GAINESVILLE, Fla., Sept. 10 -- If 70 points wasn't impressive enough, then how about 73? Terry Dean threw four more touchdown passes Saturday, giving him 11 in two games, to guide No. 2 Florida to a 73-7 Southeastern Conference rout of Kentucky. Freshman Elijah Williams added 115 yards on 15 carries, scoring two touchdowns as the Gators (2-0, 1-0 SEC) reached the 70-point mark for the second consecutive week. 'Obviously it got out of hand there,' Florida coach Steve Spurrier said. 'We didn't really plan on it, but it just worked out that way.' The Gators opened last week with a 70-21 romp over New Mexico State as Dean tied an NCAA record with seven TD passes in the first half. However, Florida still dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 in all three polls behind Nebraska. 'We have to stop worrying about playing better than other teams. We can't go out and try to play better than Nebraska, Notre Dame or any other team,' Williams said. 'If we play like we did tonight, take one game at a time, we are capable of going a long way.' Dean completed 15 of 22 passes for 201 yards before being relieved by Danny Wuerffel with 5:12 to play in the third quarter. 'We knew it was very important for us to get off to a good start, with this being our first SEC game,' Dean said. 'The offensive line provided great protection, the receivers ran their routes and the running backs played great.'
Kentucky's lone score came on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Antonio O'Ferral to Isaac Curtis on the Wildcats' first possession of the second quarter. Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC) trailed 31-7 at halftime. 'We were not able to get the job done in any phase of the game today,' Kentucky coach Bill Curry said. The Florida defense held Kentucky to 68 yards on the ground and 130 in the air.'I really am extremely proud of the defense,' Spurrier said. 'They were ready to play today. Other than a mistake on their touchdown, our defense played outstanding.' After Curtis' TD catch brought the Wildcats within 20-7, Florida came back with a 31-yard field goal by Judd Davis and a 5-yard touchdown pass from Dean to Chris Doering. Davis' field goal capped a 72-yard drive, highlighted by a 51-yard run by Williams. The run was the longest from scrimmage since Steve Spurrier became Florida coach four years ago. The Gators' touchdown drive of 38 yards was set up by a Larry Kennedy interception, his first of the season. Three quick Florida scores in the third quarter dampened any hopes of a Kentucky comeback. Williams ran for a 2-yard score to make it 37-7 just 2:41 into the period. Florida's Sam McCorkle knocked the ball loose from Kentucky's Howard Carter on the ensuing kickoff. Dean then hooked up with freshman Reidel Anthony for a 65-yard touchdown pass on the Gators' next series. On the next kickoff, freshman Xavier McCray scooped up a fumble and raced 33 yards for a touchdown to make the score 51-7 with less than 10 minutes to play in the period. Wuerffel threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to freshman Ike Hilliard with 12:11 left in the game, giving the Gators a 58-7 margin. Eric Kresser came on to play quarterback, leading Florida on a 38-yard, six play drive capped by a 15-yard TD pass to Paul Bowen. Florida's final score came on a 34-yard run by freshman Tyrone Baker with 2:24 to play. The Gators started the second quarter on the Kentucky 4-yard line. On second-and-goal, Dean threw a touchdown pass to Aubrey Hill to make the score 20-0. It was Hill's second TD catch of the game, having grabbed a 16-yarder in the first quarter for Florida's first score. 'We caught their defense in a couple of weak spots and were able to capitalize and score some touchdowns,' Hill said. 'As long as we stick to our game plan like we did tonight, we are going to do very well as a team.' Leading 7-0, the Gators then marched 49 yards on seven plays. Williams carried the ball four times for 25 yards before scoring on a 15-yard run with 4:46 to play in the opening quarter.
