Florida football took a punch to the gut in its Week 2 matchup with fellow SEC East foes the Kentucky Wildcats, who came into the Swamp an underdog in both the bookmakers’ odds as well as the major polls and left with its second straight victory over the Gators for the first time since the late 1970s.
Prior, the Orange and Blue had won the hearts of the poll voters for its triumph over then-top-10 Utah Utes, which sent [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s team skyrocketing up the rankings. It also had many feeling good early about Florida’s postseason possibilities, which was a nebulous affair to deal with before the season began.
Following the season-opening win, USA TODAY Sports had the Gators playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on January 2, 2023. Following a loss — for both teams — staff reporter Erick Smith certainly had a chance of heart but has not completely given up on UF.
In his most recent update, Smith now has Florida facing the Baylor Bears in the Liberty Bowl, held on December 28 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Waco kids currently hold an identical 1-1 record as the Gainesville gang, while ranking No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 19 in the Coaches Poll. Florida is one spot behind them in the former and two in the latter.
The Gators next face the South Florida Bulls in the third and final game of their season-opening homestand this coming Saturday with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT.
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