Kentucky Loses Gator Bowl 38-35 to Clemson

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kentucky led for the majority of the Gator Bowl but a wild, turnover-filled fourth quarter, which saw five lead changes, allowed Clemson to eek out a 38-35 victory over the Wildcats.

The game marked Kentucky's program-best eighth straight bowl game appearance but with the loss, Kentucky finished the season with a 7-6 record.

Devin Leary completed 16 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in the air.

Barion Brown led the way for Kentucky's wide receivers with 100 yards receiving and three total touchdowns, while Dane Key added 83 yards and a touchdown of his own. Ray Davis controlled the ground game, finishing his Kentucky career with 63 yards and a touchdown over the Tigers, extending his single-season touchdown record to 21.

Clemson got on the board first, with a field goal early in the first quarter. The Cats quickly responded with seven points of their own, following a 43-yard rush by Davis and a 22-yard rushing touchdown by Brown.

Now with a 7-3 advantage, Kentucky's defense maintained that score with a series of stops.

The Tigers came out firing in the second quarter. Back-to-back explosive plays by Clemson's offense had the Tigers rolling, but a false start halted their momentum. The Cats were unable to capitalize, however, and the Tigers responded with a 28-yard pass to put the ball just shy of the 1-yard line. After the play was reviewed, the Tigers punched in a touchdown to regain the lead, 10-7.

It took Clemson five plays to advance 59 yards in just over three minutes of game action.

It took Kentucky even less time than that to retaliate.

Four plays and two minutes and 33 seconds later, the Cats put seven more points on the board. Dane Key caught a dart to move the chains 58 yards down the field; one play later, he snatched a 5-yarder deep inside the end zone for Kentucky's second touchdown of the day.

The Cats led 14-10 at halftime.

If you're having déjà vu, credit Barion Brown. The sophomore wide receiver opened the second half by scoring on a kickoff return for a school-record fourth time in his career. From his starting point in Kentucky's end zone, Brown ran the rock 102 yards into Clemson's end zone at blistering speed, breaking the previous record for longest kickoff return in Gator Bowl history.

The next points of the day came at the start of the fourth quarter, when Clemson scored but failed on a 2-point conversion thanks to Jordan Lovett's pass defense.

When the Cats got the ball back, Leary fumbled and gave possession back to the Tigers. The blue side of the stadium was deflated, but not for long. One play later, Clemson's quarterback Cade Klubnik threw an interception right into the hands of Lovett. Kentucky's offense returned to the field with just under 14 minutes to play in the game.

The fourth quarter went crazy. After Kentucky's defense got the Cats the ball back, Devin Leary had a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage by Barrett Carter. The ball floated in the air, and Carter was able to track it down for the third straight turnover in the game. Clemson was only able to turn the good field position into three points after Kentucky's defense came up big on second and third downs. The field goal made the score Kentucky 21, Clemson 19 with exactly seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats' trouble didn't stop there. On the first play of the next drive, Barion Brown fumbled and Clemson's Phil Mafa took the ensuing Clemson play to the house. The Tigers added a two-point conversion to make the game 27-21. It was the Tigers' first lead since they held a 10-7 advantage in the second quarter.

Brown would instantly make up for the fumble with his third score of the game on a 60-yard post and a spot-on pass from Leary to give Kentucky the lead again 28-27, with 6:12 to play.

Will Shipley gave Clemson life again with a 60-yard kick return. Kentucky's defense stepped up and forced another field goal, but this one barely doinked in off the crossbar.

The Kentucky tight end room had a slow day as a unit, but Jordan Dingle would change that. Leary hits Dingle on a 72-yard reception to set up a Ray Davis score, which gave Kentucky the lead for the final time.

Clemson would go on a nine-play drive to retake the 38-35 lead, with Mafa adding his fourth score.

Kentucky had one more chance with 17 seconds to play, but Leary, in a hail Mary attempt, committed his fourth turnover. Kentucky loses, 38-35.