Florida Gators (1-0) vs Kentucky Wildcats (0-1)
Date: Saturday September 10th
Time: 3:30 PM g
TV: CBS
Last Meeting: Florida leads the overall series 49-17
Last Time Out:
• Florida beat UMass 24-7
• Kentucky lost to Southern Miss 44-35
Kentucky Wildcats Breakdown:
• Head Coach: Mark Stoops 12-25 in 4th year at Kentucky
• Conference: SEC East
• 2016 Overall Record: 0-1
• 2016 Conference Record: 0-0
Players to Watch:
• Junior Running Back Stanley ‘Boom’ Williams
Williams is a big play back that can really hurt defenses in multiple ways. Last week versus Southern Miss Williams totaled 110 yards on 15 touches.
• Sophomore Linebacker Jordan Jones
Last week Jones was a tackling machine. He recorded a nation leading 19 tackles with 13 solo and a sack.
5 Things to know about Kentucky:
1. Kentucky has lost an astounding 29 straight times versus Florida, the longest active streak in the nation. They have not won a game in Gainesville since 1979.
2. Last week Kentucky blew a 35-17 halftime lead and have been outscored 58-0 in there last 2 second half performances vs Southern Miss and Louisville.
3. The Wildcats have not started a season 0-2 since 1996 when they lost their opening two games to Louisville and Cincinnati.
4. After week 1 Kentucky has the SEC’s leading passer Drew Barker, leading receiver Garrett Johnson, leading tackler Jordan Jones and leader in interceptions J.D. Harmon.
5. Against Southern Miss Drew Barker was the first Kentucky QB to throw four touchdowns in a half since Andre Woodson threw four against the Gators in 2007.
5 Things to Pay Attention to:
1. Where is Kentucky mentally?
After surrendering an 18 point halftime lead last week, this Kentucky team will be extremely motivated to prove they are team that dominated the first half. It will be interesting to see how Kentucky responds during the ebbs and flows of the game. Should they get ahead can they hold on to the lead and upset the Gators.
2. Return of injured and suspended players
The Gators were not at full strength last week and it showed. Especially in the secondary. Florida gave up a couple big plays in the passing game without the suspended Jalen Tabor and injured Duke Dawson present. Both return this week and a full strength Gators secondary will be handful for Drew Barker. On the offensive side the Gators will return suspended players tight end C’yontai Lewis and freshman receivers Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells. How much the freshman play is not known but Lewis is a big part of the passing attack. Florida is also expected to get injured receiver C.J. Worton back.
3. Where will Kentucky challenge the Florida secondary
With Florida back at full strength in the secondary, Drew Barker will need to play a masterful game to be effective against the Gators. Barker will target leading receiver Garrett Johnson, who had a big week one with 143 yards and 2 touchdowns averaging 23.8 YPC but also look for Kentucky to utilize Boom Williams in the passing game as well.
4. Can Florida solidify the right side of the line
Last week the offensive line struggled over all, but the Gators should feel comfortable with the abilities of David Sharpe and Martez Ivey on the left side. The right side is where the question lies. Tyler Jordan seems firm at right guard but the right tackle spot is up in the air after a strong performance from true freshman Jawaan Taylor. The rotation between Fred Johnson and Taylor will be something to watch as the season progresses.
5. How much will Dre Massey be missed
We heard so much about how Massey will be used in the offense and that never came fruition and we will have to wait another year to see it. Because we don’t know what exactly the staff had in store for Massey but his versatility will be missed and someone has to step in at receiver and be productive. C.J. Worton returning is good news for the Gators.
5 Things to Expect:
1. Del Rio to be Del Rio
Last week Del Rio played a solid game completing 65% of passes for 256 yards. Del Rio does not possess a rocket launcher for an arm but knows this offense and will not take many risk. Expect Del Rio to continue to make good decision, spread the ball around and consistently keep the Florida offense in manageable situations.
2. Florida to control time of possession
Last week versus Southern Miss Kentucky was dominated in time of possession. Kentucky held the ball for 19:28 the entire game and just over 7 minutes the entire second half. Southern Miss had 5 scoring drives of 10 plays or more. Will the Kentucky defense be able to hold up in the Swamp if Florida is consistently able to sustain drives?
3. A scary moment or two
For the last two years Kentucky has had opportunities to end the losing streak against the Gators. They have made the Gators sweat profusely a couple of times. We all remember the last time in Gainesville when Wildcats took the Gators to overtime. Kentucky will play Florida hard, the question is can they do enough to put more than a scare in the hearts of the Gators.
4. Kentucky Misdirection and Trick Plays
Florida has a very fast and aggressive defense and that can sometimes leave opportunities for misdirection and trick plays to be effective. Don’t be surprised is the Wildcats look to take advantage of that to change the momentum of the game or score easy points against a rock solid Florida defense.
5. More balls downfield
Maybe it was the weather and for sure it had something to do with the offensive line, but the Gators did not throw much down field. Callaway is a big play threat and needs a few deep balls per game. Expect to see some more downfield passing this week, even if it is just to create some space for the running game.
5 Keys to Victory:
1. Create turnovers
Last season the Gators will at the top of SEC in creating turnovers. In the opening game last week, they were not able to force any. In their opening game Kentucky turned it over 3 times. Florida will need to create some turnovers and get the offense in some short field opportunities to put away a pesky Wildcat team.
2. Keep Del Rio on his spot
Luke Del Rio is not the most athletic of quarterbacks so it is important the line give him time to utilize his ability to get the ball in the right spot at the right time. If they can keep Del Rio safe in the pocket, he will have some success against the Wildcat defense.
3. More special teams
The Gators can feel comfortable with what they have at kicker and punter. Powell will most likely replace Massey on kick return and this security will help the Gators as they look to play efficient football in every phase of the game. Having to go the distance against the Florida defense is a tall task and if the Gators are controlling field position that will give them a strong chance of creating easy separation on the scoreboard with good offense and a legit kicker in Pineiro.
4. Get the running game going
As the Gators kickoff SEC play having a formidable running game will be the key to returning to Atlanta. Kentucky gave up two 100 yard rushers last week and the Gators will roll out up to five different backs. The staff has yet to commit to one back, but as the game goes on look for the staff to go with one as they did last week with Jordan Scarlett.
5. Less penalties
Had the Gators not given UMass 35 yards worth of penalties they may not have scored at all. Against better competition those mistakes can cost them game. The defense was not the only offenders but bad penalties also hindered the effectiveness of the offense. For an offense that could be challenged to make explosive plays, getting behind the chains is the worst thing that can happen.
5 Signs It Was a Good Day:
1. Del Rio yards per attempt is up
Last week Del Rio averaged 5.8 yards per attempt, the best thing for this offense is if that number is up around 8 or 9. That means they are able to push the ball down field and big plays are happening. This will also give opportunity for the running game to be more consistent.
2. Running game is more explosive
Florida does not have a running back with elite speed but 11 yards as the longest run against UMass is unacceptable. Florida has to find a way to make big plays in the run game. Kentucky gave 262 yards last week so the opportunities will be there for big runs, especially if the passing game is creating some big plays.
3. Drew Barker, Boom Williams and Garret Johnson are kept in check
These three are the go to players for the Wildcats and their success on offense starts and ends with them. The Gators are more than capable of shutting them down and making life extremely hard to move the ball. If they get going the Gators will have a four quarter battle on their hands.
4. Marked improvement from the offensive line
It has been discussed all week and the offensive line needs to improve this week. Regardless of the reason why they had breakdowns last week, that cannot continue moving forward if this offense is going to grow. If we see a better more explosive offense, chances are the offensive line made a major leap forward.
5. Dominate the defensive line.
The Gators boast one the best defensive lines in the SEC. We already know the capabilities of Brantley, Sherit, Jefferson and Cox, but if Zuniga and Clark continue to emerge with Kevonnis Davis that makes them even stronger. If the line is dominating on Saturday Kentucky will need some real breaks to move the ball and have a chance at the upset.
Prediction:
With the way Kentucky finished the Southern Miss game last week we should expect a motivated Kentucky team that feels like they let one get away. The Wildcats will have upset on their mind, but the Gators will also be looking to prove they are a legitimate SEC East contender. The Florida offense will come out strong and put together another good performance in a solid win over Kentucky. The Wildcats will make plays here and there but it will not be enough to pull off the upset in the Swamp. Del Rio will be efficient again and the running game will be better. Don’t let Kentucky’s result last week think this is not a team that cannot beat the Gators. Florida’s defense will ultimately be too much for Drew Barker and the Wildcat offense. Gators win comfortably at home.
Florida 27 Kentucky 10