Five Kentucky players every Florida fan should know before Saturday

The Kentucky Wildcats march into The Swamp this Saturday night to open up their SEC schedule against the Florida Gators.

Both teams will be looking to get their conference schedules off to a good start, but the Gators have owned the Wildcats in the series, winning the last 27 matchups between the two teams. This season, however, features a new-and-improved UK squad that’ll be looking to start a streak of its own against the Orange and Blue.

Before the game kicks off Saturday night, here are five Kentucky players every Florida fan should know before Saturday.

1. JoJo Kemp (RB): Under normal circumstances, I probably wouldn’t be mentioning Kemp’s name for this article…but these are no ordinary times. Kemp made headlines this week after telling the Kentucky media that it’ll be “fun walking out with a victory and rubbing their faces in it.” Were the Gators listening? You bet they were, considering a poster featuring both Kemp and his quotes was hanging in their locker room the next day. Any extra motivation for the Gators heading into the game will be fueled by Kemp’s comments and you can bet they won’t exactly be talking about it when they meet on the football field Saturday night.
2. Patrick Towles (QB): The quarterback position at Kentucky has been in a state of flux since the days of Andre Woodson passed after the 2007 season – until now. It’s still early in the season, but Towles has been head and shoulders above his 2012 performance (when he last played). He’s yet to turn the ball over in two weeks and the sophomore quarterback has been the leader this team has needed on offense. Towles has a bevy of offensive weapons around him – which helps – but give credit to Towles for progressing the way he has.
3. AJ Stamps (S): Without a doubt, AJ Stamps has had the most impact on the Kentucky defense. The former JUCO All-American can do it all. He’s able to man the deep third of the field in coverage while still being more than capable of assisting in run defense when needed. It’s his first season in the SEC since transferring from JUCO, but he’s separated himself as one of the better safeties in the conference early on this season.
4. Alvin ‘Bud’ Dupree (DL): Regarded as one of the conference’s best defensive ends, Bud Dupree is absolutely priority No. 1 for the Florida offensive line. He’s a freak athlete who can play both linebacker and defensive end, thanks to his unique blend of size, strength, speed and athleticism. Dupree has garnered back-to-back All-SEC selections and will be a handful for the Gators to deal with off the edge.
5. Jason Hatcher (DL): When talking about the Kentucky defensive line, Dupree’s name comes up the most but don’t forget about Jason Hatcher. He’s only a sophomore, but Hatcher really came on strong near the end of his freshman season in 2013. This season has been much of the same as Hatcher’s continued his dominant play into 2014. He leads the team with 2.5 tackles for loss and has been a constant disruption in opposing backfields. With both Dupree and Hatcher on the line, the Gators’ offensive line will be tested come Saturday night.

Drew Laing

Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.