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At The Half: Kentucky leads, Florida can't stop Ray Davis

Drew Franklinby:Drew Franklin•09/30/23•

DrewFranklinKSR

halftime-kentucky-florida
(Photo by Scott Utterback/USA Today)

One half of football has been played between Kentucky and Florida in Lexington, and if you lived the 31-game losing streak as a Wildcats fan, you’re thoroughly enjoying today’s game at Kroger Field. Kentucky absolutely manhandled Florida for the first 30 minutes, bringing our halftime score to a 23-7 lead for Kentucky at the break.

What’s Steve Spurrier’s old line about Kentucky’s punter? Florida has punted four times so far, plus a turnover on six offensive drives.

Missed Opportunity Out Of The Gate

On Kentucky’s first possession, Devin Leary and the offense drove 81 yards for the game’s first points, a short, 24-yard field goal from Alex Raynor to go up 3-0. However, Kentucky was kicking itself after the drive considering the Cats had not one, but two opportunities to put a touchdown on the board early. First, Leary missed both Isaiah Cummings and Ray Davis in the end zone on a bad throw to Davis (or maybe Cummings, it was hard to tell) from the seven. One play later, Barion Brown found empty space but couldn’t pull in a soft toss from Leary to the back of the end zone. The bad pass and the impending drop cost Kentucky four extra points early in the first quarter.

They’d get another shot moments later, and wouldn’t look back.

Trevin Wallace’s Interception + Ray Davis’ Touchdown

Two plays into Florida’s second drive, Kentucky star linebacker Trevin Wallace picked off a pass to set Kentucky’s offense back up in scoring territory. Leary and Co. took over at Florida’s 15-yard-line, and Ray Davis went all 15 yards in two plays for the touchdown. Davis scored on a nine-yard reception that should’ve been stopped right away, but Florida couldn’t bring Davis down before his six.

More Davis? More Davis

Florida couldn’t get out of the first quarter without taking another dose of Ray Davis. After Kentucky’s defense forced Florida into another punt, Davis took one carry 75 yards for his second touchdown of the game.

The extra point was blocked.

Even More Ray Davis!

The man was unstoppable in the first half. He scored his THIRD touchdown on Kentucky’s fourth possession, a three-yard run to put Kentucky up 23-0 in the first half. The carry pushed Davis over the 200-yard threshold in the first half.

Florida got on the board late

Kentucky fell 34 seconds shy of a first-half shutout as a late Florida touchdown came in at the end of the half, a Kentucky tradition.

Here’s how things stand now in Lexington with another 30 minutes of football to go after the intermission.

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