Could this be the year that Kentucky’s end its losing streak to Florida when the teams play Saturday in Gainesville?
Every year, that’s been the hope for Kentucky coaches, players and fans but for 31 straight years the Gators have won. Sure, Kentucky has had some close — and controversial — losses but the bottom line is that Florida has the nation’s longest single-opponent win streak in college football with its dominance of Kentucky.
The Gators have opened as a 15-point favorite under new coach Dan Mullen after quarterback Feleipe Franks completed 16 of 24 passes for 219 yards and five scores in a 53-6 win over Charleston Southern while UK didn’t have dominant quarterback play in a 35-20 win over Central Michigan.
It won’t help UK that Florida’s 1993 Southeastern Conference championship team will be celebrating its 25-year anniversary at the game.
Kentucky had a lot of knowns coming into the season but didn’t have a quarterback with a snap in a game and now Terry Wilson and/or Gunnar Hoak will take snaps for the first time on the road against Florida.
Wilson was 11-for-18 passing for 78 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns. Hoak went 4-for-9 for 50 yards but had a 24-yard scoring pass to David Bouvier when he replaced an injured Wilson in the final minute of the first half. Hoak got two more drives — both started deep in UK territory — before Wilson came back into the game.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said all the right things about both players after the game. Letting Hoak start the second half was a no-brainer for Stoops after Hoak led the scoring drive that put UK ahead for the first time. However, going back to Wilson also reinforces who the starting quarterback will be at Florida.
Former UK running back Anthony White thought Hoak, a redshirt sophomore, would be the opening game starter because of his experience in the system. White also believed Wilson would eventually be the starting quarterback because of his better playmaking ability.
“If you want big plays, Terry is still the man. If Terry shows he has the ability to make plays out of nothing, that’s the X factor for Kentucky,” White said. “Gunnar seem get the ball in narrow windows better (against Central Michigan).
“I expected a little bit more out of Terry in the first game after he was named the starter. If he doesn’t bring a decisive edge making plays out of nothing, then Gunnar may need to play the most.”
But White — just as former UK quarterback Jared Lorenzen did after the game — said not to rush to judgment based on one game, especially when it is a player’s first collegiate start. Wilson was playing in junior college last year and Hoak had not taken a game snap in two years at UK.
“I think the first time under the lights you just have an edge and i don’t care who it is. Both guys were nervous I am sure,” White said. “We have a good problem. Terry has to be more productive out of the gate (in games). If not, you cannot have Gunnar just setting around because he showed he could produce.
“I am expecting Terry to bounce back at Florida but I do not expect him just to suddenly start making great reads. Those interceptions (against Central Michigan) were bad reads. That’s what tells me he has a lot of catching up still to do. He has a lot of potential but at Florida you have to make the right reads, right decisions (for Kentucky to have a chance to win.”
