1981 Kentucky Wildcats football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record3–8 (2–4 SEC)
Head coach
Home stadiumCommonwealth Stadium
1981 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 6 Georgia + 6 –0 –010 –2 –0
No. 7 Alabama + 6 –0 –09 –2 –1
Mississippi State 4 –2 –08 –4 –0
Tennessee 3 –3 –08 –4 –0
Florida 3 –3 –07 –5 –0
Auburn 2 –4 –05 –6 –0
Kentucky 2 –4 –03 –8 –0
LSU 1 –4 –13 –7 –1
Ole Miss 1 –5 –14 –6 –1
Vanderbilt 1 –5 –04 –7 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their ninth and final season under head coach Fran Curci, the Wildcats compiled a 3–8 record (2–4 against SEC opponents), finished in a tie for sixth place in the SEC, and were outscored by their opponents, 224 to 134.[1][2] The team played its home games in Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.

The team's statistical leaders included Randy Jenkins with 1,079 passing yards, Lawrence Lee with 275 rushing yards, and Rick Massie with 448 receiving yards.[3]

At the end of November 1981, Curci was fired by the University of Kentucky. The decision followed four losing seasons, arrests of 18 players from 1978 to 1981, and recruiting violations that resulted in the program being placed on probation.[4]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 5North Texas State*
W 28–655,262[5]
September 19 No. 12 Alabama
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 10–1957,960[6]
September 26at Kansas*
L 16–2140,200[7]
October 3 No. 14 Clemson*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 3–2157,453[8]
October 10South Carolina*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 14–2857,553[9]
October 17at LSU
L 10–2469,169[10]
October 24at No. 7 Georgia
L 0–2180,780[11]
October 31Virginia Tech*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
L 3–2954,500[12]
November 7at Vanderbilt
W 17–1040,250[13]
November 14at Florida
L 12–3360,286[14]
November 21Tennessee
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
W 21–1054,604[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

  1. ↑ "1981 Kentucky Wildcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Kentucky Football Media Guide". University of Kentucky. 2015. p. 184. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  3. ↑ "1981 Kentucky Wildcats Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Kentucky Fires Coach Curci After Athletic Board's Vote". The Palm Beach Post. November 25, 1981. p. D2.
  5. ↑ Mark Bradley (September 6, 1981). "Wildcats roll over North Texas State 28–6". Sunday Herald-Leader. pp. D1, D7 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Mark Bradley (September 20, 1981). "Alabama rallies, snatches victory from Cats". Sunday Herald-Leader. pp. D1, D5 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "KU overcomes loss of Bell". The Kansas City Star. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Jerry Tipton (October 4, 1981). "Clemson roars back to whip Wildcats 21–3". Sunday Herald-Leader. pp. C1, C5 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Mark Bradley (October 11, 1981). "Gamecocks' second-half surge dooms Cats". Sunday Herald-Leader. pp. D1, D5 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Kickoff return zaps Wildcats in 24–10 loss". The Park City Daily News. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "At last...Kentucky breaks losing streak with 17–10 win over Vanderbilt". Messenger-Inquirer. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "The beat goes on, Va. Tech drums UK". Messenger-Inquirer. November 1, 1981. Retrieved December 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "At last...Kentucky breaks losing streak with 17–10 win over Vanderbilt". Messenger-Inquirer. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Gators feast on Wildcats". The Tennessean. November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Wildcats silence Vols' thunder". The Paducah Sun. November 22, 1981. Retrieved August 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.


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