It started so well. Kentucky Football scored on their first drive, going 86 yards on 15 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Florida punted on every one of their five first-half possessions. Kentucky looked like they were on their way to a bounce-back win.
Except, they weren’t. Florida took control of the game in the second half on the ground and on defense to walk out of Lexington with a 21-14 win. With the loss, Kentucky is now 7-3 and 5-3 in the SEC. Unfortunately, this likely ends the Wildcats’ hopes of making
the College Football Playoff.
When you add the events of last night at Rupp Arena, Tuesday night in Chicago, and last Saturday night in Knoxville, it’s definitely been a brutal week in UK Athletics.
MVP: Willie Rodriguez
It was another really solid performance from the Cats’ tight end. On a night where the Cats struggled offensively, Rodriguez caught five passes for 62 yards. By far the most consistent performance on the Cats’ offense Saturday night.
First Half
It was a low-scoring first half, a physical battle between the Cats and the Gators. Kentucky ran 15 plays on their first drive, going 86 yards and taking 8:20 off the clock. C.J. Baxter finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown reception to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead.
Kentucky’s defense held Florida’s offense in check in the first half. The Gators had five possessions in the first half, and all five ended in punts. Florida managed just 121 yards and seven first downs in the first 30 minutes. Jadan Baugh rushed for just 19 yards and four carries in the first half.
Florida, though, did get on the board with 2:06 left in the first half. A holding penalty on Kentucky’s Lance Heard occurred in the end zone, giving the Gators two points and cutting the deficit to 7-2.
Give the Gators’ defense credit, too. After Kentucky’s first drive, the Cats managed just 50 yards on their next four drives. Kenny Minchey passed for 92 yards and a touchdown on 10/14 passing. Kenny Darby and Willie Rodriguez combined for seven receptions for 48 yards. Baxter rushed for 20 yards on six carries, while the Cats rushed for just 44 yards on 17 carries.
Second Half
Kentucky made a crucial mistake to start the second half, with Kenny Minchey fumbling the ball deep in his own territory. Florida recovered and took advantage with Baugh plowing one yard for a go-ahead touchdown. Aaron Philo added a rushing two-point conversion to give the Gators a 10-7 lead early in the third quarter.
Back came Kentucky, though, with the Cats recovering a surprise onside kick attempt by the Gators to start their ensuing drive at the Florida 45-yard line. It took Kentucky just six plays to go 45 yards, with a 24-yard reception by Willie Rodriguez highlighting the drive. Minchey got the final yard on a quarterback sneak to give Kentucky the lead at 14-10.
Florida answered with the next two scores, first cutting the lead to 14-13 on a field goal and then taking the lead with a Philo two-yard touchdown run. A trick play for a two-point conversion gave the Gators a 21-14 lead with 9:08 remaining. At this point, Kentucky only had 106 yards on their seven drives since their 86-yard opening drive.
The Cats drove deep into Florida territory on their next drive. But on 4th&9 from the Gators’ 25-yard line, Minchey faced pressure and was forced to throw it away with 5:29 remaining.
Florida bled clock on their ensuing drive, driving into Kentucky territory. With 1:48 remaining, it was 4th&2 from the Cats’ 36-yard line. Kentucky was without a timeout. Jadan Baugh got the handoff and was tackled right at the first-down marker. The crowd at Kroger Field thought the Cats got the stop. The chains came out for a measurement, and by one link, the Cats got the stop and the ball back.
Minchey would start the next drive with three straight incompletions, bringing up a 4th&10 with just 1:32 remaining. On a pass to Willie Rodriguez, the ball was broken up, and the Cats turned the ball over on downs. Game over, and with it likely any hopes of a College Football Playoff berth.
Philo finished with 102 rushing yards on 15 carries, with Baugh adding 69 on 18 carries. Florida rushed for 211 yards on 48 carries, while holding Kentucky to just 61 rushing yards on 27 carries.
Box Score
