This Saturday Florida travels to Lexington to take on the Kentucky Wildcats, a team the Gators have beaten twenty straight times. This time however the game will take on a different feel as UK is actually higher in the polls than the Gators.
Today, CatsPause.com Staff Writer Matt May breaks down five burning questions about the Wildcats and provides five players UF fans will need to keep an eye on.
1) How will Kentucky bounce back from an emotional three-overtime victory against LSU for another huge game seven days later?
Matt May: Kentucky is a team that hasn't really ridden the emotional roller coaster some teams do, mainly because of its coach and a core of seniors who are pretty grounded. True, the LSU game was an enormous victory for the program and it's hard to get to that level emotionally in consecutive weeks but if you look back to earlier this season UK proved it's not one for letdowns. After beating then-No. 9 Louisville (which at the time was the biggest win in some time and as emotional as any because of the rivalry) the Cats went on the road to Arkansas, played a very good football game and won. I don't think being ready to play will be an issue.
2) Why has Kentucky's offensive line played so well? The Cats are allowing far fewer sacks than last year and running much better even though they have three starters up front who weren't recruited as offensive linemen and only one returning full-time starter.
Matt May: The better running game really began about midseason last year, which is one of the reasons UK was so successful down the stretch in winning five of its last six games. For all its toughness last year's offensive line wasn't exactly the most naturally talented, but this year's group has upgraded immensely in terms of sheer ability. With the athleticism and quickness (two of the starters are converted tight ends) they can do a lot more things in the run game with different schemes and they aren't being exploited as easily by the quick defensive ends in the SEC. There has been more than one SEC opponent talk about how physical this group is and anyone who holds LSU's vaunted line without a sack is legitimate.
3) What is Rafael Little's status and how much do the Wildcats need him to play this Saturday? Could they win two big games in a row without him?
Matt May: Rafael Little will not play. He is out indefinitely (probably through the Cats' bye week on Nov. 3) with a deep thigh bruise that is not healing properly. As good as he is – and make no mistake, he's one of the better backs in the league – one of the biggest reasons for the Cats' success this season has been their stable of capable backs. Their fourth quarter comeback against Arkansas was keyed by freshman Derrick Locke, as was the LSU comeback. Locke has sprinter's speed (10.6 seconds in the 100-yard dash) and a toughness to match. Tony Dixon and Alfonso Smith are also averaging more than 6.0 yards a carry so, no, no one is Rafael Little but they've been up to the task without him.
4) What do you look for Kentucky to do defensively to stop Florida's Tim Tebow?
Matt May: Kentucky doesn't try to really change up its defense week to week to match up with opponents. The philosophy they use is the simpler the better, meaning do what they do best and do it fundamentally sound and they'll be in good shape. It hasn't worked so well in the first half of games but they've been outstanding after halftime in virtually every game this season. You would expect the Cats to be cognizant of Tebow's ability to run and running quarterbacks have hurt UK in recent years but I would be surprised if they drastically change anything in an effort to take him out of the game.
5) How will UK's offense attempt to attack the Florida defense?
Matt May: UK prides itself on being balanced offensively but it seems to be pretty obvious the Cats will likely attack Florida's pass defense with Andre' Woodson and their corps of receivers. The Gators rank 11th in the league in pass defense and have a young secondary the Cats will try to exploit. If they can keep Woodson clean it could be a long day for the Gators' pass defense.
Five Players You Should Know
1) Eric Scott (Center) – An athletic and intelligent player, Scott came to UK as a tight end and has also played defensive end and offensive guard before settling at center last spring. One NFL scout told me he's the fastest-rising prospect on UK's roster, especially after he helped hold LSU's Glenn Dorsey to just two tackles last week.
2) Sam Maxwell (Outside Linebacker) – Forced into the starting role because of an injury to Johnny Williams, Maxwell has flourished in recent weeks. He had six tackles against (one for loss) against LSU despite having a temperature of 101 degrees.
3) Trevard Lindley (Cornerback) – If Lindley played for any of the nation's more traditional names he'd be an All-American candidate. He has made the majority of UK's most important defensive plays the past two years (game-winning INT vs. Georgia, INT vs. Louisville, fumble return vs. Arkansas, INT vs. LSU, etc.) while shutting down opposing receivers.
4) Jeremy Jarmon (Defensive End) – Jarmon has registered a sack in eight of the past 11 games despite being just a sophomore and ranks second in the SEC in sacks and eighth in tackles for loss. He is always around the football.
5) Alfonso Smith (Running Back) – One of UK's stable of backs, Smith is every bit as fast as freshman Derrick Locke and runs with the meanness of a guy like Marion Barber. Smith has been out since the Arkansas game with an ankle injury but will be back and is also a huge force covering and returning kicks.