Kentucky Wins Gator Bowl Over NC State 23-21: Reaction, Analysis, 5 Thoughts

Kentucky wins the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl over NC State 23-21. Five thoughts and analysis of the game, and what it all means.

2. There was nothing pretty about your 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Several games this bowl season have been chippy, and the Armed Forces Bowl fight between Mississippi State and Tulsa was frightening, but this was somewhere in between.

There were several pops, a whole lot of jawing, and a slew of big late hits for two teams that are known for their discipline and keeping the mistakes to a minimum.

Kentucky was third in the SEC in fewest penalties, and it was hit for ten against NC State for over 100 yards, and NC State was flagged seven times for 45 yards.

The respective coaching staffs are so big on discipline, and yet NC State stayed alive with a few UK penalties helping the cause on a late second half scoring drive.

However, to all credit to both teams and coaching staffs, in what looked like would be a tough finish with a whole lot of problems, everyone shook hands, everyone hugged it out, and it all turned out to be fine.

NEXT: Even with the penalties, that was Kentucky football