Gators vs. Wildcats: 10 Things to Keep an Eye on
Saturday, September 24, 2011 | Football, Scott Carter
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Where were you on Nov. 15, 1986?
The Gators' oldest player, 23-year-old Chris Rainey, wasn't born. First-year Gators head coach Will Muschamp was in middle school. Emmitt Smith had yet to play a game for the Gators. He was in his senior year at Escambia High in Pensacola.
Each year the date gains a little more head-scratching significance when the Gators play Kentucky. That was the last time Florida lost to the Wildcats. Since then, the Gators have won 24 in a row against their SEC East foe. They are favored to make it a quarter century of perfection here on Saturday night at Commonwealth Stadium.
Not that any of that is important to Muschamp in his first road game as Florida's coach.
“What you did last time out really doesn't matter,'' Muschamp said. “It's about the next time out and the match-ups and the opportunity you have to make plays on the ball and play on the line of scrimmage and make plays on offense and special teams.”
“I think that [streak] has zero factor.”
In reality, Muschamp is correct. The Gators who started the streak in 1987 – Smith's freshman season – are middle-aged today. The streak is more of a conversation piece for fans and media to chatter about leading up to the annual game.
Can the Gators make it a perfect quarter century against Kentucky? We will know that answer soon enough. For now, here are 10 things to keep an eye on in Saturday's game:
BRANTLEY BREAKOUT
A lot was made this week about how Florida's receivers have not played a huge role in the passing game. Brantley's favorite targets have been running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps, and expect both to continue to get plenty of throws their way.
However, Brantley threw for a career-high 248 yards in last season's 48-14 win over the Wildcats, and don't be surprised if he approaches or surpasses that number against a Kentucky defense that will be challenged to keep up with Florida's playmakers.
25 IN A ROW
The No. 15-ranked Gators enter as a heavy favorite over the Wildcats, who are coming off a 24-17 loss to Louisville in which they managed only 35 yards rushing. Florida leads the SEC in rushing defense (30.7 yards allowed per game), so the Wildcats could become one-dimensional quickly unless they can get tailback Josh Clemons some holes to run through early.
If that doesn't happen, Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton must be on top of his game for the Wildcats to have a chance. With Florida set to host Alabama next week, some look at this game as a potential trap game for the Gators. Personally, don't think that will be an issue since the Gators have so many young players still trying to prove they can make an impact.
A LOT OF DANNY TREVATHAN
Coming out of Leesburg High, the Gators recruited Trevathan as a running back. He ended up at Kentucky as a linebacker and is now what Wildcats coach Joker Phillips calls “a tackling machine.''
The SEC's leading tackler, Trevathan has recorded 10 or more tackles in 12 consecutive games to give Kentucky a dominant player in the middle of its defense. The last time Trevathan failed to get at least 10 tackles was when he finished with only two last season at The Swamp. Trevathan should be on the field plenty Saturday, so look for him to have his named called a lot when Florida is on offense.
PUNT BLOCK PRESSURE
The Gators have two blocked punts in three games, one by Solomon Patton and one by Rainey. The special teams became a hot topic this week when a Kentucky-based writer suggested that some of Florida's punt-block success might be because of illegal trickery.
Both coaches later downplayed that storyline, but with a 42-4 record in games in which they have blocked a punt since 1990, you can bet the Gators will try to add another blocked punt to their total.
FLORIDA'S TIGHT ENDS
This is a talented group which has only six catches through three games. Jordan Reed has four of those, but Reed was injured (hamstring) and did not play in the Tennessee game. Instead, true freshman A.C. Leonard made his first appearance since suffering a knee injury in fall camp.
Leonard adds an athletic playmaker to the group that also includes Gerald Christian. If Brantley looks to go downfield more, he won't only be looking for wide receivers. Florida's tight ends are more than capable of hauling in passes, and Reed can be especially difficult to bring down once he makes a catch.
WEIS vs. MINTER
An interesting subplot to Saturday's game is Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis once hired Kentucky defensive coordinator Rick Minter at Notre Dame. Weis was head coach and Minter served as his defensive coordinator in 2005 and 2006 with the Fighting Irish.
Weis said this week that Minter is running more 3-4 fronts than the traditional 4-3 he used at Notre Dame. While he downplayed the matchup, it's safe to assume that Minter is as familiar with Weis' pro-style offense as any defensive coordinator the Gators will face this season.
RAINEY AND DEMPS
If this sounds familiar, well, it's because it is. From what we've seen of Florida's offense in the first three games, it seems very unlikely that the tailback tandem of Rainey and Demps won't play a big role against Kentucky.
Rainey has been Florida's best player so far – leading the team in rushing and receiving – and Demps is just as dangerous each time he touches the ball because of his world-class speed. Look for Weis to try and get Rainey and Demps the ball in space and let their legs do the rest.
DISRUPTION BY GATORS
Florida's pass rush began to change the complexion of the game in the second half against Tennessee. Defensive end Ronald Powell forced Vols quarterback Tyler Bray to throw two interceptions, and defensive tackles Jaye Howard and Dominique Easley each had tackles-for-loss.
With Sharrif Floyd getting his first game of the season out of the way against the Vols, the Gators hope he continues to shake off some of the rust to become a factor off the edge.
TURNOVER MARGIN FACTOR
This can be said about every game, but under Phillips, it has been extra important for the Wildcats. Kentucky is 5-0 under Phillips when it wins the turnover margin, 3-8 when it doesn't.
Meanwhile, the Gators have forced only three turnovers on defense, two of those coming in last week's win over Tennessee. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Muschamp continue to stress the importance of creating turnovers, especially for a young secondary that features two true freshmen starting.
FAST START BY GATORS
Florida has outscored its opponents 33-0 in the first quarter and has scored on all eight of its drives that started in the opening quarter (four touchdowns, four field goals).
However, this is the first road game for the Gators so the environment won't be nearly as friendly as The Swamp. With Weis scripting the first 12-18 plays, it will be interesting to see if the Gators can keep their first-quarter success alive.
GATOR GAMEBOX
Florida at Kentucky
Kickoff: Saturday, 7 p.m. (Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Ky.)
Records: Florida 3-0 (1-0 SEC); Kentucky 2-1 (0-0)
TV/Internet: ESPN/ESPN3.com
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network (click here for affiliates); SiriusXM Channel 91
Bottom line: The Gators should be 4-0 when they return home to host Alabama on Oct. 1 in a matchup between Gators coach Will Muschamp and his mentor, Alabama's Nick Saban.
