Kentucky Opens SEC Play Inside The Swamp vs. Florida
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The University of Kentucky football team looks to rebound from a tough season-opening home loss to Southern Miss by starting Southeastern Conference play against top-25 ranked Florida on Saturday inside The Swamp.
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| Kentucky at Florida | ||
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| Sat., Sept. 10 – 3:30 p.m. ET Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, Fla. Florida Gameday Information Game Notes: UK  | UF Digital Gameday Program Gameday App |
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| Coverage | ||
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TV: CBS |
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| UK | 2016 Team Stats | UF |
| 0-1 | Record | 1-0 |
| 0-0 | Conference Record | 0-0 |
| 35.0 | Scoring/game | 24.0 |
| 409.0 | Total offense/game | 363.0 |
| 96.0 | Rushing yards/game | 107.0 |
| 313.0 | Passing yards/game | 256.0 |
| 23.5 | Kickoff returns (avg) | 64.3 |
| 0.0 | Punt returns (avg) | 8.3 |
| 34.2 | Punting (avg) | 44.5 |
| 19:28 | Time of possession/game | 31:59 |
| 33.3% | Third down conversion | 52.9% |
| 00.0% | Fourth down conversion | 50.0% |
| 44.0 | Points allowed/game | 7.0 |
| 520.0 | Total yards allowed/game | 187.0 |
| 262.0 | Rush yards allowed/game | 46.0 |
| 258.0 | Pass yards allowed/game | 141.0 |
The Kentucky offense put together one of the best first halves in program history against USM, scoring 35 points behind four passing touchdowns from sophomore quarterback Drew Barker. However, the Golden Eagles scored 34 unanswered points – 27 in the second half – to secure the victory.
The Kentucky defense was paced by sophomore linebacker Jordan Jones, who had 19 tackles in the game. UK had three interceptions as a team, including two from J.D. Harmon.
Cat Scratches: Plays under Pressure the Focus Before Florida
The sting Mark Stoops was feeling after Kentucky’s season-opening loss on Saturday had not faded by Monday afternoon. Not even close.
But neither had his belief in his team.
“We feel the same way today as we did after the game,” Stoops said. “It hurts just as bad, but I promise you, as I said all year, this is a good football team. They knew what to do. We gotta execute.”
For nearly a full half, execution was no issue for the Wildcats. But when things began to go haywire – starting with a long touchdown just before half – it began to slip. Not across the board, but enough to open the door for a dramatic comeback…Read More
Scouting Florida
• The Gators took care of UMass in the 2016 season opener, winning 24-7 while allowing just 187 yards of total offense to the Minutemen. Offensively, Florida was led by new quarterback Luke Del Rio’s 256 yards and two touchdowns passing.
• Florida coach Jim McElwain is in his second season with the Gators after winning 22 games in three years at Colorado State. His teams have advanced to bowl games in each of the past three seasons.
• The Gators return 12 starters from 2015, including four on offense, six on defense and two on special teams.
• Florida has been dominant in The Swamp, posting the third-best home winning percentage (.850) in the nation since 1990 behind only Florida State (.861) and Nebraska (.850).
• Florida is coming off the 14th 10-win season in its history after going 10-4 in 2015 with a trip to the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl.
• Florida started the 2015 season 9-1 before losing its final three games, but did win the SEC Eastern Division before falling to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Florida lost to Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.
• The Gators have gone 40-4 in the month of September since 2005, a winning percentage of .909. They have won 12 consecutive Southeastern Conference openers.
A Win on Saturday Would …
• Mark UK’s first win over Florida since 1986.
• Mark UK’s first in Gainesville since 1979.
• Give UK its second straight win in an SEC opener. UK defeated South Carolina in Columbia last season, 26-22, snapping a 22-game losing streak on the road.
On This Date in Wildcat History
• Saturday’s game marks the 12th time in program history that the Wildcats have played a game on Sept. 10, holding a 10-1 record in those contests.
