Ad Disclosure
Dan Mullen admits Florida’s streak over Kentucky will end one day: ‘I don’t want to be the one who does it’
By Keith Farner
Published:
The biggest talking point each time Kentucky and Florida get together is the streak the Gators hold in the series. They’ve won 31 straight over the Wildcats, and the series resumes in Gainesville this week at 7:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
“I imagine someday the streak will be broken,” Mullen said at his weekly press conference on Monday. He added that it didn’t have anything to do with this week’s game. “That’s the nature of sports. … I don’t want to be the one who does it.”
Mullen also updated a host of injuries, including LB David Reese, who won’t practice early in the week but could play Saturday. DB C.J. McWilliams is expected back, but S Shawn Davis is out. WR Jacob Copeland is another week or two away.
Asked about the success of the SEC in the opening weekend, as each team but Tennessee won, Mullen said he’s not surprised.
“This is my 14th year in this league,” Mullen said. “If you’re in this league you better buckle it up.”
What separates the SEC apart from other conferences is the depth. That the top teams from other leagues could compete with the top in the SEC, but the teams down the list would be different.
One of the stars in this game is likely to be Kentucky RB Benny Snell. But Mullen said Florida wouldn’t focus exclusively on Snell, while he admitted the Gators would need to stop him.
“If you put all your attention on one guy, it’s the other guys, the other weapons that (hurt you).”
The origin of the jump pass, which Florida unveiled by Feleipe Franks completing a touchdown on Saturday, was also discussed. Mullen explained it began with Alex Smith at Utah with a lot of direct snaps, and one time called the jump pass on a two-point conversion in the second overtime to win a game.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
