GAINESVILLE — If any Florida Gator knows what it can take to win at Kentucky, it’s record-setting receiver Chris Doering.
Doering’s 28-yard touchdown catch with three seconds remaining capped a 24-21 win in 1993 that began his ascension as a walk-on from Gainesville and redshirt freshman quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who’d stepped in for starter Terry Dean.
Wuerffel-to-Doering also continued what became decades of UF dominance in the series, but is among several close-calls in the Bluegrass State.
The Gators (3-5, 2-3 SEC) aim to avoid last-second dramatics against the Wildcats (3-5, 1-5) when two struggling programs square off Saturday night. History says a Florida victory might require something special, if not unexpected.
“There’s a misconception about the home-field environment there in Lexington,” Doering, whose 31 touchdown catches remain a UF record, said this week. “People think about them being a basketball school. But even when they weren’t very good, they were still passionate about football, still showed up, still were loud, still created a difficult environment to play in. Now they’ve had a chance to realize more success, and they’re even more passionate.
“That, and coupled with a team that went into Jordan-Hare (Stadium) and got a victory (at Auburn), this is a dangerous game for Florida.”
UF left Lexington breathing a collective sigh of relief after true freshman quarterback Chris Leak led a school-record 18-point comeback in 2003, one-time third-stringer Luke Del Rio came off the bench in 2017 to erase a 13-point deficit for 28-27 win and two years later backup Kyle Trask replaced injured Feleipe Franks with Florida down 11 en route to a 29-21 win.
Interim coach Billy Gonzales was Dan Mullen’s receivers coach during Trask’s coming out. While he was fuzzy on the game’s details, Gonzales remembered the offensive fireworks at UF that would follow.
“That was a really good stretch for us,” he said.
Gonzales, though, would soon forget Florida’s last two trips to Kentucky.
The Gators committed 15 penalties and allowed a blocked field-goal attempt for a touchdown to lose 20-13 in 2021. In 2023, Kentucky jumped to a 23-0 lead and rushed for 329 yards to trounce Florida 33-14.
“Tough place to play,” Gonzales said.
While working for Urban Meyer, Gonzales enjoyed a pair of lopsided wins in 2005 and 2009 sandwiched between a 45-37 escape in 2007 when Tim Tebow suffered a concussion that hospitalized him overnight.
“I like to remember a lot of those days, to be honest with you,” Gonzales said.
Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel passes during the Gators’ 65-0 win against Kentucky Sept. 28, 1996 in Gainesville. (Orlando Sentinel file)
To create another fond memory will require the Gators overcome some obstacles, including the absence of injured receivers Tre Wilson and Dallas Wilson, and potentially leading pass-catcher Vernell Brown III.
Gonzales has enough on his mind to leave the past behind.
“Every game we play is a new game,” he said.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
