Ray Davis Carries Kentucky to Third Straight Win over Florida

Ray Davis put the team on his back. The Kentucky running back tallied 280 yards, 206 in the first half, and scored four total touchdowns to propel the Wildcats to a victory over Florida. It’s the third-greatest single-game rushing performance in Kentucky football history.

Mark Stoops now has three consecutive wins over Florida, a feat that was last accomplished by Bear Bryant in 1951. After losing 31 straight games to the Gators, the Cats have taken four of the last six in the series.

Ray Davis Dominates

Davis is now among the likes of Herschel Walker, Willis McGahee and Marcus Lattimore, running backs who have rushed for 200+ yards against the Gators. His 280 yards are the second-most ever against Florida.

He started red hot, rushing for first downs on his first two carries. He tallied eight rushes of 10 yards or more. Kentucky was stopped short of the end zone on their first drive, but that drought did not last long.

Trevin Wallace picked off a tipped Graham Mertz pass. Two plays later Davis caught a ball in the flat, then sliced through the defense to score a 9-yard touchdown.

His most impressive run of the day came courtesy of a special teams miscue. A quick Kentucky three-and-out was erased when a Florida Gator was flagged for leaping over the personal protector. On the next snap, Davis went 75 yards to the house, the longest touchdown run of his career. Just a few minutes later he had another score to open up a 23-0 lead.

75-yd run to the house @Ray_Davis07 💨

📺 – @ESPN https://t.co/wBIloVVbzL pic.twitter.com/OeO7PaVWIj

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) September 30, 2023

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Dominant Start for Kentucky Defense

Brad White’s defense set the tone. Kentucky opened the game by forcing back-to-back three-and-outs. Florida only had three first downs in their first four possessions.

The Kentucky defense gobbled up Florida’s high-powered rushing attack. The Gators averaged only 2.4 yards per carry, the Cats sacked Mertz three times and picked off a pass to set up Davis’ first score. Florida was down, but not out.

Florida Shows Life

The tide turned when Mertz slipped through a D’Eryk Jackson sack and found a receiver 21 yards down the field. The chunk play in the final three minutes was the drive starter the Gators needed to march down the field and punch in a score before halftime. A similar snafu behind the line of scrimmage cost Kentucky in the third quarter.

Trailing 30-7 and facing a fourth and three, Kentucky was ready to deliver the dagger. A Wildcat defender was draped over the Florida quarterback. Inches away from the ground, Mertz shoveled the ball to his running back who flipped the field and moved the chains. On the next play Ricky Pearsall scored a 33-yard touchdown.

Another Career-Long

Ray Davis wasn’t the only Wildcat to have a career day.

The Gators’ offense had a couple more opportunities to make it a ball game, but Kentucky stood strong. Florida committed a false start on fourth and inches to end one series in the third quarter. On the next drive JJ Weaver made an enormous sack, then Alex Afari provided the exclamation point on fourth down.

When Kentucky returned to the field, Davis chewed up some clock before Alex Raynor had his time to shine. The Kentucky placekicker nailed a career-long 50-yard field goal, giving the Cats a 33-14 lead with less than eight minutes remaining.

Kentucky vs. Florida Box Score

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