Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops

Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- When ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit made his list of the top-six contenders to make the college football playoff Sunday afternoon, Herbstreit included Florida in his super six, the same Florida team that will visit Kroger Field at 6 p.m. Saturday to play unbeaten Kentucky in a game that will be televised on the SEC Network.

The Gators are 3-1, but the loss was considered a throw out by many, because it was by two points to top-ranked Alabama. Florida sits at No. 10 in the latest Associated Press poll on the strength of defeating Florida Atlantic, South Florida and Tennessee by 20 or more points.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen developed the reputation of a quarterback guru because of his work with Tim Tebow when he was an assistant at Florida and because he coached Dak Prescott at Mississippi State. But this Florida team leads the Southeastern Conference in rushing at 322.5 yards per game, which is also the third-best average in the nation. The Gators have averaged at least 5.6 yards per carry against every opponent, including Alabama. Florida has 13 rushing touchdowns and seven passing TDs.

At noon Monday, the Gators were listed as an 8 1/2-point favorite at vegasinsider.com. In his weekly media session, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops looked back at the Wildcats’ 16-10 victory over South Carolina as well as the challenge of playing Florida.

LOOKING BACK: “A lot of (UK’s offensive issues at South Carolina and early against Chattanooga) was self-induced. And that we can’t do. I think we got a little off track this past week, being backed up. It’s not an excuse. But I think one of the possessions we were backed up. We got a couple first downs, created some decent field position, got a punt. Another one when we were backed up, didn’t get a first down, had to go three-and-out. That, I believe, was for minus-three. Then I think we had one punt early in the second quarter and then we kind of got back on track. And then the fumbles jump in. We go on a very long drive, end up with a field goal but get really close to scoring a couple times. Good drives. We have another good drive and then fumble, fumble. That doesn’t help anybody. That really hurts, getting in a routine. The minute you feel that maybe we’re starting to, maybe, hopefully, maybe wear them down a little bit and get some good drives going, we get turnover, turnover. And that’s going to stall anybody.”

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops speaks with an official

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops speaks with an official during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

LOOKING AHEAD: “You look at the talent that (Mullen) had last year with the quarterback (Kyle Trask, now with Tampa Bay), tight end (Kyle Pitts, first round pick of the Falcons) and the wideouts that he had, obviously they were a handful. This year, they’re a handful in a different way. This is a lot of the identity of the teams that we faced when he was at Mississippi State with Dak and those kinds of guys they had at quarterback who could run and could throw. Very impressive. It’s really always been that way. Last year, I know it was a little different with the talent that he had. But it’s always started with a physical run game.”

SETTING THE TONE: “I think with our players, I don’t need to, because we’re not into moral victories. I think our players know what we can play with anybody if we play well. I think that’s the point that we’ve gotten to as a program. But we still have to do that. We have to have a great week. We have to play well. We have to prepare well. We have to control what we can and execute at the highest level. Then maybe you do need a bounce here or a bounce there. Sometimes you need the ball to bounce your way. Or get a call at the end of the game (laughter). I winked at you on that one.”

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