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WATCH: Kentucky releases hype video ahead of top-20 matchup against Florida

20200517_134556by:Justin Rudolph•09/09/22
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The Kentucky Wildcats‘ matchup with the Florida Gators on Sunday was already one of major implications, with both teams jockeying for position in the SEC East. However, after the Gators upset the No.7 team in the country, Utah Utes, and jumped to No. 20 in the national rankings, the matchup has now turned into a top 20 faceoff in Week 2. If you don’t think your Wildcats are hyped up for this game, then you don’t know Mark Stoops and his brand of Wildcats football. On Friday, less than 24 hours before kickoff, Kentucky released this hype video for their showdown in the swamp.

Florida became the talk of the SEC quickly after their surprise upset of Utah. But that means little to nothing to the Wildcats as they look to take down the Gators in back-to-back seasons. Last season under the lights at Kroger Field, home of the Wildcats, Kentucky hosted their own upset party as they defeated the then-ranked No. 10 Gators. If quarterback Will Levis can have a similar performance to the one he had in Week 1 against Miami of Ohio, Kentucky will enjoy another upset victory over Florida. And to make it all the sweeter, silence the raucous crowd in the swamp.

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Early season wins over Florida have propelled Kentucky to big years

Mark Stoops has built a solid SEC football program at Kentucky. Over the last seven seasons, the Wildcats have won 48 games and currently own a four-game bowl winning streak. During this run, UK has emerged as a consistent winner in the East division.

Stability is important, but busting through and capitalizing on big seasons when the opportunity presents itself is even more important. For a program to truly grow, there need to be ranked finishes and double-digit win seasons to help upgrade your program’s prestige.

Kentucky has had two of those seasons in the last four years. Each got rolling downhill after an early season victory over Florida.

In 2021, Kentucky got off to a fast start with a 4-0 mark as the Wildcats won their first two SEC contests against Missouri and South Carolina. The Cats were a small favorite in each but were set to host Florida in Week 6 as a touchdown dog. The Gators impressed many with a close season loss to Alabama and hammered Tennessee at home the week before.

Despite a rough offensive outing from Will Levis, tailback Chris Rodriguez Jr. had a very productive game on the ground, and the defense was outstanding producing multiple red zone stops. Trevin Wallace returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the third quarter that completely flipped the momentum of the game.