With Florida's SEC opener against Kentucky, which will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET in The Swamp and air on CBS, looming, Inside the Gators takes a closer look at Saturday's contest with 10 questions worth considering.
1. Will the Florida offensive line rebound against Kentucky following a dismal performance in Florida's 24-7 season-opening victory over UMass?
One of the biggest takeaways from Florida's win last weekend was how out of sync the offensive line looked in both the run game and in pass protection. Although the group allowed just one sack, that's largely because starting quarterback Luke Del Rio delivered quick throws when facing pressure and knew when to escape the pocket and dump the ball out of bounds if necessary. Florida didn't attempt too many deep throws with Del Rio, in part due to the fact that he did have much time in the pocket to drop back.
The O-line couldn't get much of a push up front in the run game and consistently allowed defenders to pressure Del Rio. Although Kentucky's front seven right now looks like one of the team's greatest weaknesses, it'll be worth watching whether the Gators offensive line can bounce back in week 2. After all, they posted a lackluster performance last weekend against an athletically inferior defense in UMass.
2. How will Del Rio fare in his first SEC contest?
Although the majority of his throws were on short-to-intermediate routes, screens and check downs, Del Rio was solid in his first collegiate start last weekend throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns against no interceptions on 29-of-44 passing. Jim McElwain mentioned this week that Del Rio would like to have six of his throws back, while four of them were drops. However, Del Rio was in good control of the offense during the opener and displayed good decision-making ability at the quarterback position.
Although Kentucky's defense is by no means elite, the competition level still elevates from week one to week two as Florida now heads into SEC play. Can Del Rio do the same things he pulled off in the opener against an SEC East opponent?
3. What type of performance will the Gators get from cornerback Jalen "Teez" Tabor in his return from suspension for a practice altercation with tight end C'yontai Lewis?
Without Tabor in the opener, sophomore Chris Williamson filled in as the starter cornerback opposite of Quincy Wilson but struggled in his first extensive action as a Gator. He was beat badly on double moves in coverage twice on two catches for a combined 77 yards. However, now the Gators return arguably their most dynamic talent who is fresh off of a breakout sophomore campaign in Tabor, who is expected to start this weekend after running with the 1's during practice this week.
4. Can the Gators successfully establish the run against the Wildcats?
Kentucky's front seven struggled immensely with defending the run in the team's 44-35 loss to Southern Miss last weekend. The Golden Eagles finished with two 100-yard rushers last Saturday while amassing 262 yards total on 68 carries on the ground. During the contest, where the Wildcats blew a 35-10 lead taken 56 seconds before halftime, Southern Miss managed to record 185 of its 295 second-half yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Florida's rushing attack failed to produce any explosive plays against UMass, largely due to the offensive line's struggles, but found a standout in sophomore Jordan Scarlett, who finished with 70 yards rushing on 13 carries. How Florida divides the carries this weekend will be worth watching - word is that Mark Thompson has been seeing a good share of the reps with the first-team offense in practice this week. Regardless of who emerges at running back this weekend, can the Gators get enough of a push from the line Saturday and establish the run from the get-go against Kentucky?
5. How effective will Florida's pass rush be against the Kentucky offensive line?
Southern Miss had no trouble getting to Kentucky quarterback Drew Barker last weekend. The Golden Eagles finished with four sacks and three quarterback hurries, including two forced fumbles on sacks that Barker lost. Meanwhile, Florida's defense dialed up plenty of pressure against UMass with four sacks and four quarterback hurries. The Gators definitely have the edge in this matchup and shouldn't have much of an issue sending pass-rushers off the edge at Barker.
6. How much will tight end C'yontai Lewis help with what Florida wants to do offensively Saturday coming back from suspension?
The Gators saw Antonio Callaway, Brandon Powell and DeAndre Goolsby, among a couple others, step up and make plays for the offense last weekend against UMass. With Lewis now back in the mix this week, he too figures to be a big contributor in Florida's offensive game plan. The Gators don't have too many big, reliable red-zone targets currently on the roster, and that could be an area where Lewis helps. As a tight end who thrives in the pass-catching department, Lewis could also help Florida stretch the field vertically.
7. Can the Florida defense shut down Kentucky's passing attack?
Although Kentucky's passing offense was shut down in the second half, in large part due to the pressure Souther Miss successfully generated in the pass rush with four second-half sacks, in the first half Barker racked up 277 yards and four touchdowns on 12-of-20 passing. Three of Kentucky's four scoring drives that ended in touchdown passes lasted less than a minute, while the longest was just 2:04.
The Wildcats managed to successfully generate explosive plays in the passing game in the first half - and that's something that the Gators secondary needs to be wary off this Saturday. Florida's secondary ranks among some of the best in the SEC, but Kentucky features a number of dangerous targets at receiver and tight end including Garrett Johnson, Dorian Baker, Jeff Badet, Tavin Richardson and C.J. Conrad.
8. How will wide receiver C.J. Worton fare in his return from a high ankle sprain? And how involved, if at all, will Tyrie Cleveland and/or Rick Wells be this weekend in their return from suspension?
The Gators took a big blow last weekend when starting wideout Dre Massey suffered a torn ACL on the opening kickoff against UMass. However, having Worton return to the fold and help compensate for Massey's absence certainly helps. Florida should utilize Worton in multiple ways this weekend, including as an option in the slot. He was running with the 1's in practice Wednesday and figures to play a key role in Florida's wide receiver rotation moving forward.
Whether Cleveland or Wells sees playing time Saturday remains a big question mark. Both players were suspended from the season-opener stemming from their summer arrests for an on-campus incident involving BB guns but also dealt with hamstring injuries during fall camp. McElwain said that both receivers "need to get up to speed a little bit" and that they should be "ready to go if needed." It seems unlikely they play considerable roles this weekend - with Florida likely to primarily roll with Callaway, Powell, Worton, Ahmad Fulwood, Joshua Hammond and Freddie Swain in the rotation - but you never know.
9. Will kicker Eddy Pineiro shine once again following his stellar Florida debut?
In Florida's 24-7 win over UMass, Pineiro was certainly one of the contest's standouts. He went 3-for-3 on field goals from 40, 49 and 48 yards out, hit on his lone PAT, and was sharp on kickoff duty. Pineiro looked like the real deal in his first collegiate game, but it's difficult to reach any strong conclusions just yet without seeing a larger sample size from the redshirt sophomore. How Pineiro performs against Kentucky this weekend, and on the road two weeks from now against Tennessee, will be quite telling.
10. Will Florida win its 30th straight contest against Kentucky and cover the spread?
According to VegasInsider.com, the Gators are currently listed as a 16-point favorite over the Wildcats. If Florida wins Saturday as many are clearly expecting it to with that line, then it'll continue to hold the longest active winning streak in the FBS against an opponent. The last time Kentucky beat Florida, McElwain was in the second year of his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Eastern Washington in 1986.
Considering the last two meetings were close results - a 36-30 triple-overtime UF victory in 2014 that had everybody on the edge of their seats, and then a 14-9 Florida win last season in Lexington - it should be interesting to see how this one plays out.
LANDON'S SCORE PREDICTION: The Gators won't cover the spread but will defeat the Wildcats 23-13 to win their SEC opener and 30th straight game against Kentucky.
