Billy Napier, Florida preparing for 'really good football team' in Kentucky

Kentucky has defeated Florida twice in a row and three of the last five matchups dating back to 2018. The Gators lead the all-time series 53-20, but this isn’t the same program that lost 31 straight and 37 of 38 since 1980. These Wildcats are different, as is the culture in Lexington.

And UF head coach Billy Napier knows it. He took a 26-16 loss to Mark Stoops and Kentucky in the Swamp last season, the Wildcats forcing two turnovers and controlling the time of possession. This group is capable of doing the same in Lexington as it hopes to extend that winning streak to three.

“Kentucky has a really good football team,” Napier said Monday. “We’ve got a ton of respect for Coach Stoops and the program that he’s built there. The consistency in which they play and the brand of football that they play, the fundamentals and the philosophy. It’s a tough place to go play.

“We’ve got to go up there and play at noon. Our players are well aware of the program Kentucky has. They’ve beaten us two years in a row and I do think there are challenges that come with going and playing on the road in this league. Kentucky is certainly one of those.”

Napier sees the playmakers on offense and the opportunities for explosives. Devin Leary has three dynamic pass-catching weapons while Ray Davis has emerged as a star in the backfield. Factor in experience, talent and depth at tight end, and the Florida defense has its hands full, especially if the offensive line continues to progress.

“They’re transfer-heavy on offense. I think they’ve got a good group of skilled players,” Napier added. “That running back (Ray Davis), he’s the featured back. The quarterback (Devin Leary) was fantastic at NC State, he’s had a fantastic career and he’s off to a good start. And they’ve got skilled players at receiver, their two true freshmen (Barion Brown and Dane Key) from last year back for their sophomore year and the transfer from Virginia Tech (Tayvion Robinson). The tight end, one guy I feel like has been there forever (Brenden Bates).

“They’ve got a good group. Up front is where they’ve made some progress. In general, I do think they have a good complementary group of players on offense, for sure.”

The offense has been a bit of a moving target in recent years, though. It has seen run-heavy units known for dominating the line of scrimmage and pro-style, high-octane passing groups with elite talent at quarterback and wide receiver, others finding a nice balance of both.

But make no mistake about it: Stoops has earned a reputation for building tough and physical defenses, Brad White being a key factor there, too.

“Kentucky, that’s one of the reasons they’ve been able to be very consistent as a program and as a team. They play really good defense,” Napier said. “They’ve got an identity, they understand who they are and how they play. It’s a veteran group and I think they’ve added a couple of transfers also that have provided depth at certain positions.

“They’ve got a good group of defensive coaches, and obviously the head coach has a defensive background. They’re systematic in what they do and they do a really good job, play well at all levels of the defense, in my opinion.”

The Wildcats enter the matchup with a 4-0 record, beating the spread in three of those wins. As for the No. 22 Gators, they took an ugly loss in the season-opener at No. 14 Utah, but have since earned three consecutive wins — including a statement victory against No. 11 Tennessee.

Who will come out on top? We’ll find out Saturday at Kroger Field, kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.