Kentucky Wildcats vs. Florida Gators matchup history: Who won last time they played?

The debate has been raging about the future of Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops lately among fans, and there's a good case to make on both sides of it. One of the most prominent examples of the change in Kentucky culture under Stoops is the Florida Gators series. This matchup was lopsided for so long that it felt like a miracle when Stoops broke that curse in 2018 when Kentucky upset Florida 27-16 in the Swamp.

The Florida Gators, up to that point, had won 31 straight contests against the Wildcats. Yes, you read that right, 31 times in a row. Before 2018, Kentucky hadn't beaten the Gators since 1986. It was a historic drought, and there were only a few games in there that the Wildcats even kept close. There were many games in which Florida blew out Kentucky, most memorably a 73-7 loss in 1994 and a 65-0 loss in 1996. Bleak times for the Wildcats.

However, Kentucky actually has the streak right now with three straight against the Gators. Last year in Lexington, Kentucky, we beat them 33-14. Stoops has a 4-7 record against Florida, but we can always cherish the 2018 win in which he broke the drought and the three straight in the last few years.

Florida is coming off a frustrating loss to the Tennessee Volunteers in overtime, 23-17. It really felt like a game the Gators were going to pull off, but they couldn't close out in extra time. Kentucky is also coming off a very maddening loss to Vanderbilt. Not the loss itself but the way the game was loss. It was lackluster on offense, with tons of penalties and lots of miscues. It wasn't the finest coaching performance from Stoops and it led to much of the discussion about his future as the head coach.

That is one thing each of these teams have in common, both programs have their coach on the hot seat. It's relatively new for Stoops but Florida fans have grown discontent all season with Billy Napier. While this game looks to be competitive, they are basically fighting for the middle of the pack in the SEC. If history has anything to say about it, Kentucky could win with their most recent streak, but Florida has way more wins lifetime against the Wildcats.