The Final Prep: Kentucky vs. Florida (The Final SEC Home Game)

by: Drew Franklin11/07/25DrewFranklinKSR

It’s the final SEC home game of the season in Lexington, and desperation is in the air. After finally breaking through with last week’s win at Auburn, Kentucky Football returns to Kroger Field still searching for its first home SEC victory since 2023, a streak that’s weighed on the program and its head coach. Mark Stoops admitted as much after the win on the Plains, saying simply, “Let’s go get one at home.” Saturday night offers that chance, the last chance of the season.

Florida comes north under unusual circumstances. It is the Gators’ first November trip to Kentucky since 1990, and they are led by an interim coach after Billy Napier’s midseason firing. The Gators have struggled through injuries and inconsistency, relying on young talent like quarterback DJ Lagway and running back Jadan Baugh to keep the offense afloat.

For Kentucky, it’s about showing growth and finishing strong, with bowl hopes still mathematically alive. Cutter Boley’s freshman-led offense is still finding its footing, but the defense remains steady, and the home crowd will be eager to see a team that hasn’t quit.

It’ll be a cool November night in Kroger Field, with a familiar SEC rival and one last chance to give Big Blue Nation something to cheer about in Lexington. Let’s get you ready for it with The Final Prep.

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Pregame Storylines

Home Struggles Still Loom: Kentucky snapped its SEC losing streak last week at Auburn, but the home skid remains alive. The Wildcats haven’t won an SEC game at Kroger Field since 2023 (against Florida, coincidentally) and Mark Stoops even said postgame at Auburn that “we’ve got to get one at home.”
Final SEC Home Game: Kentucky has one last chance to end the home losing streak before it is a talking point all offseason and into 2026. Saturday’s game isn’t the home finale, but it’s the last SEC game in Lexington. The Wildcats host Tennessee Tech on Senior Day next week.
November Visit For Florida: Saturday marks Florida’s first trip to Lexington in November since 1990. The Gators have long avoided late-season trips north, and Big Blue Nation has wanted this kind of cold-weather advantage for years. Bring on a blizzard.
Florida’s Road Woes in Lexington: Despite decades of dominance in the series, Florida has lost its last two trips to Lexington in 2021 and 2023. Their last road win in the series came in 2019, the year after the Wildcats snapped a decades-long losing streak to the Gators in Gainesville.
Cutter Boley’s Full-Circle Moment: Cutter Boley’s first career action came in Gainesville last fall, when he was unexpectedly thrown into a blowout loss. Even worse, his first throw was a pick-six after he didn’t have time to work up. An impossible situation for a true freshman. Now, he faces Florida again, this time as Kentucky’s established starter on his home turf.
Napier Out: The Gators travel north with interim head coach Billy Gonzales, taking over after Billy Napier’s midseason firing on October 19. This is just Gonzalez’s second game at the helm.

Kentucky vs. Florida: How to Watch/Listen

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network (Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, Cole Cubelic)
Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Jeff Piecoro, Dick Gabriel)
AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
FM: 98.1 WBUL
Online: iHeart Radio
Sirius XM: 106 or 190 (UK)

Player Spotlight

Kentucky QB, #7 DJ Miller: The true freshman returns to Kroger Field for the first time since his breakout game against No. 17 Tennessee, when he caught all five targets for 120 yards and two touchdowns. After a quiet night at Auburn, Miller will look to rediscover that spark and add another big night to his early college resume.
Kentucky P, #48 Aidan Laros: UK’s South African punter flipped the field repeatedly at Auburn, pinning the Tigers inside their own 20 on all six of his punts while averaging 45 yards per kick. His 57-yard long and 44.5-yard average rank among the best in the SEC. When Kentucky struggles offensively, Laros has quietly been its most dependable weapon in the field-position battle.
Kentucky LB, #6 Alex Afari Jr.: The senior linebacker continues to anchor Brad White’s defense, leading Kentucky in tackles and recording a tackle for loss in nine straight games, which is the second-longest streak by a Wildcat since 1980. Afari’s speed and instincts make him one of the most reliable defenders on the team and in the league.
Florida QB, #2 DJ Lagway: The sophomore quarterback and former five-star recruit entered 2025 with Heisman-level expectations after flashing his potential as a freshman. However, with higher expectations came mixed results this fall. He’s shown the big arm and mobility that made him a player to watch, but turnovers and decision-making lapses have hurt his consistency. Still, when he’s on, Lagway is one of the SEC’s most physically gifted quarterbacks and the key to Florida’s offensive success.
Florida RB, #7 Jadan Baugh: Baugh gave Kentucky nightmares last season with five touchdowns in Gainesville, and he’s continued to power Florida’s offense this year. The sophomore leads all SEC running backs in receptions (22) and ranks among the league leaders in rushing yards per game, averaging more than 85 per contest.

Injury Reports

Kentucky’s Thursday evening availability report:

OUT

WR Troy Stellato
RB Jamarion Wilcox
DB Terhyon Nichols
DB Jaden Smith
LB Devin Smith
OL Aba Selm
WR David Washington Jr.
TE Elijah Brown

PROBABLE

DL Tavion Gadson
CB DJ Waller Jr.

Florida:

OUT

WR Eugene “Trey” Wilson III
RB Treyaun Webb
WR Dallas Wilson
LB Ty Jackson
LB Grayson Howard
EDGE LJ McCray
DB Aaron Gates
DB Michael Caraway Jr.
RB Ja’Kobi Jackson
DB Dijon Johnson
WR Taylor Spierto
DB Javion Toombs
CL Caleb Banks

Last Meeting / All-Time Series

Last season in Gainesville, Florida freshman Jadan Baugh, stole the show in a 48-20 Gators win. Baugh tied a school record with five rushing touchdowns, while fellow freshman DJ Lagway threw for 259 yards on just seven completions in his first SEC start.

Kentucky’s only bright spot came from Barion Brown, who scored twice. Once on a 99-yard kickoff return and again on a 45-yard flea-flicker. But Florida overpowered the Wildcats up front, piling up 197 rushing yards and handing Kentucky one of its most lopsided losses of 2024.

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All-time series: Florida leads 54-21 (but it’s gotten a lot better for Kentucky lately)

2025 Team Schedules/Results

Kentucky (3-5, 0-5 SEC)

vs. Toledo (W, 24-16)
vs. #20 Ole Miss. (L, 30-23)
vs. Eastern Michigan (W, 48-23)
at South Carolina (L, 35-13)
at #12 Georgia (L, 35-14)
vs. #21 Texas (L, 16-13 OT)
vs. #17 Tennessee (L, 56-34)
at Auburn (W, 10-3)
vs. Florida
vs. Tennessee Tech
at #16 Vanderbilt
at #15 Louisville

Florida (3-5, 2-3 SEC)

vs. Long Island (W, 55-0)
vs. South Florida (L, 18-16)
@ #3 LSU (L, 20-10)
@ #4 Miami (L, 26-7)
vs. #9 Texas (W, 29-21)
@ #5 Texas A&M (L, 34-17)
vs. Mississippi State (W, 23-21)
vs. #5 Georgia (L, 24-20)
@ Kentucky
@ #6 Ole Miss
vs. #25 Tennessee
@ Florida State

Join The Discussion over at KSBoard

Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard to interact with the KSR crew during the game. A live discussion can be found in the game thread, plus several other topics and conversations about the Wildcats and more.

Point Spread

Point Spread: Florida -3
Over/Under: 44.5
Moneyline: Florida -162/UK +136

Coach and Player Comments

Mark Stoops

Brad White and the offense

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Pregame Link Dump

Weather Report

Kentucky fans want Saturday to be as cold as possible for the visiting team from Florida. They’ll have to settle for the mid-to-high 40s during the game, with no rain expected. It won’t be freezing, but it will be colder than the Gators’ natural habitat.

Listen to the KSR Pregame Show

Tune in to the KSR Pregame Show at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, live from KSBar and Grille. Even better, get to KSBar and Grille for pregame fun, the watch party during the game, and, hopefully, a celebration after.

Go Cats. Beat the Gators.