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After 31 years, it's finally over.
Florida dropped 27-16 on Saturday night to visit Kentucky, ending the 31-game winning streak of the Gators against the Wildcats – the longest run of active wins over an FBS opponent. Their last win before Saturday night was November 15, 1986, four years before Steve Spurrier took over from Gainesville. It's Kentucky's first win in Gainesville since 1979, when Jimmy Carter lived at the White House, if you needed a little more from that perspective from that moment on.
Wildcats quarterback Terry Wilson completed 11 of 16 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Benny Snell added 175 yards to coach Mark Stoops and Co.
So what did we learn about Kentucky that stopped the series that haunted it for so long Saturday night?
1. The Kentucky racing game is dangerous: After being ripped off last week due to a persistent injury in the victory over central Michigan in favor of Gunnar Hoak, Wilson was not up to victory against the Gators. In addition to his great work in the air, he added 105 yards and a touchdown to put pressure on attacking midfielder Benny Snell. That did wonders on Saturday night in the win, but it's also a huge development that is moving forward.
For the Wildcats offense to have this kind of success against a tough Gators defense, on the road with uncertainty in the center, it does not just end a sequence – it makes them dangerous in the East. . South Caroilina went down to Georgia on Saturday afternoon and no other SEC East team has won a victory like the one Kentucky announced Saturday night. Does this matter in the long run? It remains to be seen. But at the very least, Kentucky has not only broken the series but has told the SEC that it can at least make noise in a division that, at the moment, was "Georgia and all the others".
2. Dan Mullen needs time: The Gators first-year coach was one of the most notable rookies of the off-season after Mullen turned Mississippi State into a competitive football program. The defeat on Saturday proves that it will take time for Mullen to reverse the situation.
A major concern is that Mullen does not have a quarter. Felepe Franks had five touchdown passes last week against Charleston Southern, but did not have the same chance against the Wildcats. The sophomore in redshirt posted 17 out of 38 passes for 232 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Although the distance may seem good, much of it happened in the fourth quarter when the Wildcats essentially stopped the defense. That's not to say that Franks can not be this guy. Maybe he can. After all, it's his second game in Mullen's system and he faced an underrated Kentucky defense led by linebacker Josh Allen. But fans of Gators must have patience. Mullen is still the same offensive genius that led Mississippi State to first place in College Football Playoff's inaugural ranking in 2014, but he can not overthrow overnight a program neglected by former coach Jim McElwain.
3. That either party has admitted it, Before the match, coaches and players on both sides were filled with questions about the 31-year-old dominance. The answers were politically correct. Kentucky players and coaches said the previous 31 years had nothing to do with the 2018 team, and the same message was picked up by the Gators. On the surface, it's true. But it was clear from the kickoff that the Wildcats used the series as motivation and that Florida played tight – hoping maybe not to be the team that could not do the job. For the Wildcats, this was evident during the postgame interview. Snell was on the verge of tears after having, as he said, "shocked the world". He went so far as to call ex-Gator Tim Tebow on live television before he stopped.
It's a game. But it's a huge match in an unbalanced rivalry between the East and the SEC, and both parties were well aware of it.
4. The Gators had a terrible night: Forget the Wildcats dominance on the field, Florida lost the game once again. Marco Wilson, the second-half star, was announced as being out for the season by his father after Wilson tore up his LAC early in the first quarter. Although Kentucky did not throw much, UF was clearly embarrassed without his best corner throughout the match, mainly at a touchdown 55-yard mid-match.
The Gators also learned after the match that running back Adarius Lemons had announced his intention to transfer the ball. Lemons not only made this announcement but did it about 30 minutes after the loss. Although Lemons was number 4 in the Florida race, he was the team's new starter. Lemons was not happy not to touch the ball in attack.
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