The Kentucky Wildcats host the Florida Gators in Lexington at Kroger Field Saturday, Sept. 30 at Noon ET. No. 22-ranked Florida looks to keep its hot streak alive against a Kentucky team currently 4-0 overall and tied with the Gators at 1-0 in a fiery SEC East division showdown. Below we’ll take a look at the Kentucky vs. Florida odds and preview the upcoming game.
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Kentucky vs. Florida Preview
Kentucky Wildcats: First Real Test
The Kentucky Wildcats are off to a white hot start at 4-0 — an impressive start for a team that is labeled as a basketball school. In the SEC East, you have blue chip programs such as Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida just to name a few. The Wildcats have beaten the Gators the last two meetings and look to silence all naysayers this weekend with what would be the obvious biggest win this year to date.
Kentucky had 365 total yards against Vanderbilt, a contest ending with the Wildcats winning 45-23. The total yards got split into 205 for passing yards and 160 on the ground. Quarterback Devin Leary completed 15 passes out of 29 attempts. Leary also had one touchdown pass to wide receiver Dane Key, along with two interceptions.
The rushing attack saw five Kentucky running backs all game with Re’Mahn Davis leading the charge. Davis ran for two touchdowns and JuTahn McClain also found the end zone early in the first quarter. Kentucky outrushed Vanderbilt a considerable amount — 160 yards to 97 — that contributed heavily in their win. Penalties seem to be their biggest hindrance, having committed 10 penalties in two of their last three games. The Wildcats have not faced any opponents even close to the Gators’ talent level, and if there are truly any doubts about this team, we will see everything laid out on the field on Saturday.
Florida Gators Rank at Risk
The Florida Gators led by head coach Billy Napier have been a somewhat surprising college football story. A team that wasn’t expected to be competitive in the packed SEC has turned heads since a recent upset of the Tennessee Vols. All postgame extracurricular activity after that game aside, this team looks gritty, overwhelming and leaves everything on the field when the clock hits zero. Napier has done wonders with this team last season and looks to take an even bigger step forward this season. Last week against Charlotte, the Gators put up 395 total yards in a showing of their strength. Quarterback Graham Mertz showed out with 20 completions on 23 attempts and 259 passing yards and one touchdown to tight end Arlis Boardingham.
The Gators in their last three games have had 14 penalties total. This team is well disciplined, and that translates on the field and the scoreboard. Florida has been having trouble in the red zone, but getting down the field doesn’t seem to be the problem. Mertz has one touchdown per game through the first four weeks and if the Gators want to be better than the No. 22-ranked team, it will take a lot more than just a touchdown per game from Mertz. The upside is how talented of a run game Florida has. Montrell Johnson, Trevor Etienne and Treyaun Webb can thrash any defense they want and we have seen that in full force these last few weeks.
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Florida Gators Prediction
This game being a shootout makes the most sense out of all scenarios. The last two meetings have been close with their 2021 matchup being a one score game and their 2022 game being decided by 10 points. The Gators being the underdog despite being ranked screams bulletin board material. Kentucky is not going away quietly with so much to prove, and this amped matchup will lead to a back and forth tug-of-war style game that won’t disappoint. Gators win 30-24.
