GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The most exciting development in the offseason at Kentucky was the public Cat fight between
John Calipari and
Mark Stoops. Calipari announced Kentucky as a basketball school. Yes, shocking. Stoops fired back that his football program isn't too shabby either. He's not wrong.
Finally, Wildcats athletic director
Mitch Barnhart told the boys to stuff a sock in their mouths. In the end, the spat served as another reminder of what makes the Southeastern Conference special.
Thankfully, so do games like Saturday's SEC opener at The Swamp: No. 12 Florida vs. No. 20 Kentucky.
Both teams won their season openers a week ago, and this once-lopsided rivalry — the Gators won 31 in a row until Kentucky upset them in 2018 – has become more competitive in recent years. They have split the previous four meetings.
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A year ago in Lexington, the Wildcats won 20-13, aided by 15 UF penalties on a night that in so many ways epitomized Florida's season. The Gators could have easily won without self-destructing at critical moments.
Instead, Kentucky running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr.'s touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the victory. When the game was over, the Gators were forced to exit the field amidst a sea of blue as fans rushed the field.
However, Kentucky's running game is without Rodriguez in this one. He is still a member of the Wildcats, but he is suspended and won't be on Florida Field for now. That is a significant loss for the Wildcats. Rodriguez rushed for 1,379 yards in 2021. Kentucky's running game lacks juice without him.
The Wildcats managed a measly 50 yards rushing on 26 carries against Miami, which included four sacks of quarterback
Will Levis. Rodriguez rushed for 99 yards against the Gators last season. Without him, Levis and tailback
Kavosiey Smoke are the most notable ballcarriers in Kentucky's backfield.
The 6-foot-3, 232-pound Levis completed 21 of 32 for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the Miami win, his fourth 300-yard passing game.
"There's no secret here that Kentucky's got one of the best quarterbacks in the entire nation,'' Gators head coach
Billy Napier said Wednesday. "The guy's got a first-round grade. He's a phenomenal passer, not only arm talent but accurate. He's a really good athlete and he has stature. He can be an effective runner as well. He's tough to get on the ground. Plays in a really good system that highlights his strengths.
"I think they do a good job of using the guy. This guy, there's a lot of hype around him, and for good reason. He's worked hard to improve. You see the development. They've got a heck of a quarterback."
Levis passed for a season-low 87 yards in last year's win over the Gators and added 21 yards on the ground.
Smoke carried four times for 17 yards.
The Florida defense gave up 231 yards rushing in its 29-26 season-opening win against No. 7 Utah, and the defensive line remains arguably the most significant concern on UF's roster.
If the Wildcats are going to win their second in a row in this series, Levis might have to air it out. He's got no Rodriguez or
Benny Snell — remember his 175 yards in Kentucky's upset win at The Swamp in 2018? Senior receiver
Tayvion Robinson, a transfer from Virginia Tech, was clutch in last week's win with a career-high 136 yards receiving.
To complicate the situation for Kentucky, Wildcats reserve running back
Ramon Jefferson was injured in last week's win over Miami. The rest of the unit consists of the inexperienced tandem of
La'Vell Wright and
JuTahn McClain.
Meanwhile, the Gators running game is robust, with quarterback
Anthony Richardson and running backs
Montrell Johnson Jr.,
Nay'Quan Wright and
Trevor Etienne all producing results against Utah. Without Rodriguez, the Wildcats likely must find other ways to move the chains in this one.
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