Florida heads to Lexington on Saturday with a lot on the line against No. 13 Kentucky. The Gators are trying to halt a two-game skid and get to bowl eligibility after falling short of the six-win mark in 2025.
Kentucky enters the matchup under first-year head coach Will Stein with an offense that has been steady enough to matter. The Wildcats are averaging 383.6 yards per game and 29.9 points per game, which puts them at No. 70 and No. 56 nationally.
Quarterback Kenny Minchey has been the engine, throwing for 1,979 yards with 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions. His 69% completion rate ranks fourth in the conference, and Kentucky has leaned on completions to wide receivers that are producing gains of more than 10 yards.
The Wildcats also have balance in the backfield and on the outside. C.J. Baxter has run for 541 yards and eight touchdowns, while Kenny Derby leads the team with 567 receiving yards.
Florida’s defense will have to clean up what went wrong against Oklahoma. Brad White’s group gave up only two runs of more than 10 yards, but the Sooners still found efficient production on the ground and controlled the game by keeping the Gators off the field on third down. Oklahoma held a 15:40 edge in time of possession, and Florida will need to create more negative plays if it wants to slow Baxter and the Kentucky run game.
On the other side, Buster Faulkner’s offense gets a chance to rebound against a defense that has been vulnerable. Kentucky is allowing 365.6 yards and 25.8 points per game, and Florida needs that opening after managing just 15 combined points against Georgia and Oklahoma. That’s a sharp drop from the 53.5 points per game the Gators were averaging during their 4-0 start.
The matchup also gives Tramell Jones Jr. a path to attack through the air. Kentucky ranks No. 108 nationally in pass defense, surrendering 238.2 yards per game, and that opens the door for the kind of big plays Florida’s offense was generating earlier in the season.
If there’s one area where Kentucky has separated itself, it’s turnovers. The Wildcats are No. 7 nationally at plus-10, while Florida sits at minus-three.
Kentucky comes into Week 11 after a 34-6 loss to Tennessee that ended a six-game winning streak.
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His latest statement came against Florida State, when he finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, continuing a stretch in which he has already totaled 54 points and 27 rebounds through three games. For a Florida team still sorting out its early-season identity, Haughs production has been one of the clearest signs that the Gators have a frontcourt piece capable of changing the tone of a game, even as the bigger test of that advantage is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]