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At the Half: Kentucky leads Clemson 14-10 in the Gator Bowl

On3 imageby:Tyler Thompson•12/29/23•

MrsTylerKSR

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Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio

We’ve got a back-and-forth battle in Jacksonville, friends. After 30 minutes of play, your University of Kentucky Wildcats lead the Clemson Tigers 14-10. Big plays have saved the day for the Cats so far.

Kentucky did not get off to a great start. The Cats allowed Clemson to return the opening kickoff 34 yards to the Tigers’ 39-yard line and on the next play, Maxwell Hairston was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. A nine-yard run by Phil Mafah later and it looked like Clemson was about to march down the field for a touchdown but the Cats stood tall, holding the Tigers to a field goal.

A few series later, Kentucky got on the board with a 22-yard rushing touchdown by Barion Brown (wonder what the odds were on that), which was set up by a 43-yard run by Ray Davis. It was an impressive four-play, 73-yard scoring drive that spanned 2:14. According to Corey Price, Brown is the first Kentucky player with a kickoff return, receiving, and rushing touchdown in the same season since Derrick Locke in 2009.

At the start of the second quarter, Kentucky’s offense stalled while Clemson’s picked up steam. The Tigers went back on top 10-7 at the 10:17 mark thanks to a one-yard touchdown run by Phil Mafa, which was set up by a 28-yard gain by Jake Briningstool. On the same drive, Maxwell Hairston went to the locker room with a hand injury.

Dane Key got the Cats back on track on the next drive. On 3rd-and-9, the Tigers were called for pass interference, giving Kentucky a much-needed first down. From there, Dane Key pulled in a bomb from Devin Leary, a 58-yard reception, his longest of the season. Somehow, he was wide open in the end zone on the next play, catching one to put the Cats up 14-10.

It looked like Kentucky might have momentum on its side when Devin Leary and Barion Brown connected for a huge third-down conversion on the next drive, but Leary was sacked a few plays later and the Cats couldn’t get back up off the mat. Thankfully, Deone Walker took care of business, sacking Cade Klubnik on 3rd down to make sure the Tigers didn’t get more points on the board. His sack celebration was fantastic.

First Half Box Score

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2025-01-05