The Florida Gators on the road for the first time this season against a SEC opponent. Florida will travel to Lexington, Kentucky to take on the Kentucky Wildcats. This is also Florida’s first road game out of the state this season. So here is out Florida vs. Kentucky preview.
The Kentucky Wildcats come into this game with a 4-0 record which includes two SEC wins against South Carolina and Missouri. The Wildcats are coming off a close 16-10 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Florida Gators arrive into Lexington with a 3-1 record on the season. Florida is also coming off a SEC win as the Gators knocked off the Tennessee Volunteers 38-14 last Saturday in the Swamp.
During their rivalry, Florida has dominated Kentucky with a 53-18 all-time record against the Wildcats. The Gators have also won their last two meeting against the Wildcats. Florida also had a 31-game winning streak against Kentucky but the Wildcats were able to snap the streak in 2019.
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats will have a full house in Kroger Field for their home matchup against Florida. The Wildcats will be led by their head coach, Mark Stoops, who’s in his eighth season as Kentucky’s head football coach.
The Wildcats offense will be led by their quarterback Will Levis. The former Penn State quarterback has been a pretty big spark to the Wildcats offense. Levis has completed 65.3% of his passes for 902 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
Another leader on Kentucky offense is their running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. The junior out of Georgia is off to a really nice start this season. Rodriguez has rushed for 522 yards on 85 carries and three touchdowns.
Another transfer from the Big Ten that has really produce for Kentucky is wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. The former Nebraska Cornhusker is the lead receiver for the Wildcats. Robinson has 25 receptions for 402 yards and two touchdowns. Fifth-year senior wide out Josh Ali has also played well with sixteen catches for 233 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Kentucky has played very well so far allowing 17.7 points per game on defense. Senior linebacker DeAndre Square has been one of the top defensive players for the Wildcats.
The Detroit native is tied for first in tackles with 24. He also has 18 solo tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack and three QB hurries. Sophomore EDGE rusher J.J. Weaver has also played really well for the Wildcats. Weaver leads the team in sacks with 3.5 sacks. He also has 5.5 tackles for loss and eight solo tackles.
Florida Gators Offense
The Florida Gators led by the redshirt-junior quarterback Emory Jones will look to stay hot after putting up over 500 yards of total offense and also scoring 38 points against the Volunteers.
Jones had an excellent game last Saturday and was even named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Jones completed 21 out of 27 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the Gators in rushing with 144 yards on fifteen carries. Florida is also expected to get back their backup quarterback Anthony Richardson who was very explosive in their first two games of the season.
Florida’s ground game as been tremendous this season as they are ranked third in the country with most rushing yards. Jones leads the Gators in rushing with 394 yards on 57 carries and two touchdowns.
Senior running back Malik Davis has played very well so far with 257 yards on 41 carries for three touchdowns. Dameon Pierce has also ran the ball well with 172 rushing yards on 26 carries and five touchdowns.
In the receiving department, junior wide receiver Jacob Copeland leads the way for the Gators. Copeland has ten receptions for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Sixth-year senior Rick Wells continues to impress with eleven catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.
Florida Gators Defense
The Florida defense will look to fix their tackling issues and communication problems as both of those issues cost the Gators points in their last game. Safety Trey Dean III is tied for first in tackles with 26 total tackles. He also has two tackles for loss, half a sack and pass breakup.
Defensive end Zachary Carter leads the Gators in sacks this season with 4.5. He also has seven tackles for loss and a forced fumble. All-American cornerback Kaiir Elam is also expected to return after missing last game against due to a knee injury.
Five Players to Watch: Kentucky Wildcats
- RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
- EDGE J.J. Weaver
- WR Wan’Dale Robinson
- LB DeAndre Square
- QB Will Levis
Five Players to Watch: Florida Gators
- RB Dameon Pierce
- DE Zachary Carter
- QB Emory Jones
- CB Kaiir Elam
- WR Rick Wells
Five Predictions:
- Emory Jones has over 300 yards of total offense and three touchdowns.
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushes for over 80 yards and a touchdown.
- Florida’s defense forces a turnover.
- Wan’Dale Robinson leads the Wildcats in receiving with a touchdown.
- Florida Gators beats Kentucky Wildcats 31-21.
