Kentucky Vs. Florida: After Action Review  

An After Action Review, or AAR for short, is a militaristic manner to evaluate a mission or action. KSR utilizes this method to break down Kentucky’s 33-14 win over the Florida Gators.  

B.L.U.F (Bottom Line Up Front)  

Kentucky dominated Florida 33-14. Saturday’s victory marked the third consecutive win over the Gators and UK’s advancement in the SEC East.  

SITUATION 

The Wildcats entered the contest with a 4-0 record. The ‘Cats were 1-0 in SEC play after defeating Vanderbilt a week ago. 22nd-ranked Florida was 3-1 with its lone loss coming at Utah. The Gators’ one league win was over Tennessee. Saturday was a definition game for both teams. Kentucky emerged as the victor.  

OFFENSE 

Kentucky had been a boom-or-bust offense through four contests. The ‘Cats exploded on the ground against Florida. The Gators were the SEC’s top defense against the run coming into Saturday’s matchup. The Wildcats rolled up 329 yards on the ground. Ray Davis played his best game as a Wildcat by going for 280 yards off 26 carries. He scored three rushing touchdowns and caught a scoring pass. Davis emerged as a Heisman hopeful as a result of his efforts.  

The Kentucky offensive line had shown improvement from last year but had also experienced lapses throughout the young season. The Big Blue Wall re-emerged against the Gators and put on a clinic by whipping the vaunted Florida run-defense. UK ran for 329 yards and averaged 9.1 per attempt. The Wildcats’ up-front effort and physical nature was reminiscent of yesteryear. Florida managed zero quarterback sacks and only four tackles for loss in the contest.  

With Davis running wild, UK stuck with the ground attack for most of the afternoon. The passing game didn’t or couldn’t find its rhythm. Devin Leary finished the contest 9-20 for 69 yards and one touchdown pass. Drops and errant throws continued to plague the offense. However, the Big Blue Wall won the fist fight in the phone booth. Davis ran around and through would-be tacklers for 60 minutes. The passing game’s absence was not a factor in the outcome. Let’s get into goals vs. results.  

First Down Efficiency
RESULT: GO  

The ‘Cats got ahead of the chains and only ran nine third down plays in the game. It’s difficult to find misgivings in an offense that averaged 9.1 yards per carry on the ground.  

Talk
RESULT: GO  

This goal is difficult to numerically evaluate. But, again, I’ll reference the 329 yards on the ground. The Big Blue Wall talked and whipped the Gators up front. Florida twisted and turned up front as expected. The Wildcat offensive line and tight ends efficiently communicated in both pre- and post-snap execution in order to put a hat on a hat. This opened holes and created gaps for the ‘Cats to run through to the tune of 329 rushing yards.  

DEFENSE 

Brad White and the Kentucky defense also got involved in the on-field clinic on Saturday afternoon. Florida entered the contest with one of the more influential rushing attacks in the SEC. The Gators departed Kroger Field with just 69 run yards off 29 attempts for a low 2.4 yards per carry. UF extended a couple plays that led to scoring drives, but in the most part, UK whipped the visitors between the chalks.  

Running backs Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne never quite found their footing. Johnson Jr. finished the game with 42 yards and a 4.2 YPC average. Etienne managed 11 attempts for 29 yards.  

The Kentucky defensive front was active and forceful. Deone Walker’s presence along the line of scrimmage was impactful. The super-sophomore recorded a tackle for loss, a QB sack, and a pass breakup. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston continued his push for All-SEC honors by leading the team with 10 stops. Nickel defender Alex Afari played his best game of the 2023 season by registering nine tackles including one for loss. Fellow true-sophomore Keaten Wade added sic tackles and was active against both the run and pass.  

Saturday’s result was a role reversal for the two participants. For years, the Gators had the advantage along the line of scrimmage. Now, UK has the overbearing favor in terms of the front sevens. Coach Anwar Stewart’s defensive line is deep and creates havoc. That was the case on Saturday. Linebackers and defensive backs were timely and accurate in run fits which limited Gator yards after initial contact. Additionally, the Kentucky defense was faster and more athletic than their foes. Again, a reversal in fortune and result.  

Let’s get into goals vs. results.  

Force Downfield Pass
RESULT: GO  

See above. Florida finished the matchup with just 69 rush yards off 29 attempts. The Gators’ 2.4 yards per carry led Billy Napier to abandon the run in favor of the pass. Quarterback Graham Mertz completed 25-30 passes for 244 yards. The Gator signal caller threw two touchdown passes and one interception to Trevin Wallace. He was sacked three times.  

A number that jumped out after the matchup was nine. Kentucky recorded nine tackles for loss. The line of scrimmage was moved into Florida’s own backfield on many occasions. 10 Wildcat defenders registered at least .5 TFL on Saturday. That stat epitomizes Kentucky’s team-defense plan and execution.  

Thump
RESULT: GO  

This objective referred to Kentucky’s ability to stop the run. As seen above, 69 yards and 2.4 YPC were the results. Linebacker D’Eryk Jackson played his part by pitching in five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one QB sack, and one pass breakup. Edge defenders Keaten Wade and JJ Weaver were forceful against the run as well. In all, the Kentucky defense tackled well and timely for the vast majority of four quarters. Run-fills were executed properly. In other words, team-defense was accomplished.  

SPECIAL TEAMS 

The Kentucky kickers were money. Alex Raynor nailed 24- and 50-yard field goals and was perfect on PATs. Chance Poore went 7-7 on kickoffs that resulted in touchbacks. Wilson Berry upped his average to 48 yards per punt.  

Snap-Hold-Kick
RESULT: GO  

Full disclosure, I expected a close game. I was wrong. The ‘Cats kicked Florida’s butt. But, in a close game, field goals are vital. That was never the required, but Raynor’s 50-yarder pushed the matchup to a three-possession game and all but sealed the final outcome.  

OUTCOME  

Kentucky is a better football team and program than Florida. That description was on full display on Saturday. The ‘Cats have better players and coaches than the Gators. For folks like me who have experienced the long-suffering losing streak and endured decades of embarrassing losses to the Gators, accepting that as a fact can be difficult. But, it’s true. And, I’m here for it.  

The SEC is a line of scrimmage league. Mark Stoops has said that from the beginning of his head coaching tenure in Lexington. Kentucky was the much better up-front team on both sides of the football. The defensive and offensive lines were both dominated by the ‘Cats. In fact, the result was a route in both cases. The Big Blue Wall resurfaced in a monstrous manner and did so without the services of senior guard Kenneth Horsey. This defensive front seven or eight is as good as many thought. It is also extremely well-coached and is littered with future professionals.  

Ray Davis has proven to be an invaluable addition. The Vanderbilt transfer running back was money against the Gators. The senior has also jumped into Heisman Trophy discussions. His 200+ yard first half was one of the more impressive performances that I’ve seen from a Kentucky offensive player in my lifetime.  

The passing game needs to be figured out. It took a while for Liam Coen Part I to get going through the air. For UK’s sake, I hope that will be the case for the 5-0 Wildcats. Devin Leary and his group of pass catchers require a confidence boost. UK’s ability to pitch and catch has been inconsistent at best in 2023. There will come a point in time in which the air attack will be asked to win a football game or two.  

Mark Stoops often talks about complementary football. All three phases were firing on all cylinders on Saturday. That included Stoops’ offense, defense, and special teams. It will take all three to play at that same level to get a win in Athens against Georgia on Saturday night. But, there will be plenty of time to talk about that one in the days leading up to what could be a matchup with the winner gaining an advantage to win the SEC East.  

But for now, it’s a celebratory Sunday. Kentucky whipped the Gators in most measurable categories. The Wildcats’ 33-14 victory was the culmination of years of recruiting and developing talent and the coordination of Mark Stoops’ emphasis on playing bully-ball. UK was by far the most physical team on the field. The scoreboard indicated that result.  

With all that said, the Florida win was just that — one victory. This team still has areas in which improvements are necessary. But, beating up on the Gators is a new happening that I’m going to smile about for the next few hours.  

Kentucky is 5-0.