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Rapid Reaction: Kentucky drops heartbreaker in triple-OT in the Swamp
By Ethan Levine
Published:
In perhaps the game of the year in the SEC through three weeks, the Kentucky Wildcats fell just short of snapping their 27-game losing streak to the Florida Gators, falling 36-30 in triple-overtime in the Swamp. Both teams traded the lead back and forth in the second half and overtimes, but a missed field goal by UK’s Austin MacGinnis in the first half of the third overtime left the door open for Florida, who scored a touchdown on its possession to slam the door shut on a UK upset.
Here are a couple of thoughts on the game:
What it means: Mark Stoops’ Wildcats are way ahead of schedule. Stoops took over a Kentucky team coming off a 2-10 season, and he led the Cats to another 2-10 season his first year in Lexington in 2013. Many thought UK would show signs of improvement in this game, but few thought it would be able to compete against a traditional power like Florida in the Swamp in the first month of the season. Kentucky received huge contributions from a number of newcomers, including first-time starting quarterback Patrick Towles (24-of-45 passing, 369 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions) and true freshman wideout Garrett Johnson (six catches, 154 yards, two touchdowns). Not only did UK execute its gameplan with a young roster, it did so in high-pressure situations in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Cats are far ahead of where many expected they’d be at this point when Stoops was hired in December 2012, and could even contend for a berth in a bowl game by season’s end.
What I liked: Kentucky’s composure in the second half and overtime. Late in the fourth quarter, Towles committed an intentional grounding penalty that pinned UK back to its own two yard line. On the next play, a third down, Towles calmly completed a pass over the middle to Johnson to move the chains. Later on the same drive, UK wideout Ryan Timmons dropped an easy completion down the middle of the field, and Florida’s Keanu Neal intercepted the pass. However, the Cats’ defense stood up Florida to force overtime, and on the first play of the extra period tailback Stanley “Boom” Williams ran from sideline-to-sideline before darting up field 25 yards for a touchdown. Kentucky never appeared overwhelmed by the moment, and the composure the young Wildcats displayed is a big reason they were able to push Florida to the brink on its home field.
Who’s the man: Freshman wide receiver Garrett Johnson. Johnson caught touchdowns of 60 and 33 yards on back-to-back drives in the third quarter, igniting the UK offense as the Florida offense began to gain traction coming out of halftime. Johnson also caught a pass on third and 15 late in the fourth quarter to continue what might have been a game-winning drive at the time. He never looked like a true freshman when competing against a talented Florida secondary, and his connection with Towles lifted the Kentucky offense when it needed it most.
Key Play: Kentucky freshman place kicker Austin MacGinnis, who had already made a 53-yard field goal this season, took the field to attempt a 51-yard field goal with fewer than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Cats trailed by three at the time and needed to convert the field goal to extend the game. MacGinnis’ kick knuckled back-and-forth before eventually nicking the inside of the upright and falling through the goalposts for three points. On paper, the play was recorded simply as a field goal made. But the intensity of the moment and the stakes surrounding the kick turned MacGinnis’ boot into one of the most clutch plays of the game by either team. MacGinnis missed a field goal in triple-overtime to cost his team a chance at the lead, but his kick to tie the game in regulation nearly snapped Kentucky’s historic losing streak.
What’s next: Kentucky is rewarded for its performance against Florida with a bye next week followed by a home game against Vanderbilt on September 27. It will need some time to recover from a difficult loss, but having two weeks to prepare for Vanderbilt should allow the Wildcats to get back on track for the final nine games of the season.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
