Florida Streak Matters Little Compared to Task at Hand
Mark Stoops has never been one to dodge topics important to Kentucky fans.
He has fully embraced rivalry games, acknowledged the significance of reaching bowl eligibility and even recognized what it would mean to end a losing streak to Florida that has now reached 31 games.
But for the Wildcats to accomplish the latter, Stoops knows there’s only one path.
“It is important to us for that reason, but we can’t focus on it for that reason,” Stoops said. “We need to focus on it because it’s this year.”
The streak might be the primary subject of UK-Florida talk outside the Wildcat locker room, but don’t expect to hear any of it inside. For one, not a single player who will suit up on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Gainesville, Florida, was alive when it began. For two, this game – which features a pair of 1-0 teams jockeying for position in the rugged Southeastern Conference – is way too important even without the historical context.
“It’s an SEC team, it’s in the East, and we want to win some football games and they are next on the schedule,” Stoops said. “That’s truthfully what it is about. These guys cannot worry about 30-some years and all that. They really can’t. Winning is important to our team each and every week and that’s the approach we’ll have.”
Inevitably, questions about the streak have popped up in interviews leading up to this weekend’s matchup in the Swamp. The way players have answered them shows they are following Stoops’ lead.
“It would be good to break that, but we’re going to go in and just play our game,” said A.J. Rose, who had a breakout performance in the season opener. “We’re not going in there thinking about what they’re saying or to break the streak, like Coach Stoops said. We’re just worried about playing that football game.”
With the Gators, there’s more than enough to worry about.
Florida, ranked 25th in both polls, dominated Charleston Southern in Dan Mullen’s first game as head coach, 53-6. Mystery always accompanies a new coach as he takes over a team, but Stoops and his staff have plenty of experience coaching against the former Mississippi State headman.
“Obviously, we go back and study Mississippi State quite a bit, been watching a lot of that,” Stoops said. “With the opponent they opened with, they didn’t have to tip off too much of what they’re going to do. But we don’t expect them to vary very much from what he did at Mississippi State, so we’ll be prepared for all that. We broke them down in the off-season, so they’re a good football team, just like you’d expect a Florida team to be.”
Florida, even during some relative down years for the perennial power, has always been among the most dynamic defensive teams in the country. That’s no different this year.
“They have some difference-makers on defense at all level of their defense,” Stoops said. “They have some disruptors up front. Their linebacker’s (CeCe Jefferson) a really good player and their secondary, I think they gave up three yards (passing yards vs. Charleston Southern). I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that. That’s pretty good. They have some very good players.”
The Gators allowed just 225 yards of offense in their opener, forcing three turnovers in the process. Kentucky, meanwhile, committed four turnovers in beating Central Michigan. That came on the heels of a season in which UK moved up to 30th in the country from 132nd in turnovers committed, so the Cats are accustomed to emphasizing turnovers in practice.
“Every second of the day since 132nd in the country a year and half ago has been that,” offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said. “That’s why we went from 132nd to 30th and we were a top-10 for a long time. They know, they understand. You can’t throw the ball up in the air for grabs, and you’ve got to hold onto the thing and you’ve got to have great technique. Every single day starts out there, we start a period out there of ball security. So, they understand it.”
Of those four turnovers, new starting quarterback Terry Wilson committed two – both interceptions – in his first career start.
“I’m not going to lie, I had nerves,” Wilson said. “But that’s out the way and we got the W. That’s the biggest thing. We gotta learn from it. I owned it, owned up to it and it happens playing quarterback.”
Wilson will again start this week, though his backup – Gunnar Hoak – guided a two-minute drill touchdown drive in his first action. When Wilson returned after halftime, he was much improved.
“I think that’s the best thing: He settled down,” Gran said. “Made some good reads. Game gets fast out there when you get into the lights. It was fast for both of them at times. I think they’ll get better from week one to week two. I know they will. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
Neither quarterback has ever faced a road environment like the Swamp, but Wilson is relishing the chance to see how he measures up.
“This is the best of the best football, in my opinion,” Wilson said. “Just want to play big-boy football. That’s what I came here for and I’m just prepping this week to get ready for it.”
Big-boy football will be played on the other side of the ball as well, with Florida’s offense led by quarterback Feleipe Franks. The redshirt sophomore started as UK lost a heartbreaker last season to Florida, 28-27, but seems a different player in 2018 after throwing five touchdowns last weekend.
“Offensively, they’re doing some good things, just like you would expect from a Florida team,” Stoops said. “You got some speed at wide receiver, very good running backs and their quarterback played really good this past week. We’ll have our hands full.”
Ultimately, that matters a lot more than any streak.
“Our players read and they understand what’s going on,” Stoops said. “I could tell them to stay off social media and reading articles, but that’s not going to be the case. Again, our concentration needs to be on what we have to do this year. Once again when I’m back up here in several weeks and you’re asking me about the South Carolina (game) I’m going to say that means absolutely nothing to me, last year. So why on the reverse should it really matter?”
