The Gator Bowl had plenty of back and forth with a slew of penalties, including 10 for Kentucky for 103 yards, while N.C. State had seven for 45 yards.

After UK’s 23-21 win, N.C. State coach Dave Doeren was not in the mood to discuss the matter. Asked about the chippiness in the game, Doeren replied, “I don’t know. Maybe you should ask them.”

One of his players also offered an explanation. N.C. State’s Zonovan White on the chippiness: “I think it was a matter of simply both teams being undisciplined.”

The Wildcats were in a much better mood in Jacksonville after Asim Rose rushed for 148 yards on 12 carries and Kentucky rushed for 281 yards at TIAA Bank Field.

The win was Kentucky’s third straight in the postseason, following a win over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl following the 2018 season and a win over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl last season.

Other usual suspects made contributions in the win, including Chris Rodriguez Jr. with 17 carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Kavosiey Smoke had 45 yards on nine rushes. QB Terry Wilson connected on 12 of 20 through the air for 99 yards and rushed six times for 14 yards for the Cats.

On defense, Jamin Davis had 13 tackles, including a half tackle for loss and an interception, one of three UK picks in the win.

H/T Josh Moore.