Kentucky football: Reviewing the last five games versus the Florida Gators
Two weeks ago, we gave you five off-the-wall things about the Akron Zips. Last week, we gave you five football-centric things about the Vanderbilt Commodores.
For Kentucky football’s game Saturday against No. 22-ranked Florida — noon kickoff on ESPN — we’re going to review the last five meetings between the Cats and Gators.
2018: Kentucky 27, No. 25 Florida 16
Sept. 8 in Gainesville: This is the game in which Kentucky snapped its 31-game losing streak to Florida. The Cats’ first series, quarterback Terry Wilson scrambled for 31 yards down the sideline to the Florida 23. Two plays later, he avoided the Gators pass rush and hit David Bouvier in the right side of the end zone for a 29-yard score and a 7-0 lead on Dan Mullen’s Gators with 5:07 left in the first quarter.
Florida led 10-7 at the half, but Wilson scored on a 24-yard run to put Kentucky up 14-10 with 9:49 left in the third quarter. Then Wilson hit Lynn Bowden with a perfect 54-yard strike for a 21-10 UK lead with 4:11 remaining in the quarter.
After current Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson missed a 36-yard field goal with 1:13 left in the quarter, the Gators finally pulled within 21-16 when quarterback Feleipe Franks finished a 99-yard drive by hitting Freddie Swain for a 4-yard score with 3:34 left in the game. Florida’s two-point try failed.
Kentucky was able to run the clock down to 29 seconds remaining before the home team finally gained possession. Three plays later, however, Josh Allen strip-sacked Franks and Davonte Robinson returned the fumble for a score at the final horn for the final score.
Wilson ended up hitting on 11 of 16 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns with one interception while rushing for 105 yards and a score on 10 attempts. UK’s Benny Snell rushed for 175 yards on 27 carries. All total, the Cats rushed for 303 yards on the night.
Kentucky finished the season 10-3, including a win over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl.
Kentucky-Florida football 2018 box score
2019: No. 9 Florida 29, Kentucky 21
Sept. 14 in Lexington: UK took a 21-10 lead over Florida in the the fourth quarter only to lose to the Gators at Kroger Field. The game turned when Franks dislocated his ankle when he was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 with 3:21 left in the third quarter.
Kyle Trask replaced Franks and sparked the Florida comeback. He led a 62-yard scoring drive with La’Mical Perine scoring from 8 yards out with 12:41 left. Florida failed on the two-point conversion, leaving UK with a 21-16 lead. Two series later, the Gators went 66 yards in four plays to take the lead. Trak hit Kyle Pitts for a 30-yard gain to the Wildcats’ 6-yard line. Two plays later, Trask scored from 4 yards out on a quarterback draw. The two-point conversion attempt again failed, but Florida led 22-21.
Kentucky could have retaken the lead, but Chance Poore’s 35-yard field goal with 54 seconds left missed wide right. Then with 33 seconds left, the Gators’ Josh Hammond motored for a 76-yard score to seal the deal.
UK quarterback Sawyer Smith, filling in for the injured Terry Wilson, completed 23 of 35 passes for 267 yards and two scores, but threw three interceptions. Florida’s Trask finished 9-of-13 for 126 yards and never relinquished the quarterback job. After recovering from his injury, Franks transferred to Arkansas. He’s now a tight end with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
Kentucky finished the season 9-5, including a win over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl.
Kentucky-Florida football 2019 box score
2020: No. 6 Florida 34, Kentucky 10
Nov. 28 in Gainesville: This was the COVID-year game. Because of the pandemic, all SEC teams played only SEC opponents in a 10-game schedule. UK traveled to Gainesville was burned on a special teams play at the end of the first half.
Up 10-7 with under a minute to go in the second quarter, the Cats experienced a miscommunication while punting. Max Duffy’s punt went one way. The Wildcats covering the punt went the other way. The result was a 50-yard punt return touchdown for current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney — the same Toney who returned a fourth-quarter punt 65 yards for Kansas City to set up a score in last season’s Super Bowl.
Florida steamrolled UK in the second half. Trask hit Pitts for a 2-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead just 2:25 into the third quarter. A 42-yard pass from Trask to Jacob Copeland set up a 34-yard McPherson field goal for a 24-10 lead with 5:58 left in the third. Next series, Mohamoud Diabate intercepted a Wilson pass, giving Florida the ball at the UK 12. Three plays later, Trask hit Pitts for a 7-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 31-10 with 3:36 left in the third quarter.
Wilson completed 10 of 18 passes, but for just 62 yards. UK gained just 221 total yards. Meanwhile, Task was 21-of-27 for 256 yards and three touchdowns.
Kentucky finished the season 5-6, including a win over North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl.
Kentucky-Florida football 2020 box score
2021: Kentucky 20, No. 10 Florida 13
Oct. 2 in Lexington: Liam Coen’s offense produced just 224 yards, but Kentucky beat Florida in Lexington for the first time since 1986 thanks to an opportunistic defense.
Florida jumped in front 7-0 on a 7-yard Emory Jones to Ja’Quavion Fraziars touchdown pass with 7:57 left in the first quarter. UK tied it 7-7 when Wan’Dale Robinson scored on a 41-yard bubble screen from quarterback Will Levis with 5:19 left in the first.
Florida led 10-7 at the half, but the game turned when UK’s Josh Paschal blocked a 48-yard Jace Christmann field goal attempt in the third quarter. Kentucky linebacker Trevin Wallace returned the blocked kick 76 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but UK led 13-10 with 6:36 remaining in the third.
After that, Florida’s possessions resulted in a punt; a J.J. Weaver interception that set up a UK score; a 32-yard field goal and a stop on downs at the UK 8-yard line with 18 seconds remaining with Kentucky ahead 20-13.
The Cats’ Chris Rodriguez rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries as Kentucky improved to 5-0 in what extended to a 6-0 start with a 42-21 victory over LSU the next week.
Kentucky finished the season 10-3, including a win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.
Kentucky-Florida football 2021 box score
2022: No. 20 Kentucky 26, No. 12 Florida 16
Sept. 10 at Gainesville: The Wildcats won their second straight over the Gators, beating Florida in new UF coach Billy Napier’s introduction to the series.
A 55-yard TD pass from Levis to freshman Dane Key put Kentucky up 7-3 with 11:36 left in the second quarter. Florida rallied to take a 16-13 lead into halftime, but the UK defense blanked the Gators in the second half.
Meanwhile, a 25-yard pass by Levis to Chauncey Magwood helped set up a 24-yard Matt Ruffolo field goal to tie the game at 16 with 6:35 left in the third quarter. Next series, UK cornerback Keidron Smith took advantage of a miscommunication between Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, now of the Indianapolis Colts, and a Gators receiver to jump the route, intercept the pass and return it 65 yards for a 23-16 Kentucky lead with 3:25 left in the quarter.
The Cats made it stand up, adding a 26-yard Ruffolo field goal with 1:24 left, as well as stopping Florida on downs first at the Gators’ own 40 on a Carrington Valentine pass breakup, and then at the Gators’ 24 with 4:02 to play.
Levis finished 13-of-24 passing for 202 yards and one touchdown with one interception. A star in Florida’s win over Utah the week before, Richardson completed just 14 of 35 passes for 143 yards with two interceptions.
Kentucky finished the season 7-6, including a loss to Iowa in the Music City Bowl.
Kentucky-Florida football 2022 box score
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