Kentucky vs. Florida: Mentally Prepare for Heartbreak

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. A sold out crowd will pack Kroger Field for one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of the year against a top ten Florida team. All of the pieces are in place for a monumental Kentucky victory. Catastrophic mistakes are the only thing standing in the Wildcats’ way. It feels like deja vu is happening all over again, with heartbreak looming right around the corner.

Listen, I want the Wildcats to defeat the Gators as much as anybody. This is the big win the BBN has been waiting to see from Mark Stoops at Kroger Field. A victory would be the best kind of reward for Wildcat fans who have stuck through thick and thin.

“It would mean a lot, especially for this season and to show the fans we are elite,” said tight end Brenden Bates. “We are an elite team. We’ve got some great athletes. Especially to do that in front of all the fans, Kroger Field is already packed out. To do that in front of all of them would mean a lot to me and I think show the fans our appreciation. Thank you for coming. Thank you for sticking out with us through all these years.” 

Unfortunately, history tells us catastrophic mistakes will lead to heartbreak.

A Short List of Heartbreaks at Home vs. Florida

1993: Chris Doering catches a 29-yard touchdown from Danny Wuerffel with two seconds left on the clock to snatch a victory from the Cats.

2003: The Wildcats led 21-3 after three quarters. Things fell apart when Jared Lorenzen threw an ill-advised pass while he was being thrown to the ground. The interception helped the Gators score 21 unanswered in the fourth quarter, capping off the largest comeback in school history.

2015: Trailing 14-9 with two minutes to play, Kentucky needed an 80-yard touchdown scoring drive to secure a win. After converting one fourth down, Patrick Towles was sacked to force a 4th and 22. The UK quarterback was intercepted, ending a desperate comeback attempt after the defense held Florida scoreless for the final 30 minutes.

2017: Stephen Johnson threw three touchdown passes to help Kentucky take a 27-14 lead with just over ten minutes to play. The Wildcats let two Gator receivers slip onto the field uncovered, giving Florida the lead with less than a minute to play. Kentucky still had a chance to kick a go-ahead field goal, but a phantom holding call backed up Kentucky and Austin MacGinnis’ 57-yarder came up just short.

2019: Sawyer Smith was almost perfect in his debut, marching UK into scoring territory, prepared to take a 21-7 lead to start the second half. Smith’s pass was picked off and returned 72 yards, sparking a Florida comeback. Kentucky still had a chance to win with less than a minute to play, but Chance Poore’s 35-yard field goal missed, leading to an expletive-filled celebration from defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.

#Gators last trip to Lexington had Todd Grantham fired up pic.twitter.com/Nnj1JBy6ie

— Nick de la Torre (@delatorre) September 29, 2021

Too Many Turnovers

In the previous three home games between Kentucky and Florida at Kroger Field, the Wildcats have a -2 turnover margin, with Gators recording six total takeaways. When the Wildcats snapped the streak at Florida, the teams had two turnovers apiece.

To win on Saturday Kentucky cannot lose the turnover battle. Unfortunately, the first four wins of the Wildcats’ 2021 season have been plagued by turnovers.

Kentucky has a -9 turnover margin, the worst in the country. What’s alarming is that they aren’t all from interceptions. You can live with some aggressive mistakes from Will Levis. The 14 fumbles is unacceptable. Kentucky is lucky its opponents have only recovered six of them.

The Cats are talented enough to overcome turnovers against Missouri and South Carolina. The margin of error is far too thin against a team like Florida.

Kentucky has the Jimmys and Joes to physically will the Wildcats to a win over Florida IF they do not lose the turnover battle. Maybe this is the game Kentucky finally puts it all together and plays a complete game. I sure hope so. Unfortunately, aside from a gator-wrangler, all of the signs forecast more heartbreak against Florida at Kroger Field.