Kentucky Beats Florida for the First Time Since 1986

As Austin MacGinnis’s 57-yard field goal fell short, a silenced Kroger Field sat wondering if beating Florida was ever going to happen. The loss marked the 31^st in a row that Kentucky had suffered to Florida, and this one could not have been more heartbreaking. Kentucky held a 13-point lead with under 8 minutes to go in the game and Lexington was rocking. Still, in the back of their minds, Kentucky fans were hesitant to start celebrating. Those reservations bore fruit as Florida rallied for 14 straight points to extend the nations longest losing streak one year longer.

This year, Florida chipped away at another double digit 4^th quarter lead but this time it was the Swamp that was stunned when the final whistle blew. No one gave them much of a chance, but the underdog Kentucky Wildcats (2-0) were able to upset the #25 Florida Gators (1-1), 27-16. 

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Kentucky Jumps Out to Early Lead

Despite being a 13.5-point underdog on the road, Kentucky showed no fear early in the Swamp. After forcing a 3 and out, running back Benny Snell led a 91-yard scoring drive that culminated in quarterback Terry Wilson hooking up with WR David Bouvier for a 29-yard score.

Florida was able to punch right back with an 18-yard touchdown from Feleipe Franks to tight-end  Moral Stephens. Florida added a field goal to make it 10-7 and that is when the wheels began to come off for Kentucky. Their dynamic quarterback, Terry Wilson, had 2 bad turnovers deep inside Gator territory. Wilson has shown flashes of brilliance in his first two starts but he has also been turnover prone. He had five in two games by the time the halftime whistle blew against Florida. The Kentucky mistakes meant Florida could take a 10-7 lead into the half.

Kentucky Extends Lead

After a disappointing end to the first half, Snell and Wilson took the second half kickoff and marched right back down the field. With the ball on the 24-yard line, Wilson ran a misdirection after faking a pitch and sped into the end zone to retake the lead. On the next drive, Wilson again showed why he was such a highly-touted prospect when he threw a beautiful long ball to sophomore wideout Lynn Bowden. The 54-yard score extended their lead to 21-10.

Kentucky’s veteran defense is full of playmakers and they made life difficult for Feleipe Franks all night. Franks and company managed to move the ball effectively in the second half but had a couple drives stall. Kicker Evan McPherson missed a 36-yarder at the end of the 3^rd quarter and the next drive never had a chance when Franks was picked off by safety Darius West.

Victory at Last

Even though Florida’s offense was ineffective, Kentucky was unable to extend their lead and kept Florida in the game. When Florida converted a 4^th down with 5 minutes left (after a 3^rd and 28), it seemed like Kentucky was on their way to blowing another 4^th quarter lead. SEC Network even began showing highlights from last years collapse. Last year, Kentucky forgot to cover 2 Florida receivers and that led to 2 Florida TDs, including the game winner with under a minute left. This year, Florida capped a 99-yard drive with a 4-yard pass from Franks to Feddie Swain. The 2-point conversion failed and Kentucky held onto a delicate 21-16 lead with 3:43 to go.

Snell tried to run out the clock with his legs but was unable to and Florida got the ball back on their own 6 with 29 seconds to go. It seemed like a long shot, but Kentucky could take nothing for granted when a loss to Florida always seemed to be predetermined. In true Kentucky-Florida fashion, the streak finally ended in the most bizarre way. Franks’s arm was hit by Josh Allen when he went to throw and he fumbled the ball forward. Everyone thought the play was dead, including Davonte Robinson, who tried to toss the ball to the official before realizing the ball was still live. He ended up diving into the end zone with 0 seconds remaining as a confused Kentucky bench burst into cheers.

Standout Stars

 Kentucky’s best player and NFL prospect, Benny Snell, had a phenomenal game. The junior rushed for 175 yards on 27 carries and was a workhorse all night. Despite the turnovers, Wilson made some spectacular plays. He went 11-16 for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns. He added 105 yards and one score on the ground. Sophomore, Lynn Bowden, Jr.  had 4 receptions for 79 yards and a score. Former walk-on David Bouvier had an effective first half with 44 receiving yards including his 29-yard touchdown.

Franks had a rough night for Florida but went 17-38 for 232 and 2 TDs with 1 interception in the loss. Franks was also the leading rusher for the Gators with 39 yards on 10 carries. Kadarius Toney led the team in receiving yards with 35.

Implications

This game actually has fairly large SEC East implications considering it was a Week 2 matchup. Kentucky goes 1-0 in the SEC and will hold the tiebreaker over 0-1 Florida. Both teams will have to try to keep pace with #3 Georgia who is also 1-0 in conference play. Despite the conference implications and the possibility of being ranked next week, Kentucky will most likely not be thinking any of that. The team and whole state will spend tonight celebrating an end to the longest and saddest losing streak in college football. A feat many people considered an impossibility.