Advertisement

Kentucky Wildcats seek to break losing streak against No. 14 Florida Gators

 
Published Sept. 21, 2012

How long has it been since Kentucky defeated Florida in football?

Top Gun was the No. 1 movie, The Cosby Show was the top television show and Boston's Amanda was the No. 1 pop song in the nation.

Weren't even born on Nov. 15, 1986? Don't feel bad, neither were most of the players on both rosters Saturday.

No. 14 Florida and Kentucky will meet at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in an annual series in which the Gators have won the past 25 games. In fact, the last time Kentucky finished with a winning SEC record was 1984, when Kentucky went 4-3 in the league and 9-3 overall.

The 25- game win streak marks the longest active win streak in the nation in a current series against a major conference opponent.

UK coach Joker Phillips has been part of 22 of those losses as a player for four years, an assistant coach, and head coach the past two seasons. But there has been no talk of the streak around the Wildcats' facilities this week.

"We don't talk about it," Phillips said. "A lot of those guys haven't been a part of it. We're such a young team, a lot of first- and second-year players, the only game they even realize is the one they played in last year and the one these true freshmen are about to play in. We don't mention it. I'm sure they hear enough outside. I will not use it."

The Florida players said it's tough to imagine being on the other side of this long, brutal losing streak. But they believe that makes the Wildcats a team to fear, not take lightly.

"They have nothing to lose," senior DT Omar Hunter said. "That's the scary thing about this team. They have nothing to lose. Streak being 25 games, you know, they're going to do whatever it takes to get a win. That's the scary thing about this game."

Antonya English, Times staff writer