Finally, Kentucky got over the Florida hump.

The Wildcats felled Florida 20-13 in an old-fashioned rock fight at a sold-out Kroger Field on Saturday night in Lexington. The win ended nearly 40 years of hurt and heartache for the Wildcats against the Gators in Lexington, marking Kentucky’s first home victory over Florida since 1986.

Kentucky did it with physical play at the line of scrimmage and defense, the (Big) blueprint for the way it has done things since Mark Stoops arrived in Lexington 9 years ago, convinced that he could build a longtime loser with a proud fan base into a consistent winner.

Fittingly, it started and ended with defense. Kentucky forced a stop on a quality opening drive by Florida and closed the game with a 7-play goal-line stand.

In between, Kentucky dominated the game at the line of scrimmage, led by a tenacious effort from its front, notably All-SEC defensive end Josh Paschal and All-SEC senior linebacker DeAndre Square. Together, they produced nearly 20 tackles, including 4 for loss, as well as the play of the game — a blocked field goal by Paschal that Trevin Wallace returned 78 yards to the house to give the Wildcats a lead they’d never relinquish.

Kentucky was eager to use the Florida game as a national showcase to prove that its defense, ranked 9th nationally entering the game, was a legitimate force, perhaps the best unit Stoops has had in his tenure in Lexington. It’s tough to argue it isn’t after Saturday night.

With Paschal and Square leading the charge, the Cats frustrated and flummoxed a Gators run game that entered the evening ranked 3rd nationally in yards and 1st in yards per attempt and success rate. Florida finished the game with 180 yards, but it managed that on just 4.4 yards per carry. More vitally, an offense that led the SEC in big plays (20 yards or more) produced zero in the run game, with its long rush a 16-yard gain in the 1st half.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky offense did just enough to win.

The Wildcats ran the ball effectively enough to shorten the game, with the SEC’s leading rusher, Chris Rodriguez Jr., pacing the Cats’ ground attack with 99 yards and 1 touchdown. Kentucky converted the lone Florida turnover of the night into a touchdown on the Rodriguez run and hit an explosive play through the electric Wan’Dale Robinson for its other score.

On a night Kentucky quarterback Will Levis once again struggled with his accuracy, those 2 scores would be enough anyway, thanks to a combination of splendid Kentucky defense and a host of silly Florida mistakes.

The Gators committed 15 penalties, including 8 false starts. While Florida fans will (rightly) complain about a phantom false start call on a 4th and 2 in the 4th quarter that negated an Emory Jones run for a 1at down and forced a Florida field goal, they can’t blame anyone but the coaches and players for the other 7 false starts and 2 delay of game penalties Florida committed. Florida’s other penalties also felt costly, especially a big holding penalty that killed an early 3rd-quarter drive.

Florida’s playcalling was also terribly conservative, considering that the Gators entered the game ranked 9th nationally in total offense and 3rd in S&P+ offensive efficiency. Where was the offense that marched up and down the field and bullied Alabama? Where were the shots down the field that Florida tried and hit in the Alabama and USF games? Why, when receiver Jacob Copeland was essentially uncoverable all night, did Florida not feed him the ball when it became clear that Kentucky was selling out against the run and spying Jones every down? Why, with a 3-point lead and momentum, did Dan Mullen leave his timeouts in his pocket and elect to run out the clock at the end of the 1st half, rather than allow Jones to run the 2-minute drill? That decision proved especially foolish in a game where every possession mattered, but was all the more damaging considering that the few times Florida managed to get a rhythm offensively came when it used tempo and played fast.

Gators fans will blame Jones and again preach about his limitations. But Jones threw for 203 yards and completed 23 of 31 passes despite penalties, poor blocking and bizarre play-calling that left his offense behind the sticks all night. What’s more, the presumptive program savior, Anthony Richardson, attempted only 1 pass and elected to scramble twice after his first read was covered on 2 other pass plays — moments that suggested his limited experience may not make him the answer, at least at the moment. Whatever the future is at quarterback at Florida, the Gators didn’t lose to Kentucky because Jones played quarterback.

They did lose because Mullen was outcoached. Three of the last 4 halves Florida has played against Kentucky, Stoops has solved Mullen’s offensive riddles. Remember a season ago, when it took a punt return by Kadarius Toney to get Florida going? Stoops hasn’t cared whether Mullen has a pass-happy offense or a run-dominant one. He has had answers.

Mullen, on the other hand, has confidence, but he may need to consider humility.

Perhaps it’s time to overhaul a staff that produces an offensive line that jumps 8 times in its first road game, or that gets a delay of game because the special teams coordinator can’t get the unit on the field for a long field goal? Perhaps it’s time to figure out how to build a staff that can win just a few more recruiting battles, so that the Gators’ margin for error is a bit wider on an evening they just “don’t have it.”

Mullen is one of the best play callers, offensive minds and quarterback coaches in the sport. But a moment of reflection and a healthy dose of humility wouldn’t hurt. Saturday night’s loss certainly should have been humbling. Florida now has 2 SEC losses, and if you’ve watched Georgia play any football in 2021, you know that a return trip to Atlanta for Florida is all but impossible, even if the Gators win in Jacksonville.

Is it the Gator Standard to be out of the SEC and College Football Playoff race after the first weekend of October?
Mullen would, one would think, acknowledge that it is not.

As for the continuing and confounding quarterback debate, perhaps the best question to ask is what is the limit of Mullen’s loyalty?

Is it fair to ditch Jones, who waited nearly 4 years to start, after 1 tough road loss? It isn’t. But a fair is where a pony gets a ribbon — it isn’t something that exists in the cutthroat world of the SEC.

With 2 SEC losses and a Citrus Bowl or backdoor New Year’s 6 bowl Florida’s 2021 ceiling, perhaps it makes sense to turn things over to Richardson, the clear quarterback of Florida’s future.

We’ll see. Vanderbilt comes calling next week, which gives Florida time to heal before a 2-game stretch against LSU and Georgia that will define what’s left of its season to be defined. For Mullen, it feels like an inflection point, a dose of humility for a coach who is very good but whose program is not yet “great.”

Of course, none of this should take away from Kentucky, which will party deep into the night with a 5-0 record and in control of its SEC destiny. With that nasty defense, there will be more big wins this autumn. But we’ll forgive Big Blue Nation if it savors this one a little bit longer than most.