Scouting Kentucky: Bowl Hopes Hang in Balance for Gators, Wildcats
Florida and Kentucky, two 3-5 programs, go head to head Saturday in primetime with one question surrounding both teams: Is a bowl game possible at this point?
The team that walks away with a win will have a chance, and the other may see its season come to end in just a few weeks time.
The Gators and Wildcats have a storied history, as they meet for the 76th time. This rivalry has gone to the wayside after Florida’s 31-game win streak came to an end in 2018.
Loading ...Kentucky is 1-5 in SEC play with its one win against Auburn last week and looks to play a postseason game for the first time since 2023, as they finished last season 4-8. The Wildcats won 10-3 on the road, contributing to the end of coach Hugh Freeze’s tenure with the Tigers.
Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley completed 62.1% of passes and recorded 161 pass yards, one touchdown and two interceptions last week against Auburn. These stats are nearly identical to Florida’s DJ Lagway, who threw 62.5% and put up 166 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in the 24-20 loss to Georgia.
Boley, a redshirt freshman, gave up seven interceptions this year and tallied 10 touchdown passes and 1,376 yards. His running abilities are lacking, as he recorded 85 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Boley has also been sacked 17 times, tying for 27th in the NCAA.
Senior wide receiver Kendrick Law leads the Wildcats in receiving with 351 yards and three touchdowns on 30 catches. He also has the most kickoff returns for Kentucky with six for 97 yards. Tight end Willie Rodriguez has the second-most receiving yards on the team with 309 in addition to one touchdown in his sophomore season.
In the run game, senior Seth McGowan has nearly half of Kentucky’s total rushing yards. The running back recorded 529 yards in his first year in the SEC since the spring of 2021, when he was dismissed from Oklahoma’s team after his freshman season for stealing marijuana, cash and other items from an apartment in Norman alongside two of his teammates. Now, McGowan holds seven of the Wildcats’ 11 rushing touchdowns on 114 carries in seven games.
Fellow running back Dante Dowdell has also seen plenty of playing time in his junior season, recording 337 yards on 82 attempts.
While the Kentucky defense allowed just three points last week, the Wildcats have given up 214 points this season, including 56 by Tennessee on Oct. 25. Against Kentucky’s rush defense, its opponents have scored 17 touchdowns.
Five Wildcats have reached the 40 mark in total tackles this season. Inside linebacker Alex Afari Jr. tallied 49 total and six tackles for loss of 21 yards this season to lead Kentucky in both categories. He also has four quarterback hurries.
Defensive backs Ty Bryant and Jordan Lovett follow with 45 and 44 tackles, respectively, and lead the team with two interceptions each.
Outside linebacker Steven Soles Jr. leads Kentucky with 3.5 sacks for 33 yards lost and two forced fumbles. Linemen Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace and Tavion Gadson and defensive back Daveren Rayner each have four tackles for loss this year, contributing to Kentucky’s total of 46.
Gadson is listed as questionable on the SEC injury report for this weekend’s contest, which is set for 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Football, NCAA
