-to-WB Alfonzo Browning TD was instead a turnover when Browning fumbled the ball while attempting to extend it over the goal line. Clemson took over on its own one and proceeded to march 99 yards for the game’s first score, a 2-yard TD plunge by TB Emory Smith. The PAT gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead. Clemson ran the ball 15 times and attempted only three passes in the drive. Kentucky was stopped again at the 1-yard line before the Wildcats finally scored on Nicky Nickels’ 34-yard FG in the second period, making the score Clemson 7, Kentucky 3. UK captured the lead early in the fourth quarter when Jones hit WR Mark Chatmon with a 5-yard TD pass, making it UK 10, Clemson 7. Nickels added another FG, this one from 26 yards, to extend UK’s lead to 13-7. But after Dan Ariza’s 55-yard punt pinned the Tigers inside their own 18yard line, QB Patrick Sapp hit Smith with a 57-yard screen SCORING S U M M A R Y pass to move Clemson into scoring position. With less CLEMSON 7 0 0 7 14 KENTUCKY 0 3 0 10 13 than a minute remaining, LB Marty Moore intercepted a CU - Smith, 2 run (Welch PAT)-1Q Sapp pass, but fumbled it back, giving Clemson a second UK - Nickels, 34 FG-2Q chance. The Tigers capitalized when Sapp hit WR Henry UK - Chatmon, 5 pass from Jones (Nickels PAT)-4Q Smith with the game-winning 21-yard TD pass. Kentucky UK - Nickels 26 FG-4Q C - Smith, 21 pass from Sapp (Welch PAT)-4Q got the ball back with less than 20 seconds remaining, but Attendance - 63,416 could move no farther than its own 40.
HISTORY AND TRADITION
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1999 • OUTBACK BOWL // PENN STATE 26, KENTUCKY 14 laying on New Year’s Day for the first time in 47 years, the Kentucky Wildcats jumped out to an early lead, but the Penn State Nittany Lions rallied for a 26-14 victory in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla. Although the game was played in Tampa, the Wildcats certainly felt at home. Heavy ticket demand gave the Outback Bowl its first sellout ever, as more than 40,000 UK fans were packed among the 66,005 patrons in Raymond James Stadium. Kentucky got on the board first with 7:36 remaining in the first quarter. At the PSU 36-yard line, under heavy pressure, quarterback Tim Couch lofted a rainbow into the end zone that wide receiver Lance Mickelsen caught for a touchdown. Later in the opening period, UK stretched the lead to 14-3 with a 64-yard drive, capped by a 16-yard TD pass from Couch to halfback Anthony White. Key plays on the drive included a 22-yard pass from Couch to wide receiver Kevin Coleman and a 30-yard aerial to Mickelsen. From the second quarter, however, Penn State chipped away. Quarterback Kevin Thompson hit flanker Joe Nastasi with a 56-yard touchdown bomb. A second field goal from Travis Forney narrowed the UK advantage to 14-13 at halftime. The Nittany Lions took the lead for good in the third quarter on two more field goals by Forney, giving him four on the day. Penn State put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 19-yard end-around TD run by Chafie Fields. Meanwhile, the PSU defense shut out the Wildcats the last three quarters. Kentucky continued to move the ball, but three scoring opportunities came up empty - one on an interception, one on a missed field goal, and the other when the Wildcats were held on downs. Kentucky actually outgained Penn State, 441 yards to SCORING S U M M A R Y 420. UK might have done even better, but the Wildcats KENTUCKY 14 0 0 0 14 offensive line was missing three senior starters, all of whom PENN STATE 3 10 6 7 26 were replaced by freshmen. UK - Mickelsen, 36 pass from Couch (Hanson kick), 7:43 1Q PSU - Forney, 43 FG, 5:25 1Q Couch paced the attack by completing 30-of-48 - A. White, 16 pass from Couch (Hanson kick), 3:51 1Q passes for 336 yards and two TDs, completing his streak UK PSU - Nastasi, 56 pass from Thompson (Forney kick), 12:33 2Q of at least 300 passing yards and at least one TD pass in PSU - Forney, 26 FG, 1:03 2Q PSU - Forney, 21 FG, 7:51 3Q every game of the season. Running backs Anthony PSU - Forney, 25 FG, 0:13 3Q White and Derek Homer caught seven balls each. PSU - Fields, 19 run (Forney kick), 11:03 4Q White totaled 101 yards on the day, with eight rushes Attendance - 66,005 for 61 yards and seven receptions for 40 yards.
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Pookie Jones threw for 154 yards and a touchdown in the 1993 Peach Bowl.
Lance Mickelsen made a beautiful leaping catch for a 36-yard touchdown reception against Penn State in the Outback Bowl.
2012 KENTUCKY FOOTBALL
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