Florida and Kentucky meet for the 75th time on Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Game Day: Florida vs Kentucky (Saturday, 7:45 pm)
Saturday, October 19, 2024 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Much has changed since the home team last played at Spurrier/Florida Field.
Start with the perception of the Florida Gators, who after winning two straight had all the momentum and a victory in its sights inside a minute to go at No. 8 Tennessee last week, but opted to play for overtime rather than go for the jugular on the road and left Rocky Top with a 23-17 loss. They also left with starting quarterback Graham Mertz lost for the season with a knee injury, leaving the balance of the 2024 campaign to talented freshman DJ Lagway. Lagway wasn't great in replacing Mertz in the second half last week, but he threw the 27-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike with 29 seconds left that pulled the Gators within a point and put a big decision on Coach Billy Napier's plate.
First Napier chose to go for two (and the win), but after the Volunteers called a panic timeout the UF coach changed his mind. Maybe he didn't like his backup two-point play. Maybe he wasn't sure about Lagway in that situation. Whatever the case, UF's lone possession in OT netted three snaps, minus-4 yards and a missed field goal. UT ran five plays and scored a touchdown.
The Gators (3-3, 1-2), who looked out of their league in early home losses against Miami and Texas A&M, stared down the Vols on the road, and now are back home Saturday night to face SEC foe Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) and looking to keep that air of confidence – with that rookie QB – against an opponent who's had UF's number the bulk of the last six seasons.
[Read senior writer Scott Carter's "Opening Kickoff" setup here]
The Wildcats have won three straight in the series and four of the previous six. They've done that after losing 31 straight from 1987-2017. The first three of those defeats could have gone either way, with UF usually self-destructing with blown defensive assignments (Bennie Snell's 178 yards rushing in '18), staggering penalties (14 for 115 yards at Lexington in '21) or key turnovers (a game-turning pick-6 by Anthony Richardson in '22).
Then came the 2023 debacle, a 33-10 blowout loss that was never close, as the Gators did next to nothing right in allowing UK to score the game's first 23 points, tailback Ray Davis to rush for a school-record 280 yards and three touchdowns, while committing 10 penalties, including a couple killer gaffes on special teams.
Kentucky hasn't beaten Florida four consecutive times since doing so from 1948-51.
The Wildcats have had a weird season. First and foremost, they're built for defense and have the numbers to back it: No. 4 overall in the country in allowing just 251.5 yards per game), as well as tied for ninth in scoring at just 14.5 points per game. Yet, UK got drilled 31-6 at home against South Carolina in its second game, then a week later threw the fear of God into No. 1 Georgia before losing 13-12 at home. Then came a stunning 20-17 road upset of No. 6 Ole Miss, but that was followed by a 20-13 home loss to Vanderbilt, which was still on its sugar high of beating No. 1 Alabama the week before. That defense has only helped so much.
Go ahead, try and figure it all out.
DJ Lagway (2) will get the first SEC start of his career Saturday night against Kentucky.
UK's offense ranks 116th in the country, including next to last in the SEC, at just 321.7 yards per game and even lower in passing offense, with Brock Vandagriff (951 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT) under center for a unit totaling just 168.3 through the air. Davis, the Gator-killer of a year ago, is gone and the Cats' rushing numbers are down to 153.3 per game, which rates 75th nationally, with Demi Sumo-Karngbaye (380 yards, 4 TD) the Cats' featured back.
UF will counter with a defense that is playing much, much better than what it rolled out against UM and A&M, especially after limiting Tennessee and the nation's fifth-ranked offense to just 312 yards of total offense. The Gators check in 59th nationally at 402.8 yards per game (11th in the SEC), but that average sinks to 355.0 over the previous three games.
For Florida, Lagway had been playing every third series since erupting on the scene with his freshman record-setting 456-yard performance in a 45-7 win over Samford on Sept. 7 when he started in place of Mertz, who was out with a concussion. This will mark the first SEC start for the 2023 USA Today Offensive Player of the Year, who to date has completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 765 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions, but he's had a full week of first-team reps to ready and build confidence.
UF ranks 59th in offense (402.8 ypg), including 81st rushing (141.8) and 39th passing (261.0), but those numbers mean nothing relative to the balance of the season because Mertz is gone. And now the unit (and its young QB) faces one of the best defenses in the country.
Yes, much has changed for the Gators of late.
Will their recent fate against the Wildcats follow that trend?
Coverage starts at 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network, with the crew of Dave Neal on play-by-play, former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray providing analysis and Marilyn Payne on the sidelines. The Gators Sports Network from Learfield broadcast will air with pregame coverage beginning at 4:45 p.m. and eventually give way to Sean Kelley and Shane Matthews in the booth, with Tate Casey reporting from the field. For GSN stations, click here.
The game will be re-aired Sunday at 8 p.m. and again Friday at 3 a.m., both on SEC Network.
Finally, follow senior writer Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) for commentary and analysis throughout the game. FloridaGators.com will have complete post-game coverage from the game late Saturday night and follow-up content Sunday, also.
