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Kentucky vs. Florida: TV/Streaming Info, Keys to the Game, and Predictions

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1 year ago

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Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Devin Leary (13) completes his first pass of the game to a waiting Kentucky Wildcats running back Ray Davis (1) for a big gain as the Cats beat Akron 35-3 in Saturday at Kroger Field in Lexington
© Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

After four weeks of subpar competition, the Kentucky Wildcats will finally be put to the test against a top-25 opponent, the Florida Gators.

While the Wildcats are 4-0, including two 30-point wins, fans nor the team have been particularly happy with the play on the field, which can be best characterized as sloppy and inconsistent, specifically on the offensive side.

Given the talent disparity to start the season, Kentucky was able to win despite the mistakes and inconsistency. However, that must change in order to be successful as they enter the toughest part of their schedule, starting this Saturday.

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Things haven’t been great for Florida either, but after a poor opening performance against Utah, where they had just 13 rushing yards, the Gators have won three straight, including an impressive 29-16 win over a top-25 Tennessee team.

That said, let’s look at the matchup and Kentucky’s keys to victory.

Stop Florida on Third Down

While the Kentucky offense has not been great, the Kentucky defense has been a bright spot, as expected from the talent level and Brad White’s reputation. In total team defense, the Wildcats are currently ranked 20th in the nation and 3rd in the SEC behind Texas A&M and Georgia.

That said, one of the weak spots of the defense has been the third-down conversion percentage, allowing teams to convert on third down 45 percent of the time, the second-worst rate in the SEC ahead of Vanderbilt. Contrary, Florida’s third-down offensive conversion percentage is just as bad, only converting a third of the time (33%), the second worst in the SEC ahead of Mississippi State.

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In a battle of weaknesses, the Wildcats must get the upper hand and force Florida off the field on third downs.

Stick to Your Assignment

Florida does not have a high-powered offense. Running a balanced run-first offense, the Gators rank in the middle of the SEC in passing yards and rushing yards. However, they are efficient in the passing game, using “dink-and-dunks” and completing 77.2 percent of their passes, ranked 4th in the country.

While Kentucky has been the best in the SEC at stopping the run, they are in the lower half at stopping the pass and have allowed a 61.2 completion percentage to their opponents. The key for the Wildcat defense will not necessarily be to get splash defensive plays but to stick to their assignments and keep the ball in front of the ball.

Trevin Wallace has been playing at an All-SEC level, while Kentucky’s cornerbacks, Maxwell Hairston and Andru Phillips, are among the highest-rated in the SEC, according to PFF.

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Play with Discipline

For a long time, people would say, “That’s Kentucky football,” after the Wildcats would have some sort of bad luck or make a mistake that cost them the game. While bad luck can happen, it’s something that is difficult to control, but you can control penalties.

Last season and the start of this season have been some of the most undisciplined football since the start of the Mark Stoops era. Through four games, the Wildcats have been called for 32 penalties for 272 yards, among the worst in the nation and the second-worst in the SEC, ahead of only Arkansas.

To correct that, this week, the staff even brought in NCAA officials to call practice and recreate game action. Liam Coen said the officials were instructed to call it “tight,” especially in the trenches.

In what is expected to be a close game, the Wildcats can’t take themselves out of it with self-inflicted mistakes.

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Kentucky Wildcats (4-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. Florida Gators (3-1, 1-0 SEC)

Time/Date: 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, September 30th, 2023
Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
TV Channel: ESPN
Announcers: Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George
Online Stream: WatchESPN, ESPN+, SEC Network+, or the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jeff Piecoro have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Satellite Radio: XM Channel 203, Sirius Channel 98, Internet Channel 966
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).

Rosters: UK | UF

Stats To Know: UK | UF

Covers.com Weather Forecast:

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Odds: The DraftKings Sportsbook has Kentucky as a small 1.5-point favorite. ESPN’s matchup predictor also has Kentucky as a small favorite, giving the Wildcats a 52% edge.

Predictions: TeamRankings has Kentucky coming away with a 24-21 win, while DRatings.com is going with a 26-23 victory, Kentucky! I’m predicting the Wildcats to beat the Gators 24-17 after a late-game defensive stop!

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Football

Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

Published

5 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

Published

7 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

Published

2 weeks ago

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November 11, 2024

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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