The sixth-ranked Gators have won four consecutive games and host Kentucky on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Game Day: No. 6 Florida vs. Kentucky (ESPN, noon)
Saturday, November 28, 2020 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When scanning a Florida football schedule, it's only natural while working a way down the list, to roll past Kentucky and get to the meat of the slate. This is not meant as a "dis" at the Wildcats. Just reality. It's going on a half-century since UK's last Southeastern Conference title and, to be blunt, even fans in the Bluegrass State view football as a placeholder for the basketball season. And then there's UF's upper hand (more like a fist) in the series. The Gators hold a commanding 52-18 advantage (.743), including victories in 32 of the last 33 meetings.
That said, however, Florida is a pedestrian 1-1 against Kentucky over the last two.
And, boy, have those two had some some staying power.
Consider that Dan Mullen's first league game as UF's coach in 2018 was UK's first win over the Gators since 1986 in a series played annually over the last 53 years. The Wildcats came to the "Swamp" and bludgeoned their way for 303 rushings yards, left with a 27-16 victory and thus released three decades worth of frustration (and bad attitude) into the steamy Sunshine State night.
Then came 2019 and one of the most emotional UF victories in the series' history; also one of the most significant relative to long-term ramifications the likes of which will be very much in play when the No. 6 Gators (6-1, 6-1) and Wildcats (3-5, 3-5) renew their matchup Saturday at Spurrier/Florida Field.
Kentucky and a raucous sellout crowd had all the momentum and a 21-10 lead when Florida went for a fourth-and-1 near midfield with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter. Quarterback Feleipe Franks dropped to pass, but under pressure tried to scoot up and middle and out of trouble, but ended up in a nasty pile that altered the game, Franks' career, as well as UF's season. Both that one and this one, as it turned out.
The sight was a gruesome one, with Franks suffering a broken ankle, as his teammates surrounded their quarterback before his stirring cart-off exit.
Four seconds into the fourth quarter, fourth-year junior Kyle Trask entered the game.
Everyone knows the back story, but also the rest of the story.
Feleipe Franks is carted off the field following his injury at Kentucky on Sept. 14, 2019.
Trask had not started a football game since his freshman year of high school in Manvel, Texas (see King, D'Eriq). To that point, Trask's career stats at UF as a seldom-seen backup showed 18 completions in 27 attempts for 202 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
That night in Lexington, Trask took over and erased the double-digit fourth-quarter lead with three straight touchdown drives — 62, 66 and 80 yards — and the last 19 points of what became a 29-21 victory. He hit nine of his 13 passes for 126 yards, plus had the go-ahead touchdown run of four yards with just over four minutes to go.
That was 19 games ago. Trask, of course, has started every game since, while Franks grad-transferred his career to Arkansas.
Kyle Traskis hoisted into the air by a UF offensive lineman following his go-ahead touchdown run in last seasons' 29-21 comeback win at Kentucky.
Since stepping under center against the Wildcats, Trask has completed 67 percent of his passes for 5,455 yards, 55 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions over the two seasons. He has led the Gators to a 15-3 record as a starter and has the team on track to win its first SEC East Division title since 2016. A shot at the program's first College Football Playoff berth is out there, as well.
And, along with all those goodies, Trask now finds himself not only very much in the Heisman Trophy conversation, but on the verge of hitting some rather astounding passing numbers, even in the scaled-back COVID-19 season. HIs 31 touchdown passes during 2020 (versus just three interceptions) not only lead the nation, but are tied for the second-most ever tossed through seven games in college football history.
Trask's next chance to pad those digits will come against a UK defense that ranks sixth in the SEC, but No. 1 in passing yards allowed at just 222.8 yards per game. The Wildcats, though, have lost three of their last four, including last week's 63-3 trouncing at top-ranked Alabama. The Wildcats had been fairly stingy in the run-up to that laugher, with low-scoring losses at Missouri (by a 20-10 count) and home against Georgia (14-3), then holding on for a 38-35 shootout victory over Vanderbilt.
Offensively, Kentucky sits last in the SEC and 121st nationally. If the Wildcats aren't running with Chris Rodriguez (562 yards, 6 TDs) or Asim Rose (359 yards, 1 TD), things have been really tough for quarterback Terry Wilson (63 percent, 832 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, plus 339 yards, 4 TDs rushing). That's what the Florida defense will be looking for, which would mean more possessions for Trask and an offense that is scoring 44.7 points (2nd SEC, 8th nationally) and gaining 522.3 yards per game (3rd SEC, 9th nationally).
The Gators, by the way, are tied for first in the country in passing, making for quite the full-circle rotation for the offense since these two teams last took the field against one another.
Quite the turn for the guy under center, too.
Kickoff is set for noon on ESPN, with the crew of Mark Jones on play-by-play, Dusty Dvoracek providing analysis, and Marty Smith working the sidelines. The game will be rebroadcast twice on Sunday, at midnight on ESPNU and again at 4 p.m., on ESPN2, as well as three times on the SEC Network: Sunday at 6 p.m., Monday at 5 a.m. and Friday at 4 a.m. For Gator Radio Network affiliates, click here.
Finally, follow senior staff writer Scott Carter on Twitter (@GatorsScott) for commentary and analysis throughout the afternoon. FloridaGators.com will have complete coverage from the game Saturday and fresh content Sunday, as well.
