Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. ó Florida’s dominance over Kentucky in the 1990s made plenty of sense to Steve Spurrier: Better Gator players meant big wins against the Wildcats.
That perfect 16-0 run continuing at South Carolina? That’s something the Gamecocks’ head ball coach can’t fully figure out.
“Obviously, at Florida normally we had the better team almost every time we played them,” said Spurrier, who won all 12 games with Kentucky as Gators coach.
“Here, I don’t know,” he continued. “It’s pretty even. We’re pretty even with Kentucky. We’ve seemed to get the good turnovers and the good breaks in close games.”
Spurrier gets the chance for a 17th straight victory when No. 25 South Carolina (4-1, 1-1 SEC) faces Kentucky (2-2, 0-2) at Williams-Brice Stadium today.
Only Penn State coach Joe Paterno has longer undefeated stretches against one team ó 26-0 all time against Temple, 24-0-1 against Maryland ó according to South Carolina’s sports information department.
“Nah, we don’t talk about that at all,” Spurrier said of his streak. “Every game stands on its own that year, I’ve firmly always believed that.”
Kentucky was among Spurrier’s favorite stops during his ultra successful run as Gators coach from 1990-2001. In 1994, Florida won 73-7, then two years later defeated the Wildcats 65-0 on the way to the 1996 national championship.
Spurrier seemed to pick up where he left off in 2005, the Gamecocks defeating Kentucky 44-16 in his debut season. The margins, though, have tightened since then with South Carolina winning two of the past three games by a touchdown.