The Florida Gators (3-1) are set to face off against the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats at noon eastern in week five of the 2023 regular season. Florida travels to Lexington where they have won 16 of their last 17 matchups.
I recently reached out to Andrew Stefaniak of SI’s Wildcats Today to learn more about the 2023 Kentucky football team and preview their upcoming matchup with the Gators. Here’s our Q&A.
Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the 2023 Kentucky Wildcats?
Stefaniak: The strengths of this Kentucky team are a veteran quarterback and running back duo that pair nicely with some talented wideouts. WR’s Barion Brown and Dane Key are both talented players who haven’t had massive seasons to this point. Kentucky fans hope for these two to break out against the Gators. The big weakness of this team would be offensive line and third down defense. The offensive line is banged up and has struggled. The third down defense was better last week against Vanderbilt but is still a concern to this point.
Q: QB Devin Leary has completed 59.3% of his passes and has thrown five interceptions over the course of four games. How do you expect Leary to fare against a Gators’ defense that ranks 15th in the FBS in passing yards?
Stefaniak: If Kentucky is going to win this game a lot of it will come down to how good Devin Leary plays. He has had a lot of drops and hasn’t been given all that much time by his offensive line. If those two groups help him out, I expect Leary to have a good football game. If they don’t the Gators will live in the backfield.
Q: Florida’s offense has been inconsistent throughout the 2023 season. How do you expect Kentucky’s experienced defense to handle Graham Mertz and the Gators’ offense on Saturday night? Give us a few key players to watch out for on the Wildcat defense.
Stefaniak: I expect the Cats to try and get pressure on Mertz. Watch out for guys like Deone Walker, Trevin Wallace, JJ Weaver, and Maxwell Hairston. These are Kentucky’s best defensive players. If these guys play well Florida will struggle to score if they don’t the Gators will put up a bunch of points.
Q: What does Kentucky need to do to pull out a victory for the third year in a row?
Stefaniak: The Cats need to score a lot of points on offense and the defense needs to pressure Mertz which will hopefully force him to make some bad decisions. If the Cats turn Florida over that will help this offense that at times this season has struggled to get going.
Q: Kentucky’s offense ranks 9th in the SEC in total offense, 8th in passing offense, 12th in rushing offense, but 5th in points per game. What are the keys for this Wildcats’ offense to be successful against a Gators’ defense that ranks 5th in the FBS in yards allowed per game?
Stefaniak: This Kentucky offense is an interesting one as they have the pieces necessary to be one of the better offenses in the SEC, but it has not panned out this season so far. They need to be balanced this week with Ray Davis running the ball and Devin Leary throwing it to his weapons. A balanced attack from this Kentucky offense will lead to points.
Q: Kentucky is currently a one-point favorite over the Gators. How do you expect this game to turn out? Give us a score prediction.
Stefaniak: I think Kentucky wins a tight football game. I lean toward the Cats since this is a home game and Big Blue Nation is always pumped when Florida comes to town. I think Kentucky wins a 24-21 game.
You can find more of Andrew Stefaniak’s work on Twitter (X) @AndrewStefaniak or at Wildcatstoday.com. Andrew is also the host of the Locked Down Aggies Podcast and is a contributor at the Auburn Daily and Braves Daily. You can find links to those in his Twitter bio.