PAGE h   THE CATS' PAUSE, JANUARY 8, 1977
Wildcats Shutout Tar Heels
21-0 In Honey Of Peach
Psssst. Don't tell anyone but the Cats are back.
The football Wildcats served notice Friday to the Southeastern Conference and the rest of the football world they will have to contend with the Wildcats in the future.
Coach Fran Curci's Cats demolished Atlantic Coast Conference power and runner-up North Carolina 21-0 in the Peach Bowl on New Year's Eve in Atlanta, and for most, the outcome was never in doubt.
It was a Fitting climax to Kentucky's finest grid season in more than twenty-five years, dating back to the days of Bear Bryant.
Next year, Kentucky opponents can expect to batde an even stronger Wildcat team. Only next season, the Kentuckians will be playing for pride and personal satisfaction since they won't be going bowling, thanks to a one-year NCAA ban.
But back to New Year's Eve in Atlanta.
More than 37,000 Kentucky faithful followed the Cats to Atlanta in what most Georgians described as the "biggest following" ever by a Peach Bowl participant.
They came early and stayed later.
Fans began arriving as early as Wednesday morning and stayed as late as Sunday.
In between, there were a lot of partying, rejoicing and having good times in the Georgia capitol. Thursday night, more than 10,000 fans jammed
the Marriott Hotel to view the Kentucky-Notre Dame basketball classic.
The outcome proved to be a preview of good things to come for the Kentuckians. Fans shouted after every Wildcat goal (and there were plenty of them) as Kentucky crushed the nation's number two team, 102-78.
By then, the "Big Event" was on.
With an all-time record crowd of some 54,000 witnessing the Ninth Peach Bowl classic in a frigid Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Kentucky and North Carolina battled to a scoreless deadlock for two periods before the Wildcats broke it open in the third period.
As it had in the final three games of the regular season, the Wildcat defense played the hero's part after almost blowing the shutout on North Carolina's third offensive play of the game.
Mike Kupec fired what appeared to a 50-yard scoring pass to junior tightend Walter Lee on a third and six situation. Fortunately, for the Wildcats, both North Carolina guards had lined up offsides and the play was nullified by a five-yard penalty. Ironically, it was one of only two penalties against North Carolina all day long. The other penalty was also a Five-yarder.
Rod Stewart, Kentucky's great sophomore fullback, was the offensive hero of the game, scoring three times, rushing for 104 yards on 19 tries and
was named Outstanding Offensive Player Of The Game.
The only other scoring threat in the first half was a 16-play Kentucky drive which started at the Kentucky 34, only to fizzle out at the North Carolina 2 with a field goal being missed by senior John Pierce.
Using the best offense quarterback Derrick Ramsey owns, the junior signal-caller engineered the drive entirely on the ground and moved the Wildcats to a first and goal situation on the NC five with less than four minutes left in the half.
Ramsey carried once to the four then Chris Hill was thrown for a loss back to the five on a second down play. On a third and five situation Ramsey jerked loose and dived to the NC 2.
Coach Fran Curci then decided to go for the three points with kicking -specialist Pierce. Trying to give Pierce a better angle to kick from, the Wildcats deliberately took a delay of game penalty which moved the ball back to the seven. Still, the kick was at a sharp angle (the ball was on the right hash-mark). Pierce's kick was wide and the two teams settled for a 0-0 deadlock.
Kentucky wasted no time in scoring in the third period, but the score resulted from a North Carolina mistake.
With the Wildcats kicking off, North Carolina's offense went to work only to see Kupec fumble on the NC 21 as he was attempting to pass.
Big James Ramey recovered and the Wildcats were in business.
Eight players later, Rod Stewart plunged over from the NC 1 with 9:55 left in the third period. Pierce kicked the point for a 7-0 lead. The big play in the series was a third and eight situation on the NC 19 when Ramsey hit Chris Hill with a pass good for 13 yards.
Kentucky scored its second touchdown early in the fourth period on a 57-yard drive in nine plays.
Wearing the North Carolina defense down, the Wildcat offensive line, led by Ail-American Warren Bryant, just dominated the final period. Stewart, Chris Hill and freshman Randy Brooks had a field day.
Stewart, stepping high like a Tennessee walking horse, galloped the final thirteen yards up the middle with 13:01 left for the score and Pierce's toe made the score 14-0.
After that, it was icing on the cake.
The Wildcats took over the NC 47 with 7:31 left in the game and marched 47 yards for the final score of the afternoon.
Again, the crunching ground game proved too much for the Tar Heels which entered the game a five to ten-point underdog, mostly because star running back Mike Voight was sidelined with a sprained ankle.
But a Tony Dorsett would have had his troubles with the great Kentucky
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