Tebow leads way over UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tim Tebow threw for a career-high four touchdowns and No. 14 Florida rebounded from back-to-back losses with a 45-37 victory over No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday. It was the Gators’ 21st straight win against the Wildcats.

The victory puts the defending national champions back in the Southeastern Conference title hunt despite their recent losses to Auburn and LSU. The Gators (5-2, 3-2) are now tied with South Carolina and Georgia for first in the SEC East.

Kentucky (6-2, 2-2), which knocked off then-No. 1 LSU in triple overtime a week earlier, came into the game concerned Tebow’s Gators presented a bigger threat because of his running. The Wildcats held him to 78 rushing yards, but the junior’s left arm proved far more problematic. Tebow connected on 18 of 26 passes for 256 yards.

Florida led 21-10 at halftime, but the Wildcats made a comeback attempt behind their own Heisman candidate, Andre Woodson, who had his best game of the season with 415 yards and five TDs.

Florida answered two Kentucky scoring plays with its longest run of the game, a 24-yard end-around that receiver Percy Harvin took in for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Gators back up 38-24.

Another Kentucky drive cut the lead to one TD with less than four minutes left as Woodson found Lyons again on a 7-yard slant.

However, Tebow iced the game, using a 40-yard pass to give the Gators the ball on the 2, then running it in himself. It was the eighth straight game Tebow has scored a rushing TD.