Florida vs Kentucky is back in the Swamp for another SEC matchup. The Gators will host the Kentucky Wildcats this Saturday in Gainesville. Florida is coming off of a 38-17 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores while Kentucky is coming off of a blowout 63-3 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The last time these two teams met was in Kroger Field and the Gators were down by two scores in the fourth quarter. The Gators came back and won the game 29-21 as Kyle Trask came in relief for the injured Feleipe Franks and scored 19 straight points for the Florida victory.
The last time Florida and Kentucky met in the Swamp, Kentucky defeated Florida and snapped its 31-game losing streak to the Gators. Florida is still 52-18 in the series history but Kentucky has played Florida tough in the past few games. Let’s look at what is in store this year for Florida vs Kentucky.
Florida vs Kentucky in the Swamp
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats head into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium trying to rebound after getting routed by Alabama. Kentucky is led by their head coach, Mark Stoops, who is in his eighth season as the Wildcats head coach.
Kentucky’s offense is led by senior quarterback Terry Wilson. The former JUCO transfer has had a rough season with injuries and inconsistent play. Wilson has completed 63% of his passes for 832 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. Wilson has also rushed for 339 yards on 73 carries and four touchdowns.
Kentucky’s lead rusher, Chris Rodriguez, is expected to be out for this game. Rodriguez has 562 rushing yards on 88 carries and six touchdowns. Asim Rose has also run the ball well for Kentucky. Rose has 359 rushing yards on 65 carries and a touchdown.
Senior wide receiver Josh Ali has been the Wildcats’ top receiver this season. Ali has 38 receptions for 395 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Keaton Upshaw is the receiving touchdown leader for Kentucky. Upshaw has ten catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, the Kentucky Wildcats are coming off their worst performance this season. However, the Wildcats still have some defensive players that are standing out. Junior linebacker Jamin Davis leads the Gators in tackles with 73 tackles on the season. Davis also has two tackles for loss, a sack, and two interceptions.
Senior Jamar Watson is the leader in sacks for the Wildcats with four-and-a-half on the season. He also has six tackles for loss, 27 tackles, and five QB hurries. Former LSU Tiger Kelvin Joseph is Kentucky’s top defensive back. Joseph leads the Wildcats in interceptions with four.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are back in the Swamp after taking care of business against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Gators had another good performance last Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee but they will be getting back their top pass catcher in tight end Kyle Pitts.
The Florida offense is led by redshirt-senior quarterback Trask. The Texas gunslinger has been incredible in the first seven games of the season. Trask has completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 2,554 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just three interceptions.
Junior running back Dameon Pierce is the lead rusher for the Gators. Pierce has rushed for 345 yards on 72 carries and three touchdowns.
The Florida passing attack should get a huge boost this Saturday with the return of Pitts. However, senior wide receiver Kadarius Toney is now the leading receiver for the Gators. Toney has 42 receptions for 503 yards and seven touchdowns.
Pitts has been out for the past two games but his numbers are still very impressive. Pitts has 24 catches for 414 yards and eight touchdowns. Former Ohio State Buckeye Trevon Grimes has turned it on as of late. Grimes has 22 receptions for 347 yards and six touchdowns.
The Florida defense continues to struggle after a lackluster performance against Vanderbilt. Linebacker Ventrell Miller leads Florida in tackles with 49 tackles. Miller also has four-and-a-half tackles for loss, one-and-a-half sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Brenton Cox leads the Gators in sacks with three but also has five-and-a-half tackles for loss, 28 tackles and eleven QB hurries. While the Florida secondary has been bad, sophomore cornerback Kaiir Elam has been a bright spot. Elam leads the team with two interceptions and nine pass breakups.
Five Players to Watch: Kentucky Wildcats
- RB Chris Rodriguez
- CB Kelvin Joseph
- QB Terry Wilson
- LB Jamar Watson
- WR Josh Ali
Five Players to Watch: Florida Gators
- QB Kyle Trask
- LB Ventrell Miller
- TE Kyle Pitts
- CB Kaiir Elam
- WR Trevon Grimes
Five Predictions:
- Trask throws for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.
- Wilson has over 300 yards of total offense and two touchdowns.
- Florida’s defense forces at least one turnover.
- Kentucky’s defense holds Florida to under 100 rushing yards.
- Florida Gators beats Kentucky Wildcats 41-24.
