Gators Wary Of Wildcats Despite Their 23-Game Winning Streak In Series
Friday, September 24, 2010 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The lasting image for many college football fans of the 1986 season is Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde throwing five interceptions in the Fiesta Bowl against Penn State, the last coming with 18 seconds left to seal the Nittany Lions' upset in the national-championship game.
But depending on your rooting interests – of course, there's not much doubt about those of our readers – 1986 was also the last time Florida lost to Kentucky. Or, in the view of those in the Bluegrass state, the last time the Wildcats had much of a bite against the Gators, winning 10-3 on a cold-and-misty November afternoon at Commonwealth Stadium.
Kentucky's 23-year losing streak against the Gators – the second-longest active streak for a Division I team against another Division I opponent in a continuous series -- is one that first-year Wildcats coach Joker Phillips wanted no part of earlier this week during his weekly press conference.
“No, I won't talk about it,'' Phillips said half-jokingly. “Somebody was telling me today, [former Kentucky quarterback] Bill Ransdell was the last to beat Tennessee and Florida. Mike Hartline has got a chance. He's still got a chance.''
With Kentucky off to a 3-0 start in Phillips' first season, the talk of the streak was a popular storyline this week leading up to Saturday night's game in The Swamp. Despite the Wildcats' quick start, the ninth-ranked Gators (3-0) remain a two-touchdown favorite.
Since Florida coach Urban Meyer took over the Gators in 2005, Florida has beaten Kentucky by an average of 30 points a game, including a 63-5 win in 2008 when Kentucky last visited The Swamp.
Meyer views the Kentucky program differently than when he first arrived, thanks in large part to the foundation built by former coach Rich Brooks and now in the hands of Phillips.
“I look at personnel,'' Meyer said. “I just think personnel-wise from 2005 to where they are now, they are an upper-echelon SEC team. I don't believe they were that way in '05 when I remember watching them on film. I feel right now, they are certainly upper half or even higher than that as far as personnel.''
Hartline directs the Wildcats' offense as the starting quarterback, but running back Derrick Locke and dual-threat receiver Randall Cobb are the players Florida's defense has been watching on film all week. When asked if there was any chance the Gators might overlook Kentucky in preparation for next week's showdown with No. 1-ranked Alabama, Meyer shot that notion down quickly.
“If Kentucky wasn't very good, sure, I would be very concerned,'' he said. “But there's no concern at all. These kids watch film a lot. They know their record, they know these players. There is absolutely none of that.''
Gators offensive lineman Xavier Nixon said the focus in practice this week has been to keep everything in perspective.
“Just staying steady in the boat, keeping our mindset on this game and nothing else,'' Nixon said. “It's not hard at all. It's still SEC football. We take them seriously.''
As for the 23-year winning streak, Florida players had very little to say about that, some of them unaware of the streak until informed by school officials or members of the media.
“I was not born at all,'' senior linebacker Brandon Hicks said. “That was before I even existed.''
In Kentucky's 1986 win, Ransdell completed 20 of 23 passes and Wildcats defensive back Tony Mayes forced Gators receiver Ricky Nattiel to fumble to stop a last-minute drive. No one could have imagined Ransdell would be answering questions about that game nearly a quarter-century later.
Phillips understands the challenge ahead for his young team on Saturday.
“It's a great opportunity for us to put a huge stamp on this program and on this football team,'' he said. “One of the biggest challenges will be matching speed and matching intensity. If you don't match the intensity, don't match the excitement, if you allow the things that The Swamp brings to intimidate you, you could be down 28 points, no question about that.''
That's the scenario the Gators hope unfolds. They may not want to talk about the streak, but it's one they certainly hope to keep intact.
“We just want to win the SEC East,'' offensive lineman Carl Johnson said. “If that means going through Kentucky to get it, then guess what? We gotta go through Kentucky.''
"I take all these games very personally this year," he said.
"I don't want to go out with an 'L.'"
Wilson update
Junior right guard James Wilson is still battling a knee injury that has limited him since Florida's opener.
Wilson had his knee scoped, but Addazio said he doesn't know how long he'll be out. Coach Urban Meyer said Monday that Wilson will miss at least Saturday's game.
