22 Florida at Kentucky: First SEC Road Test for Gators

Florida Climbs AP Poll

The latest Associated Press rankings poll was released on Sunday, and after the 22-7 win over Charlotte, the Gators climbed three spots from 25 and now sit as the 22nd-ranked team in the country. 

At Noon on Saturday on ESPN, the Gators travel up to Lexington, Kentucky, to take on the Kentucky Wildcats in their first road SEC road test of the season. 

For the first time since 1978, the Gators will be looking to end a two-game losing skid against the Wildcats. 

The last two losses to the Wildcats have not been great for the Gators, as Kentucky defeated Florida in Lexington in 2021 20-13 and then last season’s 26-16 loss to the Wildcats in The Swamp was now Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s worst performance in a Gator uniform.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier said in his press conference Monday that the players are “well aware of the program Kentucky has” due to them beating the Gators two years in a row. 

In 2023, the Gators have been looking to put the past season behind them, though, as it has been one of their biggest motivators through the first four games of the season. Napier has spoken often about momentum the past few weeks and sustaining it being something they are looking to do this year after failing to do so last season.  

After three straight victories at home, that momentum will be put to the test on the road against Kentucky, who is coming off a 45-28 SEC East road win over Vanderbilt. 

Napier complimented Kentucky in his press conference Monday, “We’ve got a ton of respect for Coach Stoops and the program that he’s built there.” 

Injury Update for Gators 

Napier said that starting center Kingsley Eguakuns’ status against Kentucky is “still to be determined” and that an update will be provided on Wednesday. If Eguakun is unable to go, Jake Slaughter, as he has done three out of the four games for Florida, will start at center. 

Trey Smack Named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week 

After beating out Adam Mihalek for the starting kicker spot in the week leading up to the Charlotte game last Saturday, Trey Smack has been named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after going a perfect 5-5 on his field goal attempts, including a career-long 54-yarder.

Three Kentucky Players to Know About 

QB Devin Leary 

Like the Gators, Kentucky also had to replace a QB drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, as former Kentucky and now Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis departed. 

The Wildcats did so by securing the transfer of former NC State QB Devin Leary. Leary has thrown for 1,060 yards and nine touchdowns through four games this season but does have five interceptions. 

Leary has thrown for 205+ yards or more in each of Kentucky’s four games this season and has thrown a touchdown or more in every one of those games as well. 

LB Trevin Wallace

The defensive player to know about for Kentucky has to be LB Trevin Wallace. Wallace has 3.5 sacks and leads Kentucky’s defense in total tackles with 25. Wallace also has a forced fumble. Wallace is the player that the Florida offense will have to account for every snap he’s on the field. 

RB Ray Davis  

Through four games, Kentucky has gone with the bell cow approach at RB, with Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis getting the bulk of the team’s carries this season, totaling 50 rushes for 314 yards and five touchdowns. Davis has scored in every game for the Wildcats except one, including twice against his former team, Vanderbilt, last Saturday. 

Keys to Victory for the Gators 

Defense Forcing Turnovers  

Heading into this Saturday’s matchup with Kentucky, the Gators defense ranks 5th in the nation in total defense (1st in the SEC), allowing just 244.8 yards per game. 

However, the Gators rank 118th in the country in forced turnovers, with the lone forced turnover being the Joe Milton interception that CB Devin Moore grabbed against Tennessee.

In a tough environment on the road, takeaways are the key to silencing the crowd and giving your offense the best chance to capitalize on short-field situations. 

Napier commented on the defense creating turnovers in his press conference Monday but also praised the defense for their ability to get off the field on third down.

“We’re trying to get more takeaways…I do think we’ve done a better job playing the normal downs better. We’ve done a good job getting off the field on third down.” 

Kentucky’s offense has turned the ball over seven times through the first four games of the season (five interceptions and two fumbles lost). 

Kentucky is susceptible to turning the ball over; it’s just up to the Florida defense to force them. 

Establish the Running Game 

At the expense of sounding like a broken record, the Gators have to establish their running game early and often against the Wildcats. 

Napier said that offensive guard Micah Mazzccua will be back in the starting lineup after his one-week in-house suspension against Charlotte. Having Mazzccua back will pay dividends, as the Gators did somewhat struggle to get the running game going against Charlotte without him.

The run game is what allows the Florida offense to fully function. It allows for the offense to open up so that they can take deep shots down the field with play-action.

This is a game where you would like to see Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne just dominate the opposition. Johnson and Etienne have had some great performances thus far this season, and on the road, you would like to see that continue if you’re the Gators. Etienne didn’t get as many carries as Florida needs him to get against Charlotte. Johnson is the starting RB, but they should be almost evenly splitting carries at this point (if not Etienne getting more than Johnson). 

Kentucky’s defense has been rigid against the run this season, allowing just 77.5 yards per game. Florida’s averaging 82.3 rushing yards per game, so something will have to give on Saturday. 

Avoid Making Mental Mistakes

Self-inflicted mistakes have somewhat plagued the Gators in each of their four games this season. However, not all of them have been costly, but some certainly have. 

When playing on the road, especially in an SEC game against an in-division foe, tempers can flare, and emotions certainly run high. Avoiding costly penalties or mental errors is going to be key for Florida.