Kentucky Wildcats Football: Kentucky Wildcats vs. #20 Florida Gators Game Day Links

Sep 14, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Jalen Whitlow (2) throws a pass against the Louisville Cardinals at Commonwealth Stadium. Louisville defeated Kentucky 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Today is the big day as your Kentucky Wildcats seek to end the ridiculous losing streak against the #20 Florida Gators.  It’s up to 26 games and as we welcome the depleted Gators into the Bluegrass, we have hope.  Now we don’t always have hope coming in to this game, like when Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer roamed the sidelines, but neither are there and they’re down their starting QB Jeff Driskell and DL Dominique Easley.  Advantage Wildcats.

"The mood Is surprisingly upbeat about a possible UK upset, with even Dick Vitale picking the Cats on Twitter. UK is coming into the game off a bye week and catching the Gators with a new starting QB and without injured star defensive lineman Dominique Easley. Still, all the upset talk might make that outcome less likely. There’s a reason UK hasn’t beaten UF since 1986."

"KEYS to the game Score points early Over the last five meetings, Florida has outscored Kentucky 97-3 in the first quarter. For its own psyche, UK needs to start fast. As Louisville showed by hitting Florida with 14 points in the first quarter of last season’s Sugar Bowl en route to a surprise 33-23 win, getting on top early is also the proven route to upsetting UF. Make big plays Defensively, the Gators are truly mighty — first in the Southeastern Conference this week in a whopping eight team categories. Florida is allowing 55.3 yards a game rushing, 157 yards passing and 212.3 yards of total offense. Most daunting for a UK offense that was 0-for-13 on third-down conversions against Louisville, Florida has allowed its foes to convert only seven of 37 third-down tries this year. UK hitting some home runs would alleviate the need to consistently move the chains. Pressure the quarterback After Florida starting QB Jeff Driskel was knocked out for the season against Tennessee, Tyler Murphy replaced him and performed well, throwing for 134 yards and a touchdown and running for 84 yards and another TD. A redshirt junior, Murphy is not young, but Saturday he will be making his first college start in an SEC road game. It may be by stacking the line and making Murphy throw, but UK needs to find a way to put pressure on the new QB."

In sports, as in life, with the Gators being depleted, the Wildcats won’t take their foot off the gas one bit.  At least we shouldn’t.  The Gators wouldn’t if we were down our best QB and defender.  But Will Muschamp is no idiot and is making sure his team knows there’s no sympathy coming their way.

"LEXINGTON, Ky. — Only four games into their schedule, the No. 20 Florida Gators have already endured a season’s worth (or more) of change and adversity. Yet they gamely cling to the same No. 1 goal they set for themselves last spring."

"“We have one goal here and that’s to get to Atlanta and win an SEC championship,” junior outside linebacker Ronald Powell said earlier this week. Given UF’s demanding league schedule (at LSU, Georgia, at South Carolina), everyone knew when the goal was established that it was going to be a long, hard road to Atlanta. And that was before. Before the Gators (2-1) lost their star kick returner (Andre Debose) and their starting right tackle (Chaz Green) for the season to injuries. Before their starting tailback (Matt Jones) and starting right guard (Jon Halapio) missed all of preseason camp (and early games) with illness and injury. It’s been rough, almost devastating, but like UF coach Will Muschamp has so often said, no one in the SEC is going to feel sorry for the Gators. Florida certainly will get no sympathy from Kentucky tonight (or any other night). The Wildcats (1-2) have not beaten the Gators since 1986. That adds up to a monumental (and almost unexplainable) 26-game losing streak for Kentucky in the series. Given Florida’s delicate condition — Driskel and Easley out; Tyler Murphy making his first start at quarterback, in a hostile environment — could tonight be the night the streak ends? Some UK players seem a little more confident than usual coming into a game with Florida. “I think it’s a very (winnable) game. I know it is,” senior middle linebacker Avery Williamson said earlier this week. “You have to go in with that attitude and come out with a win.” Defensive end Za’Darius Smith, a junior college transfer, refers to Florida as just “an OK team.” “I’m not going to say they’re all that,” he said. “Hey, it’s the SEC.” Muschamp said the streak will be not be a factor in tonight’s game, and UK coach Mark Stoops, who is making his SEC debut tonight, pretty much agrees. “You’ve heard me talk enough that we won’t get into all that,” Stoops said. “Sure, I think it’s motivation. I do. I think it needs to be talked about, but that can’t be the focal point. We have to get better each and every day, each and every game. That’s really what we’re worried about, and that’s been my message since I’ve been here: just to get better.” “I’ll have butterflies, I’m sure,” Murphy said. “I’ll be anxious, but, you know, I’ll get out there and maybe complete my first pass. Once I get hit, I think I’ll be fine. But I don’t think it will be as bad as it was (against Tennessee as far as being nervous).” Murphy’s coaches and teammates expressed confidence in their new (and inexperienced) quarterback throughout the week. “I can’t compliment him enough how he came in and responded and handled the situation (against UT),” Muschamp said. “We have a lot of confidence in him. He’s really taken a step forward. “He’s improved tremendously as a passer. Taking the ball to the right spots. He’s always been a very intelligent guy. A really good athlete. We will not change much of who we are offensively.”"