One week ago, the Kentucky Wildcats went into Columbia, South Carolina and knocked off the Gamecocks for a fourth straight season. It is the first time the Wildcats have defeated an SEC team four times in a row (other than Vanderbilt) since the 1948-1951 series against Florida.<\/p>\n
Fast forward 66 years and Kentucky is on the bad end of a losing streak to the Gators. However, momentum seems to be on the side of the Cats\u00a0so is this the year Kentucky beats Florida?<\/p>\n
After a shaky first few minutes of the game,\u00a0Mark Stoops<\/strong><\/a>‘ club dominated the Gamecocks. Deebo Samuel<\/strong><\/a> took a Jake Bentley<\/strong><\/a> pass 68 yards\u00a0to the house to begin the game. South Carolina had not only the momentum, but the huge crowd in Williams-Brice Stadium\u00a0was rocking. However, it was short-lived as Eddie Gran<\/strong>‘s offense began firing.<\/p>\n After struggling in the first two games behind Benjamin Snell Jr.,<\/a><\/strong> the Cats found success running the Wildcat. Snell rushed 32 times\u00a0for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Stephen Johnson<\/a><\/strong> did what he does best, win football games. Since taking over as starter, Johnson is 9-4. As\u00a0a comparison, Heisman winner Lamar Jackson<\/a><\/strong> is 8-5 in his last 13 games.<\/p>\n Johnson finished the game 16-25, passing for 169 yards with an interception. In addition, he ran the ball seven times for 74 yards, including a 54-yard gain to cement the win. His stats don’t always impress, but he gets the job done in the clutch.<\/p>\n For the game, Kentucky rushed for 184 yards and dominated the time of possession for an amazing 37 minutes. On the flip side, the Kentucky defense held Carolina to 54 yards rushing and forced two turnovers. So far in the 2017 season,\u00a0Matt House<\/strong>‘s defense ranks third in the nation in rushing defense with 57 yards per game.<\/p>\n Jim McElwain’s<\/strong> club comes into Saturday’s match up with a 1-1 record. In their season opener,\u00a0the Gators were hammered by Michigan 33-17.\u00a0<\/a>After their game against Northern Colorado was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma, the Gators beat Tennessee 26-20. Quarterback Feleipe Franks<\/a> hit Tyrie Cleveland<\/a> with a last second Hail Mary to win the game.<\/a><\/p>\n The Gators have not been nearly as dominant over the last few years as they have previously. Part of the Gators’ perceived slip nationally can be attributed to quarterback play. During the three years Tim Tebow<\/a> was the man in Gainesville, Florida went 35-6 and won a national championship. Since his departure, Florida “only” sports a 56-35 mark. While most schools would love to have that record, that doesn’t cut it in “The Swamp.”<\/p>\n McElwain looks to have found the answer in Franks, but the freshman will be playing on the road for the first time. Kentucky has sold out Kroger Field\u00a0<\/strong>for the first time in two years and the atmosphere in Lexington will be crazy.<\/p>\n The last time Kentucky knocked off Florida was November 15, 1986, when the Cats won 10-3 in Lexington. This is the longest current winning streak against a club in college football.<\/a><\/p>\n To give you a taste of what the world was like nearly thirty years ago check this out.<\/p>\n Tomorrow's so far away, there's something I just have to say… pic.twitter.com\/K658kmheuZ<\/a><\/p>\n — Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) September 20, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nScouting the Gators<\/h4>\n
The Streak<\/h4>\n
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