‘Fight Our Butts Off’: Florida Determined to Keep Bowl Hopes Alive
Florida came close to defeating border-rival No.5 Georgia this past Saturday, but fell short, losing 24-20.
Now, the Gators will once again have to lick its wounds and get ready for the second leg of a three-game road trip inLexington, Kentucky, for a primetime showdown against the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Kentucky got its first conference win Saturday over Auburn, beating the Tigers 10-3 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Wildcats return home for a final two-game homestand before finishing another disappointing season on the road at Vanderbilt and Louisville.
Loading ...Kroger Field has given the Gators fits as of late, losing the last two trips in 2023 and 2021, and has not captured victory in the Bluegrass State since a comeback 29-21 win in 2019. Both teams enter the game with a 3-5 overall record, but continue to fight for bowl eligibility, which means they need to win three of their final four games.
“Getting to a bowl game is everything right now,” quarterback DJ Lagway said after the Georgia game. “Most important is just taking it one day at a time, continue to get better, man, and just focusing on our process and our development.”
Florida has not played well on the road this season—currently 0-3—but will be the favorites heading into its Week 11 matchup. The Gators will be 3.5-point favorites,according to Hard Rock Bet.
Last season, Florida snapped a three-game losing streak to Kentucky with an emphatic 48-20 win. It was a historic night for Lagway and running back Jadan Baugh, who became the first freshman quarterback-running back in school history to start a game.
Both men had themselves a night under the lights at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Lagway went 7 of 14 for 259 yards (18.4 yards per completion), but the story of the night was Baugh, who rushed for 106 yards on 22 carries and scored a program-tying five touchdowns.
Lagway will be looking for a bounce-back game in this one after going 15 of 24 for 166 yards and one touchdown. This could be the game to do it in, as Kentucky ranks 85th in pass defense, allowing an average of 236.8 yards per game. Regardless, Lagway and his teammates will continue to compete no matter who the opponent is.
“Every single day, going to continue to fight our butts off every single game, I can promise y’all that,” Lagway said. “The guys that are going to step on the field are going to give it all for each other, and we are going to play for each other each and every night.”
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football, SEC
