Tyler Murphy looks ready for the job.
Composed and cool, he was nearly perfect in his first career start at quarterback while leading No. 20 Florida to a 24-7 victory over Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium. He completed his first 13 passes and steered the offense smoothly as Florida defeated the Wildcats for the 27th consecutive time, extending the SEC’s longest active winning streak.
Murphy, a junior with minimal experience, took over for starting quarterback Jeff Driskel last week against Tennessee. Driskel broke a bone in his leg early in the game and is out for the season.
Murphy finished 15-of-18 for 156 yards and a touchdown against Kentucky, plus he ran for 36 yards and a touchdown.
He showed no signs of nervousness, even when taking his first snap at his own 7-yard line. On the opening possession, he completed all four of his passes and chipped in 20 rushing yards before running back Matt Jones finished it with a 2-yard touchdown run. The 93-yard, 7:47 scoring drive was Florida’s longest of the season.
Murphy put the Gators (3-1, 2-0 SEC) in position to score on each of their first four possessions, with the only shortfall being a missed 53-yard field goal by Austin Hardin. He pushed Florida into the red zone on the other three drives and came away with a touchdown each time.
In the first three games, the team scored touchdowns on just 7 of 17 chances.
Murphy ended the second drive with a 9-yard pass over the middle to Trey Burton and closed the third by running in from five yards to put the Gators up 21-7 with 2:53 left in the second quarter.
Murphy’s only major mistake was throwing an interception in the third quarter that squandered a scoring opportunity. At the Kentucky 23-yard line, he tried to connect with Jones, but was picked off by linebacker Josh Forrest.
However, Florida’s defense quickly erased the turnover. Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III intercepted Kentucky’s Maxwell Smith in the end zone to get the ball back.
Murphy took advantage of that by driving into the red zone and setting up Hardin’s 33-yard field goal to put Florida ahead 24-7 with 10:49 remaining in the game.
Burton and Jones gave Murphy plenty of help. Burton, a senior, continued his career-long dominance over the Wildcats by catching six passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. Of the 20 touchdowns he has scored at Florida, eight have come against Kentucky.
Jones contributed the best game of his career and finally looked like he was back to full strength after working his way back from a viral infection. He rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.
Jones’ best play was a 67-yard run early in the second quarter that almost went for a touchdown. With a clear lane to the end zone, he was knocked down by teammate Quinton Dunbar at Kentucky’s 12-yard line.
Dunbar caught two passes for 48 yards, and Murphy found Jones three times for 20 yards.
Florida’s defense made Murphy’s life easier as well, allowing a score only on Kentucky’s fake field goal in the first quarter. Wildcats kicker Joe Mansour took a pitch from the hold and outraced the Gators for a 25-yard touchdown to tie the score 7-7.
In two games, Murphy has completed 23 of 32 passes for 290 yards and had a hand in four touchdowns.
In the win over the Wildcats (1-3, 0-1), he shined in two critical areas: red-zone trips and third downs. The Gators cashed in on all four red-zone opportunities and converted 8 of 13 third downs, plus a fourth-down try.
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