Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was Kentucky football’s epic Saturday night win over 10th-ranked Florida. It might have been UK’s first home victory over the dreaded Gators since 1986, but the seeds were planted nine seasons ago. My how they’ve grown.
First, UK AD Mitch Barnhart bucked the trend, hiring a defensive coordinator to be his head coach when so many of his colleagues were choosing offense. Then Mark Stoops built back better. Brick by brick. Season by season. Breakthrough by breakthrough. Bowl by bowl. One good recruiting class followed by a better recruiting class. The only way to build a better football program: Sign and develop better football players.
The fans were the final piece of the puzzle. This isn’t the old days, when Big Blue Nation filled Commonwealth Stadium every Saturday to back the Cats. We live in a different world now, with infinite choices for your entertainment dollar. UK didn’t enjoy the traditional ticket booth boost after hiring a new coach. It took awhile for Stoops to get the BBN to totally buy in.
Saturday night, that support exploded. A jam-packed Kroger Field let it rip and Florida felt the noise. Eight times the Gators were whistled for false start penalties. The Kentucky defense felt it, too, rising up to meet the moment, especially in the final moments, holding the Gators out of the end zone after the visitors owned a first-and-goal from the 5.
Same movie, different ending. In 2017, Kentucky led Florida 27-14 only to lose 28-27. In 2019, Kentucky led Florida 21-10 only to lose 29-21. In 2021, Kentucky led Florida 20-10 with 11:32 to go and won 20-13. Florida departed with heads down, ears ringing.
“A big shout-out to you,” was Stoops’ salute to the BBN.
The Gators outgained the Cats 382-224, but Florida could never dial up the big play that had burned the Cats so many times in the past. UK defensive coordinator Brad White’s master plan made Dan Mullen’s team work for their yards. Nothing cheap. Nothing easy. (Barnhart’s smart bet on a strong Stoops’ defense paid off.) Mission accomplished, the pent-up frustration of 16 consecutive home losses to the Gators spilled over the barriers onto the field in a celebration to savor. UK can afford the fine.
“Unbelievable,” said Kentucky defensive end Josh Paschal, who played a fairly unbelievable game himself. “We loved it.”
Now here’s the thing: A one-off would only cheapen the feat of finally beating Florida. Now 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the SEC, the Cats have placed themselves in prime position to be a major factor in the SEC race. Five league games to go. Job 1 is LSU. The Tigers arrive Saturday night for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on the SEC Network. The Cats need to follow up.
History lesson: Think back to 2007. Rich Brooks was the man in charge when Kentucky knocked off No. 1-ranked and eventual national champion LSU 43-37 in an overtime thriller at Commonwealth Stadium. College GameDay and Tim Tebow came to Lexington the following Saturday. But Florida triumphed 45-37. The next week, Mississippi State doubled UK’s misery, beating the Cats 31-14. Momentum vanished.
National champions in 2019, LSU has slipped since, 5-5 last year, 3-2 so far this season. Saturday, the Tigers lost 24-19 at home to Auburn. Joe Burrow isn’t walking through that door. Still, LSU is LSU. Ed Orgeron has outstanding players. Who knows, this Saturday might be the night the Tigers put it all together.
Meanwhile, Kentucky must avoid the seductive pats on the back. Remember last year when a breakthrough 34-7 win at Tennessee was followed by a 20-10 flat tire at Missouri. Games are won during the week. Time to get back to work.
“We want to play in a lot of big games,” Stoops said Saturday. “To do that, you have to take care of what’s right in front of you.”
After all, Kentucky football worked too long and too hard to let Saturday’s home triumph go to waste.
