On a November afternoon in Lexington, a struggling Florida team at 5-4 walked into Kentucky's stadium and left with a 21-14 victory over the No. 11 Wildcats, its third win this season over a ranked opponent. It is the kind of result that reminds us how a season can turn on a single drive and a single pass, and how a contender's ambitions can be quietly unsettled by a team with less to lose. For Kentucky, the defeat strikes at a dream of the College Football Playoff; for Florida, it is a sign that its uneven year still holds real possibility.
Florida Upsets No. 11 Kentucky 21-14 on Late Two-Point Conversion, Its Third Win Over a Ranked Team
Florida is 6-4 with three wins over ranked teams
Mark
Florida was 5-4 and still beat a top-15 team. Why does this one stand out?
Mimi
It's the third ranked opponent they've beaten this season, after Ole Miss and Texas. Yet they'd been struggling lately, so this was a spoiler win with real consequences for Kentucky.
Luke
Worth noting the record is only 6-4 even with those wins. Three ranked wins is confirmed; what it says about the team is the writer's read.
Mark
How did the game turn?
Mimi
Florida trailed 14-13 going into the fourth. Aaron Philo ran a 14-play drive, scored himself, and then Sumrall chose to go for two instead of kicking.
Luke
And it worked, Philo to a wide-open Dallas Wilson. That was a gamble; the report calls it a good call because it succeeded.
Mark
The safety was odd, wasn't it?
Mimi
Yes. An offensive holding penalty in the end zone gave Florida its first points, so it was down just 7-2 at halftime.
Mark
What about the ending?
Mimi
Florida missed a 4th-and-1 by about an inch, but Kentucky couldn't capitalize. Three incompletions, then a failed 4th-and-10.
Luke
Be careful on playoff impact. The report says it badly dents Kentucky's hopes, but gives no standings math or odds. How much damage is not established.
Mark
What's next?
Mimi
Kentucky faces Missouri; Florida hosts Vanderbilt at home.
O Pulso
- Florida arrived at 5-4 and walked into Kentucky's stadium as a heavy underdog with nothing to lose.
- Kentucky's playoff hopes took a hard hit as a ranked favorite fell behind and then lost its footing late.
- A safety on a holding penalty in the end zone and a lead that flipped twice kept the game tight until the final minutes.
- Aaron Philo's 14-play drive and a two-point pass to Dallas Wilson put Florida ahead 21-14 with the clock running down.
- On 4th-and-1 near midfield, Kentucky's defense held the Gators an inch short, and Florida closed the game out with the Wildcats unable to answer.
- Florida now heads home to host Vanderbilt, while Kentucky must regroup for Missouri with its playoff path suddenly steeper.
On a November afternoon in Lexington, a struggling Florida team at 5-4 walked into Kentucky's stadium and left with a 21-14 victory over the No. 11 Wildcats, its third win this season over a ranked opponent. It is the kind of result that reminds us how a season can turn on a single drive and a single pass, and how a contender's ambitions can be quietly unsettled by a team with less to lose. For Kentucky, the defeat strikes at a dream of the College Football Playoff; for Florida, it is a sign that its uneven year still holds real possibility.
Florida walked into Kentucky's stadium at 5-4, a program that had already surprised people with wins over Ole Miss and Texas but had been sliding lately. Against No. 11 Kentucky, which was still chasing a College Football Playoff spot, the Gators were not expected to do much. Before the kickoff, the Wildcats put on a drone show, which the original writer said he preferred to fireworks.
The game started slowly. Kentucky scored first on a touchdown from CJ Baxter late in the first quarter, and Florida's first points came in an odd way, when an offensive holding penalty in the end zone was ruled a safety. The Gators went to halftime trailing 7-2.
Florida took its first lead in weeks in the third quarter on a Jadan Baugh touchdown, but Kentucky answered with a Kenny Minchey keeper and the Gators settled for a field goal, leaving the Wildcats up 14-13 going into the fourth quarter. Then Aaron Philo led a 14-play drive that ended with his own touchdown run. Coach Jon Sumrall chose to go for two, and Philo's pass to a wide-open Dallas Wilson made it 21-14.
The finish was tense. Kentucky had no timeouts, and on 4th-and-1 near midfield Florida came up an inch short, handing the Wildcats one last chance. Minchey threw three incompletions and then Kentucky turned it over on downs, and Florida held on. The Gators improved to 6-4 with three ranked wins. For Kentucky, the loss is a major setback, and the Wildcats now turn to Missouri while Florida returns home to face Vanderbilt.
Florida came into Kentucky's stadium at 5-4 and left with a 21-14 win over the No. 11 Wildcats, the third time this season the Gators have knocked off a ranked opponent. For a Kentucky team still chasing a spot in the College Football Playoff, a visit from a struggling five-loss-or-so program looked like the kind of game a contender is supposed to handle. Florida had other ideas.
The Gators already owned two surprising wins this year, over Ole Miss and Texas, but had been sliding lately. Playing spoiler offered a chance to steady a season that had been going sideways. Before kickoff, Kentucky put on a drone show, which the writer of the original report said he prefers to fireworks.
Points were slow to arrive. Kentucky scored first, with quarterback Kenny Minchey finding running back CJ Baxter for a touchdown with under two minutes left in the first quarter. Florida's first points came in the second quarter in an unusual way: an offensive holding penalty in the end zone was ruled a safety. The Gators went to halftime down only 7-2.
In the third quarter, running back Jadan Baugh punched in a touchdown to give Florida its first lead in several weeks. Kentucky answered with a 1-yard touchdown keeper from Minchey, and Florida settled for a field goal, leaving Kentucky ahead 14-13 entering the fourth quarter.
Then Florida quarterback Aaron Philo led a 14-play drive that ended with his own run for a touchdown, putting the Gators back in front. Coach Jon Sumrall chose to keep the offense on the field for a two-point attempt rather than kick. Philo rolled out and lofted a pass to a wide-open Dallas Wilson, stretching the lead to 21-14.
The finish still had some tension. Florida went for it on 4th-and-1 just past midfield; a first down would have ended the game, since Kentucky had no timeouts left. Kentucky's defense stopped the Gators about an inch short, handing Will Stein's offense one more chance. Minchey threw three straight incomplete passes and then left the offense on the field for 4th-and-10, and Florida held on.
The result leaves Florida 6-4 with three wins over ranked teams, a profile the report describes as feast or famine. For Kentucky, the loss is a heavy blow to its playoff hopes. The Wildcats play Missouri next, while Florida returns to the Swamp to host Vanderbilt.
Citações Notáveis
Jon Sumrall gambled by keeping the offense on the field for a two-point try, and it paid off.— Fox News game report (paraphrase)
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