LEXINGTON, Ky. — Many have been wondering what would happen to the Florida offense if and when a defense figured out a way to eliminate those dump downs and swing passes that Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have been turning into huge plays.
Facts
Three things
1. Speedy tailbacks Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey combined to rush for 263 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Gators' offensive onslaught.
2. Demps put the game out of reach when he blew through a huge hole and raced 84 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
3. Even senior defensive tackle Jaye Howard got into the scoring act, plucking a UK fumble out of the air and running two yards for a TD in the first half.
Well, Kentucky found a way to diffuse Rainey and Demps in the passing game Saturday night.
So, what was offensive coordinator Charlie Weis’ answer?
He had quarterback John Brantley hand the ball off to the speedy tailbacks — and the results were just as electrifying.
Demps and Rainey combined to rush for 263 yards and two touchdowns, both by Demps, to lead the No. 15 Gators to a 48-10 thrashing of Kentucky before 65,134 in Commonwealth Stadium, giving UF its 25th consecutive victory over the Wildcats.
The Gators head into next Saturday’s SEC showdown with No. 2 Alabama at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play. Kentucky falls to 2-2 and 0-1 in the SEC.
Demps put the game away for the Gators early in the third quarter, when the offensive line opened a huge hole for him over left guard on a draw play and he raced 84 yards for a touchdown to put UF up 38-10.
“I’m very pleased with how we responded in the game,” UF coach Will Muschamp said. “The defense created four turnovers that led to 24 points, we rushed for 400 yards, had two backs each go over 100 yards and did an excellent job (of) taking what the defense gives you, which Charlie has done an outstanding job doing in the first four games.
“I’m pleased with the turnovers and being able to run the football. This is a line of scrimmage league, and you’ve got to be able to do that. We’re 4-0 and we still have a lot of things to improve on.”
Demps finished with 157 yards on 10 carries, averaging a whopping 15.7 yards a carry. Rainey, who set up a TD with a 27-yard run late in first quarter, rushed for 106 yards on 15 carries.
“We gave them a short field with turnovers,” UK coach Joker Phillips said. “We had a chance to get momentum at the start of the second half, but we let them off the hook by giving them a big play (Demps’ 84-yard TD run). We’re just not playing very smart.
“We can’t make this many mistakes and have a chance to win a game like this. Four turnovers. … That’s a sloppy football team.”
With the Gators rushing for 405 yards, there was little or no pressure on Brantley and the passing game. Brantley, who sat out UF’s final two first-half possessions after having the wind knocked out of him, completed eight of 14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. His 45-yard TD pass to tight end Gerald Christian gave the Gators the early 7-0 lead.
Demps and Rainey weren’t the only Gators making big plays. The UF defense produced some of its own, including senior defensive tackle Jaye Howard picking a UK fumble out of the air and returning it two yards for a touchdown to give the Gators a 28-3 lead early in the second quarter.
For the game, the defense intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles.
UF’s first touchdown was set up by defensive tackle Omar Hunter’s fumble recovery on the UK 45. Redshirt freshman linebacker Michael Taylor set up a third-quarter field goal with his interception and 30-yard return.
When Demps, Rainey and the running game weren’t finishing off drives, junior place-kicker Caleb Sturgis was. He made field goals of 45 and 27 yards and is now a perfect 11-for-11 on the season.
For the first time this year, Demps and Rainey were no factor in the passing game. Demps had one reception for two yards, while Rainey had zero catches. The Gators found other ways to get the two in space, and they made all kinds of things happen.
“The thing that concerns you is that Charlie does a great job of creating space plays for them that creates a lot of one-on-ones,” Muschamp said. “One missed tackle against those two guys, and they can take it the distance. They are great guys, have great speed, great in the open field, run the ball hard. They are competitive and tough. They have all the intangibles that good football players have.”
Thanks to some poor field position, the UF offense got off to its first sluggish start of the season, producing only one first down in its first two possessions. But after Hunter flipped the field with his fumble recovery, the Gators scored 21 consecutive points during a a five-minute span during the first quarter.
Following Christian’s TD reception, Demps burst through a hole on the right side of the line for a 20-yard TD run. Minutes later, fullback Trey Burton scored on a 1-yard run to give the Gators a 21-0 lead with 3:39 still left in the first quarter.
For the game, the Gators rolled up 520 yards of total offense, while holding the Wildcats to 299 yards. UF’s rushing total of 405 yards was the sixth-best in school history and the most since the Gators ran for 466 yards against New Mexico in 1989.
