Five crazy statistics from Kentucky's victory over Florida

by:Jack Pilgrim09/09/18
[caption id="attachment_246804" align="alignnone" width="866"] © Kim Klement | USATSI[/caption] It still doesn't feel like reality, but the streak is over. Kentucky went down to The Swamp and took home a victory, the first time since 1986. And they did it in (relatively) dominating fashion. Here are the five craziest stats in Kentucky's 27-16 victory over Florida:

Terry Wilson combined for 258 yards and three touchdowns

In one of the most hostile environments in the nation, Terry Touchdown finally lived up to his nickname. Wilson carved up the Gator defense, throwing for 151 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. On the ground, he finished with 107 yards, one touchdown, and one fumble. It was a night-and-day difference from week one, where Wilson finished with three first-half turnovers and zero touchdowns in his time on the field. Aside from his interception, he was patient in the pocket, making fantastic decisions with the ball both through the air and on the ground. His biggest throw came on a 54-yard bomb to Lynn Bowden, where he hung in the pocket, stepped up, and hit his receiver right in stride. He also managed a ridiculous 31-yard touchdown scamper, where he faked the pitch and found a small hole in the defensive line for the score. When he first got to Kentucky, those are the kinds of plays we dreamed of from the JUCO transfer.

Kentucky now has three of the top-15 rushers in the SEC

Benny Snell is currently second in the SEC in rushing with 300 rushing yards to go with two scores, though that's not really a shock to anyone. He has dominated in both games, just like he dominated the entire 2017 season. You go down the list just a few spots, and you'll find Terry Wilson at No. 11 overall with 143 yards in two games as a Wildcat. He's ahead of big-name players such as Ke'Shawn Vaughn (130), Rico Dowdle (123), Damien Harris (116), Demarea Crockett (115), and D'Andre Swift (107).  AJ Rose is actually just two spots behind Wilson at No. 13 with 127 yards, placing him above everyone on that list except for Vaughn. Not too shabby.

Cats finished 9-13 on third down

Adding more context to Wilson's impressive poise in the pocket, Kentucky finished with a ridiculous 69 percent conversion rate on third down. He made several key throws, including one huge one to Tavin Richardson while being taken down to the ground by a Florida defender. He also scrambled to the left side of the field and made several defenders miss to convert another impressive third down. Most players would be rattled in that position, but Wilson wasn't fazed, especially in crucial situations. Benny Snell also picked up an impressive conversion thanks to this absolutely ridiculous pancake block by Bunchy Stallings:

The offensive line allowed zero sacks and zero pressures

Despite missing their starting left tackle, the Kentucky offensive line absolutely dominated at the line of scrimmage. The above video from Stallings tells just some of the story. They allowed for 303 rushing yards on 7.4 yards per carry, giving the running backs and Wilson excellent room to work with. In passing situations, the unit allowed zero sacks and zero pressures, giving the Kentucky quarterback all the time in the world to make plays. They're playing for both John Schlarman and Landon Young this season, and I can assure you they're each very impressed.

Lynn Bowden got his first career touchdown

This isn't necessarily a crazy statistic in the game, but it was huge for the dynamic playmaker to get that scoring monkey off his back. Bowden caught a 54-yard bomb from Wilson, as he used his speed to separate from the defender on the deep post route close to the goal line. Wilson lofted it up, and it landed right in his mitts in stride. For the game, Bowden finished with 79 yards on four receptions, pushing his season total to a team-leading 96 yards on nine catches. He's gonna rack up the yardage, but he needed to find a way to put the ball in the end zone. Now we just need one on special teams. [mobile_ad]

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