KSR's Kentucky vs. Florida Predictions

The long wait is almost over. In one hour, Kentucky and No. 10 Florida will take the field and we’ll finally see what the Wildcats are made of. Spend the final minutes until kickoff reading what the KSR crew has to say about tonight’s game.

Tyler Thompson

This game is the ultimate battle of head vs. heart. Kentucky is 4-0 with arguably the strongest combination of talent, depth, and experience in the Mark Stoops Era. Florida hasn’t played a true road game (apologies, Central Florida) in two years and Kroger Field will be rocking. If there is a time for the Cats to pull off a big upset and take the proverbial step forward, it is now. The “heart” argument here is very strong. But…

Kentucky ranks dead last in the country in turnover margin at minus-nine. If you’re going to beat a top-10 team like Florida, you cannot afford mistakes, and the Cats have made far too many of them through four games to inspire any sort of confidence that they won’t tomorrow. The offense, which looked so great early on, has lost a little bit of luster, specifically Will Levis. The formidable Big Blue Wall has shown cracks.

Then you look at the Gators. Multiple quarterbacks that can run. Eek. The SEC’s best rushing attack. Eek. A defensive line hell-bent on stopping Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky’s fail-safe when the going gets tough. Eeeeek. A head coach and defensive coordinator who would love nothing more than to run the score up. Eee — well, you get the point.

When you put it like that, head should come out on top…but my bleeding blue heart’s still got a few beats left. If Will Levis plays well and finds Wan’Dale Robinson on the edge for a touchdown or two…If the Cats take care of the ball…If the defense stops Florida from getting chunk plays over and over again…then Kentucky has a shot. And we’re toasting with the good stuff Saturday night.

Prediction: Kentucky 27 Florida 24

---

Nick Roush

Kentucky has the talent to take down Florida Saturday night. The offense has the potential to score 30+ against Todd Grantham’s emotional blitzes. Will they? Probably not.

As much as Kentucky’s defense against South Carolina gave me confidence for the future, the turnover bug continues to bite again and again and again. I hope this is the game the Cats turn it around and put together a total team effort, but they’ve shown me nothing to prove that will be the case. One catastrophic turnover will rip out hearts across the BBN, again.

Prediction: Florida 27 Kentucky 24

---

Zack Geoghegan

The greatest football game I’ve ever been to in person was when Kentucky upset South Carolina at Commonwealth Stadium in 2014. I fully expect this game to rival that spectacular night, I’m just still a little wishy-washy on if the home team comes out on top again.

I was dead wrong last week when I chose the Gamecocks to steal a win from Kentucky in the ‘Cats first road game of the 2021 season. And to be fair, UK doesn’t typically win games where the ball is coughed up four times. Which means this isn’t a fluke anymore–luck is on Kentucky’s side for once this time around. And while the minus-9 turnover margin tries to say otherwise, keep in mind it could be much, much worse.

But Florida is top 10 in the nation for a reason. Kentucky will need much more than a few lucky bounces to beat the Gators. It will take near-perfect execution on both sides of the field from UK, which hasn’t exactly been the case through the 4-0 start. If there were a time for Mark Stoops to bust out a trick play or two, it would be now.

Kroger Field will be unlike anything I’ve seen in seven years, but this isn’t South Carolina coming to town. Kentucky has beaten Florida just once in my lifetime. Regardless of the outcome, I’ll be cheering on the ‘Cats harder than ever from the stands.

Prediction: Florida 31 Kentucky 24

---

Adam Luckett

The ball is teed up and now Kentucky must drive the green. The Wildcats are 4-0 and will be hosting a top-10 ranked Florida team that does have some flaws. This is a spot where the Wildcats should deliver their A-game.

However, that might not be enough.

The SEC East slugfest will be a four-quarter battle that is a fight to the bitter end, but Kentucky’s passing game depth rears its ugly head on Saturday night. Florida slows down Chris Rodriguez Jr. just enough and the Wildcats are unable to find another receiving threat outside of Wan’Dale Robinson.

The defense plays well, but fatigue sets in late as Florida gets a couple of fourth-quarter touchdowns. For the fourth consecutive meeting in Lexington, Kentucky loses a one-possession game to Florida.

Prediction: Florida 28, Kentucky 23

---

Jack Pilgrim

Kentucky hasn’t won a game at home against Florida since 1986. 35 years since the Wildcats took down the Gators in Lexington. UK ended the official streak in 2018, but this one remains — or it did until now, anyway.

UK’s struggles have been as a result of self-imposed errors, as made clear by its minus-nine turnover differential, good (bad?) for worst in college football. The talent level, though, has been clear. At this team’s peak, they can compete with the best of the best in college football. They’ve shown spurts of that in all four games this season, but consistency and miscues have held them back from convincing victories. One side of the ball has played near-perfect football, while the other has crumbled, and vice versa.

Inconsistency issues for the Wildcats stop today, as the team puts it together on both sides of the football and competes for 60 strong minutes. The turnover struggles will flip the other direction and the ball will bounce Kentucky’s way, slowly pushing that minus-nine margin back toward the positive.

Will Levis and Chris Rodriguez must play mistake-free football and the defense needs to build off of its dominant performance at South Carolina last weekend.

Prediction: Kentucky 28, Florida 24