Kentucky wins the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl over NC State 23-21. Five thoughts and analysis of the game, and what it all means.
Kentucky wins the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Final Score: Kentucky 23, NC State 21
CFN Prediction: NC State 27, Kentucky 23
Line: Kentucky -3, o/u:50.5
5. This TaxSlayer Gator Bowl has become a solidly under-appreciated bowl
It always seemed to get lost on New Year’s Day, and it’s always been a bit of a land of misfit teams, but the last two Gator Bowls have been decided by a grand total of three points.
Now, the games aren’t always pretty – more on that in a moment – but they’ve finished strong, including last year’s wild Tennessee finish over Indiana.
NC State got ripped up by Texas A&M in the 2018 version, but that’s three of the last four and six of the last nine decided by a touchdown or less. Now the ACC has to start winning these.
Congratulations @UKFootball! #TaxSlayerGatorBowl pic.twitter.com/o3iGK7XfPl
— TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (@taxslayerbowl) January 2, 2021
It’s been a disastrous bowl season in every way for the ACC with Miami’s D’Eriq King suffering a torn ACL, Clemson and Notre Dame getting trucked, and Wake Forest getting picked off again and again by Wisconsin.
This was one the conference could’ve had, but with the NC State loss, that makes it three loss in the last three appearances since Georgia Tech beat Kentucky in 2016.
NEXT: That was a war of attrition for the NC State lines
4. That was a war of attrition for the NC State lines.
The defensive front was banged up and thin, the offensive front was even thinner – and then lost starting center Grant Gibson after he injured himself after a Wolfpack touchdown celebration – but this wasn’t the normal team.
It was a feisty performance against the massive bulk of the Kentucky lines, and the run defense got hammered on, but the team was able to stay in the game until mistakes were too much to overcome late.
There wasn’t enough of a ground game to matter – just 50 yards – but QB Bailey Hockman kept pushing with the short-range passing game. However, the interceptions, the mistakes, and the inability to get into any sort of a groove were way too much to overcome for a team that needed all the breaks to go its way.
Being -3 in turnover margin was devastating, and not being able to stop the run was even worse. The Wolfpack didn’t do any one thing all that well this year, and there were WAY too many penalties and misfires throughout the year, but this was the Find A Way team that couldn’t find away against a Kentucky team that – sorry – always seems to find a way.
The Pack needed to have something it could rely on, and it couldn’t take advantage of its opportunities. Making things worse was …
NEXT: The NC State kicking game was a problem
3. The NC State kicking game was a problem
Christopher Dunn was an all-star kicker who hit 12-of-15 field goals and all 40 of his extra points on the year. He apparently was struggling in warm-ups, and then he missed on one field goal and had another one tipped in the first half, and that changed the tone of the game.
It was a low-scoring battle with coming up with points like pulling teeth – those field goals were a must. However, Dunn hit his three extra points, but in a two-point loss, the misfires matter.
On the flip side, Kentucky’s Matt Ruffolo hit his three easy field goal tries, and that was it. The Wildcats needed points any way they could get them, Max Duffy and the punting game pinned NC State deep on three kicks, and Kentucky was able to get by helped by that third phase.
NEXT: There was nothing pretty about your 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
2. There was nothing pretty about your 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Several games this bowl season have been chippy, and the Armed Forces Bowl fight between Mississippi State and Tulsa was frightening, but this was somewhere in between.
There were several pops, a whole lot of jawing, and a slew of big late hits for two teams that are known for their discipline and keeping the mistakes to a minimum.
Kentucky was third in the SEC in fewest penalties, and it was hit for ten against NC State for over 100 yards, and NC State was flagged seven times for 45 yards.
The respective coaching staffs are so big on discipline, and yet NC State stayed alive with a few UK penalties helping the cause on a late second half scoring drive.
However, to all credit to both teams and coaching staffs, in what looked like would be a tough finish with a whole lot of problems, everyone shook hands, everyone hugged it out, and it all turned out to be fine.
NEXT: Even with the penalties, that was Kentucky football
1. Even with the penalties, that was Kentucky football
There was NOTHING aesthetically pleasing about the Kentucky style, but the team was able to get away with it. They made a slew of mistakes and didn’t play normal UK football, but they held firm and survived on the three Bailey Hockman picks from NC State.
The Wildcats were dead last in the SEC in total offense and didn’t have the scoring punch in game after game, but they powered away for 281 rushing yards, Asim Rose ran for 148 yards, Chris Rodriguez powered for 84 yards and two scores, and that was enough.
Victory, Kentucky! @taxslayerbowl highlights 🎥😼🏈 pic.twitter.com/LRy66hI8ra
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) January 2, 2021
The offense couldn’t covert on third downs, there wasn’t any passing game to speak of, and again, there are too many mistakes. But UK was +3 in turnover margin and held the ball for almost nine minutes longer than NC State … and it got the win.
Remember, it was an all-SEC schedule this season. The Wildcats finished 4-6, but with a normal schedule with the out of conference games, this was likely a winning team.
That makes it three bowl wins in the last three years under head coach Mark Stoops. There’s nothing ugly about that.
