GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) – The Wildcats fall to SEC rival Florida in a shoot-out, 59-31 Saturaday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Behind 275-pound quarterback Jared Lorenzen, Kentucky moved down the field with little resistance and piled up 504 yards, the most by any SEC team against Florida since Steve Spurrier took over as coach in 1990.
Lorenzen was 35-of-59 for 363 yards, the fourth time in as many games he has thrown for at least 300 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, but also had two interceptions, one that cost the Wildcats near the end of the first half.
Artose Pinner had 125 yards rushing for Kentucky, but also lost two fumbles. The Gators scored touchdowns after all four Kentucky turnovers.
This was hardly a defensive struggle. The Gators had 452 yards and scored on a late touchdown pass by backup Rex Grossman. Each team punted only once, and Kentucky held the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game.
Florida’s Jesse Palmer became only the fourth player at Florida to score four touchdowns on the ground. Palmer was 12-of-19 for 190 yards.
Although the Wildcats never led, they never quit.
Desperate to match Florida touchdown-for-touchdown, Lorenzen directed a 17-play, 76-yard scoring drive in which the Wildcats twice converted on fourth down and three times on third down, the last one an 8-yard TD pass to tight end Derek Smith.
That trimmed Florida’s lead to 24-17 late in the first half, and sent a strong message that the Wildcats would be tough to stop unless they stopped themselves.
After the Wildcats forced Florida to punt for the first time in the game, they took over on their own 32 with 1:52 left and a chance to go into halftime with a tie. But Lito Sheppard, picked off Lorenzen and returned it to the 16. Florida eventually scored twice before halftime to lead, 38-17.
Lorenzen faced little pressure and hit a couple of 45-yard passes to Quentin McCord to inside the 5-yard line. One set up a short field goal that tied the game at 3, and the other let to Chad Scott’s 2-yard touchdown run.
