Todd McShay could barely contain himself. No sooner had the curtain dropped on the first full Saturday of college football than ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst proclaimed his excitement for a particular college football matchup this Saturday.
“After what we’ve seen tonight,” McShay tweeted, “I can’t wait to scout QB Anthony Richardson live next week vs. Kentucky. Richardson vs. UK QB Will Levis is the best QB scouting matchup of the first month of the CFB season.”
That’s right, Cats vs. Gators, 7 p.m. Saturday in Gainesville on ESPN. Is it too early to call it The Showdown in The Swamp? Of course not. Ranked 20th in the AP preseason poll, Kentucky opened with a 37-13 win over Miami (Ohio). Soon to be ranked, Florida opened with a 29-26 victory over visiting and seventh-ranked Utah. The last time UK and UF played each other as ranked foes was 2007 — UK was No. 8; Florida was No. 14.
The last four years, Mark Stoops’ Wildcats are 2-2 versus the Gators. That helped Dan Mullen become former Florida coach Dan Mullen. Billy Napier is now in charge. Napier went 40-12 in four years at Louisiana. His Florida debut was a memorable before 90,799 home fans, a record for a UF opener.
But this Saturday’s most important matchup will come at the most important position. As we all know, Kentucky’s quarterback is Will Levis, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound senior flamethrower chock-full of NFL traits. Florida’s quarterback is Anthony Richardson, the 6-foot-4, 232-pound redshirt sophomore with uber athletic ability. Sports Illustrated has Levis going No. 7 and Richardson No. 9 in next year’s NFL draft.
In Kentucky’s opening-night win, Levis completed 21 of 32 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. In Florida’s opening-night win, Richardson completed 17 of 24 passes for 168 yards. He also ran the football 11 times for 106 yards and three touchdowns — an eye-popping 9.6 yards per carry.
Playing behind a revamped offensive line, Levis operated under pressure most of the night. He was sacked four times as Miami’s stunts and twists found gaps in UK’s pass protection. And when Levis did have time to throw, he sometimes missed easy targets. “I’ve never been more disappointed in a 300-yard, three-touchdown performance in my life,” the QB said afterward.
Meanwhile, according to ESPN’s Andrea Adelson, “(Richardson) did everything the Gators needed with one highlight play after another — from a dazzling 2-point conversion that left multiple defenders lying on the turf, to a huge fourth-and-2 conversion, to the game-winning 2-yard touchdown run with 1:25 remaining.”
Opening games are ripe for overreactions, however. And the old coaching adage is teams improve more from Game 1 to Game 2 than at any other time in the season. Now factor in the point that Florida undoubtedly pulled out all the stops to beat a top-10 team while Kentucky did not have to show all its cards to beat its Mid-American Conference opponent.
“I want to be smart about what we put on tape, as well, so I’m excited about what we can do,” said UK offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, who added, “We’ve got to gel up front.”
Without suspended 1,300-yard rusher Chris Rodriguez, UK rushed for a net 50 yards against Miami — its lowest total since 2013. That number needs to rise significantly in The Swamp. And Kentucky has to do a better job protecting Levis.
If the O-Line improves Saturday, I like UK’s chances. Virginia Tech wide receiver transfer Tayvion Robinson was dazzling in his Big Blue debut Saturday. True freshman Barion Brown showed his speed on a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Brad White’s defense settled down after allowing a touchdown on the game’s opening drive. And Matt Ruffolo was Matt Ruffolo, drilling three field goals, including one from 50 yards.
Moreover, these Kentucky players know they can play with these Florida players. Every season is different, of course. The Swamp will be lit Saturday night after the Gators’ huge season-opening win. It’s a tough task for Kentucky, just as every SEC road game is tough task, but it is a winnable one.
So, yes, we can call it a showdown.
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