Blue Preview: Stoops on the spot as Kentucky tries to snap losing skid at Florida
Kentucky at No. 25 Florida
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Gainesville
TV: CBS (play-by-play, Verne Lundquist; analysis, Gary Danielson; sideline, Allie LaForce)
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1, XM Channel 80, Sirius Channel 80
Records: Kentucky 0-1 (0-0 SEC), Florida 1-0 (0-0 SEC)
Series: Florida leads 49-17 and has won 29 straight games
Last meeting: Florida won 14-9, Sept. 19, 2015, in Commonwealth Stadium
Line: Florida is favored by 16.5 points.
Story line
Kentucky travels to the newly renamed Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium hoping to end its 29-year losing streak against the Gators — as well as extending UK’s unlikely distinction of not having lost its second game of the season since 1997.
On the spot
Mark Stoops. After Kentucky collapsed and saw a 35-10 lead become a 44-35 loss to Southern Mississippi in the season opener, the UK head man desperately needs his team to respond with a strong showing in The Swamp.
The big threat
Luke Del Rio. In an otherwise lackluster offensive showing, the new Florida quarterback connected on 29 of 44 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns in UF’s season-opening 24-7 victory over Massachusetts.
The mood
Seems more resigned and apathetic than angry after UK began the 2016 season the same way it ended 2015: With a dispiriting, second-half meltdown. Kentucky has been within a touchdown the past two seasons of ending the embarrassing Florida losing streak. To keep a restive Wildcats fan base from checking out on the football season, Stoops and the Cats need to show some fight in Florida.
Mark Story: 859-231-3230, @markcstory
This story was originally published September 6, 2016 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Blue Preview: Stoops on the spot as Kentucky tries to snap losing skid at Florida."