Florida-Kentucky is the one-way conference game to top all other conference games in modern college football. For over 30 years, the Wildcats haven’t been able to beat the Gators. On several occasions, Big Blue has either fielded a formidable team or come close on the scoreboard (sometimes both), but Florida has wiggled free of the Cats’ claws with uncanny regularity.
By Matt Zemek
It is exasperating and perplexing – in other words, it is college football. Kentucky desperately hungers to finally break this maddening losing skid, which has covered nearly a third of a century. When an opponent is fiercely inspired to achieve something, it demands total respect, even if its results over the longer march of time are relatively unimpressive.
What should keep Florida humble – and not overconfident – entering this game is that it faces far too many questions on its own roster to think it is a finished product or a known entity. From that uncertainty must come the healthy fear and burning intensity which create an urgent, energized performance. Assuming Florida has the right mindset, what are the keys to this game?
1 – FRANKS SETS THE TONE
Florida very nearly lost last year’s game against Kentucky because it was all over the map at the quarterback spot. Feleipe Franks doesn’t need to be explosive or overwhelmingly dynamic in this game, but he needs to steadily make the right decisions and get the ball where it needs to go, especially on 3rd and 5 or 3rd and 6 situations in which he doesn’t have to hit a long pass but needs to make the slant-in throw or the out-route throw against a given defensive look. Franks is far from a next-level quarterback. He needs to worry more about being a steady and reliable quarterback for his team within the context of what the Gators have on their offensive roster. When Florida punches up in weight class, Franks will naturally have to do more.
This game is chiefly about making large amounts of basic plays and not committing the bundle of mistakes which could give Kentucky an opening
for an upset.
2 – CORNERS ON AN ISLAND
Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham loves to blitz. That means cornerbacks are going to be left in a lot of one-on-one coverage situations. Florida’s perimeter athletes need to hang with Kentucky’s receivers. If they get smoked, they need to be alert enough to commit pass interference penalties so that they allow 15 yards instead of 45. Florida’s corners didn’t go up against a high caliber of athlete in the game against Charleston Southern. Kentucky should provide a much stiffer test. The cornerbacks will get a much-needed test of their ability to balance aggressive play with man responsibilities and the need to work in concert with the Gators’ safeties.
3 – SHUTDOWN FOOTBALL
What baseball people refer to as a “shutdown inning” must become “shutdown football” for Florida. Kentucky is so haunted in its series against Florida that if the Wildcats drown in adversity, they are not likely respond well. The Gators can take control of this game in a hurry. So, when Florida gets a touchdown, it will be essential to shut out UK on its next possession. Don’t let the Wildcats breathe in this game.
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