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Stoops not motivated by streak, will use UF game as measuring stick for Kentucky
By Ethan Levine
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Twenty-seven years. That’s how long it’s been since Kentucky has beaten the Florida Gators on the football field.
The Cats have lost this annual SEC East rivalry every year since 1987, and their 27 straight losses to Florida represent the longest active losing streak by one opponent to another in all of the FBS.
However, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops isn’t planning on using the infamous streak as motivation for his team as it prepares for another showdown with the Gators this Saturday night in the Swamp.
“I really don’t think we need that motivation. … I’ll let (the players) read that, but it’s not something I want to put in front of them,” Stoops said of using the streak as motivation for his players. The losing streak itself is older than every player on Kentucky’s roster.
“We’re pretty motivated to get out there and play well and try to get a win,” Stoops added.
The Cats’ head coach is still seeking his first victory over an SEC opponent after Kentucky finished 0-8 in conference play last season, Stoops’ first season on the job. And although Florida is considered an obvious favorite in this matchup, with a winning streak spanning nearly 30 years on its side, Stoops and the Wildcats have no intention of backing down from the challenge.
“I think it’s no mystery that it’s important to win some games and to compete at a high level in the SEC,” Stoops said. “That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re not going to back away from that.”
Saturday’s game will also be Kentucky’s first true road test of the season, as the Cats prepare for the hostile environment that comes standard with any night game in Gainesville. Kentucky hasn’t won any true road game since its 2010 season opener against Louisville, and has since lost 17 straight contests on the road.
That losing streak, in conjunction with UK’s current losing streak to Florida, has many fans expecting another lopsided victory by the Gators.
But one could also argue that, after years of misery and under-achieving on the gridiron, the Cats are due for a big victory on Saturday. After all, Kentucky is a young team, perhaps too young to understand all the history stacked against it.
Stoops’ Troops have begun the season 2-0, outscoring their opponents 79-17 in those two games, and the head coach admitted he is “anxious” to see how his team compares to a traditional SEC power in the Swamp.
Kentucky could prove it is a contender to win six games and reach the postseason for the first time in four years if it puts forth a strong showing against Florida. UK could also prove its 2-0 start to the season is really a product of weak competition, and not a sign of growth within the program, if it is once again trounced by the Gators.
It is those very circumstances, the risk of being exposed posed against a shot at a statement win, that have Stoops motivated for Saturday. Not any losing streak or conference rivalry, but the chance to assess his team against a reputable opponent on a national stage.
“It will be a real challenge. It’s certainly not easy. It will be really good for us to see where we’re at,” Stoops said. “I know the coaches are excited. The players are anxious for this great challenge. We’ll see where we’re at.
“I’m anxious,” Stoops continued later in his press conference Monday. “I want to have a great week of preparation by our coaches and our players. I want us just as excited to go down there and play as we were in the first two games at home. I think it will be interesting to see how our young players respond and how they go play. So, yeah, it’s a measuring stick for us.”
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
