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Kentucky-Florida Preview

Sep 21, 2010 - 7:23 PM By CHRIS ALTRUDA STATS Editor

Kentucky (3-0) at No. 5 Florida (3-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Kentucky has done virtually everything right while rolling through non-conference opposition recently, and this year has been no exception. To open SEC play, though, the Wildcats are going to a place where it has gone all wrong many, many times.

The unbeaten Wildcats head to Gainesville, where they will try to end a 23-game losing streak to No. 9 Florida and post their first win in The Swamp since 1979.

First-year coach Joker Phillips has watched his offense execute nearly flawlessly as Kentucky (3-0) has averaged 44.3 points and 497.3 yards without committing a turnover in three games. Mike Hartline threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns while Derrick Locke added a career-high 166 rushing yards and two scores in a 47-10 rout of Akron last week.

Hartline has passed for 680 yards and five touchdowns while completing 72.0 percent of his passes, and Locke has 372 yards and five TDs for Kentucky, which has won 18 straight non-conference games.

It's been a different story for the Wildcats against Florida, which they haven't beaten since 1986. The losing streak to the Gators is the second-longest active one in the FBS - trailing Kentucky's 25-game run of futility versus Tennessee - and 10th longest all-time.

"It's something that everyone wants to here, you want to end these streaks," defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin said. "If you end a streak here, you'll go down forever in history."

Forgetting their recent history at The Swamp might be a good idea for the Wildcats. They have lost 15 in a row at Gainesville and gave up four touchdowns in the first 11:45 of a 63-5 loss there in 2008.

Last year's meeting at Lexington was also a disaster for Kentucky, as Florida (3-0, 1-0) again scored four first-quarter TDs and rolled to a 41-7 victory.

"You've got to keep your head," Lumpkin said. "Florida's one of those places, things can get away from you pretty quickly."

Continuing to play turnover free will be a challenge against a Gators defense that has been exceptional while the offense finds its bearings. Florida has recorded 10 interceptions - three by safety Ahmad Black - among its 12 takeaways and limited opponents to 14.3 points per game and a 27.5 percent conversion rate on third downs.

The Gators shut down Tauren Poole in a 31-17 win at Tennessee on Saturday, limiting the tailback to 23 yards. They forced three turnovers, including a key interception by Jeremy Brown that helped sustain Florida's momentum in the third quarter and led to a touchdown.

"Defense played well," coach Urban Meyer said. "I think we only gave up, I believe, 29 yards rushing and other than two lost coverages, I thought our defense played very well."

As the defense has shined, the offense is still adjusting to the loss of Tim Tebow to the NFL. There have been snap issues between quarterback John Brantley and converted center Mike Pouncey, the lack of a go-to player to get tough yards aside from tailback Jeffrey Demps and an inconsistent receiving corps following the dismissal of Chris Rainey.

Brantley threw a touchdown pass and Demps grinded out 73 yards versus Tennessee, but it was Meyer's decision to call a fake punt that sparked the offense. Omarius Hines raced 36 yards to further the drive, which Brantley capped with a 7-yard touchdown pass to give the Gators the lead for good.

"Until we get a little better, we're going to have to do things like that and find a way to win a game," said Meyer, whose next win will be his 100th.

Brantley has thrown for 452 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, while Demps has 310 rushing yards and is averaging 6.9 per carry.