Is the improvement the last three games an indicator that Billy Napier's plan is really working? (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Sprears) A few thoughts to jump start your Monday afternoon: “Pessimism never won any battle.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower   To Billy Napier’s credit, he has always taken the high road when it comes to his future as Florida’s football coach. Despite mounting criticism that he needs to be fired, Napier has maintained that his plan to rebuild the Florida football program from the ground up will succeed. Had the Gators lost to Kentucky Saturday night, the calls for his departure would have sounded like the sonic boom of an F22 flyover at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.   But a funny thing happened on the way to a firing. Not only did Billy Napier and the Gators beat Kentucky, they stomped the Wildcats. The final score doesn’t begin to tell the extent of the beatdown. Kentucky, which should have beaten Georgia and held the Bulldogs to 262 yards in a 13-12 loss, gave up 476 yards and 48 points. Not only did the offense operate on high octane, the defense showed up for the third straight game. That much maligned defense after the first four games has held UCF, Tennessee and Kentucky to a combined 894 yards and 46 points.   Combine that defensive effort with the explosiveness the offense showed with freshman DJ Lagway showing deep ball throwing skills that haven’t been seen at UF in years and the emergence of freshman running back Jadan Baugh and suddenly the Gators are trending upward. Lagway averaged 18.5 yards per pass attempt against a Kentucky defense that turned Georgia’s Carson Beck and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart quite ordinary. Baugh showed he can drive the pile between the tackles, make a defender miss and kick in an extra gear once he gets to the second level.   Now a murderer’s row gauntlet of No. 2 Georgia, No. 5 Texas, No. 8 LSU and No. 18 Ole Miss awaits, so the same boosters, alums and fans calling for Napier’s ouster could be roaring again if the Gators find themselves battered and bruised. But what if the Gators win one of those, then knock off FSU in Tallahassee in the season finale to go bowl eligible? When the season began, that schedule had the experts saying Napier would have to do a high level coaching job to get six wins.   So what if Napier pulls it off and gets the Gators bowl eligible? Take a look at Florida’s returning roster and maybe the idea of canning the coach won’t seem like such a great idea. In addition to Lagway and Baugh, the Gators will return four starters and four experienced backups on an O-line that is rapidly improving. Tre Wilson will return to lead a wide receiver corps that has speed to burn. Returning at running back will be Treyaun Webb, Ja’Kobi Jackson and KD Daniels. On defense the Gators will return nine starters and a ton of backups.   After the Gators were slapped around by the Aggies in game three, Billy Napier’s job security seemed to hit the skids. Four games later the combination of defensive improvement, the gelling of the offensive line and the explosive possibilities of an offense led by Lagway and Baugh might have tapped the brakes a bit.   The easy way out is to jump on the fire Napier train, but a better approach might be to wait and see. The immortal words of Master Po speaking to his young protégé Caine – “Patience Grasshopper” – seem appropriate for the moment at least.   SEC FOOTBALL No. 15 Alabama (5-2, 2-2 SEC): “Alabama is an absolute trainwreck,” says Paul Finebaum. “There’s no sugar coating it. I actually heard someone say that Alabama controls its own destiny. For what? The end of the world?”  Next game: No. 21 Missouri (6-1, 2-1 SEC)   Arkansas (4-3, 2-2 SEC): Arkansas struggled to get its running game going in the loss to LSU. The Razorbacks gained 38 yards on 19 carries. Meanwhile LSU gained 160 and had a 17 minute advantage in time of possession.  Next game: at Mississippi State (1-6, 0-4 SEC)   Auburn (2-5, 0-4 SEC): Social media erupted in a negative way toward HBC Hugh Freeze after the Tigers blew a 17-3 lead and lost to Missouri, 21-17. Next game: at Kentucky (3-4, 1-4 SEC)   No. 2 Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC): Georgia forced four turnovers (3 fumbles, 1 interception) and held Texas to 29 rushing yards in 27 attempts … Former Gator Trevor Etienne ran for 87 yards and two TDs in the win. Next game: Open   Kentucky (3-4, 1-4 SEC): After allowing 48 points and 476 yards against Florida, the Wildcats dropped from fourth nationally to 12th in total defense. They’re giving up 283.6 yards and 19.3 points per game. Next game: Auburn (2-5, 0-4 SEC)   No. 8 LSU (6-1, 3-0 SEC): Freshman Caden Durham ran for 101 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers win over Arkansas. LSU held a 71-50 advantage in plays from scrimmage. Next game: at No. 14 Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC)   Mississippi State (1-6, 0-4 SEC): Sophomore safety Isaac Smith had 12 tackles and linebacker Nic Mitchell had 10 in the loss to Texas A&M. Next game: Open   No. 21 Missouri (6-1, 2-1 SEC): Quarterback Brady Cook left the game with an injury, went to the hospital and returned in the fourth quarter when Missouri was trailing Auburn 17-6. He led the Tigers to a 21-17 win. Next game: at No. 15 Alabama (5-2, 2-2 SEC)   Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3 SEC): Brent Venables fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Joe Finley will take over the play calling. Oklahoma ranks dead last in the SEC and 128th nationally in total offense, averaging 288.1 yards per game. The Sooners have scored only 12 points total in their last two games. Next game: at No. 18 Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2 SEC)   No. 18 Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2 SEC): Even with two losses the Rebels are still in the College Football Playoff picture, but they’ll need to run the table the last five games to get there. Their biggest obstacle is a November 9 encounter with Georgia in Oxford. Next game: Oklahoma (4-3, 1-3 SEC)   South Carolina (4-3, 2-3 SEC): The Gamecocks lead the SEC and rank second in the nation with 28 sacks. Kyle Kennard leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally with 8.5 sacks. Next game: Open   No. 7 Tennessee (6-1, 3-1 SEC): Dylan Sampson put the Vols on his back and led the way in the win over Tennessee. Sampson ran for 139 yards and two TDs, raising his totals for the year to 838 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Next game: Open   No. 5 Texas (6-1, 2-1 SEC): The SEC fined Texas $250,000 for delaying the game with Georgia by throwing plastic bottles on the field to protest a pass interference call. The protest must have worked however because the zebras reversed the call and allowed an interception … HBC Steve Sarkisian says the Longhorns will be sticking with Quinn Ewers as the starting QB. Next game: at No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1 SEC)   No. 14 Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC): The Aggies didn’t play well at Mississippi State, but they escaped with a 34-24 win. Freshman QB Michael Van Buren torched the Aggie defense for three touchdown passes.  Next game: No. 8 LSU (6-1, 3-0 SEC)   No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1 SEC): The Commodores are ranked for the first time since 2013. Their five wins are the most at the start of a season since 2008. Next game: No. 5 Texas (6-1, 2-1 SEC)   AROUND THE STATE Florida Atlantic (2-5, 0-3 American): The open date will be used to figure out what can be done to fix a defense that has allowed 79 points in its last two games, both losses. Next game: Open   Florida International (2-5, 1-2 Conference USA): The Panthers can’t run the ball (101.29 yards per game) and that has plenty to do with their current 2-game losing streak. Next game: Sam Houston (5-2, 2-1 Conference USA)   Florida State (1-6, 1-5 ACC): The Seminoles still haven’t produced a 300-yard game on offense although they did come close against Duke when they generated 291 yards. FSU averages a pathetic 276 yards per game, which ranks 132nd out of 134 Division I teams. Next game: at No. 6 Miami (7-0, 3-0 ACC)   No. 6 Miami (7-0, 3-0 ACC): Cam Ward threw for 319 yards and four TDs in the Canes win over Louisville. It was Ward’s seventh consecutive game with 300 or more yards. Next game: Florida State (1-6, 1-5 ACC)   South Florida (3-4, 1-2 American): The Bulls need three more wins to become bowl eligible. Four of the five remaining games on the schedule are winnable. Only Navy seems to be a guaranteed loss. Next game: Open UCF (3-4, 1-3 Big 12): The Knights ran for 315 yards with RJ Harvey going for 196 and two TDs and freshman QB Jacurri Brown for 154 and two more TDs. Despite this, UCF blew a 28-14 lead and lost to No. 10 Iowa State 38-35. Next game: No. 11 BYU (7-0, 4-0 Big 12)   LET THE FIRING SEASON BEGIN! East Carolina and Southern Miss avoided the November rush by firing their head coaches. ECU and Mike Houston parted ways after a Saturday loss to Army while Southern Miss fired Will Hall after a loss to Arkansas State.   Houston and ECU were 3-4 this season but just 27-38 overall. Houston was 37-6 as the head coach at James Madison prior to ECU. Houston was being paid $2,349,000 a year. Blake Harrell will be the interim coach.   Hall was 14-30 at Southern Miss after going 56-20 as the head coach at West Alabama and West Georgia. He will be owed $860,000. Reed Stringer will be the interim.   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Kalen DeBoer is discovering first hand what it’s like to coach in a fishbowl. Not only that, he’s also learning why coaches like Dan Lanning at Oregon are breathing a sigh of relief because they sent a thankee for asking but no thankee I’m not interested note to Alabama athletic director Michael Byrne when he used the Coconut Telegraph – also known as the agent Jimmy Sexton network – to gauge interest in who would be the sucker who tries to follow Nick Saban.   Back in the 1970s when he was the young and successful head coach at North Carolina State, Lou Holtz was asked if he would like to succeed Woody Hayes at Ohio State. It seemed natural. Lou was a former Woody Hayes assistant and Woody was his mentor. To everyone’s surprise, Holtz replied, “Never follow a legend like Woody Hayes, but I wouldn’t mind being the coach who follows the coach who follows the legend.”   When Bear Bryant retired after the 1982 season, it took Alabama 25 years and six coaches to find its next Bear Bryant. When it comes to Kentucky basketball, John Calipari became the latest to discover you’re just another coach until you’ve won four national championships like Adolph Rupp did.   At Florida, we thought we had our next Steve Spurrier in Urban Meyer, but six years was enough. We’re on the fourth coach since Meyer retired after the 2010 season, the sixth since Spurrier retired from UF after the 2001 season.   So, back to Alabama. Kalen Deboer was 104-12 as a head coach prior to taking the Alabama job. He’s 5-2 now and there is every good chance he could lose another game with Missouri and LSU still on the schedule. Another loss and the entire Bama fan base may suffer the rupture of internal organs due to a fit of apoplexy.   The fans would love it if DeBoer were to resign about now, but he would be crazy to do that since he has a $70 million buyout. He needs to win big to appease the masses or simply follow the Jimbo Fisher example and make them fire him. Jimbo’s squeezing by on $75 million that the Aggies paid him not to coach. Life is rough.

Florida creates havoc on both sides of the ball to dominate Kentucky. Florida receiver Elijah Badger (Chris Spears photo) By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst After a heart-breaking road loss to Tennessee a week ago, the Gators had a choice to make. Continue to block out the noise and get better despite the absence of two offensive mainstays, or begin to pack up the tent and allow Kentucky to come in and bully themfor a fourth straight year. They chose the former, building on a somewhat impressive performance last week to manhandle Kentucky en route to a resounding 28-point win, complete with a real life exclamation point! Florida showed that the roster is full of playmakers that have yet to decide the fate of the 2024 Florida football team, and while things have not gone their way they still show up and make an effort to take down the best the SEC has to offer.    What We Thought: This would possibly be the toughest test for Billy Napier and his coaching staff this season. Not because of the opponent but because the Gators would be without its main signal caller Graham Mertz for the remainder of the season and freshman DJ Lagway would be thrust into the starting role against one of the nation’s top defenses this season. The possible absence of Montrell Johnson Jr. would also leave Lagway without one of the nation’s most reliable backs leaving him vulnerable to linebackers JJ Weaver, and Jamon Dumas-Johnson. The Gators would need to rely on the feet of Lagway to keep the Kentucky defense off balance to extend drives.   Defensively an improving Florida defense would be tasked with stifling a Kentucky run game looking to find its footing. The Gators were holding their last two opponents to less than 150 yards rushing and suddenly found the ability to harass the quarterback and play in the opponents backfield. Lagway would get a signature win in his first SEC start and the defense would force Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff into errant throws that would lead to at least two interceptions for the defense.    What We Got: There is something special about homecoming. A return to the place where some of your fondest memories took place and old friends reunite to talk about the best of times. On Saturday night the Gators gave those who came home something to be proud of. The Gators took the fight to Kentucky from the opening bell and kept the pressure on for all four quarters. DJ Lagway was not perfect, but he was aggressive with downfield throws including three to Elijah Badger for 148 yards. “We felt going into the game that maybe there was a lack of respect for the deep part of the field”, Napier stated. Those downfield throws were key in allowing the Gator run game to flourish with Lagway and Johnson’s replacement, freshman Jaden Baugh. Baugh tied a Florida single-game rushing TD record held by Tim Tebow and Trey Burton with five touchdowns last night. Baugh looked like a seasoned vet tagging the nation’s tenth best rushing defense for 106 yards on 22 carries. All total the Gators would rush for 197 yards as a team more than doubling the yards per game given up by Kentucky (89.6) this season.    Defensively the Gators continue to transform themselves into a unit that may be ready to play big boy football. The Gators forced the Kentucky quarterbacks into three key interceptions. Two by Vandagriff and one by backup Cutter Boley that went to the house courtesy of sophomore corner Cormani McClain. The three interceptions by the Gators last night tied their total for the entire 2023 season and gives the defense six for the season with five games to go. The Gators were staunch against the run giving up 146 yards total to hold Kentucky below their season average of 153. The Florida secondary was also able to manage the threat from Kentucky receivers Barrion Brown and Dane Key. While Brown did have a kick return for a touchdown the receiver duo thought to be one of the SEC’s best was held to a combined five catches for 105 and a touchdown on a flea-flicker. Straight up the Gator secondary handled the perimeter threats extremely well against two of the best they may see all year. Coach Billy Napier (Chris Spears photo)   The Skinny: At the University of Florida there are certain teams you have to beat in football. For most of my lifetime that has been Kentucky. For 31 years the Gators dominated this series and while Kentucky would show up from time to time, a Gator victory was usually a foregone conclusion. Lately however it seemed that the last two Florida coaches had lost sight of that fact and failed to prepare their football teams accordingly. Last night may have been the start of another period of dominance as the Gator's superior roster lived up to its billing and dominated Kentucky. For the first time since possibly Napier’s first game in The Swamp the Gators looked like a team physically and mentally ready to get into a street fight. The defense had bounce, the offense was physical and precise, and the staff looked in tune to what they wanted to accomplish albeit with a true freshman running the show. The University of Florida should always have two to three players that can fill in for another should they not be available. To that fact Lagway, Baugh, McClain and others filled in well. McClain who had been an enigma for the Gators had been inserted into the lineup early in the fourth for two series prior to his emphatic pick-six and played so well many failed to notice he was in the game. While some may point to the kick-off return by Kentucky late in the half as a blemish on last night, my answer would be simply, Kentucky practices too. On this day what was most impressive is that after that return the Gators outscored Kentucky 21 to 7, which is a break from the norm for a team that has traditionally taken a lead and simply held on to the handlebars to finish the race. This was a solid conference win against a foe whose formula had been tough to crack recently. No one has ever believed that the roster was not capable of knocking off the best the conference has to offer. It just needed to show up on Saturday’s. Tip your hat to Napier and his organization. A win and a well needed off week are well deserved.    Final Score: Florida 48 Kentucky 20 (Prediction Florida 24-Kentucky 17)

Florida's defense swarmed all night long, allowing only one sustained Kentucky drive (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) It seemed like old times at The Swamp Saturday night. Kentucky was in town expecting to win its fourth straight game over the Gators, but instead they retreated to Lexington on the short end of a 48-20 score. Just like it used to be. The game was all too reminiscent of the 1984 Gators, who were honored and welcomed with a roar of approval by the homecoming crowd of 89,906.   The formula that Billy Napier used to bushwhack Kentucky was a throwback to the one Charley Pell and Galen Hall put in place in 1984. Billy had the Gators pound Kentucky up the gut in the running game with freshman Jadan Baugh grinding out 106 punishing yards and scoring five touchdowns. When Kentucky’s safeties tried to play tourniquet to help stop the bleeding by creeping closer to the line of scrimmage, freshman quarterback DJ Lagway went over the top, throwing for 259 yards on only seven completions. Five of the completions – one for 40 yards to Tre Wilson, two for 63 to Chimere Dike, three for 148 to Elijhah Badger – were laser-guided smart bombs.   Florida’s offense couldn’t have done what it did if the defense hadn’t shown up in a big way, picking off three Kentucky passes and stuffing the Wildcats four times on fourth down. With the exception of a flea flicker for a 45-yard TD pass that caught the Gators flat footed and a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to start the third quarter, Florida’s defense had the Wildcats’ number.   Back in 1984 when the Gators won their last eight games to become the first Florida team to ever go undefeated in the Southeastern Conference, it was run Lorenzo Hampton, John L. Williams and Neal Anderson behind the Great Wall led by Lomas Brown. When the safeties crept in to stop the run, redshirt freshman QB Kerwin Bell went over the top to receivers like Ricky Nattiel. Remember the 94-yard Bell to Nattiel bomb against Georgia? When the offense did its thing, a defense led by Tim Newton, Alonzo Johnson and Jarvis Williams punished opponents.   Call what the Gators did a blowout, call it a beatdown, call it anything you want to call it, but the way they manhandled Kentucky sure looked a lot like that 1984 team. In 1984 the Gators started 1-1-1. When Charley Pell fell on the sword for 109 NCAA violations, Galen Hall took over and the Gators grew into the best team in the country.   In dismantling a Kentucky team that came to Gainesville with the fourth best defense in the country, the Gators looked very much like a team that has turned the corner. Don’t let Kentucky’s record – 3-4, 1-4 SEC – fool you. Florida beat a quality SEC team that should have beaten Georgia (held Georgia to 13 points and 262 yards). In six previous games prior to UF, the only team that gained more than 288 yards on the Kentucky defense was Ole Miss, which was held to 353 yards and 17 points.   Here is what the Gators did. On offense, Florida ran for 197 yards, threw for 279. In 13 possessions, the Gators scored five touchdowns and two field goals. Defensively, the Gators held Kentucky to 309 yards and two offensive touchdowns. The Wildcats threw three interceptions, one by Devin Moore that was run back 52 yards to set up a TD, another a pick six by Cormani McClain. There was a goal line stand in which Desmond Watson split a double team on third-and-2 at the UF three, then helped clog things up on fourth down when Kentucky couldn’t go over the top because the UF D-line got their pads under the UK linemen and stood them up.   This was the best coached game of Billy Napier’s tenure at the University of Florida. The offense and defense were in synch. There was a glitch in the kicking game that allowed Kentucky’s Barion Brown to run a kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown, but otherwise the Gators were good. Jeremy Crawshaw’s four punts averaged 50.8 yards. Tre Smack kicked two field goals and six extra points.   This was a far cry from the team that was slapped silly by both Miami and Texas A&M. One week past an overtime loss to Tennessee, it was a team that showed its capabilities even with 15 players out including Graham Mertz and Montrell Johnson Jr.   “I would tell you this group they felt like they had maybe let the place down, let people down in terms of how we played earlier in the year,” Napier said. “They took that personal and it was important to them to do that better.”   They did better. They were much, much better. This was the Florida team we were expecting when the season began. Maybe what happened with those early losses to Miami and the Aggies was a matter of a team still growing up.   Whatever it was, what we saw against Kentucky was a team with so many young kids starting to play like they actually know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. They were in synch in all three phases of the game, four if you count the coaching because there were no avoidable blunders or moments of indecision.   “We played complementary ball,” Napier said. “Again, I think we probably played our best football of the year, and I'm really proud of the resiliency of that group.”   Now comes the gauntlet after this week’s open date – Georgia in Jacksonville, Texas in Austin, LSU and Ole Miss at home. Can the kids continue to grow up? Can they somehow come away with a win or two before the season finale with Florida State in Tallahassee?   The signs all point to a team that could best be described as dangerous. Everybody in the SEC knows what a tough out Kentucky is. Everybody in the SEC has seen how the Gators put the kibosh on the Wildcats. Think of it as a shot across the bow of the five teams remaining on the schedule. The Gators aren’t going to sneak up on anyone. No team with superstars in the making like DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh will sneak up on anyone. They will have the undivided attention of any team they play from here on out. Lagway will be the focal point of every defensive coordinator on the UF schedule because he simply flicks his wrist and cuts loose with the best deep ball a Gator QB has thrown since the days of Rex Grossman. Against Kentucky he showed off his legs by avoiding the rush to buy time to throw and by taking off 10 times for 46 yards. He has receivers who can get separation. Against UK he completed a 40-yarder to Tre Wilson, two for 63 yards to Chimere Dike, and three for 148 yards to Elijhah Badger.   Baugh showed the toughness and strength to run between the tackles, the jump cut to find open space once through the hole and the ability to hit an extra gear to separate from defenders. He was good for five touchdowns.   The O-line did its part, evidenced by the Gators averaging 4.5 yards per carry and an astonishing 18.6 yards per pass attempt.   The defense bent a few times but it never broke. In Florida’s last three games, the defense that couldn’t get stops against Miami, the Aggies and Mississippi State has allowed only two sustained drives.   We’ve seen a team that is suddenly figuring things out and showing game-to-game improvement. We’ve seen a team that has shown it can handle the kind of injuries that would devastate a lot of teams, yet through injuries to guys like Graham Mertz and Montrell Johnson Jr. young guys have stepped in and stepped up.   Is it enough? Can the Gators continue to expand their maturity and resilience to get through these next four games with unexpected wins and perhaps become bowl eligible with a win in Tallahassee?   The 1984 Gators faced the adversity of losing their head coach three games into the season, but Galen Hall did the next man up thing and the Gators kept gaining momentum with each game they played. By season’s end they were the best team in the country.   The 2024 Gators have faced their share of adversity as well. Napier says “We were embarrassed” by the early results but here they are with an open date ahead of Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss. No one is going to say the Gators are about to go on a 4-game roll that will astonish the college football world, but they could be the team nobody on the remaining schedule wants to play.

The Lagway era begins at Florida on a date when many of its’ greatest return to The Swamp. By Loren Meadows GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst Florida hasn't lost four straight games to Kentucly since 1950. DJ Lagway makes his first SEC start this Saturday (Chris Spears photo) Kentucky Offense   Key Players-#12 QB Brock Vandagriff (6-3, 217, Jr./Georgia), #2 QB Gavin Winsatt (6-3, 227, Jr./Rutgers) #0 RB Demi-Sumo Karngbaye (6-0, 210 Sr.), #10 RB Jamarion Wilcox (5-10, 197, R-Fr.) #4 RB Chip Trayanum (5-11, 227, Sr.), #6 WR Dane Key (6-3, 210, Jr.), #7 WR Barrion Brown (6-1, 182, Jr.), #85 TE Jordan Dingle (6-4, 242, Jr.), #74 OL Courtland Ford (6-6, 327, Sr.)   Matchups To Watch: Receivers Dane Key and Barrion Brown v. Devin Moore and Jason Marshall Jr., Kentucky Running Game v. Florida Front Seven   Brock Vandagriff has been up and down in his first year as the Kentucky’s starting quarterback. Vandagriff is completing 59.8 percent of his passes for 941 yards with five touchdowns against two interceptions. While on the plus side statistically, Vandergriff has struggled against SEC competition where his completion percentage drops to 55.6 percent. The struggles of Vandagriff have caused the Kentucky offense to rely on what they have done best under Mark Stoops, run the football. They do so with a two headed attack that features NC State transfer Demi-Sumo Karngbaye and redshirt freshman Jamarion Wilcox. The duo has rushed for 500 yards on the season which unfortunately is far below what one would expect from the Wildcats. Kentucky was expected to start Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum at running back this season but he has been absent for Kentucky this season but could return this week. The rushing attack could also get a boost with the return of offensive lineman Courtland Ford who has played in 33 games with 14 starts at USC and Kentucky but has been absent so far this season with a wrist injury. His return could also help a Kentucky offensive line that has surrendered 13 sacks this season.   At receiver Vandagriff has one half of a sprint relay team with Dane Key and Barrion Brown. The highest rated receivers ever to play at Kentucky these two future pros have made their mark early in just two years in the program. At 6-3, Key is both a deep ball threat and a matchup problem in the red zone and Brown’s combination of speed and quickness allows Kentucky to utilize him in various ways including kick returns. Tight end Jordan Dingle is skilled but has been mainly used as a blocker this season to protect Vandagriff. He does have touchdown catches of 59 and 79 yards in his career so he could be a factor if he is able to get involved in the passing attack.   Kentucky is ranked 75th nationally in rushing offense while ranking 121st in passing. Numbers that don’t usually go with a Mark Stoops offense. Kentucky has struggled to protect the quarterback and all of a sudden, the Gators have found a pass rush. Look for Florida to sell out against the run with multiple looks and then pressure Vandagriff and his linemen with varied pressures to force punts and more importantly turnovers. The play of the Florida back end will be key as they have survived the explosive downfield plays the last three weeks of the season. Key and Brown are a different bunch and have cut their teeth with early success against some of the nation’s best defensive backs. The corners and safeties for Florida will definitely be tested. Does the defense continue its improvement or fall back to its woeful ways from earlier this season? Devin Mooore (28) and Jack Pyburn (44) (Chris Spears photo)   Kentucky Defense Key Players-#0 DL Deone Walker (6-6, 345 Jr.) #8 DL Octavious Oxedine (6-1, 278, Sr.) #13 OLB JJ Weaver (6-5, 255) #2 LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson (6-1, 245 Sr./Georgia) #54 LB D’Eryk Jackson (6-1, 244 Sr.), #90 DL Trey’vonn Rybka (6-4, 284, Sr.), #25 S Jordan Lovett (6-2, 205, Jr.), #6 DB JQ Hardaway 6-3, 191, Jr.) #14 DB Ty Bryant (6-0, 194, So.)   Matchups To Watch: Billy Napier v. Stoops Brothers/ Brad Smith, DJ Lagway v. JJ Weaver   The Kentucky defensive line may be the best in the SEC and is coached by arguably one of the nation’s best in former Wildcat Anwar Stewart. Deone Walker is arguably one of the top five defensive linemen in the country. The Preseason All-American has speed, quickness, and strength and has been a fixture on the Kentucky defensive line since his arrival in Lexington. Voted a captain as a true sophomore Walker is an alpha dog who can single handedly wreck an offensive run or pass play. He creates a challenge for any offense and Florida would do well to run away from him. Octavious Oxedine is a nice complement to Walker and a playmaker in his own right. Trey’vonn Rybka has played in 36 games at Kentucky and gives defensive coordinator Brad White another experienced player in the Kentucky front.   At linebacker JJ Weaver is a versatile player that can play the run as well as in space. He currently leads the team in sacks and also has a pass break-up, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Due to his versatility he may be called upon to spy Lagway in certain situations. D’Eryk Jackson has been a mainstay at middle linebacker with 21 consecutive starts. He has recorded at least one tackle in 23 straight games. His 33 tackles lead all Kentucky defenders. Georgia transfer Jamon Dumas Johnson has continued where he left off in Athens with 29 tackles and five for loss. Staunch in the trenches Johnson makes life difficult for opposing offensive linemen. At Georgia Dumas-Johnson never lost a game in which he started and was named to the 2024 Butkus Award Watch List for his efforts. Safety Jordan Lovett is the quarterback of a secondary that also JQ Hardaway and Ty Bryant. Lovett has 27 tackles and despite boundary corner Maxwell Hairston being listed as out this week the Kentucky secondary will look to confuse and harass DJ Lagway in his first conference start and dominate the Florida receivers.    Statistically this will be the best defense that the Gator have played this season. Brad White’s unit ranks in the Top 15 nationally in every major defensive category and is ranked 4th overall. This unit is fast, physical and plays with discipline. Despite early losses the defense has surrendered more than 20 points only once and held Ole Miss to just 17 points sacking Jaxson Dart four times. Florida was dominated by the Kentucky defense in Lexington last year and with DJ Lagway at the helm the freshman quarterback will have to play patient mistake free football and the offensive line will need to play much better than they did a year ago. Points could be at a premium in this game and if Florida fails to match the physicality of Kentucky it could be another tough evening at The Swamp.    The Skinny: Florida is 33-4 in their last 37 games against Kentucky. Unfortunately they have only won 2 of the last 6 including three straight losses. Florida looked overmatched and outcoached in last years 33-14 beatdown where running back Ray Davis may still be running. Another lackluster, unmotivated performance on the resume’ of Coach Billy Napier. In many ways this game has taken on the same tenor as UCF two weeks ago. Must win by any means necessary. Last week Florida allowed another one to slip away against Tennessee in a game with question marks littered all over it. Now with alumni and others descending upon Gainesville, Florida faces possibly its only winnable game until the crew travels to Tallahassee in late November. This is a game that Florida could easily win or lose but the head-scratching occurrences need to stop. No Florida coach since 1950 has lost three straight games to Kentucky, and on Saturday Billy Napier will be handing the keys to a talented but unproven driver. Florida will need Lagway to do just enough with his legs and arm and don’t turn it over. Punt and allow an improving defense to force Vandagriff to make the mistakes. Kentucky has been good enough on defense to keep them in every game but one and they will do so again on Saturday. Florida however will find a way to solve the puzzle with four scores and Lagway begins his ascension with homecoming win. Vandagriff struggles, Florida gets two turnovers and a win.    Prediction: Florida 24 Kentucky 17

Florida begins the season prepared to improve rebounding, physicality, and establish new roles for familiar faces. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com On Wednesday at SEC Media Days senior guard Jeriah Warren was asked if her coach Kelly Rae Finley could score one basket on her in a game. Despite Finley being a former Division 1 hooper and still in good shape, Warren confidently answered with a resounding “NO, I’m one of the best defenders”. While that may have been an item for discussion on the trip back to Gainesville, Warren is correct in the fact that she begins the season as one of the SEC’s most dynamic defenders. The 6-0 guard from Lake Charles, Louisiana constantly draws the assignment of guarding some of the SEC’s most dynamic players and her versatility on the defensive end is appreciated by the Florida staff. This season Warren has been challenged by Finley to bring her offensive output to the level of her defense. Warren scored over 1500 points in her prep career and late last season began to emerge as an offensive threat for the Gators. In preseason practices Warren has been more assertive offensively looking for shots at a higher rate which means the message from Finley was well received. Her ability to score on the perimeter and inside will be a welcome addition to her game as Florida looks to replace the scoring output of 2024 SEC Sixth Woman of the Year Leilani Correa who currently plays internationally in Puerto Rico. Florida guard Jeriah Warren (Chris Spears photo)   Warren is just one of many Gators that will push Florida into top half of what is now the premier conference in Women’s Basketball. Florida returns seven players from last year’s team that gave Finley her third winning season in as many years and made a historic run in the SEC tournament. Finley has also found success on the recruiting trail adding three McDonalds All-Americans in the past two years. Sophomore Laila Reynolds was the first in 2023 and was followed to Gainesville by point guard Liv McGill and versatile forward Me’Arah O’Neal this season. In addition to McGill and O’Neil, Florida also added highly touted freshmen Kylee Kitts, Davine Ongbakahoumb, and transfer post player Alexia Gassett from Louisville. Florida will also be bolstered by the return of Ra' Shaya “Big Shay” Kyle who suffered an injury in January of last season and looks to be ahead of schedule in her rehab. “Building relationships and old school recruiting” is what Finley believes to be the key to their recruiting success as she continues to promote a family atmosphere and off the court experiences for her team. Posititivity through hard work and togetherness is the name of the game for the Florida Gators.    Reynolds, McGill, and O’Neal will be called upon to play major minutes for a Florida team that was picked to finish 9th in the SEC. With the depth of the SEC and a schedule that includes Miami, North Carolina, Clemson, and Florida State from the ACC the Gators are more than capable of making a return to the NCAA Tournament. Finley wants a team that plays aggressive on both ends, rebounds, and moves with freedom on offense. This desire is on display in practice where Finley promotes a competitive yet positive environement with a coaching staff devoted to getting the most out of their athletes. “We are really excited about the versatility of our team, the improvements we’ve made, as well as the physicality and our rebounding” Finley stated Wednesday. The roster is a great mix of experience, youth, and talent. Most importantly it is a group that is connected and trust themselves and one another, a testament to Finley and her staff.  Florida Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley (Chris Spears photo)

Linebacker Jaden Robinson (29) will need to have a big game against Kentucky (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: Three weeks ago the Kentucky Wildcats (3-3, 1-3 SEC) offset a rather mediocre offensive effort with one of the better defensive stands of the season when they held Ole Miss to 353 yards and 17 points. The Rebels were ranked sixth at the time, leading the country in total offense and scoring. In previous games, Ole Miss made it look so easy. Against Kentucky the Rebels struggled in every phase.   Kentucky wasn’t exactly an offensive juggernaut, managing just 336 yards and 20 points, but it was enough to score one of the bigger upsets of the 2024 season. With the exception of wins over a Sun Belt bottom feeder (Southern Miss) and a rather weak team from the MAC (Ohio U), the Wildcats have stunk it up when they have the football. In their four Southeastern Conference games, Kentucky has scored 51 points (12.75 per game) while averaging 281.25 yards of offense. The Wildcats have averaged 141.5 yards on the ground, 139.75 through the air.   Formidable they aren’t. The same can’t be said about their defense, however. The 353 yards gained by Ole Miss are the most Kentucky has allowed this season. Overall, the Wildcats rank third in the SEC (251.5 yards per game), fourth nationally. Against the run Kentucky allows only 3.06 yards per carry. Opponents have managed 8.0 yards per pass attempt, but they’ve thrown as many interceptions (5) as touchdown passes.   This is the defense Florida freshman QB DJ Lagway will have to face Saturday (7:45 p.m., SEC Network) at The Swamp. If Carson Beck (Georgia, 160 yards and 0 touchdowns) and Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss, 285 yards and 1 TD) couldn’t light up the Wildcats, then we really can’t expect Lagway to put on a clinic throwing the ball. Nor can we expect the Gators to pound away even if Montrell Johnson Jr. is healthy enough to carry the ball his usual 10-15 times per game.   So, we have to ask if Florida’s defense can carry the load and stiff the Wildcats in the same way they held Tennessee’s highly regarded offense to 312 yards? If the last two games are a clear indicator of things to come, then the answer is yes. Florida held UCF’s run-first offense to 273 yards (105 on the ground) and 13 points, then followed it up by allowing only one sustained drive and only 4-15 on third down against then 8th-ranked Tennessee. In the last two games, the Gators have sacked the quarterbacks eight times for -56 yards.   Kentucky’s offense isn’t nearly as challenging as the one the Gators faced last weekend in Knoxville, but the Wildcats did move the ball well enough to outscore Ole Miss in Oxford. As of Tuesday night, Kentucky is a 1-point favorite in which the over/under is 42.5 points.   Obviously, either the people in Las Vegas expect this to be a defensive slugfest or else a game in which neither offense is expected to move the football and score with any kind of consistency.   If there is an offensive advantage for the Gators it is the fact that Lagway has what has turned into an exceptional receiving corps led by Elijhah Badger (19-376, 2 TDs), Chimere Dike (19-353, 2 TDs), Tre Wilson (18-226, 1 TD) and Hayden Hansen (9-145, 1 TD). Can Florida’s offensive line give Lagway enough time to find open receivers? He still hasn’t learned all the nuances of reading blitzes so he’s going to need a great game from his linemen.   But, no matter how well the linemen protect Lagway, the defense is still going to have to come up big. The Wildcats have issues protecting the quarterback, having given up five sacks in a loss to South Carolina, six in the win over Ole Miss. The Gators already have 16 sacks through six games. They had only 22 in 12 games in 2023.   Three keys to Florida’s defense getting the job done: (1) Hold Kentucky to 125 or fewer yards on the ground; (2) keep QB Brock Vandagriff confined to the pocket so that Tyreak Sapp and George Gumbs can apply the pressure; and (3) linebackers Pup Howard, Jaden Robinson and Shemar James can’t miss tackles.   SEC FOOTBALL No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1 SEC): Saturday’s game at Tennessee is the first of three straight against ranked opponents for Alabama. With one SEC loss for each opponent, it could be considered a 3-week playoff elimination tournament. Saturday: at No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC)   Arkansas (4-2, 2-1 SEC): Can Arkansas spring a second straight upset over a highly ranked team? The Hogs already own a win over Tennessee when the Vols were ranked 6th in the nation. Saturday they get No. 8 LSU. Saturday: No. 8 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC)   Auburn (2-4, 0-3 SEC): For Auburn to spring the upset against Missouri Saturday, the Tigers are going to have to protect the football. They have turned it over 15 times this season, worst in the SEC and 130th out of 132 teams nationally. Saturday: at No. 19 Missouri (5-1, 1-1 SEC)   No. 5 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC): Linebacker Smael Mondon (foot injury) is expected to miss Saturday’s showdown in Austin with No. 1 Texas. It will be the third straight game Mondon has missed. He was Georgia’s second leading tackler a season ago. Saturday: at No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC)   Kentucky (3-3, 1-3 SEC): When he signed with Georgia out of high school, Brock Vandagriff was a 5-star quarterback. Since transferring to Kentucky, they’re wondering if he simply hasn’t shaken off the rust of sitting three years at UGa or maybe he was highly overrated to begin with. So far, Vandagriff has thrown for 951 yards (7.2 per attempt) and five TDs (2 picks) while running for 93 yards on 60 carries. Kentucky’s offense ranks next to last in the SEC (321.7 yards per game) and 116th nationally. Saturday: at FLORIDA (3-3, 1-2 SEC)   No. 8 LSU (5-1, 2-0 SEC): LSU’s defense, which ranks 14th in the SEC, will have to contend with a Bobby Petrino offense Saturday that ranks third in the league. The Hogs run the ball 41times per game (199.5 yards) and throw it 25 times a game (285.3 yards).   Saturday: at Arkansas (4-2, 2-1 SEC)   Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3 SEC): It is old news, but wide receiver Creed Whittemore is taking a redshirt and opting out the rest of the season. Saturday: No. 14 Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC)   No. 19 Missouri (5-1, 1-1 SEC): Defensive end Joe Moore and linebacker Khalil Jacobs have suffered season-ending injuries. Jacobs had two sacks and 14 tackles.   Saturday: Auburn (2-4, 0-3 SEC)   Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2 SEC): Oklahoma has had discussions with Jackson Arnold about taking a redshirt this season. For now, at least, the Sooners will stick with true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. Saturday: South Carolina (3-3, 1-3 SEC)   No. 18 Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2 SEC): Oklahoma transfer defensive back Key Lawrence has opted out the rest of the season, intending to redshirt and transfer again. Lawrence was thought to be a big time transfer after starting three years at Oklahoma but in four games at Ole Miss he had one tackle. Saturday: Open   South Carolina (3-3, 1-3 SEC): Georgia Tech transfer Kyle Kennard leads the SEC with 7.5 sacks. That ranks fourth nationally … The Gamecocks rank third in the SEC with 19 sacks and dead last in both the SEC and nation in sacks allowed with 26. Saturday: at Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2 SEC)   No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC): For the Vols to beat Alabama and remain in playoff contention, they’ll have to make the Crimson Tide one-dimensional by stuffing the run. Tennessee ranks second in the SEC and fifth nationally against the run, giving up just 35.5 yards per game and 2.24 per carry. Saturday: No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1 SEC)   No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC): The Longhorns rank second nationally in pass defense, allowing just 126 yards per game and only 4.6 per pass attempt. The Longhornd have allowed only one TDP while picking off seven passes. Their task Saturday will be to shut down Georgia’s Carson Beck, who averages 303 passing yards per game and has thrown for 15 touchdowns. Saturday: No. 5 Georgia (5-1, 2-1 SEC)   No. 14 Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC): Through six games, no team has thrown for 300 yards on the Aggies and no team has run for 200. Saturday: at Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3 SEC)   Vanderbilt (4-2, 2-1 SEC): Saturday’s non-conference matchup with Ball State is a get well game for both the Vandy offense and defense. The offense ranks 14th in the SEC (353 yards per game) and the defense ranks 12th (342 per game). Despite the poor numbers, the Commodores should be within a game of bowl eligibility after Ball State. Saturday: Ball State (2-4)   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Kirby Smart has apologized for giving a forearm shove to Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren in last Saturday’s game in Athens. Smart said Monday that he has reached out to both Van Buren and Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby. He even insists he was trying to get the attention of defensive coordinator Glen Schumann and says he doesn’t even remember the play.   Do you believe him? If you do you probably still believe a bunny rabbit shows up at Easter leaving you colored eggs and chocolate rabbits in a basket.   SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, usually a standup guy when it comes to matters like this, says the zebras whiffed on the play, that a personal foul penalty was merited. He’s right about a missed penalty. What Sankey isn’t right about is no punishment for Kirby.   Sankey must believe that because Georgia has won two national championships since 2017 and is a contender to make it three in the last four years that Kirby Smart is untouchable. Is there a team in the country that has had more players arrested in the past five years? Some of the arrests are the type that deserve a slap on the wrist. Others are far more serious involving street racing, DUI, underage drinking, leaving the scene of an accident and tragic deaths of a player and a recruiting staffer while driving a car rented by the football program for a national championship celebration.   This stuff happens far too frequently and each time Kirby says the same old, same old, as if we’re supposed to believe he’s actually remorseful that his players keep getting arrested. If he truly regretted what’s going on, he would be kicking players off the team left and right, but does it happen? Of course not.   If Greg Sankey expects the rest of the college football world to believe that he’s fair minded and even handed in the way he handles discipline within the Southeastern Conference, then he needs to send a shot across Kirby Smart and Georgia’s bow. Suspend him for a game and let him know that the next time a Georgia player is arrested without adequate punishment that he (Smart) will serve a lengthier suspension.