Expected the unexpected in the sport of college football. If it seems too ridiculous to be true, it’s not. This week, Kentucky fans were reminded of a ridiculous event that happened when the Wildcats played at The Swamp more than 40 years ago.
Two years before the infamous streak started between the Cats and the Gators, Jerry Claiborne’s team was looking to pull off a late-season upset in Gainesville. It was a classic slobber-knocker as Kentucky tried to grind one out with the patented Wide Tackle Six defense. Florida had some high-flying, albeit unplanned, tricks up their sleeve.
Following a kickoff return, the Wildcats entered the offensive huddle. That’s when a B-25 bomber flew over the field. The 70,000 fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium were stunned by the flyover that was so low, the color commentator noted, “We could’ve talked to that guy personally.”
The World War II era bomber, the same model that led Doolittle’s raid to Tokyo, was not scheduled to make an appearance at the game between Kentucky and Florida. Dr. John F. Marshall was the plane’s pilot. They were taking one last flight on the B-25, named the “Carol Jean,” before it was retired to the Smithsonian. He decided the plane should make headlines one more time before it was decommissioned.
“It was a perfect day,” Marshall said there was no malicious intent. “We made several passes [away from the stadium] and the airplane felt good. We felt good, and it all fell together. . . It was a last hurrah – the airplane is going to the Smithsonian. She had a home in Florida, and we wanted to say goodbye.”
It was an exciting surprise, but one that Florida football fans did not appreciate.
“My phone rang for 2 ½ hours,” said Fred Williams, an FAA airworthiness inspector. “There were many, many people who were irate.”
Two days later, the plane was taken to Dulles, where it became a part of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space collection. Unfortunately, the flyover did not give the Cats any good mojo. Kentucky fell 15-13 to Florida. The Wildcats got some vengeance the following year, but did not record another win over the Gators until 2018.