Postgame Notes From Kentucky’s Biggest Win Over Florida in 75 Years

FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 38, Florida 7

Team Records and Series Information

– Kentucky is 4-5 overall, 2-5 in the Southeastern Conference. Florida is 3-6 overall, 2-4 in league action.
– Florida remains the leader in the series, 54-21, not including UK’s 2021 win that was vacated by the NCAA.
– Florida leads in games played in Lexington, 22-12, not including UK’s 2021 win that was vacated by the NCAA.
– This is the first time UK has defeated Florida on-field in Lexington three games in a row since 1950, 1953 and 1955.
– This is the first time UK has defeated Florida four out of five on-field since 1948-52.
– This was the largest margin of victory vs. Florida since a 40-6 win in 1950.
– This was the most points UK has scored vs. Florida since a 41-24 win in 1974.
– It was the most points UK scored vs. Florida in the first half since 1950 (26).
– This was the fewest yards allowed vs. Florida since giving up 245 in 2015.
– This was the first time Kentucky had three interceptions vs. Florida in 2004 (also 3).
– Kentucky has had five consecutive seasons with a touchdown play of at least 65 yards vs. Florida.

Next Game

– Kentucky concludes the 2025 home schedule Saturday, Nov. 15, vs. Tennessee Tech. The game time is 1:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on SEC Network+.

Team Notes

General:

– Mark Stoops extended his school records for wins (71), home wins (50) and SEC wins (33).
– This is the first time Kentucky has defeated Auburn and Florida in the same season.
– This is Kentucky’s first back-to-back SEC victories since 2023 vs. Vanderbilt and Florida.
– This is the program’s largest margin of victory in a league game (31 points) since Nov. 14, 1998 vs. Vanderbilt (38 points, 55-17).
– Kentucky gave Florida its first 30+ point loss by an unranked team since 1970.
– Kentucky is the first SEC team to defeat Auburn and Florida in successive weeks since 2017.
– This was the first time Kentucky did not punt in a game since Nov. 6, 2021, vs. Tennessee.

Offense:

– The Wildcats scored on their first four drives of the game, and they scored on six of their 10 drives in tonight’s game.
– Tonight marked back-to-back games that UK opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive.
– Kentucky rushed for 233 yards, most vs. an SEC opponent since running for 329 vs. Florida in 2023.
– Kentucky converted 66.7 percent of their third downs (8 of 12), best since an equal number vs. Missouri in 2021.
– Kentucky had 10 receivers with at least one catch.

Defense:

– This is the first time that UK allowed seven points or less against a league opponent in consecutive weeks since Oct.10 and 17, 2020, vs. Mississippi State and Tennessee.
– This is the fewest points allowed by Kentucky against Florida (7) since Nov. 15, 1986 (3).
– This was the first time UK gave up 247 yards or less to consecutive SEC opponents since 1999 at South Carolina and vs. LSU.
– This was the first time since at least 1984 that UK gave up 247 yards or less to three SEC opponents in the same season.
– This was the first time UK has allowed 16 points or less to three SEC opponents since 2020.
– This was the first time Kentucky generated four turnovers since getting four vs. South Carolina in 2020.
– This was the first time Kentucky intercepted three passes since the Vanderbilt game in 2023.
– In the second quarter, Kentucky forced and recovered a fumble, UK’s first defensive fumble recovery of the season.
– Kentucky made two fourth-down stops in the game. UK now has 13 defensive turnovers on downs this season. UK entered the game tied for second in the SEC with 11 fourth-down stops.

Player Notes

– QB Cutter Boley completed 18 of 23 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
He completed 78.3 percent of his passes, the third time in the last four games he has completed at least 74.2 percent.
All three were against SEC opponents, first UK quarterback to have three such games in the same season since Tim Couch in 1998.
This was the best completion percentage for a UK quarterback vs. Florida (min. 20 attempts) since Bill Ransdell completed 20 of 23 vs. UF in 1986.
He is the first UK QB to start in a win against Florida as a freshman since Terry Henry on Nov. 17, 1979.
– RB Dante Dowdell rushed seven times for a team-high 104 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown burst in the fourth quarter.
He’s had two touchdown runs of at least 65 yards or more this season, also recording a 79-yard touchdown run in the season opener.
He logged the second 100+ yard rushing game of this season and of his career.
– RB Seth McGowan had 22 carries for 92 yards, including two touchdown runs for a team-best nine TDs on the season.
– RB Jason Patterson made his first collegiate touchdown catch, a 15-yard reception in the second quarter.
He added seven carries for 21 yards.
– WR Kendrick Law had a team-high six receptions for a team-high 44 yards.
– WR J.J. Hester caught a 29-yard touchdown pass on UK’s second possession, his longest reception of the season.
For the second consecutive game, WR Fred Farrier came up big on third down. He had just one catch, but it was on a 3rd-and-7 play on Kentucky’s touchdown drive that opened the second half.
Last week at Auburn, both of his catches came on 3rd-and-11 on UK’s lone touchdown drive of the game.
LB Daveren Rayner was all over the field tonight, with a pass interception, a pass deflection that was intercepted by – Ty Bryant, five tackles, including a quarterback sack (-10 yards).
He has a TFL in five straight games, the longest streak of his career.
The interception marked his second this season and of his career.
– DL Jaden Williams had a team-high-tying and career-high six tackles in just his fifth game at Kentucky.
He added a team-high-tying and career-high two quarterback hurries.
On the first series of the game, DB Ty Bryant grabbed an interception from a deflection by Daveren Rayner and the return was for 17 yards.
– It was Bryant’s third interception of the season and it set up a 39-yard field goal by Jacob Kauwe.
He also tied for the team lead in tackles with six.
– DB Quay’sheed Scott notched his first collegiate interception in the second quarter, returning it 55 yards, UK’s longest return of the season.
He also had three tackles, including a tackle for loss.
– True freshman LB Lorenzo Cowan made the first forced fumble of his career in the second quarter, with DB Cam Dooley making his first career fumble recovery.
The turnover set up a 59-yard touchdown drive.
– For the fourth time in his career – and the second game in a row – CB JQ Hardaway had two pass breakups. He also had four tackles.
– He didn’t have any sacks, but LB Steven “Sack ‘em” Soles had a career-high two quarterback hurries.
– K Jacob Kauwe added 5-of-5 on PAT, improving to 25-of-25 for his season / career.
He added 1-of-1 on field goals and is now 12-of-15 for his season/career.
– Aidan Laros didn’t have to punt tonight, but he notched touchbacks on all seven kickoffs.

Game Captains