Football Postgame Notes - Gator Bowl

Jeff Drummond · Dec 29, 2023

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES

KENTUCKY vs. CLEMSON

TAXSLAYER GATOR BOWL

BILL GAY GROUNDS AT EVERBANK STADIUM | JACKSONVILLE, FLA.

DEC. 29, 2023

FINAL SCORE: No. 22 Clemson 38, Kentucky 35

Team Records and Series Information

Kentucky ends the season with a 7-6 record in 2023, as Clemson went 9-4.
Despite the loss, Kentucky remains the leader in the all-time series, 8-6.
- However, Clemson remains the leader in bowl games, 3-1.

Kentucky in Bowl Games

Kentucky extended its school-record streak of eight straight bowl appearances with its appearance in the 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
- It is the ninth-longest active streak in college football.
Kentucky has a 12-11 all-time record in bowl games.
- UK has a 1-2 all-time record in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops moved to 4-4 in bowl games.

Team Notes

Kentucky scored five touchdowns today, tying the school record for most TDs in a bowl game.
The Kentucky defense had 13 tackles for loss, including eight quarterback sacks, season highs in both categories.

Player Notes

Quarterback Devin Leary completed 16 of his 28 passing attempts for 306 yards and two touchdowns.
- It marked his third game this season and the 11th game of his career with 300+ yards passing.
- It marked his eighth game this season and the 25th game of his career recording at least two touchdowns passing.
- He finished the season completing 209 of 371 passes (56.3 percent) for 2,746 yards and 25 touchdowns.
  - His 25 touchdown passes are one short of the top five in program history (Dusty Bonner had 26 in 1999, which is ranked fifth in program history).
- He finishes his college career with 9,553 yards passing and 86 touchdowns passing.
Running back Ray Davis carried the ball 13 times for 63 yards and one touchdown rushing.
- With his one touchdown this afternoon, he has 21 total touchdowns on the season, extending his single-season school record.
- He also extended his single-season school record for points scored with 126.
- He had 1,129 yards rushing in his lone season at Kentucky, finishing 11th on the UK’s single-season list.
- He finished his career with 3,626 yards rushing.
  - He is believed to be the only player to total at least 1,000 career rushing yards at three Division I FBS schools (also Temple and Vanderbilt).
- He also finished the season by catching 33 passes for 323 yards and seven touchdowns, a school record for most touchdown catches in a season by a running back.
Wide receiver Barion Brown had three receptions for 100 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown reception. He added two carries for 26 yards and a 22-yard touchdown rushing. He also added a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the first play of the second half, his third TD return of the season and the fourth of his career.
- - Brown’s kickoff return for a TD, which was credited as 102 yards according to the Bowl’s stat crew, is the longest in TaxSlayer Gator Bowl history, a record previously held by Andre Debose of Florida (99 yards) against Ohio State on Jan. 2, 2012.
    - Brown’s kickoff return for a TD is the second for a Kentucky player in a bowl game. The other was by David Jones against East Carolina (99 yards, also at the beginning of the second half) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2, 2009.
  - Brown’s three kickoff returns for TDs this season is more than any player in the FBS in 2023.
    - Prior to the start of the game, Brown was one of five players who had two kickoff returns for TD in 2023.
  - Three kickoff returns for TDs in one season is a Kentucky record (former record two by Derek Abney in 2002).
  - Three kickoff returns for TD in one season ties the SEC record (Willie Gault, Tennessee 1980; Brandon Boykin, Georgia 2009; Warren Norman, Vanderbilt 2009; Evan Berry, Tennessee 2015).
  - Four kickoff returns for TD in a career is a program record (former record three by Craig Yeast, 1995-98).
  - Four kickoff returns for TD in a career ties the SEC record shared with seven other players.
- His touchdown rushing marked the first of his career.
- He became the second player in school history to have a rushing, receiving and kickoff return for a touchdown in the same game.
  - The other player to do so was Don “Dopey” Phelps vs. Michigan State in 1946.
  - It also marked the first game of his career that he had a touchdown both receiving and rushing.
- He improved his streak of 26 straight games with a reception, which is every game of his college career.
- He has 1,167 career yards receiving, moving up to 28th in school history.
Wide receiver Dane Key had four catches for 83 yards and a five-yard touchdown reception.
- His first catch of the game was a career-long, 58-yard reception, which set him up for a five-yard touchdown reception on the very next play to help Kentucky take a four-point lead over Clemson in the second quarter.
- Key has 1,155 career receiving yards, moving up to 29th in school history.
Tight end Jordan Dingle had a career-long 72-yard reception, which set Kentucky up for a touchdown to regain a lead in the fourth quarter.
Wide receiver Tayvion Robinson had four catches for 45 yards.
- He has 1,049 receiving yards at Kentucky, moving up to 33rd in school history.
- He finished his collegiate career with 194 receptions for 2,604 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Linebacker Trevin Wallace led the team with 11 total tackles, including six solo stops.
- He had one tackle for loss (-2 yards), which was a quarterback sack.
- It marked the fourth game this season and the fifth game of his career that he had double-digit tackles.
Defensive back Jordan Lovett had UK’s lone interception of the game, which he caught in the Kentucky endzone for a timely stop early in the fourth quarter.
- It marked his third this season and fifth of his career.
  - His three interceptions this season are the most in a season for him and the second most on any player on the team in 2023.
- He added four total tackles, including three solo stops.
Linebacker J.J. Weaver led the team with two tackles for loss (-12 yards), both of which were sacks.
- He had five total tackles, including two solo stops.
Game captains: defensive back Zion Childress, quarterback Devin Leary, defensive lineman Deone Walker, linebacker Trevin Wallace

TXCatFBFan · Dec 29, 2023