Gators strive to win the coin flip vs. Kentucky
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 | Football, Scott Carter
The last time Florida lost to Kentucky, Gators coach Urban Meyer was starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under Earl Bruce.
The year was 1986. Kentucky, seeking to snap a six-game losing streak to the Gators, won 10-3.
You could say the Gators have bounced back pretty well in the series. Florida won the 1987 game, 27-14, and the Gators haven't lost to the Wildcats since, reeling off 23 consecutive victories over Kentucky.
While both teams enter Saturday's game 3-0, the Vegas oddsmakers have the No. 9-ranked Gators a 14-point favorite.
Following the Gators' win at Tennessee on Saturday, Meyer had a different view of the match-up.
"Are we good enough yet?" Meyer responded to a question about the team's identity. "I don't know. Can we beat Kentucky at home? I don't know that. That's a flip-the-coin, man."
The Wildcats feature a veteran offense led by the SEC's leading rusher, Derrick Locke, quarterback Mike Hartline and multi-purpose threat Randall Cobb.
So while the oddmakers like the Gators by two touchdowns, the Gators are taking a more cautious approach.
Is beating Kentucky for a 24th consecutive time really a coin flip?
"That's what our coach says,'' safety Ahmad Black said earlier this week. "I guess we gotta make sure tails never fails.''
