Shoulda, coulda, woulda equals a loss to Kentucky

Shoulda, coulda, woulda. That’s the best way to describe what happened to 10th-ranked Florida (3-2, 1-2 SEC) in Lexington Saturday night. The Gators shoulda won the game, coulda won the game and woulda won the game except they shot themselves in the feet so many times they should be fitted for prosthetics this week.

Give Kentucky (5-0, 3-0 SEC) credit for beating the Gators, 20-13, but it’s not like the Wildcats didn’t get numerous helping hands from the Gators, who were flagged for 15 penalties – eight false starts, two holds, one delay of game, one offside, one illegal block and two personal fouls – that resulted in 115 lost yards. Additionally, Jace Christmann had a field goal blocked that was returned 78 yards for a touchdown by Josh Paschal and Emory Jones threw an interception that was returned deep into Florida territory, giving the Wildcats a short field which they used to score the touchdown that won the game.

In the second quarter with the score tied at 7-7, the Gators faced third-and-one at their own 21 but there were consecutive drive-killing false starts (numbers two and three) – one against Ethan White, the other against Malik Davis – that sapped the momentum at a time when the UF offense was looking very competent against the UK defense.

Later in the quarter, a delay of game erased a 46-yard field goal by Christmann. Fortunately, despite the 5-yard march backwards, Christmann drilled a 51-yarder that gave the Gators a 10-7 lead and represented their last score until a 33-yard Christmann field goal in the fourth quarter.

In the third quarter, the Gators had third and three from the UK 37 on a drive that looked quite promising after Jones completions of 11 yards to Justin Shorter and 10 to Jacob Copeland combined with a pass interference call on the Wildcats. A false start on Kingsley Eguakun turned four-down territory into a punt after Jones threw incomplete on third-and-eight from the UK 42.

On Kentucky’s ensuing possession, Tre’Vez Johnson picked off a Will Levis pass at the UK 42 and returned it 26 yards to the 16 but an illegal block was called against Antonio Valentino, setting the ball back to the 31. Complicating matters was a holding call against Eguakun on third-and-three at the UK 24 that erased a 10-yard carry by Dameon Pierce. Instead of first down at the UK 14, the Gators were third-and-13 at the 24. Following a three-yard run by Jones on third down, Christmann was sent in to try a 48-yard field goal, but it was blocked by Josh Paschal. Trevin Wallace scooped up the loose ball and followed a convoy of blockers 78 yards for a TD that gave the Wildcats a 13-10 lead with 6:36 left.

A false start by Stewart Reese on Florida’s next possession turned second-and-five into second-and-10. On Kentucky’s next possession, a personal foul call against Elijah Blades gave the Wildcats a first down near midfield. The Gators eventually stuffed UK on fourth-and-two on that drive at the Florida 34 when Brenton Cox Jr. got the first hit on Chris Rodriguez and Jeremiah Moon and Trey Dean III came in to clean things up.

On the first play after that defensive stand, Jones and Xzavier Henderson connected for a nine-yard gain, but instead of second-and-one from the 44, there was a holding call on Ethan White that set the Gators back to the 25. One play later, Jones overshot his receiver and JJ Weaver intercepted, returning the ball to the Florida 29. Five plays later, the Wildcats scored on a nine-yard run by Rodriguez for what turned out to be the game-winning TD with 11:32 left in the game.

Florida had a chance to cut Kentucky’s lead to three on the ensuing drive, methodically moving the ball down the field 10 plays to the UK 11, the big plays on the drive a 16-yard Jones-to-Copeland pass and a 16-yard run by Jones. After an eight-yard run by Malik Davis made it second-and-two from the 11, Jones threw an incomplete pass then was stuffed a yard short of the first down. On fourth-and-one, White committed another false start and this one forced Mullen to send in Christmann for a 33-yard field goal with 6:23 to go.

Florida’s defense, which gave up only 224 yards the entire game, forced a three-and-out to set up what could have been a game-tying drive, but the penalties came back to haunt the Gators once again. Jones completed passes of 14 yards to Kemore Gamble and 18 and 11 yards to Copeland plus turned in a 10-yard run on a quarterback draw as the Gators moved to a first-and-goal at the UK nine. On third-and-goal from the five, there was a false start on Gouraige. UF was bailed out on the next snap, however, when Kentucky’s Octavious Oxendine was flagged for a face mask. After a four-yard loss on a pass from Jones to Copeland, a false start was called on Malik Davis that set the ball back to the 14. Jones ran for three, dumped a three-yard pass to Davis and then threw into triple coverage on fourth down to end Florida’s chances to win the game.

The self-inflicted wounds essentially ended Florida’s chances of winning the SEC Eastern Division Saturday night. This was Florida’s second SEC loss, which means that both Georgia and Kentucky own the tiebreakers, meaning those two would have to lose three times while Florida goes unbeaten the rest of the way. Donkeys will fly first.

This is a game the Gators could have won, would have won and should have won quite handily except every time they got something going, they shot themselves in the foot again. The Florida defense had its best game of the season and gave a winning effort. Kentucky only had one big play the entire game, a 41-yard touchdown pass from Will Levis to Wan’Dale Robinson in the first quarter, a screen pass in which UF missed three tackles. Other than that, the Florida defense pretty much stopped the Wildcats in their tracks.

Take away that 41-yard pass play and the Florida defense held Kentucky to six completions and 46 yards through the air. Kentucky’s grind it out running game got 137 yards, 99 by Rodriguez, the SEC’s leading rusher, but Kentucky never could dominate the Gators and drive the ball consistently.

In realistic terms, Kentucky earned one touchdown on the UF defense. The other two were due to a special teams mistake and a short field after an interception.

It shouldn’t have come down to a white knuckles finish. Florida could have won this game by something like 28-7 if not for the two gift touchdowns and all the drive-killing penalties. The eight false starts have to be so frustrating in that it was more false starts than in the first four games combined.

It makes you wonder, how is it the Gators could play with such discipline in giving Alabama a run for its money two weeks ago yet they couldn’t avoid the silly mistakes against Kentucky, a game they had to have? The Gators ran for only 173 yards. Some of that has to do with Kentucky’s defense but there were those false starts that turned what should have been easy third down conversions into third-and-long.

The simple thing to do would be to point fingers at Mullen and O-line coach John Hevesy, but they aren’t the ones who jumped the count and killed the drives. A coach can call the greatest play in the world, but it’s still up to the team to execute. From what we saw the last two weeks against Alabama and Tennessee, we know the Gators can play with discipline. Something happened Saturday night that just isn’t going to be explained easily.

The Gators can still salvage the season by getting to nine or ten wins, but if they’re going to do that, they can’t have another game like the one against Kentucky. Good teams don’t give games away and the only way to describe what happened Saturday night is the Gators gave the game away.

It shouldn’t have happened.