The Orange and Blue Fightin' Gators are fresh off the 45-0 victory over the Blue and Orange Skyhawks and are up two spots in the polls. The Gators are currently riding their longest losing streak against the Wildcats since 1986. Florida has not lost back-to-back games against Kentucky since 1977-1976 when the 'Cats finished #18/19 at 8-4 (4-2) and #6 at 10-1 (6-0). Florida was 8-4 (4-2) and 6-4-1 (3-3) in those two years. Last year, Kentucky finished at #11 after going 10-3 (5-3), which was their best finish since Bear Bryant brought them to an 11-1 (5-1) record and a Sagarin virtual #1 ranking in 1950.
Speaking of Sagarin, the Florida Gators are #17 in the Sagarin rankings, and Kentucky is at #34. Florida already has 15 sacks, which leads all of FBS. The Gators are also #2 in tackles for loss. DE Jabari Zuniga leads the SEC with 3 sacks and 4.5 TFL, and is tied for 6th and 3rd nationally in those categories. Florida is the only SEC team with multiple players having 3.5 TFL (Jabari Zuniga and Jeremiah Moon), and is the only SEC team with four players having 1.5+ sacks (Jabari Zuniga, Jonathan Greenard, Ventrell Miller, and Trey Dean III). Note that Miller earned 1.5 sacks from the second level as a linebacker, and Dean earned his 1.5 sacks from the third level as a defensive back! UF has three explosive passing plays of 60+ yards already this year, which is its highest since finishing 2016 with three of those explosive plays in a full season! QB Feleipe Franks has thrown for 250+ yards in 4 of his last 5 games. So far in 2019 Franks is #6 in completion percentage (42 of 43, 77.8%) for all attempts, or #3 for players with 40+ attempts. Against UT-Martin, Franks finished with the highest completion percentage by a Gator QB (25 of 27, 92.6%), and became the first FBS QB since UCF's McKenzie Milton to complete over 90% of his passes with 25+ attempts. Franks' 2018 campaign was the best by a QB not named Tebow since Danny Wuerffel graduated. Franks ranked #19 nationally with 31 passing touchdowns, and was #9 for all touchdowns responsible for. He was also #17 in touchdown-interception ratio (24 TDs: 6 INTs, 4.00). Only Tebow did it better since 1996 with 5.33, 7.50, and 4.20 ratios in 2007-2009. DE Jonathan Greenard is 1-1 against Kentucky from his days at Louisville (he did not play in the 2015 or 2018 games, or else that would put him at 2-2).
Kentucky will be without their starting QB, Terry Wilson. Troy transfer and Pensacola native Sawyer Smith is a better passer than Wilson, and is an adequate runner--but not at Wilson's level.
Dan Mullen is 8-2 against Kentucky, and in his last 3 seasons at MSU he put up, 42, 40 and 45 points against the Wildcats.
Dan Mullen (average score 40-22)
- October 30, 2009 Lexington, KY Mississippi State 31–24
- October 29, 2010 Starkville, MS #23 Mississippi State 24–17
- October 29, 2011 Lexington, KY Mississippi State 28–16
- October 6, 2012 Lexington, KY #20 Mississippi State 27–14
- October 24, 2013 Starkville, MS Mississippi State 28–22
- October 25, 2014 Lexington, KY #1Mississippi State 45–31
- October 24, 2015 Starkville, MS Mississippi State 42–16
- October 22, 2016 Lexington, KY Kentucky 40–38
- October 21, 2017 Starkville, MS Mississippi State 45–7
- September 8, 2018 Gainesville, FL Kentucky 27-16
Jim McElwain (average score 29-14)
- September 23, 2017 Florida 28-27
- September 10, 2016 Florida 45-7
- September 19, 2015 Florida 14-9
- September 13, 2014 Florida 36-30OT
- September 28, 2013 Florida 24-7
- September 22, 2012 Florida 38-0
- September 24, 2011 Florida 48-10
- September 25, 2010 Florida 48-14
- September 26, 2009 Florida 41-7
- September 25, 2008 Florida 63-5
Watch the play-by-play on ESPN at 7 EDT/ 6CDT featuring Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay, and Molly McGrath Channel, but listen to the audio by Hall of Famer Mick Hubert on TuneIn or WRUF online. The Gators are favored by 8, and the over/under is 51. I think this will be a low-scoring, plodding game that ends up 21-17, Gators.
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