1. Strike the first blow
The past two seasons Florida has come out and punched the Cats in the mouth early, basically ending the game midway through the first quarter. Kentucky's confidence and chances to pull off the upset would benefit if it were able to get an early lead on the Gators. If UK wins the coin toss, it will be interesting to see if Joker Phillips takes the ball and relies on his offense to get some momentum.
2. Protect the punter
Kentucky's cause against the Gators hasn't been helped any by blocked punts, as Florida has stuffed three Wildcat punts the past two seasons. You know Urban Meyer would love to get another one that leads to a cheap score to help out his offense, which has been inconsistent thus far. Through three games, the punt protection has been solid and Ryan Tydlacka has been booming the ball. That needs to continue Saturday night.
3. Take some chances
Pulling a huge upset on the road usually takes some rolling of the dice. Whether it's a fake punt, going for it on fourth down, or a trick play, catching the Gators off guard for a score or momentum-changing play would be huge.
4. Avoid costly turnovers
The chances of UK going a fourth straight game without a turnover aren't great. But if the Cats do lose the ball, they need to make sure it doesn't lead directly to a Florida touchdown or comes deep in their own territory.
5. Takeaways
This is a given. Turnovers almost always play a pivotal role in a key upset. Florida center Mike Pouncey has had trouble snapping the ball in Florida's first three games. If he puts one on the ground Saturday night, the UK defense must be ready to fall on it.
6. Don't leave points on the board
UK's margin for error is slim enough as it is; it can't afford missed field goals and extra points.
7. Tackle
Florida running back Jeff Demps is capable of taking it to the house every time he touches the ball. When the Cats have him in their grasp, they have to take him down. Missed tackles could result in an 80-yard touchdown in the blink of an eye.
8. Protect the corners
We saw what happened when UK's corners were left on an island against Akron. As much as Phillips and defensive coordinator Steve Brown want to stop the run, safety help must be provided for the corners. John Brantley won't miss open receivers like Akron's Patrick Nicely did.
9. Sustained drives
UK's best defense might be its offense. If Derrick Locke can grind out chunks of yards in the running game and Mike Hartline passes well enough to keep the chains moving, that will help keep the defense fresh in the fourth quarter and perhaps cause the Florida offense some anxiety.
10. Pressure Brantley
Brantley isn't the running threat that Tim Tebow was, but he's a good enough passer to pick apart the UK back seven if he's allowed to sit in the pocket all day. The Kentucky defensive line hasn't generated much of a pass rush yet, so Brown might have to dial up a few blitz packages.
