The Florida Gators are now 3-2 after a loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, 20-13 in Lexington. Dan Mullen is the only Florida coach in the past 30 years to lose to Kentucky, and he’s managed to do it twice. There was so much promise for this Florida team after the Alabama game; all of that is wiped away. Check out an analysis of the Florida Gators’ offensive and defensive efforts in their loss to the Kentucky Wildcats.
Recap
Offense
Emory Jones had a decent game with over 200 yards passing and a touchdown. In fact, the Gators outgained the Wildcats by more than 150 yards, but penalties were the deciding factor. Florida shot themselves in the foot, primarily on the offensive end, with 15 penalties.
The ground game was also effective, for the Gators finished with nearly 180 yards rushing. The running attack is the focal point of Florida’s offense, but Mark Stoops and his team had a good counter to Dan Mullen’s tactics in the second half.
It was clear that the Gators’ offense was never really in sync, especially on the last drive. Florida had an opportunity to tie the game, but mistakes due to penalties led the Gators to turn it over on downs. Jacob Copeland could have got a touchdown, but he slipped on the eight-yard line, which changed the game.
A lot of questions have been raised about why Anthony Richardson is not starting for the Gators. His progress has been hindered by the hamstring injury. However, after Saturday’s performance, there’s no reason for Richardson to not get more playing time starting from next Saturday.
Defense
Overall, the defensive efforts by the Gators are what kept them in the game. They only allowed seven points in the first half, but running back Chris Rodriguez was tough to stop on the ground. Will Levis seemed out of sorts throughout the game, but he managed to avoid turning the ball over. Wan’Dale Robinson had a couple of receptions, including the only passing touchdown in the first half for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats’ special teams had a lucky break with returning a field goal block for a touchdown to put Kentucky up 13-10. Rodriguez later rushed in for a touchdown to extend Kentucky’s lead to 10.
The Gators’ defense held up to give the ball back to their offense at the end, but it was to no avail. While the defense has taken a step up, the team has taken a step down from last year due to the offense.
Concluding Thoughts
Next week, the Florida Gators will face the Vanderbilt Commodores at home for an 11:00 game. This should give an opportunity for Dan Mullen’s squad to regroup, and the offense needs to show significant improvement before facing the likes of LSU and Georgia.