3 takeaways: Kentucky football defense silences Anthony Richardson, No. 12 Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The offensive line has a long way to go. The running game needs a tune-up. Special teams is a bit of a fixer-upper.

The 20th-ranked Kentucky football team is in need of some solutions.

But it’s plenty long on resolve.

With a steely defense and just enough offensive mettle, the Wildcats clawed back to beat No. 12 Florida 26-16 on Saturday at The Swamp, a moment-answering win for a team still facing some questions.

Will Levis threw for 202 yards and a touchdown, completing 13 of 24 passes on a night when he faced an aggressive pass rush, and a running game that floundered in the first half found some steam in the second.

That was just enough from the offense on a night when defense buoyed Big Blue.

The Wildcats intercepted Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson twice, including one that UK cornerback Keidron Smith returned 65 yards for a third-quarter touchdown.

All Wildcats:Everything you need to know about Kentucky football players, schedule, analysis

Live updates:Kentucky football takes down Florida, Mark Stoops becomes UK’s winningest head coach

Three takeaways from the Wildcats’ win that gave coach Mark Stoops the most wins in UK history, one more than Bear Bryant:

The running game might not be a lost cause

Kentucky Wildcats running back Kavosiey Smoke (0) runs against the Florida Gators in the first half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 10, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]

Kavosiey Smoke’s 13-yard run early in the third quarter wasn’t particularly electrifying. It was a significant gain on a Wildcat drive that stalled and led to a Matt Ruffolo field goal.

But it must have seemed like a monster moment on the UK sideline.

The run was for more yards than the Wildcats managed in the entire first half — they’d carried 15 times for 2 yards — and more than tripled UK’s longest run from scrimmage on the night.

It was a sign of things to come for a UK running game that picked up some speed in the second after running on fumes in the first.

The Wildcats weren’t world-beaters on the ground after halftime, but they managed 70 yards on 38 carries. And when UK needed a first down on its final possession, Smoke kept his legs churning on an 11-yard gain that set up a first-and-goal at the Florida 5-yard line with 2:08 to play.

Story continues

But the Cats couldn’t get the ball in the end zone from there, settling for a 26-yard field goal from Mark Ruffolo that put UK in front 26-16 with 1:24 to play.

Position breakdown: What can we expect from the new-look offense?

Still, the second half was a significant improvement.

Things were so bad in the first half that on a late second-quarter possession, UK linebacker Jordan Wright, who missed the opener, set up the offense on the Florida 6-yard line with an interception and it was no forgone conclusion that UK could punch the ball in the end zone.

It might not have if not for a roughing-the-passer penalty on Florida that aided a three-play, 6-yard drive that was more of a slog. Levis’s 1-yard run got the Cats into the end zone, but it took three plays to go 6 yards.

The running struggles stemmed in part from offensive line issues, a carryover from Kentucky’s season-opening win against Miami (Ohio).

It didn’t help that Kentucky was without Chris Rodriguez again.

Helping from afar:How Chris Rodriguez’s absence – and his presence – impact Kentucky football’s opener

Multiple outlets reported Friday the star running back is awaiting a ruling from the NCAA. Sports Illustrated reported that his absence is part of a “multiplayer eligibility inquiry” at UK.

Citing student privacy, Stoops has declined to say Rodriguez is suspended, though he said in a news conference last week that he expected “a few (players) to have multiple-game suspensions.”

But Stoops has not elaborated on Rodriguez or any other player. Wright returned for the Florida game but was absent against Miami. Stoops has not confirmed that he was suspended.

Stoops said this week that there are “layers” to the player absences and that “I’ve been advised I can’t comment on it.”

View from the other side:5 instant takeaways from No. 19 Florida Gators loss to No. 20 Kentucky at The Swamp

The offensive line needs more tinkering

Florida Gators linebacker Amari Burney (2) grabs Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis (7) and brings him down for a sack during a game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field, in Gainesville FL, Sept. 10, 2022.

The running game wasn’t the only issue the for the Cats on the offensive front.

Though he was at times spectacular, Levis spent much of the night under duress.

Kentucky’s first points game on a 55-yard deep ball from Levis to freshman Dane Key, who made a leaping catch in the end zone for his second touchdown of the season. And Levis was effective in throwing the ball to his tight ends.

One last ride:Will Levis changed Kentucky football last year. His next challenge is to be even better

But both UK’s linemen and its running backs struggled in pass protection.

Those issues bit UK with 8:31 to play in the second quarter, when Florida overwhelmed UK up front. Brenton Cox hit Levis as he threw, and the Gators’ Gervon Dexter intercepted the loose ball.

The Gators scored on their ensuing drive, capping it with an 11-yard run by Trevor Etienne — and a two-point conversion from QB Anthony Richardson to Etienne — to take a 14-7 lead.

Levis stayed upright for more of the second half. He was sacked three times before halftime and none after. But even after an offensive line shuffle that saw veteran Kenneth Horsey replace redshirt freshman David Wohlabaugh at left tackle, it’s clear the Cats have strides to make in pass protection.

The defense stymied Anthony Richardson

Florida Gators running back Trevor Etienne (7) stiff arms Kentucky Wildcats defensive tackle Deone Walker (0) during the first half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 10, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]

In Week 1, Richardson looked like a budding star. He’d keyed the Gators’ upset of then-No. 7 Utah with his feet and some timely passes.

The Cats took off some of the shine.

Richardson completed 14 of 35 passes for 143 yards. He carried six times for 4 yards.

That bore little resemblance to his performance against the Utes, in which he ran for 106 yards on 11 carries while completing 17 of 24 passes for 168 yards.

Injury report:Kentucky football’s Jalen Geiger carted off field with injury at Florida, will not return

The Cats bottled up the QB run game and turned Richardson into a passer, where his accuracy issues were apparent. UK intercepted him twice, and those led directly or almost immediately to touchdowns, accounting for 14 points on a night when the offense struggled to move the ball.

Kentucky’s defensive front kept Richardson under pressure, and its secondary was in the right spots — though it was aided by some erratic throws.

But the linebackers keyed the defense.

Having Wright back helped. In addition to his pick, he had a sack among his two tackles for loss. And he wasn’t the only linebacker making plays. J.J. Weaver had nine tackles, Jacquez Jones seven and DeAndre Square six.

Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brett Dawson and bdawson@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @BDawsonWrites.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football: Defense knocks out Florida in SEC opener