Kentucky’s five recent Florida wins changed the series

Kentucky defeated Florida five times in an eight-game span, including four wins in the last five meetings, after the Gators controlled the series for three decades.

Florida won every meeting from 1987 through 2017. The run included a 65-0 result in 1996, and the Gators outscored the Wildcats 238-36 from 2008 through 2012 before Mark Stoops took over Kentucky.

The breakthrough came in Gainesville in 2018. Quarterback Terry Wilson threw a 29-yard touchdown to David Bouvier and ran for a 24-yard score, then connected with Lynn Bowden for a 54-yard score. Josh Hines-Allen broke up a 2-point attempt before stripping the quarterback on Florida’s final possession. Davonte Robinson’s fumble return for a touchdown closed Kentucky’s 27-16 victory.

Kentucky’s offensive line powered a 300-yard rushing performance that night. Offensive line coach John Schlarman, who had begun chemotherapy treatments one month earlier, left The Swamp with a game ball.

The Wildcats ended another long drought in 2021. Josh Paschal blocked a kick, and Trevin Wallace returned it for a touchdown in Kentucky’s first home victory over Florida in 35 years.

A year later in Gainesville, Kentucky’s defense again supplied the defining plays. Jordan Wright’s one-handed interception set up a short touchdown, while Keidron Smith returned another interception for the score that gave the Wildcats a lead they kept.

Ray Davis took over the 2023 meeting after Kentucky opened the season 4-0. He rushed for 280 yards and scored four touchdowns, including a 75-yard run, in a 33-14 victory. Deone Walker’s pressure forced a Trevin Wallace interception early.

Kentucky added a 38-7 win in 2025, when Florida made its first November trip to Lexington in 35 years. The Wildcats intercepted DJ Lagway three times in the first half, and the Gators benched him as Kentucky built on its first SEC victory of that season.

Kentucky’s five wins in eight meetings followed Florida’s unbeaten run from 1987 through 2017.

Why it matters

Florida beat Kentucky every year from 1987 through 2017, often by lopsided margins. Kentucky’s five wins in eight meetings turned a long-running mismatch into a series in which the Wildcats have repeatedly created decisive defensive plays and productive rushing performances.