PHOTO - UK Athletics
Quarterback Terry Wilson certainly built his Kentucky legacy Saturday when UK won at Knoxville 34-7 for the Cats’ first win at Tennessee since 1984. It also made him the first UK quarterback to win at Florida and Tennessee since Derrick Ramsey did the same thing in 1976-77. No other UK quarterback has ever done that. I thought former UK great Babe Parilli might also have wins at both places. He played at UK from 1949-51 before going on to star in the NFL. He went 3-0 against Florida but was 0-3 against Tennessee, including a 7-0 loss in Knoxville.
“It is special,” Wilson said about joining Ramsey’s legacy. “I know it means a lot to this state and to the University of Kentucky. I am fortunate and glad to be in this position and have a chance to go battle.”
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops doesn’t like to talk about streak-ending wins because his current players were not part of those long losing streaks. However, UK can add to some nice streaks in the coming weeks that Stoops is responsible for.
Saturday the Cats have a chance to get their sixth straight win over Missouri. Later they could add their fourth straight home win over South Carolina along with a fifth straight victory over Vanderbilt. Stoops could also become the first coach since Fran Curci to have TWO WINS against Florida.
Then throw in Kentucky has not beat Alabama since 1997 when Hal Mumme was the head coach at UK. Sure, it’s a long shot but probably no more so than Wilson becoming only the second UK quarterback ever to win at Florida and Tennessee.
And there is that little streak against Georgia. The Cats have not beat Georgia since 2009. No, that is not all on Stoops. He didn’t arrive at UK until the 2013. But seven of those 10 losses are on his watch going into the Oct. 31 game.
Wilson is 14-5 as a starter for Stoops and if the Cats adds a few more of these wins in the next two months his resume when he leaves is going to only get more impressive.
