2021 Florida Football Postgame Notes
Kentucky 20, No. 10 Florida 13
October 2, 2021
Kroger Field – Lexington, Kentucky
Showdown of Florida’s Ninth-Ranked Offense vs. Kentucky’s Ninth-Ranked Defense • This was a meeting of the nation’s ninth-ranked offense (UF, 540.8 YPG) and ninth-ranked defense (UK, 260.0 YAPG).
o This matchup also pitted UF’s third-ranked rushing offense against Kentucky’s 20th-ranked rushing defense (87.5 YPG)
• The Gators totaled 382 yards of offense against the Wildcats – the second-highest total allowed by Kentucky this season (398 vs. Missouri in Week 2).
• Florida rushed for 171 yards, which is tied for the highest total allowed by Kentucky this season (171 vs. Chattanooga).
o UF’s 171 rush yards is the team’s most against the Wildcats since rushing for 186 yards at Kentucky on Sept. 23, 2017.
Gators Offense
• With 171 rushing yards vs. Kentucky, Florida 1,461 total rush yards through five games this season is the team’s most in the last 46 seasons – since rushing for 1,587 yards through five games in 1975. o Florida’s 1,461 rushing yards is the team’s second-highest total through five games since 1965.
o The Gators rushed for 1,587 yards in the first five games of the 1975 season.
• With 382 total yards vs. Kentucky, Florida’s 2,545 total yards through five games is the team’s highest total through five games in the last 20 seasons.
o This is Florida’s best five-game yardage start since totaling 2,978 yards in 2001. • The Gators open the season with five-consecutive 100-plus yard rushing games for the first time since 2018.
o The Gators delivered their 34th game of 100-plus rushing yards under Mullen.
o Florida rushed for 100-plus yards in all 13 games of the 2018 season.
• Florida’s FBS-leading 400-plus total yard streak of 14-straight games was snapped tonight. This had been the first time in the last 40 years that the Gators have had this many 400-plus yard games consecutively.
o UF also had its streak of 11-straight games with 400-plus yards against SEC opponents snapped.
• The Gators outgained the Wildcats by a 158-yard margin tonight (382 yards to 224 yards). • Wide receiver Jacob Copeland eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving threshold for his career with an 18-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
o Copeland finished with 59 receiving yards on six catches in the game and now has 1,015 career receiving yards on 61 receptions.
o Copeland turned in a career-high 175 yards receiving and two touchdowns in Week 2 vs. USF.
• With 63 yards rushing in the game, Emory Jones has now rushed for at least 60-plus yards in each of Florida’s five games this season.
o Jones entered Week 5 ranking third in the FBS among quarterbacks with 93.8 rushing YPG and 375 net rushing yards.
• Wide receiver Ja’Quavion Fraziars caught his first-career touchdown on his second-career reception to put the Gators up, 7-0, in the first quarter.
o Fraziars entered the game with one-career reception for four yards.
• Wide receiver Trent Whittemore tied his career high with four receptions, finishing with 36 yards receiving.
Gators Defense
• Florida held Kentucky to just 87 total passing yards, the Wildcats’ fewest since passing for just 62 yards against the Gators on Nov. 28 of last season.
• Kentucky’s 224 total yards of offense is its fewest in its last seven games.
o This is Kentucky’s fewest total yards against Florida since totaling 149 yards of offense vs. the Gators on Sept. 10, 2016.
• Entering the game ranked second in the SEC and tied-for-ninth nationally with 15 sacks, the Gators recorded two sacks vs. Tennessee to bring their season total to 17.
o Florida’s 138 sacks since Mullen’s debut 2018 season rank first in the SEC and third nationally – trailing only Clemson (156) and Pittsburgh (147).
o Florida ranked tied-for-14th in the FBS and second in the SEC with 34 sacks last season. • With Tre’Vez Johnson’s third quarter interception, Florida’s defense has now produced 69 turnovers since Mullen’s debut in 2018, which is tied for third in the SEC and tied for 18th in the FBS. o The interception marked Florida’s first takeaway in three games, as the Gators last recorded a takeaway in Week 2 at South Florida in the form of a Kaiir Elam interception. o The interception was the second of Johnson’s career and Florida’s fourth of the season. • Zachary Carter entered tonight’s game ranking tied for first and 12th in the FBS with 4.5 sacks, and he added to that total with one more sack vs. Kentucky to raise his totals to 5.5 sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss.
o Carter entered with 7.0 tackles for loss which ranked third in the SEC and tied for 10th in the FBS.
• Mohamoud Diabate added to his team lead in tackles by tying his career high with 11 tackles (four solo) tonight.
o Diabate now leads the Gators with 37 tackles (12 solo).
• Amari Burney recorded his first tackle for loss of the season to force a Kentucky punt in their final drive of the first quarter, tying his single-game career high.
o Burney now has six-career TFLs.
• Jason Marshall Jr. also registered his first-career tackle for loss in the game.
Florida Special Teams
• Kentucky’s third quarter blocked field return touchdown was the first blocked field goal return touchdown the Gators had allowed in 211 games.
o The last such occurrence was on Dec. 31, 2004 vs. Miami.
o This was also the first blocked field goal against Florida in 68 games – since Alabama’s D.J. Pettway did so on Dec. 5, 2015.
• Jace Christmann tied his career long with a 51-yard field goal to put the Gators ahead, 10-7, in the second quarter.
o The kick marks Christmann’s longest as a Gator, as his previous career long was set while playing for Mississippi State on Oct. 12, 2019 at Tennessee.
• Jeremy Crawshaw tied his career high (set this season) with a 58-yard punt in the first quarter. o Crawshaw recorded two 50-plus yard punts for an average of 42.8 yards while also placing one punt inside the 20-yard line.
Explosive Plays
• Trent Whittemore (from Emory Jones): 18-yard reception, first quarter
• Dameon Pierce: 13-yard rush, first quarter
• Anthony Richardson: 11-yard rush, first quarter
• Xzavier Henderson (from Jones): 22-yard reception, first quarter
• Dameon Pierce: 13-yard rush, first quarter
• Dameon Pierce: 13-yard rush, second quarter
• Nay’Quan Wright (from Jones): 16-yard reception, second quarter
• Jacob Copeland (from Jones): 16-yard reception, fourth quarter
• Emory Jones: 16-yard rush, fourth quarter
• Jacob Copeland (from Jones): 18-yard reception, fourth quarter
• Emory Jones: 10-yard rush, fourth quarter
Series Updates
• Tonight’s game represented the 72nd all-time meeting between Florida and Tennessee including the 33rd time the two programs have faced off in Lexington.
• Florida falls to 53-19 against Kentucky including 2-2 under head coach Dan Mullen.
• The Gators had their streak of 16-straight road wins against Kentucky dating back to 1986 snapped. o Florida has still won 33 of the last 35 matchups as well as 39 of the last 42.
• Mullen falls to 10-3 against Kentucky in his career and has now coached against the Wildcats more than any other team.
• Tonight marked the ninth meeting between Mullen and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops as head coaches, with Mullen falling to 6-3 against Stoops.
• In four games under Mullen, Florida has outscored the Wildcats, 92-78 (+14, +3.5 PPG), while out gaining them, 1,598 yards to 1,293 yards (+305, +76.3 YPG).
o This includes 1,057 UF pass yards to UK’s 554 pass yards (+503, +125.8 YPG).
• Florida has now totaled 300-plus yards of offense against Tennessee in six-straight games and in 17 of the last 18 meetings.
• Florida’s 171 yards rushing is the most the Gators have totaled on the ground against Kentucky since rushing for 186 yards at Kentucky on Sept. 23, 2017.
Other
• Florida had its streak of 36-conesucitve games with fewer than 10 penalties snapped tonight. o The Gators committed 15 penalties – the most in Dan Mullen’s tenure as head coach. o This is the most penalties that Florida has committed in a single game since the team committed 15 penalties on Sept. 29, 2001 vs. Mississippi State.
o In tonight’s game, Florida committed 15 penalties for 115 yards while Kentucky committed four penalties for 30 yards.
• UF has scored in 415-consecutive games – which is an NCAA record.
o The Gators broke Michigan’s record of 365-consecutive games (1984-2014) against LSU on Oct. 7, 2017.
o The next-closest active streak belongs to TCU, as the Horned Frogs have scored in 359- straight contests.
• Florida Game Captains: #6 Zachary Carter, #20 Malik Davis, #51 Ventrell Miller • Kentucky won the toss and deferred; Florida defended the north end zone.
• Attendance: 61,632
