Kentucky-Florida Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES

FLORIDA at KENTUCKY

KROGER FIELD AT C.M. NEWTON GROUNDS – LEXINGTON, KY

SEPT. 30, 2023

FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 33, No. 22/23 Florida 14

Team Records and Series Information

• Kentucky is 5-0 on the season, 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference, while Florida is 3-2, 1-1 in the league.
• Florida remains the leader in the series, 53-21.
  • UK has won three in a row against UF for the first time since a four-game win streak against the Gators in 1948-51.
  • Florida remains the leader in games played in Lexington, 22-12.
• The 19-point margin of victory was the largest for UK vs. Florida since 1979, a 31-3 triumph at Florida.
• This was UK’s largest margin of victory against a ranked Florida since 1976, 28-9 in Lexington.
• UK held Florida to 16 points or less in three consecutive meetings for the first time since 1955-57.
• The 33 points scored by UK are the most vs. Florida since a 45-37 loss in 2007.
• Next for UK: The Wildcats travel to Athens, Georgia, for an Oct. 7 matchup with the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.
  • The game time is 7 p.m. ET and it will be televised by ESPN.

Team Notes

• Record Notes:
  • Kentucky opens the season 5-0 for:
    • The 14th time in school history
    • The fifth time in the last 72 years (also 1984, 2007, 2018 and 2021).
    • The third time under head coach Mark Stoops (also 2018 and 2021).
  • UK is 2-0 in the SEC for only the third time in the last 46 seasons, also 2018 and 2021.
  • UK defeated a ranked Florida team for the third season in a row, first time in school history UK has defeated the same ranked opponent three years in a row.
    • With today’s win, UK claimed its fourth win over a ranked Gators team since 2018.
  • This is the first time in school history that UK has defeated a ranked opponent four years in a row.
  • The Wildcats claimed their sixth ranked win in their last 10 meetings against ranked teams.
• Offensive Notes:
  • Kentucky scored 33 points, which was the first time since 2007 that UK has scored at least 28 points in its first five games of the season.
  • UK won its first five games of the season by at least 11 points for the first time since 2018.
  • Kentucky has scored on its first drive in four of five games this season, including today’s 24-yard field goal.
    • UK has scored on the first drive of the second half in three of five games this season.
  • Defensive Notes:
    • Kentucky limited Florida to 69 yards rushing.
      • The Wildcats have held each of their first five opponents of the season under 100 yards rushing for the first time in school history, based on game-by-game stats since the 1940s.
      • This is the fewest rushing yards UK has allowed vs. Florida since 1979 (28 yards in that game).
    • Kentucky has allowed 28 points or less in its first five games of the season, for three straight seasons, for the first time since 1960-62.
    • UK has forced nine turnovers in the first five games, the most in its first five games since 2017.
      • UK has forced at least one turnover in each of the first five games for the first time since 2019.
      • UK has forced a turnover in nine consecutive regular-season games, dating back to last season, which is its most since a 10-game stretch in 2016-17.

Coach Mark Stoops

• Mark Stoops is in his 11th season as Kentucky’s head coach, extending his school record for the most seasons as the UK head coach.
• UK is 5-0 for the third time in the last six seasons under Coach Stoops, joining 2018 and 2021.
• Stoops extended his school records for most total victories (71), SEC victories (34), wins against ranked opponents (12) and home victories (50).
• After two games of the 2016 season, Stoops’ record was 12-26, but he has gone 59-33 (.641) since.

Player Notes

• Quarterback Devin Leary completed nine of his 20 passing attempts for 69 yards, no interceptions, and one touchdown.
  • His nine-yard touchdown pass to Ray Davis in the first quarter marked the 10th TD pass of his UK career and 72nd of his career.
• Running back Ray Davis had 26 carries for a career-high 280 yards rushing and a career-best three touchdowns rushing. He also added a nine-yard touchdown reception.
  • His 280 yards rushing are the third-most in a game in program history, and were just 19 short of the school record.
  • He became the ninth player in UK history to eclipse 200 yards rushing in a game, while it marked the 13th instance in program history.
  • His 280 yards helped him eclipse 3,000 yards rushing for his career, currently sitting at 3,091.
    • Prior to today’s game, just two active FBS players eclipsed 3,000.
  • His 280 yards were the second-most rushing yards of any player on any team against Florida.
    • Tyr Davis-Price of LSU holds the top spot with 287 against UF in 2021.
  • His four touchdowns tied the school record for the most total touchdowns in a game.
    • He became the 13th player in UK history to have four touchdowns in a game, while it marked the 15th instance in program history.
  • He has scored at least one touchdown in each game this season, first Wildcat to TD in the first five games since Artose Pinner in 2002.
    • It was his second game this season to have a rushing and receiving TD.
  • On his second touchdown, he had a career-long, 75-yard score rushing.
    • The best two rushes of his career have occurred in Blue and White, first with a 55-yard rush against Akron, followed by the 75-yard rush against Florida.
    • It was Kentucky’s longest run in school history vs. Florida.
  • Wide receiver Barion Brown led UK with four catches for 37 yards.
    • He improves his streak of 18 straight games with a reception, which is every single game of his college career.
  • Defensive back Maxwell Hairston had a career-high 10 tackles, including eight solo tackles and one-half tackle for loss (-1 yard).
  • Defensive back Alex Afari had a career-high nine tackles, including five solo tackles and one tackle for loss (-1 yard). He had two tackles on third down that forced punts, plus a fourth-down stop that turned over the ball on downs.
  • Outside linebacker Keaten Wade had a career-high six tackles, including four solo tackles and one-half for loss (-2 yards).
  • Inside linebacker D’Eryk Jackson had five tackles, one sack (-6 yards), 1.5 tackles for loss (-8 yards) and one pass breakup.
  • Linebacker J. Weaver (-13 yards) and defensive lineman Deone Walker (-8 yards) also had a sack apiece.
    • Walker also was credited with a pass breakup, hitting the receiver to pop up the ball, which was intercepted by Trevin Wallace.
  • Inside linebacker Trevin Wallace had a pickoff that was returned 21 yards to the Florida 15-yard line, setting up Kentucky’s first touchdown of the game.
    • It was his first interception of the season and the third interception of his career.
  • Kicker Alex Raynor went 2-of-2 on field goal attempts, including a 24-yard field goal on UK’s first drive of the game and a career-long, 50-yard field goal that gave UK a crucial three-score cushion in the fourth quarter.
    • He has made his last 12 straight field goals, a stretch dating back to last season.
    • Raynor also connected on 3-of-4 extra point attempts.
  • Game captains: quarterback Devin Leary, defensive lineman Deone Walker and linebackers J.J. Weaver and Trevin Wallace.