Three takeaways from Kentucky football’s gut-wrenching Gator Bowl loss to Clemson
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Gator Bowl game day: No. 22 Clemson 38, Kentucky 35
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Friday’s Kentucky-Clemson Gator Bowl football game at Jacksonville, Florida.
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Three takeaways from Kentucky football’s 38-35 loss to the Clemson Tigers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl:
1. Too many mistakes caused UK’s gut-wrenching loss
Kentucky did so many good things in this Gator Bowl. It got a rushing, receiving and kick return touchdown from the spectacular Barion Brown. It sacked the Clemson quarterback eight times. It held the Tigers to 4.6 yards per play for the game and all of 10 points through the first three quarters. Time and again, it fought back from adversity in a wild fourth quarter.
But it also made so many mistakes in this Gator Bowl. Too many mistakes. It turned the ball over on three straight possessions in its own territory in the final frame. And, at the end, up 35-30, it could not find a way to stop the Clemson offense from going 68 yards in 11 plays to score the winning touchdown — Phil Mafah’s 3-yard run for the Tigers’ fourth score of the day — with all of 17 seconds remaining.
A third-and-18 from the 50-yard line was the drive’s killer play. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik had just been called for intentional grounding. There were under 50 seconds left to play. But the Tigers’ signal-caller hit Antonio Williams for a 16-yard completion to set up a fourth-and-2 at the 34. From there, Mafah rushed 5 yards for the first down.
Said UK defensive coordinator Brad White afterward, “You can’t let that happen.”
The Cats did let that happen. And by letting that happen, it was emblematic of a season that ended 7-6. Too many things that the Cats couldn’t let happen, did happen. Turnovers. Penalties. Missed blocks. Missed assignments. Missed opportunities. Mistakes. The mistakes that separate a win from a loss, that separate a good season from a disappointing one.
2. Barion Brown is a star
Faithful followers of Kentucky football already knew that Barion Brown was a star, but the sophomore wide receiver took it to another level on Friday. The Nashville native scored a touchdown just about every way you can score a touchdown, with the possible exception of throwing a pass for a TD.
In the first quarter, Brown scored on a 22-yard run to give Kentucky a 7-3 lead. Then to open the second half, Brown returned the Clemson kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown — his third kickoff return touchdown of the season and second in consecutive games — to give the Cats a 14-10 lead. Last but not least, he caught 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Devin Leary to give UK a 28-27 lead with 6:12 remaining.
Brown ended up with 226 all-purpose yards on the afternoon — 100 for the kickoff return; 26 yards rushing on two attempts and 100 yards receiving on three catches.
In the end, Brown was left holding the Kentucky’s most valuable player trophy in a losing cause. Still, it was a stellar performance from a player that, in this day of the transfer portal, Kentucky must hold onto for next season.
3. This was a missed opportunity at momentum
My general feeling on the outcome of bowl games is that there are only three that count. There are the two College Football Playoff semifinal games on Monday and then the national championship game the following Monday. Those three. That’s it.
Ah, but this Gator Bowl had a chance to be different. For both teams. Though an atypical 8-4 as far as its record, brand-name Clemson entered this Gator Bowl on a four-game win streak. Though 7-5, Kentucky had ended its regular season campaign with a dramatic 38-31 victory over then 10th ranked and archrival Louisville. Both teams wanted to keep the ball rolling into 2024.
Only Clemson accomplished that goal. The Tigers did so despite trailing for most of the game, despite being outgained (398-367), despite averaging just 2.6 yards per rush, despite giving up a special teams touchdown, despite being sacked eight times. It did win the turnover battle 4-1. That was enough.
Meanwhile, Kentucky missed its opportunity. Instead of finishing 8-5 with season-ending wins over a pair of ranked teams in Louisville and Clemson, the Cats finished 7-6. For the second straight season. And with a lot of work to do for 2024.
This story was originally published December 29, 2023 at 5:20 PM.
