Calipari 3.04 - Darius Calms The Nerves, Leads UK To Championship

November 20th: On this date....

...... in 1997, Orlando “Tubby” Smith coached his first official game as the head coach of your University of Kentucky Wildcats, beating Morehead, 88-49. Brought in from the University of Georgia, Tubby Smith had an impressive record of turning around basketball programs very quickly, not to mention an impressive record in March. Matching this coach with a powerhouse the likes of Kentucky was sure to be a success. No one was complaining (yeah right) after Tubby led the 1998 squad to our seventh and most recent National Championship. Looking back on his time at UK, you have to think he was given a raw deal. Tubby was an outstanding coach, a man of great integrity, a pillar of the community, and a man with the greatest stare in all of college basketball. Smith ended with a record of 263-83 in 10 seasons as the Wildcat head coach. “Ten Loss” Tubby seems pretty good compared to the most recent debacle of Billy Clyde, eh?

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.03 - Lamb, Wiltjer Show Cats' Potential in Rout of Penn St.

November 19th: On this date....

..... in 1999, an old friend came to town as the #16th ranked Fightin’ Utes of Utah came to Rupp to try and get some revenge. Well, that didn’t happen as #14 Kentucky turned away Utah 56-48 in a low scoring affair. Jules Camara hit the lone three pointer on the day as UK went 1-10 from three point range. Kentucky’s defense was the story of the afternoon, holding Utah to only 18 made field goals and forcing 18 turnovers. Every Utah starter had at least two turnovers. Jamaal Magloire led the team with 15 points and Tayshaun Prince added 11 points and seven rebounds. It was the fifth time in the 90's Big Blue had defeated Utah, the previous four coming in the NCAA Tournament. The most notable being when Tubby’s Comeback Cats took the 1998 Championship by a 78-69 score nineteen months earlier.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Marquis, Doron On NFL Live

November 18th: On this date....

..... in 2006, your University of Kentucky Wildcats moved to 7-4 on the season with a heart-pounding 42-40 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in Commonwealth. Keenan Burton caught multiple touchdown passes (37, 17, and 25 yards) for a program record fourth consecutive game to break teammate Dicky Lyons Jr., record set earlier in the year. The Warhawks (2-8, 1-4 Sun Belt) were down 18 points midway through the second quarter after an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown by Rafael Little. LA-Monroe wouldn’t give up though, and actually held the lead going into the fourth quarter, 34-33. A Lones Seiber field goal and a touchdown put the Cats up 42-34 with a minute to play. The Warhawks scored on a QB sneak to cut the lead to two, but the Big Blue defense stopped a two-point conversion, an onside kick, and a hail mary in the final moments to secure the win. This is the life of a Kentucky football fan.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 17th: On this date....

..... in 2001, an all-to-familiar feeling was cast through Big Blue Nation as the University of Kentucky Wildcats snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against hated rival Tennessee, 38-35. Commonwealth Stadium was feeling confident when the Cats marched out to a commanding (or so we thought) 21-0 lead late in the second quarter. Jared Lorenzen had 406 passing yards and Derek Abney had 10 catches for 118 to pace the Big Blue, but the defense broke down coming home. Casey Clausen connected with Donte Stallworth for three scores, two in the fourth quarter, to slam the dagger into the heart of the Wildcat faithful. Stallworth ended the game with 8 receptions for 169 yards and the three aforementioned touchdowns. The losing streak currently stands at 26. It will never end.


Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.02 - Second Half Surge Takes Out Jayhawks In NYC

November 16th: On this date....

..... in 2002, Artose Pinner led the Big Blue with a career-high 224 yards rushing as your University of Kentucky Wildcats blasted the Vanderbilt Commodores 41-21 to move to 7-4 (3-4 SEC) on the season. Pinner tied a school record by scoring four touchdowns and set a school record by going over the century mark for the eighth time during the 2002 campaign. Derek Abney also set an NCAA record with his sixth kick return for a touchdown in a single season. It was his seventh career return for a touchdown, an SEC record. The Kentucky defense frustrated Vandy quarterback Jay Cutler for most of the day, only giving up 176 passing yards to the future first-rounder. Leading 28-21 going into the fourth quarter, Kentucky pulled away on Pinner’s fourth touchdown of the day and an Otis Grigsby fumble recovery in the end zone.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Jon Stewart On Jerry Sandusky

Shhhh, Randall Cobb Had A PRTD On MNF

Jay Bilas All Access With Kentucky

Costas Destroys Sandusky on Rock Center

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

November 15th: On this date....

.... in 1985, a new generation (of Kentucky Wildcat basketball fans) was born when superstar and Kentucky-native Rex Chapman told the world he would play his college basketball at the University of Kentucky. An elite high-flyer from Apollo High in Owensboro, KY, King Rex was named a McDonald’s All-American, a Parade All-American, and Mr. Basketball in the state Kentucky for 1986. In just two years at Kentucky, Chapman gained membership into the elusive 1,000 point club and was named to All SEC teams in both seasons in the Blue and White. During his sophomore season, he was named a third team All-American, Academic All-SEC, and the SEC Tournament MVP. In 1988, Rex led the Cats to a 27-6 record and a Sweet Sixteen berth. Then there’s this:


Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach  

November 14th: On this date....

..... in 2005, sophomore running back Rafael Little was named National Player of the Week by SI.com after his monster performance in a 48-43 shootout victory against Vanderbilt. Little did everything but kick field goals and call plays as he managed to gain 372 all-purpose yards. This number was the highest in the nation in 2005. The second most in University history. And third most in Southeastern Conference history. The South Carolina native had 198 yards rushing on 28 carries and three touchdowns, all career highs. He added five catches for 86 yards and returned two punts for 88 yards for the final tally. After the Vanderbilt game, Rafael Little led the nation in all-purpose yards per game, averaging nearly 194 yards per contest.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 13th: On this date....

...... in 1999, an injured Quentin McCord weaved his way through the Vanderbilt defense on his way to an 80-yard third quarter touchdown helping the Cats to a 19-17 victory in Nashville. The win was the all-important sixth on the season, giving the Wildcats the minimum number of victories to be bowl eligible. Dusty Bonner threw for only 141 yards and super tight end James Whalen only caught 3 passes for 11 yards as the Vandy defense had Kentucky’s number most of the day. The touchdown to McCord came in at #18 on Tom Leach’s Greatest Calls. The story says Hal Mumme was told by the team doctors he could have McCord for one of the two remaining games on the season, but not both. Mumme decided to use Quentin in the Vandy game to try and gain bowl eligibility for the second straight year. It worked and that’s all that mattered to Big Blue Nation.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.01 - Cats, Frosh Huge 2nd Half Destroys Marist In Opener

November 12th: On this date....

..... in 1881, the University of Kentucky football program played its first ever football game, although they didn’t play as the University of Kentucky. And if you’ve been paying attention in class, you’ll also know they didn’t play as the Wildcats either. Your University was known as A&M College, Kentucky State College, and/or State College of Kentucky during the last part of the 19th century. Their opponent? Wait for it...............Kentucky University. The final score? Wait for it...................7 1/4 - 1. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the game has changed quite a bit in this 129 years. The football front page over at UK Athletics says the game and scoring probably resembled rugby more than football, but nevertheless was called football. Football would go on hiatus until 1891, when it would be a staple at the University until World War II. The team later known as your University of Kentucky Wildcats finished the three game season in 1881, 1-2.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

This is the only video from that day.

November 11th: On this date....

.... in 2006, Kentucky became bowl eligible (in what would become the first of the current four straight bowl-eligible seasons) by beating Vandy 38-26 in Lexington. Andre Woodson threw for 450 yards and four touchdowns to lead the way at quarterback. Rafael Little had a career game catching 8 passes for 114 yards and rushing for another 132 yards and a touchdown. Keenan Burton led the wideouts with 11 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns, in what would become a statistical freak show for the Blue and White. The win moved the Cats to 6-4 (4-3 in SEC) and guaranteed Big Blue Nation they would have at least a .500 record in the regular season and in conference, virtually guaranteeing them a bowl game. We would go on to play the often overated Clemson Tigers in the Music City Bowl in Nashville.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 10th: On this date....

..... in 2001, Jared Lorenzen threw for a career-high 453 yards and six touchdowns as he led the hapless Cats to a 56-30 drubbing of Vandy. It was only the second win of the season and the first SEC win for first year head coach Guy Morriss. The win snapped a 15-game conference losing streak for the Wildcats. The 56 points were a season high for the Big Blue. Tight end Derek Smith had 4 catches for 130 yards and Derek Abney added seven receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns. For his part, sophomore quarterback J-Load was named National Player of the Week. His six touchdowns passes came with no interceptions.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach