LEXINGTON, Ky. (WDRB) -- This was Kentucky's shot to confirm its credentials that the Wildcats, not Florida, were the second-best team in East Division of the Southeastern Conference.
This was the Wildcats' chance to put itself in the same sentence with Alabama and Georgia as the SEC's only unbeaten teams.
This was Kentucky's opportunity to give itself a 2-game edge on Florida -- and inspire a delicious week of conversation about LSU's visit to Lexington next weekend.
Check. Check. Check.
Check out the pictures and videos of thousands of fans dancing, singing, howling, jumping and celebrating from the middle of packed Kroger Field. The party is still going on.
Driven by a thunderous defensive effort that featured a blocked field goal as well as an interception, Kentucky improved to 5-0 with a 20-13 victory over No. 10 Florida Saturday night at packed Kroger Field.
People kept coming and coming and coming to the center of the field -- and not wanting to leave. Wouldn't you? This time the Gators didn't have anybody slip behind the safety. They didn't get the call. They got indigestion and a string of angry tweets about the way Dan Mullen let his team get intimidated by the Kentucky crowd, which was fabulous.
It was Kentucky's first victory over the Gators in Lexington since 1986. The Wildcats are 3-0 in the SEC for only the fifth time in program history.
"(Storming the field) is something you dream about," UK quarterback Will Levis said. "You see it as a kid and you want to be part of something like that."
"It was beautiful in so many ways," UK coach Mark Stoops said. "Offensively we struggled. But you win games in any way you can. It was a thing of beauty tonight."
Linebacker Jacquez Jones batted down an Emory Jones pass at the goal line with 18 seconds to play to secure the victory and start the celebration, which featured the goal posts collapsing as thousands stormed the field in absolute joy.
Look for Kentucky to rocket into the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday afternoon.
"Ya think?" Stoops said. "We'd be the only team in the history of the SEC to be 5-0 and not be ranked."
Don't forget to credit the crowd of 61,632. Stoops did. Kroger Field turned into Death Valley for the Gators. They stopped themselves with 8 false start penalties, five on third down and one on fourth.
"Thanks to Big Blue Nation," Stoops said. "This was for you. (The crowd) had an impact on the game in a big, big way."
"Their energy was incredible all night," Levis said.
For all the talk about Kentucky's new and improved offense this season, the Wildcats won this game the way that Stoops has built his program over the last 8-plus seasons.
With defense.
Josh Paschal blocked a Florida field goal in the third quarter. Trevin Wallace, a true freshman, caught the kick and crackled 76 yards for a touchdown that pushed UK ahead, 13-10. If Wallace looked like a runner, that's because he also played quarterback and returned kicks in high school.
"I knew what to do," Wallace said. "A (Florida) lineman got a hand on me. It kind of brushed off and that was it."
"He's an unbelievable athlete," Stoops said. "He got that ball and he was gone. He's a freaky athlete."
The Wildcats were not finished. J.J. Weaver, from Moore High School in Louisville, intercepted a Jones pass early in the fourth quarter. That gave Kentucky the ball at the Gators' 29.
Five plays later Chris Rodriguez powered 9 yards for a touchdown that increased Kentucky's lead to 20-10. Florida got a field goal -- and nothing more. Mark it down as the fewest points the Gators have scored against UK since ... 1986.
The Wildcats offense wobbled in the first half. Kentucky scored on a 41-yard pass from Will Levis to Wan'Dale Robinson. Kentucky gained just 88 yards on its 22 other snaps. Robinson was only able to shake open for one other catch.
The UK touchdown was bookended by a pair of Florida scores -- the first a 7-yard pass from Jones to Ja'Quavion Fraziers on the Gators' second possession, the second a 51-yard field goal by Jace Christmann with about 5 1/2 minutes to play in the second quarter.
Kentucky won even though the Wildcats completed only 7 of 17 passes for 87 yards. The Wildcats were out-gained by 158 yards. Florida ran 71 plays, 24 more than UK. There's no line in the box score for grit but Kentucky had more.
"I think we proved, at least defensively, how hard-nosed we can be," Levis said.
Kentucky indeed will welcome LSU to Kroger Field for a game booked for 7:30 p.m. next Saturday. The Tigers slipped to 3-2 by getting outscored, 14-0, in the fourth quarter and losing at home to Auburn, 24-19, Saturday night. The Wildcats are likely to be favored against the Tigers.
Then comes the Wildcats' trip to absurdly talented Georgia, which has allowed only 23 points while winning its first five games.
There has been some speculation that ESPN would consider bringing its College GameDay show to Lexington next weekend. But LSU is unranked, and No. 4 Penn State plays at No. 5 Iowa Saturday. GameDay seems more likely if the Wildcats and No. 2 Georgia are both unbeaten when the team play in Athens Oct. 16.
"We want to play in a lot of big games," Stoops said. "We've got a long way to go."
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