Will Levis: Kentucky deserves to be on this stage
Kentucky football expects to beat Florida this weekend. Before Mark Stoops took over a decade ago, that statement would have been laughable. To star quarterback Will Levis, who beat Florida in Lexington last season, there’s no reason why his Wildcats should believe otherwise.
“In years past, we’ve been underdogs against Florida and there’s really none of that mentality now,” Levis said. “We made it happen last year and a couple years before that. We know it’s going to be a tough environment, but we’ve just got to embrace it, but we’re no longer that Kentucky team from 10 years ago.
“We know that we deserve to be on this stage and as long as we play the ball game that we know we can, we know we can win that game.”
Levis isn’t wrong. Kentucky has defeated Florida in two of the past four seasons after losing 31 consecutive meetings to the Gators. In both instances, Kentucky went on to win 10 games and earned Citrus Bowl trophies in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
Top 10
- 1New
Shane Beamer
SC coach gets extension
- 2Hot
Jeremiah Smith
Ohio State WR offered $4.5M+ to portal
- 3
Deion Sanders violations
Coach Prime caught by NCAA
- 4
Urban Meyer
Blasting Michigan narrative
- 5
Way-Too-Early Top 10
Joel Klatt reveals his list
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Defeating Florida in Gainesville is a tall-task for anybody – just ask No. 7 Utah – and are looking strong to start the 2022 season under new head coach Billy Napier. While Florida’s expectations are high as well, Kentucky has SEC Championship aspirations and Florida is the first step for the Wildcats on that journey.
“We have to have that confidence, we do have that confidence and I’m just excited to get out there and play in an electric environment like the Swamp,” Levis said.
Kentucky and Florida will kick off live from Gainesville a 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN as one of the top quarterback matchups in the SEC between Levis and Anthony Richardson go head-to-head. If the early-season implications weren’t enough, the winner is expected to challenge the Georgia Bulldogs for the SEC East crown as the season progresses, meaning this game is a must win for both teams.