UK defensive coordinator Rick Minter’s defense vs. Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis’ pro-style offense

When the Gators have the ball, exciting things are always liable to happen. Florida senior quarterback John Brantley is a strong-armed pocket passer with good presence and the ability to find his plethora of play-makers in space. The Cats, who have never been a major pass rush threat, will have to find a way to disturb Brantley Saturday or the former high school Gatorade National Player of the Year will have a field day in Lexington.

Brantley’s biggest asset on offense will be senior running back Chris Rainey, who currently leads the Gators in both rushing and receiving with 48 carries for 306 yards, 11 catches for 214 yards and four total touchdowns. Accompanying Rainey on offense for Florida are fellow senior running back Jeff Demps, senior wide receiver Deonte Thompson and do-everything sophomore Trey Burton. Demps, who also runs track at Florida, is widely regarded as the fastest player in college football and if the Cats fail to contain him, he is a threat to score on every play. Thompson is a big wide receiver who can provide a large target for Brantley to find on the outside, and Burton is the man who torched UK for six touchdowns in last year’s meeting.

The Gator’s offense is built upon speed and execution of the pro-style offense, which involves a mix of run and pass that if executed correctly can threaten any part of the field on any play. UK’s defense, on the other hand, is built upon wreaking havoc at the line of scrimmage with different looks from the linebackers and safeties, creating mistakes by opposing offenses. The defensive line will have to show up in a big way to occupy the trenches while the Cats’ linebackers are flying around making plays. Athletes including senior linebackers Ronnie Sneed and Danny Trevathan, as well as linebacker/safety hybrid Winston Guy, will have to have a nose for the football to contain Florida’s athletes and prevent them from breaking loose for big gains.

“All of us in here have heard the term ‘speed kills,'” UK head coach Joker Phillips said in his weekly press conference Monday. “I know that’s one of the clichés. Which one is overrated? It’s not overrated this week. They got the type of speed that can hurt you.”

Edge: Florida’s offense. UK’s defense has shown significant improvements from a year ago under Minter, but Florida’s offense simply has too much speed and athleticism for the Cats to handle. Charlie Weis will have his Gators running the pro-style offense to perfection, meaning that even if UK plays perfect, itself will still need a few bounces to go their way. Expect Florida to put up big points.

UK’s offensive skill positions vs. Florida’s linebackers

The heart of Florida’s defense lies in its linebackers, namely sophomore Jelani Jenkins and junior Jonathan Bostic. Combined, the two have 29 tackles in three games, four for loss, and two sacks to lead the Gators. With a strong defensive line that should give the Cats’ offensive line fits as they continue to find chemistry with one another, and a speedy secondary to contain plays to the outside or down the field, the linebackers should have the entire middle of the field to abuse UK junior quarterback Morgan Newton and the rest of the offense.

With linebackers mixing up blitzes and coverage schemes against the Cats, Newton will have to be able to make quick decisions, an ability he was not able to demonstrate against Louisville. If Newton is unable to make up his mind and get rid of the ball under pressure, or at least make a move to elude defenders in the backfield, the Gators, led by their linebacking corps, will dwarf the six sacks Louisville recorded in Commonwealth Stadium last week.

Edge: Florida’s linebackers. Like on offense, Florida’s defense simply has too much speed and athleticism. They out-match the Cats both up front and in the secondary, leaving the linebackers, the strongest unit on the Gators’ defense, free to roam and cause chaos for the UK offense.

UK’s football program vs. the history books

Twenty-five up, 25 down for Florida against UK. Over a quarter century has gone by since the last time the Cats defeated Florida, not to say they haven’t come close in the past. Some players use the losing streak as motivation for the game. Others choose to keep it out of mind and focus on the task at hand. But for most UK defenders the streak is something they think about, but don’t allow to consume them.

“You think about it… You think about it for a while because its been happening for 25 years, but you just have to keep it in your mindset and then get it out because you don’t really want to think about that,” senior defensive back Randall Burden said.

The Cats’ losing streak to Florida is the second-longest current losing streak by one team to a specific opponent in the nation. The longest? UK again, this time against Tennessee, who has beaten UK 26 years in a row. Saturday, UK will look to end one of those losing streaks in front of their home fans. For the team’s seniors, it will be their last chance at seeing Florida fall.

“Just being able to snap that streak is enough bragging rights in Kentucky alone because we haven’t beat that team in a long time and it would be great to get that in our belt,” senior linebacker Ronnie Sneed said. “I always said, me and my other ’07 guys were like ‘Man, we got to snap this streak before we leave, we don’t want to go out like that.'”

Edge and Overall Edge: Florida and the history books. The Gators simply have too much talent to compete with. While the Cats’ talent is emerging and different positions are finding their rhythm, they have not been able to harness it all and pull it together for an entire game. Even in its victories, UK has not looked spectacular. Saturday, Florida will represent by far the best team UK has faced this season. Anticipate the Gators’ speed and execution on both sides of the ball to overwhelm the Cats early, sealing Florida’s 26th straight victory over UK.