No. 10 Florida, unbeaten Kentucky square off

Florida quarterback Emory Jones (5) tries to get past Tennessee defensive back Jaylen McCollough, left, during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Florida quarterback Emory Jones (5) tries to get past Tennessee defensive back Jaylen McCollough, left, during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Sept. 25. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

No. 10 Florida (3-1, 1-1 SEC) at Kentucky (4-0, 2-0), Saturday at 6 p.m. EDT (ESPN).

Line: Gators by 7 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series: Florida leads 53-18.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

The Gators seek their second consecutive conference win to leapfrog Kentucky and stay within reach of first-place and No. 2 Georgia in the East. Off to their best start since going 10-3 in 2018, the Wildcats also seek their first 3-0 SEC start since then in hopes of at least keeping pace with the Bulldogs.

KEY MATCHUP

Florida’s offense vs. Kentucky’s defense. The Gators come in averaging nearly 541 yards per game to rank ninth nationally in the FBS. The attack includes the nation’s third-best ground game at 322.5 yards, a dramatic shift from last season’s pass-heavy scheme that averaged nearly 379 yards. They face a Wildcats defense ranked ninth at 260 yards allowed per game and allowing just 87.2 on the ground to rank 20th nationally.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Florida DE Zachary Carter is tied for first in the SEC with 4.5 sacks and third with seven tackles for loss. He had a career-high three sacks in the opener against FAU and one in last week’s win over Tennessee. The Gators are tied for second in the SEC with 14 sacks.

Kentucky junior running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. leads SEC rushers with 522 yards and averages 130.5 per game. He’s coming off a 26-carry, 144-yard effort at South Carolina, gaining more than half his total during the fourth quarter as the Wildcats outgained the Gamecocks 230-58. The junior has struggled with fumbles this season, including two last week, but otherwise thrived as the featured back in a balanced attack.

FACTS & FIGURES

Florida hasn’t lost in Lexington since 1986, winning 16 consecutive times on Kentucky’s home field. … The Gators’ 14-game streak with at least 400 offensive yards is the nation’s longest, while their 1,290 yards rushing is their most through four contests since at least 1965. … Kentucky seeks its first win over a top-10 team since beating No. 10 South Carolina 31-28 in 2010. … The Wildcats rank ninth nationally on third down (55% conversion). … Kentucky is unbeaten despite a minus-nine turnover margin that ranks next to last among 130 FBS programs.