No. 11 Kentucky saw its six-game winning streak snapped last Saturday yet still sits above the cutoff line for the College Football Playoff, with head coach Will Stein looking for a renewed focus down the stretch.
Kentucky (7-2, 5-2 in Southeastern Conference) gets a chance for redemption when it hosts Florida (5-4, 3-4) on Saturday night in Lexington, Ky.
Kentucky was rocked 34-6 by Tennessee, which went into the game ranked No. 13 and jumped past the Wildcats with a No. 8 ranking this week. The Volunteers ended the game with a 21-point fourth quarter as Kentucky lost for the first time in nearly two months and dropped five spots in the CFP poll.
Turnovers had been a strength for the Wildcats, who entered Saturday with a plus-ten differential on the season, but three giveaways and two failed fourth-down attempts loomed large in the loss.
“I think it’s important that we keep our swag and understand that we’re a really good football team,” Stein said. “Sitting at 7-2, 5-2 in the league, we’ve got a lot of stuff right in front of our face to go get.”
The Wildcats’ SEC title hopes remain alive with only two conference losses. And yet they remain in position to land the program’s first-ever CFP appearance.
There’s personal history at stake for Stein. A victory Saturday would make him the first Kentucky coach to reach eight or more wins in a debut season.
Stein is already assured of becoming the first coach in program history to debut with a winning season since Blanton Collier in 1954.
It will be a unique day for Florida’s Jon Sumrall as he prepares to face his alma mater for the first time as a head coach.
Sumrall played for the Wildcats until 2004 and served as a graduate assistant for the program the following two seasons, later returning to Kentucky coach inside linebackers under Mark Stoops from 2019-21.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the University of Kentucky,” Sumrall said when looking back on his coaching journey.
“I have a lot of respect for the place and tons of great friends and relationships that have been forged over the years in my time there,” he said.
“But this is not a reflection week. This game’s got very little to do with my ties to the place. It’s about, ‘How do I get our team ready to play better?'”
The Gators are looking to get their offense back on track after scoring a combined 15 points in back-to-back losses to then-No. 3 Georgia and Oklahoma.
Among the Gators’ recent issues has been inconsistent quarterback play, with Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones each taking turns leading the offense. A starter has yet to be named ahead of Saturday’s game.
Jones was 10-of-22 passing for 133 yards with two interceptions as he made his second career start in a 23-7 home loss to Oklahoma last Saturday.
While Sumrall stressed there were “some missed opportunities” in Jones’ performance, he stuck with his quarterback throughout.
“If you have such a quick leash with them or pull them too fast, then they don’t let it rip and they play a little cautious,” Sumrall said, “and you can’t play the position that way.”
