The Rise of Kentucky Football
UK isn't just a basketball school
The University of Kentucky’s football team beat Florida in Gainesville on Saturday night 26-16. It was a gutsy road win for a program that’s been on the upswing for a while now. The Wildcats’ defense was the story, as they harassed Florida’s future NFL quarterback Anthony Richardson all night. Kentucky held Richardson to only 143 pass yards on an abysmal 40% completion percentage. They intercepted Richardson twice and held the Gators to 5 of 19 on third and fourth downs. Florida couldn’t muster a single point in the second half.
For the casual college football fan, this result may have come as a surprise. Kentucky beat Florida on the road? In football? Yes. This was the Wildcats’ second win in a row over Florida, and it’s the first time they’ve done that since the 1976-1977 seasons. The credit goes to the defense, and the team’s quarterback, Will Levis, who might be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. He’s the best quarterback that Kentucky has had since the late Jared Lorenzen. But more credit should go to the Wildcats’ head coach, Mark Stoops.
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