SEC Kickoff: Everything you need to know for Kentucky at Florida

Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s showdown between Kentucky and Florida in The Swamp in Gainesville.

When: Saturday, Sept. 13
Where: Gainesville, Florida
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Current Line: Florida (-19)

Game Buzz: Florida enters this game having beaten Kentucky for 27 years in a row, the longest active winning streak in the nation by one FBS program over another. The Gators finally got a game in last week against Eastern Michigan, scoring 65 points in their new Kurt Roper offense. Kentucky is 2-0 after winning only two games each of the last two years, and is confident this could be the year the streak finally comes to an end.

Saturday Down South previews

• Week 3 Win Probability: Kentucky
• Stoops familiar with Kurt Roper from time in ACC
• Inside the Numbers: Kentucky leads SEC in big plays
• Five Florida players every Kentucky fan needs to know before kickoff
• Week 3 Win Probability: Florida
• Bold Predictions: Stingy Florida defense shuts down UK offense
• Matchup breakdown: AJ Stamps vs Jeff Driskel
• UK RB Jojo Kemp gives Gators bulletin board material

FLORIDA GATORS

Players to watch:

• QB Jeff Driskel
• DE Dante Fowler
• WR Quinton Dunbar
• CB Vernon Hargreaves
• RB Kelvin Taylor
• RB Matt Jones
• WR Demarcus Robinson
• LB Jarrad Davis
• OL Rod Johnson
• LB Neiron Ball

Freshmen to watch:

• CB Jalen Tabor
• CB Quincy Wilson
• CB JC Jackson
• S Duke Dawson
• DL Gerald Willis
• WR CJ Worton
• QB Treon Harris
• RB Brandon Powell

Keys for Florida:

• Limit UK’s big plays on offense. The Wildcats lead the SEC in explosive plays with 11 on offense. Braylon Heard and Javess Blue – the two biggest playmakers for Kentucky – will play, but they’ll be less than 100 percent as they’re both dealing with injuries. In order to take the crowd of the game early, don’t be surprised if Kentucky attempts some plays downfield. Florida has the speed and athleticism to keep up with UK’s playmakers, so they’ll need to make the plays necessary on defense to keep the Cats quiet offensively.
• Be disruptive in the backfield. UK’s biggest weakness in 2014 has been their offensive line play. They’ve allowed five sacks and 15 tackles for loss in just two games. With Florida’s athletes off the edge and their strength inside, guys like Dante Fowler and Alex McAlister, among others, will need to exploit the weak UK offensive line and force quarterback Patrick Towles into bad decisions.
• Take what the defense gives you. It’s important for Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel to not take too many risks tonight. UK has a very good defensive line and will definitely get some pressure on the redshirt junior throughout the game. Driskel may need to rely on the short passes and screens if UK is blitzing a lot tonight. If he risks some deep throws down the field, he’ll need to be very aware of safety AJ Stamps, who has proven to be a dangerous ball hawk in the secondary for UK.

Gators’ glaring weakness to watch: The offensive line looked strong in the season-opener, but an ankle injury will force left tackle DJ Humphries to miss tonight’s game against UK. Consequently, Rod Johnson will be making his first collegiate start at right tackle and Chaz Green will shift over to left tackle. How Johnson responds to blocking aggressive and athletic rushers Bud Dupree, Jason Hatcher and Za’Darius Smith will be a big story throughout the night.

Most interesting part of the game: Florida has defeated the Wildcats in 27 straight games with UK’s last win coming in 1986. Will the Gators make it 28 or can the Wildcats reverse their fortunes against the Orange and Blue?

Team buzz: Florida’s offense under Kurt Roper look revitalized and reenergized in the season-opener. They accumulated three passing plays of 40 or more yards, putting them on track to obliterate the past two seasons of just nine plays combined. Behind a strong defense and an improving offense, the pieces are there for Florida to make a run in the SEC.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

Players to watch:

• QB Patrick Towles
• RB Jojo Kemp
• WR Ryan Timmons
• LT Darrian Miller
• DE/LB Bud Dupree
• DE Za’Darius Smith
• LB Khalid Henderson
• S A.J. Stamps

Keys for Kentucky:

• Protect the football. Kentucky has yet to commit a turnover in 2014, and it has helped the offense score 79 points in two games this season. As a heavy underdog in this game, it is critical the Wildcats do not beat themselves with sloppy mistakes like penalties and turnovers. Kentucky is best in the SEC with a +6 turnover margin, and if UK can avoid those mistakes and Florida cannot, it could even the playing field between the two teams.
• Spread out the Florida defense. The Gators are big and fast on the defensive side of the ball, and spreading the UF defense from sideline-to-sideline could help neutralize the Gators’ physical advantages. Kentucky is not built to have success running the ball right at Florida, nor is it built to rely on a few deep shots down the field. Instead, the Cats should use as many four receiver sets as possible to stretch out the defense, using quick throws on underneath routes to move the ball. Towles has been deliberate in his reads and quick to get rid of the ball, and accenting those abilities should be the Wildcats’ best bet on offense against the Gators.
• Take a few chances on defense. This is not the same Florida offense that managed just 20 points against Kentucky last year in Lexington. Quarterback Jeff Driskel seems to be taking nicely to Roper’s offense, and the Gators’ playmakers are too dynamic for Kentucky to handle in a vanilla scheme. The Wildcats must get after the passer to disrupt Driskel’s timing, and must make a few aggressive plays on passes in the air in hopes of coming down with an interception. These risks may not pay off, as is the nature of any risk, but Kentucky will need to make something unusual happen in order to buck the trend in this rivalry.

Wildcats’ glaring weakness to watch: The offensive line, especially in pass protection. Kentucky has allowed five sacks through two games, tied for worst in the conference. Likewise, Florida registered 11 quarterback hurries in just one game against Eastern Michigan last week, proving the Gators have no trouble getting after opposing quarterbacks. Kentucky’s offensive line should perform better than Eastern Michigan, but will still be fighting an uphill battle in the trenches this week.

Most interesting part of the game: Jojo Kemp was quoted earlier this week as saying “it’s going to be fun walking out with a victory and rubbing it in their faces.” Although Kemp was actually referring to a few friends and former high school teammates who now play at Florida, the entire Gators’ team took offense, creating a poster with those words in big, bold letters that now hangs in the UF locker room. Kemp may be UK’s starting tailback again this week if Braylon Heard cannot go, and it will be interesting to see how well he performs against Florida. Likewise, it will be interesting to see how motivated Florida actually looks at home against a team it has historically owned.

Team Buzz: Kentucky is feeling confident after back-to-back wins by a combined 62 points to open the season, and the Wildcats have nothing to lose and everything to gain in this one. If UK loses, so what? It just means the losing streak moves from 27 to 28, and the Cats will have another shot at ending the streak next season. A loss wouldn’t derail Kentucky’s chances at six wins in a bowl game, so there’s not a ton of risk involved from the UK side of the matchup. And if Kentucky wins, Florida looks silly, Muschamp’s seat heats up again, and the current UK players become heroes in the Bluegrass.

Drew Laing

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