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Florida beats Kentucky in triple overtime

 
Florida’s Matt Jones, a graduate of Seffner’s Armwood High, leaps over tight end Clay Burton during a second-quarter run.
Florida’s Matt Jones, a graduate of Seffner’s Armwood High, leaps over tight end Clay Burton during a second-quarter run.
Published Sept. 14, 2014

GAINESVILLE — The hush that fell over Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with just under three minutes remaining in the game Saturday night spoke volumes.

By the end of regulation, it had become stunned silence.

Hosting Kentucky, a program it had defeated 27 consecutive times, Florida was in a down-to-the-wire battle in the SEC opener for both teams.

Time was running out. Then regulation ran out. And overtime kept going.

Finally, Matt Jones sealed the deal for the Gators.

The Armwood alumnus had 29 carries for 156 yards, including a 1-yard run that gave Florida a 36-30 triple-overtime victory.

It was the sixth overtime in Florida history and its first triple-overtime game.

It took stellar performances from several players to earn the victory. There were three interceptions by the Gators (2-0), one by safety Keanu Neal with 28 seconds left in regulation, and a record-setting night for receiver Demarcus Robinson.

Robinson had 216 receiving yards, and his 15 receptions tied the school record set by Carlos Alvarez in 1969 against Miami. Robinson became the first receiver since Taylor Jacobs in 2002 to go over 200 yards in a game. He is also the first player to have 10 or more receptions since Percy Harvin against Mississippi in 2008, a span of 75 games.

Although much improved under second-year coach Mark Stoops, Kentucky (2-1) was supposed to provide a manageable challenge and an opportunity for the Gators to hone their new offense a little more as they prepared for this week's showdown with Alabama.

Instead, it was a reminder the Gators' 65-0 win over Eastern Michigan (which lost 17-3 to Old Dominion on Saturday) in the season opener wasn't a true indicator of how well the Gators have improved from last season or how well they'll fare in SEC play.

But it was a testament to their ability to battle, something the Gators admittedly lost during last season.

What was exposed was what coach Will Muschamp talked about last week. The secondary has serious problems in coverage. The passing game remains inconsistent, and a mobile quarterback poses problems.

Patrick Towles was 24-of-45 for 369 yards. Only one quarterback threw for more than 300 yards against UF last season, Florida State Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.

Jones had his second career 100-yard rushing game, both of which have come against Kentucky (he had 176 last season).

Tied at 3 at halftime, Florida took a 6-3 lead with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Then came the shootout.

Towles hit Garrett Johnson for a 60-yard touchdown to give the Wildcats a 10-6 lead with 5:32 remaining in the third. It took Kentucky just two minutes and five plays to go 75 yards.

But the Gators responded on their next possession.

Jeff Driskel connected on a 33-yard pass to Robinson — that ricocheted off the hands of cornerback Fred Tiller — to set up a first and goal on the 10. On the following play, Tevin Westbrook scored his first career touchdown with a 10-yard pass from Driskel to put the Gators ahead 13-10 with 4:27 remaining.

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Then it was Kentucky's turn. Targeting overmatched safety Jabari Gorman, Towles hit Johnson for a 33-yard touchdown pass and a 17-13 lead over the Gators with 3:21 left in the third.

Florida took a 20-17 lead with 25 seconds left in the third quarter on a 9-yard pass from Driskel to Robinson.