Cats run past NC State to win Gator Bowl
With one final game remaining in what has been a grueling and emotionally taxing season for Kentucky, the Wildcats were determined to leave Jacksonville, Fla., with a victory on Saturday.
Mission accomplished.
Kentucky rushed for 281 yards, forced three turnovers, and held off No. 23 NC State for a 23-21 victory in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
It marked the third consecutive bowl win for the Cats under head coach Mark Stoops and one that took on extra meaning after a season that saw them lose teammate Chris Oats to a serious medical situation, the death of offensive line coach John Schlarman after a two-year battle with cancer, and the Covid-19 pandemic leading to an unforgiving 10-game SEC schedule.
"I think it was very important (to close with a win)," Stoops said. "It's been well-documented, the investment, and the toll that it's taken on all players across the country. To see our players step up and want to do that and travel back and forth during their break after really mentally being exhausted and still laying it on the line all the way through to the fourth quarter says an awful lot.
"One of the last things I said when we left the field was recognizing Chris Oats and John Schlarman and having them and their memories in our mind today, wishing they were with us. Very emotional year but great to cap it off with a big victory."
Kentucky finished the season at 5-6, knocking off an NC State club that had gone 8-3 in the ACC.
The Cats, who were making their fifth straight bowl trip, have defeated Penn State (Citrus Bowl), Virginia Tech (Belk Bowl), and NC State (Gator Bowl) in the last three.
The formula for this victory was similar to the one a year ago in Charlotte. UK leaned on its veteran offensive line and talented stable of running backs to overcome its season-long deficiencies in the passing game.
In what may have been his final game with the Cats, senior running back AJ Rose rushed for a career-high 148 yards on 12 carries. Sophomore running back Chris Rodriguez added 84 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17 carries.
"Coach Schlarman was definitely looking down on us today," Rose said. "He definitely inspired us all. It was a great way to end if this was my last game."
Defensively, Kentucky held NC State to 50 yards rushing and got interceptions from cornerback Brandin Echols, safety Yusuf Corker, and linebacker Jamin Davis. The third and final pick of Wolfpack quarterback Bailey Hockman came from Davis with the Cats clinging to a two-point lead at the three-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
Kentucky held a 13-0 lead at the half, the first team to hold NC State scoreless in a half this season.
The Wolfpack closed within 13-7 in the third quarter, but UK got a 20-yard field goal from Matt Ruffolo after Corker's interception to make it 16-7 with 5:45 remaining.
NC State took advantage of three UK personal foul penalties to answer quickly and throw a scare into the Cats after Zonovan Knight scored on a 13-yard run with 4:46 to go to make it 16-14.
The Davis interception, however, helped set up a 26-yard touchdown run by Chris Rodriguez at the 2:55 mark to put the Kentucky lead back at nine.
NC State got within two with 1:10 remaining on a 2-yard touchdown run by Jordan Houston, but UK's Allen Dailey recovered the onside kick to seal the hard-fought victory.
*****
RAPID RECAP:
This was no football masterpiece, but very few will remember the details years from now, only that Kentucky won a bowl game against a P5 opponent for the third consecutive year. Kentucky had more penalty yards (103) than passing yards (99) but the ground game proved to be key once again. It was similar to the domination along the line of scrimmage we saw last year in the Belk Bowl as the Cats outlasted Virginia Tech. The UK defense forced three turnovers, and the special teams had its typical magic from Max Duffy, who averaged 40.4 yards per punt with three inside the Wolfpack 20-yard line and a long of 51 with the game hanging in the balance.
GAME BALL:
AJ Rose, Kentucky -- In perhaps his final game as a Wildcat, the senior running back turned in a huge performance with 148 yards on just 12 carries to claim Gator Bowl MVP honors. He'll end his career ranked among the Top 5 in program history in yards per carry. "Happy that he went out that way," UK head coach Mark Stoops said.
KEY STAT:
Turnover margin was one of the key stats we were watching coming into the game. NC State entered the matchup ranked 83rd nationally with a minus-3 on the season, and it was minus-3 today as the Cats picked off three passes while playing turnover-free football on their part.
QUOTABLE:
"It was chippy throughout the whole game. It was an emotional football game. Both teams wanted to be here. Both teams wanted to win." -- UK running back AJ Rose on the 'chippiness' between the two teams in a game that featured 17 penalties.
UP NEXT:
The Cats will head into the off-season program with a new offensive coordinator as Liam Coen comes over the Los Angeles Rams staff. UK will also have new faces on the staff leading the offensive line and running backs. Spring football is expected to put the focus on a new offensive scheme with Joey Gatewood and Beau Allen battling for the starting quarterback position and several openings on the line. Mark Stoops has also indicated that there could be a handful of additional signings in February as well as potential transfers into the program.
