The year was 1986 and Jerry Claiborne was the head coach of the Wildcats. That was the last time Kentucky finished on the right side of the scoreboard vs. the Florida Gators, a 10-3 victory in Lexington. Three years before I was born, this agonizing streak began, which now stands at 30 straight games. The Wildcats have an excellent opportunity to end the misery, but let’s look back at moments we all thought it would end.
Thirty consecutive years of losing are bad enough, but the way some of those games ended makes the streak even more sickening to acknowledge. Over the course of 30 years, UK fans reflect on the close calls the Wildcats couldn’t cash in on. Although there have been seven games decided by a touchdown or less, four games haunt me and most UK fans who have never witnessed a victory vs. Florida.
Doering’s Got a Touchdown
Date: September 11, 1993
Location: Commonwealth Stadium
This matchup was the first of much heartbreak during the active losing streak to the Gators. Three years before I was old enough to even understand football, Chris Doering, a walk-on wide receiver at Florida, hauled in a late touchdown pass to shock Kentucky, 24-21. Little did Wildcat fans know that three decades of misery were only beginning.
Trailing Kentucky 20-17, Florida gained possession of the ball with 1:23 remaining in the game. The Gators marched the ball to the Kentucky 28-yard line, setting up one of the best plays in Gator history and one of the most heartbreaking for Wildcat fans. With 8 seconds remaining in the game, Danny Wuerffel connected with Doering for a 28-yard touchdown, silencing Commonwealth Stadium.
Gators Survive in the Swamp
Date: September 22, 2002
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Following the heartbreak of 1993, Kentucky struggled to compete with the Gators for eight consecutive years. In that span, the closest the Wildcats came was 51-35 in 1998.
The streak was at 15 straight losses when the Wildcats traveled to the Swamp in 2002 and they had no business even competing with the Gators. The Steve Spurrier era had come to a close and Ron Zook was the new sheriff in town. Yet, Florida found a way to extend the streak, crushing Wildcat fans once again.
The Wildcats entered the 2002 season on probation, which resulted from incidences during the Hal Mumme era. Kentucky cruised through the non-conference schedule, winning all four games. Thanks to probation, a bowl game was out of the question, yet, Kentucky battled as if they were fighting for bowl eligibility.
Florida jumped out to a commanding 19-0 halftime lead, but somehow, Kentucky exploded for 28 third-quarter points to grab a 28-25 late third quarter lead. The Gators regained their composure, scoring 14 consecutive points, capped off by a 62-yard interception return. UK hall of fame member, Derek Abney did all he could to keep the Cats within striking distance, returning a kickoff and punt for touchdowns. Yet, Florida pushed the streak to 16 games.
Gators Score 21 Unanswered 4th Quarter Points
Date: September 9, 2003
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Out of all the losses, this one stings the most. A commanding 4th quarter lead at home was quickly erased. The Gators started freshman quarterback Chris Leak for his first start of his college career. The freshman struggled to get the Gator offense rolling, trailing 21-3 entering the fourth quarter. Then, all of a sudden, Leak found a rhythm.
Florida scored on the opening play of the 4th quarter, a 3-yard touchdown reception by Carlos Perez. Following a failed two-point conversion, the score was trimmed to, 21-9. The score remained the same until Perez hauled in another touchdown, his second of the quarter, to cut the lead to, 21-16.
A minute and a half later, the Wildcats lost the lead for good. While under heavy pressure, Jared Lorenzon attempted a throw he wishes he had back. As he was being sacked, Lorenzon sidearmed a throw towards the sideline that was intercepted and returned to the one-yard line. Two plays later, Ran Carthon found the end zone and the Wildcats dropped another heartbreaker, 24-21.
Did The Play Clock Expire?
Date: September 13, 2014
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
This loss is still fresh in Wildcat fans’ minds and I doubt they will ever fully move on from the gut punch suffered in the Swamp. The program was in year number two with Mark Stoops, so competing in the Swamp was a pleasant surprise. Overall, the game was one of the most intense Kentucky football games I have ever witnessed.
Entering the game, Kentucky fans were only hoping to stay close. However, late in the fourth quarter fans began to believe the streak would be put to rest.
Boom Williams made a play that if the Wildcats had won the game, it would be talked about as possibly one of the best plays in Kentucky football history. Williams received a swing pass from Patrick Towles, reversed field and dove for the pylon on the opposite side of the field where the play began.
Leading 27-20, the Gators had their opportunity to extend the game to a second overtime. Facing a 4th and 7 from the 10-yard line, Florida found an open receiver to force an additional period. The Gators eventually won in in the third overtime, 36-30.
Most fans believe the play clock expired before the ball was snapped on 4th and 7 and it looks that way in live speed. However, if you slow down the video, it is difficult to find conclusive evidence to back up that claim. The ball appeared to be snapped simultaneously as the play clock read zero, something impossible for the officials to truly catch. If the play were reviewable, it would interesting to see what the result would have been.
The play clock incident didn’t cost Kentucky the game, a miscommunication in the secondary did. Ashley Lowery and Cody Quinn got crossed up on two routes, resulting in a touchdown near the back corner of the end zone.
There are more heartbreaking losses than just these four. The 2007 loss is hard to swallow because I felt like Kentucky was the better team. They just couldn’t slow down Tim Tebow. 2015 is another loss that comes to mind, where the Wildcats failed to find the end zone in a 14-9 loss.
It’s time to put an end to this misery at Kroger Field on Saturday. The Wildcats and Gators will battle at 7:30 ET on the SEC Network.
