Kentucky favored over Florida in SEC bounce-back test
The Wildcats and Gators meet Saturday night after losses to Tennessee and Oklahoma, respectively.
| Kickoff | 7:30 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kroger Field |
| Spread | Florida -4.5 |
| Total | 44.5 |
| TV | Not announced yet |
|---|
The TV network for Florida at Kentucky is set by the conference's TV partners closer to game week. Each school's radio network carries the game.
We post the running score and every scoring play right here as the game unfolds, no refresh needed. For the full drive-by-drive play-by-play, box score and player stats, open the game page.
Follow the full play-by-play and box score →Kentucky opened as a 3.5-point home favorite over Florida for Saturday’s 6:15 p.m. ET kickoff at Kroger Field, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. ESPN will televise the game, with Kentucky and Florida both trying to recover from decisive conference losses.
Kentucky lost 34-6 at Tennessee. Florida enters at 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the SEC after falling 23-7 at home to Oklahoma, its second straight game with fewer than 10 points. ESPN’s FPI gives Kentucky a 54% chance to win, while FanDuel set the opening total at 51.5.
Florida’s week-to-week swings make this difficult to read: the Gators beat Ole Miss by 24 and Texas by 3, but lost to Missouri by 28 and Oklahoma by 16. Their quarterback situation also remains unsettled after Trammell Jones completed 10 of 22 passes with two interceptions against Oklahoma. Aaron Philo went 5 of 7 in the previous game, but both incompletions were intercepted. He was replaced before halftime.
Florida has allowed 425.3 total yards per game for the season, though its recent totals have improved to 278 against Texas, 318 against Georgia and 351 against Oklahoma. Kentucky must still account for Emmanuel Oyebadejo, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound edge threat who leads Florida with 4.5 sacks.
A Sea of Blue identified Kentucky right tackle Malachi Wood as a matchup concern after the Wildcats’ right side struggled with Tennessee’s speed. Florida’s ability to create edge pressure could test whether Kentucky can return to cleaner offensive football.
The teams last played a November night game in Lexington one year ago, when Kentucky won 38-7. This meeting comes with different coaches and far less certainty. A Sea of Blue’s early prediction has Kentucky using its home-field advantage to win 33-21.
Why it matters
Kentucky is trying to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive after a 34-6 loss at Tennessee. Florida needs to stop a two-game stretch in which its offense has scored fewer than 10 points each time.
What to watch next
Kentucky and Florida kick off Saturday, November 14, at 6:15 p.m. ET at Kroger Field on ESPN.
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