Highlighting the Week 2 schedule is a crucial SEC East battle as No. 12 Florida welcomes No. 20 Kentucky to The Swamp on Saturday night. The Gators enter the game with plenty of momentum coming off their thrilling 29-26 victory vs. No. 13 Utah in their season opener, bringing some instant confidence to the future of the Billy Napier era in Gainesville. That win launched Florida from outside the Preseason AP Top 25 all the way to its position just outside the top 10, adding some history to Saturday night’s matchup.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Florida and Kentucky had both been ranked in the AP Top 25 just once when they met back in 2007. This will be the second, and it also serves as a rubber match for a series that has become much more intriguing in recent years. The Gators won 31 consecutive games against the Wildcats from 1987-2017, but the UK snapped the streak in 2018, in Gainesville, and also won last season in Lexington to claim two of the last four meetings.
While Georgia is the pace-setter in the division, Florida and Kentucky are each poised, along with Tennessee, to be the toughest challengers in the SEC East. Either the Gators or Wildcats will see their chances of playing spoiler in the division race take a big hit with a loss on Saturday night, while the winner moves forward with a key conference win under their belt.
Florida vs. Kentucky: Need to know
Anthony Richardson is an emerging star in the sport: The Gators sophomore quarterback ran for three touchdowns in just his second career start, including the game-winning score, against the Utes. He also had the highlight of a 2-point conversion to put Florida up 22-19 early in the fourth quarter. Richardson dealt with injury issues in 2021 and never got a hold of the starting job when healthy, but now he’s not only QB1, but one of the most electrifying playmakers in the sport. Florida’s offense, and its hopes for the best-case scenario start for Year 1 under Napier, ride on Richardson’s ability to maintain this high level of play.
Kentucky is still dealing with key player absences: Coach Mark Stoops has been vague about the exact nature of why star running back Chris Rodriguez, along with multiple other players, has been missing time and absent from the depth chart. Stoops said this week the situation was “out of his hands” and that he’s been “advised to stay mum on the issue.” While those comments do not bring much…
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