Maybe it’s a sign of how much Kentucky’s football program has progressed over the past few years, but the Wildcats’ 2-1 start to the season has been a disappointment to coaches, players and fans alike. The upcoming schedule offers no respite for UK. Following a narrow defeat at the hands of the rival Louisville Cardinals, Kentucky jumps right into Southeastern Conference play against No. 15 Florida. The Wildcats understand the challenge that lies in front of them, but they also know that ending a 24-game losing streak at the hands of the Gators would make their early season struggles a distant memory.”You have to take that kind of approach,” Phillips said. “We’re in this thing together. We have to take that kind of approach and use that energy to beat a team like this.”UK knows it has no choice to turn the page on the first three games of 2011, because the Gators will make the Cats pay if they play the way they have for much of the season so far.”It is a whole new challenge because of the speed with which these guys play,” Phillips said. “If you execute the way we have at times the first three games, it could be really ugly.”In those games, UK has relied on a number of young and inexperienced players. For many, this is the first serious adversity they have faced in their football careers, but Phillips says it is a test for newcomers and veterans alike.”Not just young guys, old guys (need to respond) too,” Phillips said. “You can see how all of us bounce back. It’s our job to prepare them and we haven’t prepared them very well obviously. We have to get them better.”The majority of UK’s troubles have come on the offensive side of the ball. While the defense has performed admirably, the offense has had trouble getting on the same page. One game, nothing is working; the next UK can run but not pass; then the passing game gets it going but the running backs have no space to make plays. Phillips said the team has focused this week on identifying the strengths of the unit and focusing on them.”We have thrown the ball fairly well at times,” Phillips said. “Also, if you look at the second game, we ran the ball efficiently. The thing we’ve got to do is put them all together, figure out which runs we can execute and which passes we can execute.”No matter how much UK practices though, the speed that Florida possesses simply cannot be simulated.”We could try to go the track team, but even that wouldn’t be close,” Phillips said.As fast as Florida is on defense, offense is where the real burners are. Running backs Chris Rainey and Will Demps are world-class sprinters for the Gator track team and have combined for 751 of Florida’s 1,327 yards from scrimmage (56.6-percent) through three games. For a swarming UK defense, it will be all about not allowing Rainey and Demps the chance to use their speed.”We’ve got to make sure when we get an opportunity to get our hands on them, we’ve got to wrap them up and get a chance to tackle them,” Phillips said.Quarterback Jeff Brantley is in his second season as Florida’s starter, while head coach Will Muschamp is in his first year after being hired from Texas. Phillips says the move from former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow to Brantley was more of a transition than the coaching change from Urban Meyer to Muschamp. “They haven’t changed,” Phillips said. “They’re Florida. They have great athletes. They were in a transition last year, if you ask me, transition with the quarterback change. That was their transition. This quarterback has been the starter for two years. I don’t consider (the coaching change) a transition.”In spite of all of the due respect he has for Florida, Phillips does not see the Gators as some insurmountable juggernaut. Without a doubt, the Wildcats will have to play much better than they have at any time so far this season, but Phillips believes his players have that kind of performance within them. By no means is he looking for perfection, but he is definitely looking for the Cats to capitalize on what’s available to them.”I just think you have to take advantage of opportunities that are given to you,” Phillips said. “You can’t have drops. You can’t have turnovers. You can’t (allow 14 tackles for loss, as UK did against Louisville). “I don’t think you have to play perfect, but you have to play smart.”