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The Wildcats, 59-31 losers to UF last year, have a new coach and QB, but will that mean a new outcome?
By ANTONYA ENGLISH
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 22, 2001
To hear the Florida players talk of looking for redemption against Kentucky might seem a little odd.
Last season the Gators defeated the Wildcats 59-31 in Gainesville, their most points in an SEC game since a 65-0 win over Kentucky in 1996.
But the Gators remember a little more than the outcome. They remember how Kentucky rolled up 504 yards of offense and ran 89 offensive plays, the most by an opponent against Florida coach Steve Spurrier.
"The most frustrating thing was all the fourth downs we gave up," sophomore defensive tackle Ian Scott said. "I think they had like seven and it wasn't just fourth and 1. Some were fourth and long and it kept our defense out there longer and they scored a lot of points because of it."
The coaches also are aware of this and reminded the defense in practice this week.
"I think our players were a little bit embarrassed last year that we couldn't get them off the field," defensive coordinator Jon Hoke said. "We didn't play extremely well. Obviously they (defense) took a lot of criticism for that ballgame, from a yardage standpoint, and they're very much aware of what happened last year and would not like to see that happen again."
Florida (2-0) get its chance to erase that memory at 12:30 today at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington. But the Gators will have to do so against a different type of Kentucky (1-1) team.
Under first-year coach Guy Morriss, last year's quarterback Jared Lorenzen was replaced in the second game of the season by redshirt freshman Shane Boyd, who is quicker and more mobile. But playing both quarterbacks remains an option.
"I think we'll be patient with Shane since he only has the one game under his belt," Morriss said. "We want to see how he moves the club and executes in different situations. If Shane struggles, then we might think about bringing Jared in."
The Gators expect Kentucky to make a concerted effort to run as much as it passes.
"You've got to be ready obviously to stop the run since they're starting to run the football," Hoke said, "but at the same time (Boyd) causes problems because of his ability to play action and pull the ball down and go.".
With a new offense in place, the defense knows it must share a large portion of the load if Kentucky, a 311/2-point underdog, is to upset Florida.
"We could score on them (last season), we just could not stop them from scoring on us," free safety Quentus Cumby said. "So that will be our big thing. We need to stop them, and then hopefully our offense will come out and put some points up on them. It is very important to believe we can beat Florida because if you don't believe that, then you have already lost something."
Stopping Florida's high-powered offense (431 yards per game) won't be easy for the Wildcats, whose defense has been hit hard by injuries and suspensions. Starting tackle Jeremy Caudill (back) and linebacker Jamal White (suspended) have missed both games. Linebacker Ronnie Riley suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener, reserve linebacker Morris Lane missed two games with an ankle injury and starting safety David Johnson sat out a game with a hamstring injury.
White, Johnson and Lane are expected to return today.
Spurrier said he sees a different Kentucky team on tape than what he has seen in past seasons. A team, he said, the Gators need to take seriously.
"They of course have a new coaching staff and it seems their players are playing a lot harder than in years past," Spurrier said. "It'll be a good test. I think our players will be ready to go play. If we are not, we could be in trouble. Hopefully we can convince our players that Kentucky can beat us up there."
WHEN/WHERE: 12:30 p.m., Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington.
TV/RADIO: Jefferson Pilot; WDAE-AM 620, WFLA-AM 970; WDCF-AM 1350; WWJB-AM 1450; WXCV-FM 95.3.
RECORDS: UF 2-0, 0-0 SEC. UK 1-1, 0-0.
COACHES: UF -- Steve Spurrier (114-25-1, 12th season; 1,343-38-2, 15th season). UK -- Guy Morriss (1-1, first season).
LINE: UF BY 31 1/2.