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Vols rally, defeat 'Cats 42-28
Big third quarter lifts UT to one win away from tasting Sugar; Curry's Wildcats end season at 4-7
by RUSSELL RICE
The University of Kentucky closed its first century of football with a 42-28 loss to Tennessee that left the Wildcats with a 4-7 finish, worst since 1982, when Jerry Claiborne's first UK team was 0-10-1; however, there were enough bright spots to assure a successful entry into the next 100 years of Wildcat football.
For starters, the Wildcats took the battle to the heavily favored (four touchdowns) Volunteers on UT's home turf and were leading 21-14 before Dale Carter proceeded to return the second-half kickoff 69 yards and set up UT's tying touchdown.
Then the junior college transfer from Oxford. Ga., returned a punt 29 yards to set up the Vol's tying score, and, with less than six minutes gone from the third-quarter clock, returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown.
CARTER HAS BIG DAY
"Dale Carter had a phenomenal day," Wildcat coach Bill Curry said. "He's a great player and he certainly made a difference today. I don't know how many points resulted from his big plays, but it had to be 21 or more."
Also adding to UK's downfall were Vol
quarterback Andy Kelly, who threw for 300 yards and a school-record five touchdowns, and wide receiver Carl Pickens, who caught 12 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, which tied a school mark. (Jim Powell caught three scoring passes against Mississippi in 1946).
However, the Wildcats had some heroes of their own, starting with sophomore quarterback Ryan Hockman, who played with poise after stepping in for Freddie Maggard, the UK starter who reinjured his right shoulder midway of the first quarter.
After UK received the opening kickoff, Maggard led the Wildcats on an 11-play, 62-yard scoring drive, with senior Al Baker scoring from the one. Hockman replaced Maggard, who was injured on UK's next possession.
After Bill Hawk's 55-yard punt was returned to the UT 22, UK's Derrick Thomas knocked down and intercepted a Kelly pass on the 20. Hockman passed 11 yards to Terry Samuels and then nine yards to Phil Logan for the score.
The second quarter was only two minutes old when Pickens outdistanced the UK secondary, caught a Kelly pass on the 20 and completed a 71-yard scoring play.
The Wildcats came right back with holder Steve Phillips, on a fake field goal try, rolling left and hitting tight end Rodney Jackson for a spectacular reception in the end zone.
"It was a called play all the way," Phillips said. "I was supposed to look for the run first, but Rodney was so wide open I threw it. I was afraid I had floated it too far."
A turning point of the game came on UK's next series, when Hockman was called for a controversial intentional grounding, moving the 'Cats back to their own nine-yard line. While scrambling to avoid a UT rush, Hockman had hurried a throw to UK's sideline, missing two receivers in the area.
"I thought it was roughing the passer or something," Hockman said. "No way I
UK head coach Bill Curry: i i
We've learned some painful lessons this year. You have to play hard and well. We've started now. This season is like a warm-up. We've gotten to know each other and understand our system. This team has really tried hard. I feel for our seniors. They've been marvelous. I'm just sorry they go out with a losing record.
thought it was grounding. But you have topick
yourself up and get ready for the next play."
On that next play, UK tailback Mike Thomas fumbled and UT's Mark Moore recovered. Kelly hit Alvin Harper for a 12-yard score, cutting UK's lead to 21-14 with 3:13 remaining in the half.
While Curry refused to comment on the intentional grounding call, Wildcat athletics director C. M. Newton, in the press box at halftime, sought the SEC representative on hand to observe the officials and voiced his displeasure with the officiating.
Carter's return of the second half kickoff gave UT the ball at the UK 30. Three plays later, Kelly hit Pickens for a 12-yard score. Then Carter's punt return gave UT possession at the UK 47, and Kelly hit Anthony Morgan from 22 yards out to climax a seven-play drive.
Four plays later, Carter intercepted a Hockman pass and rambled 41 yards for the score that put UT up by 14.
The Wildcats came back midway of the fourth quarter, driving 55 yards and scoring on a fourth-and-goal pass from Hockman to Logan.
However, Kelly teamed with Pickens to march to the UK 25, where the UT quarterback hit Pickens for the final score.
HOCKMAN PLAYS WELL
Hockman, who engineered three of UK's four scoring drives, finished with 15 completions in 29 attempts for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He threw two interceptions, with one being returned for a touchdown.
"I thought that Ryan Hockman had an outstanding performance," Curry said. "I was very proud of him."
The Wildcat quarterback got his first taste of action a week earlier, when he completed 10 of 13 passes at the tag end of a 47-15 loss to Florida. Then during a Wednesday practice session, Maggard re-separated a right shoulder that he had injured in the North
Carolina game.
"We gave Freddie the opportunity to try and get it going," UK quarterback coach Daryl Dickey said. "He took us down and we scored. We asked him to throw one hard one and when he did, he threw his shoulder out again."
After Maggard was injured at North Carolina, Brad Smith had stepped in and quarterbacked the Wildcats to a pair of wins. Four games later, Maggard returned to replace Smith (knee injury) and direct the game-winning drive against Georgia and a win over Vanderbilt.
"Hockman has been playing and practicing tremendously well the last few weeks," Dickey said. "He has been waiting for his opportunity and I thought he played exceptionally well today."
Dickey, who added that he was impressed with the poise shown by Hockman in both his game appearances, said he was "extremely excited" about having him for two more years.
He can also look forward to having Maggard one more year, Smith and Hockman two more years, and freshmen Pookie Jones and Mike Kinney four more years.
"It should be interesting to see what happens," Hockman said.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats will lose prime-time seniors Al Baker, Phil Logan and Randy Holleran, as well as five tight ends, including Bobby Henderson and Rodney Jackson.
Baker rushed for 96 yards against Tennessee, finishing the season with 780 yards. He also set UK's single-season receiving record (35 catches) for a running back. George Adams held the old mark, 33, set in 1984."
Logan finished his UK career third in receptions with 83 and fifth in receiving yards with 1.219. He had at least one catch in each of his last 16 games.
Holleran, who recently was named to The Sporting News All-America second team, was unofficially credited with four tackles against Tennessee, bringing his season total to 165, including 104 solo hits. (See story on Page 10).
Hawk, a junior, averaged 49.8 yards per kick against the Vols for the fourth-best day ever for a UK punter. Lou Michaels holds the record, averaging 53 yads on five attempts against Florida in 1957.
"This is an extremely disappointing game," Hawk said. "I'm very happy with the way I played, but everything comes down to beating Tennessee, and we didn't do it."
Curry thought the Wildcats played hard against an outstanding Tennessee Volunteer club, with a win over Vanderbilt is headed for the Sugar Bowl.
"We've learned some painful lessons this year," he said. "You have to play hard and well. We've started now. This season is like a warm-up.
"We've gotten to know each other and understand our system. This team has really tried hard. I feel for our seniors. They've been marvelous. I'm just sorry they go out with a losing record.
"We don't intend to have losing seasons at Kentucky. We will not be daunted in the least by anything that happened today or this season."
UK UT
First downs.......................................................19 17
Rushes-yards.............................................48-163 28-72
Passing yards.................................................208 300
Attempts-completions-interceptions............39-21-3 32-19-2
Total yards.......................................................371 372
Return yards (does not include kickoffs)...........35 103
Punts-average ..........................................5-49.8 737.1
Fumbles-tost....................................................2-2 0-0
Penallies-yards..............................................6-68 842
Possession time...........................................37:15 22:45
KENTUCKY....................................14    7    0 7 - 28
TENNESSEE..................................                                 0   14   21 7-42
UKBaker 1 njn (Peifrey kick) 7-0. UK
UKLogan 9 pass from Hockman (Peifrey kick) 14-0, UK
UTPickens 71 pass from Kelly (Burke kick) 14-7. UK UKR Jackson 22 pass from Phillips (Peifrey kick) 21-7. UK
UTHarper 12 pass from Kelly (Burke kick) 21-14. UK
UTPickens 12 pass from Kelly (Burke kick) 21-21, nE
UTMorgan 22 pass from Kelly (Burke kick) 2821. UT
UTCarter 41 interception return (Burke kick) 35-21. UT
UKLogan 4 pass from Hockman (Peifrey kick) 35-28. UT
UTPickens 25 pass from Kelly 42-28. UT
Attendance: 92.243
	KENTUCKY					
RUSHING	ATT	GAIN	LOST	NET	TDS	LONG
Baker	25	99	3	96	1	16
Samuels	10	60	0	60	0	13
Thomas	2	13	0	13	0	9
Hockman	10	23	29	-6	0	11
Branum	1	0	0	0	0	0
TOTALS	48	195	32	163		16
PASSING	ATT	COMP	INT	YDS	TDS	LONG
Maggard	7	5	0		0	11
Hockman	29	15	2	143	2	22
Phillips	2	1	- 1	22	1	22
Baker	1	0	0	0	0	0
TOTALS	39	21	3	208	3	22
PASS RECEIVING			NO	YDS	TDS	LONG
Baker			3	-1	0	5
Logan			6	70	2	20
Samuels			5	41	0	11
R. Jackson			3	38	1	22
Page			ii:' I	8 Q	0	8
Henderson Clark			1	21	0 0	9 21
Phillips			1	22	0	22
TOTALS			21	208	3	22
PUNTING			NO	YDS	AVG	LONG
Hawk			5	249	498	65
TOTALS			5	249	498	65
FIELD GOALS			ATT	MADE		LONG
Peifrey			1		0	
TOTALS			1		0	
	PUNTS		KICKOFFS			INTS
ALL RETURNS	NO	YDS	NO	YDS	NO YDS	
Tolbe.-t	4	21	3	54		_ 
Johnson			2	63		- 
D. Thomas						1 14
Williams			1	4		
Sherwood			-			1 0
TOTALS	4	21	e	121		2 14
	TENNESSEE					
RUSHING	ATT	GAIN	LOST	NET	TDS	LONG
Thompson	22	86	7	79	0	14
Kelly		7	14	-7	0	5
Amsler	1	1	0	1	0	1
Poles	1	0	1	-1	0	-1
TOTALS	28	94	22	72	0	14
PASSING	ATT	COMP	INT	YDS	TDS	LONG
Kelly	32	19		300	5	71
TOTALS	32	19	2	300	5	71
PASS RECEIVING			NO	YDS	TDS	LONG
Amsler			1	20	0	20
Pickens			10	201	3	71
Moore			4	27	0	12
Harper			2	21	1	12
Adams			1	9	0	9
Morgan			1	22	1	22
TOTALS			19	300	5	71
PUNTING			NO	YDS	AVG	LONG
Chapman			5	190	380	42
Kelly			2	70	350	36
TOTALS			7	260	37.1	42
FIELD GOALS			ATT	MADE		LONG
Burke			1	0		-
TOTALS			1	0		-
	PUNTS		KICKOFFS			INTS
ALL RETURNS	NO	YDS	NO	YDS	NO YDS	
Carter	4	62	.	148		1 41
Morgan			1	20		 
Fields						1 0
Miley				-		1 0
TOTALS	4	62	5	168		3 41