GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators followed a ho-hum performance at Vanderbilt with a here-we-go-again against Kentucky.
Or so it seemed as the first half drew to a close Saturday in the Swamp against the pesky Wildcats.
Then Kadarius Toney's 50-yard punt return for a touchdown swung the momentum in Florida's favor and effectively shut the door on Kentucky's upset bid during the Gators' 34-10 win.
Quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts, back from a two-game absence, soon took over as coach Dan Mullen's squad cruised to its fifth consecutive win to stay on track for an SEC title-game bid and avoid another stunning home loss to Kentucky coach Mark Stoops' squad.
The Wildcats' last trip to Gainesville ended with a 27-16 win that snapped a 31-game losing streak in the series and signaled that much work lay ahead for Mullen.
The Wildcats' latest visit to Florida's home field shaped up as another rough ride for the Gators, raising further concerns about a struggling defense and questions about the ceiling for a team with College Football Playoff semifinal aspirations.
Until Toney's return, the Gators (7-1) looked sluggish, out of sorts and vulnerable against a Kentucky team coming off a demoralizing 63-3 loss to Alabama, UF's likely opponent in the conference championship game Dec. 19 in Atlanta.
The Wildcats (3-6) entered the day 24-point underdogs but led 10-7 when All-America punter Max Duffy shanked a punt that ended up in the hands of Toney, the Gators' dynamic do-everything senior. UF was in danger of trailing for the first time all season at halftime until Toney crossed the goal line with just 42 seconds to spare.
Kentucky was not the same following the dramatic turn of events as an announced crowd of 14,453 looked on in the Swamp.
The Gators grabbed a 21-10 lead on the opening series of the second half on a 2-yard pass from Trask to Pitts — one of three touchdown hook-ups Saturday between the two Florida stars. The Wildcats set up the score by committing three consecutive penalties, including back-to-back facemask calls.
A 34-yard field goal by Evan McPherson on UF's next series pushed the advantage to 24-10. Following an interception of Terry Wilson, one of two during the second half from Kentucky's quarterback, Pitts completed the hat track with a 7-yard touchdown catch from Trask.
Pitts finished with five catches and 99 yards and now has 11 touchdowns during just six games, having missed the past two outings following a concussion Nov. 7 against Georgia and ensuing nose surgery. The Gators scored 111 points during Pitts' two-game absence, but no one on Kentucky's SEC-leading pass defense could match up with the 6-foot-6, 240-pound junior.
Meanwhile, Florida's defense once again started slowly before eventually finding its stride during the second half.
Three of Kentucky's first four drives reached UF territory, though one of them followed a fumble by Gators receiver Justin Shorter that gave Kentucky the ball on his team's 38-yard line. The Wildcats scored in six plays, culminating with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to tight end Keaton Upshaw. An offsides call following a last-second substitution led Mullen and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham to exchange words multiple times.
But after a 22-yard field goal by Matt Ruffolo gave Kentucky a 10-7 lead, the Wildcats did not again cross midfield.
