What Time Will Florida Play Kentucky? Kickoff Time, TV Designation Announced

Florida is looking to earn back-to-back wins over Kentucky for the first time since 2019 and 2020.

The Florida Gators are looking to build off last week's win over Mississippi State. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators' road trip to Kentucky on Nov. 8 has been set for an evening start at 7:30 p.m. with television coverage on SEC Network, the SEC announced Monday.

It will be Florida's fifth night game of the season and fourth night game on the road, making every traditional road game so far this season a night game. The Gators are 1-4 in night games this season, with the one win coming at home in Week 1 against FCS-based Long Island.

The matchup with the Wildcats, historically, is one that Florida has dominated with a 54-21 advantage. However, Kentucky has found some of its best success against the Gators in recent memory.

The Wildcats snapped a 31-game losing streak to Florida in 2018 and won three-straight over the Gators from 2021-23. Florida defeated Kentucky last season, 48-20, behind 259 yards passing from DJ Lagway and a school-record-tying five rushing touchdowns from Jadan Baugh.

Florida has not won a game in Lexington since 2019, when quarterback Kyle Trask led the Gators to a comeback win after Feliepe Franks left with a severe ankle injury. Florida suffered a close 20-13 loss in 2021 before a 33-14 blowout in 2023.

The Kentucky game will also mark the first traditional road game for the Gators under interim head coach Billy Gonzales, who took over the program last week after Billy Napier's firing. Florida faces Georgia in Jacksonville on Saturday.

Coming off a bye, Gonzales praised the response of the team heading into an important Georgia game.

In Monday's press conference, he pointed to a meeting last week with the leadership committee as a highlight.

"The fundamental thing that I got out of that conversation with the leadership committee was the number one thing is we want to get back out of the grass. We want to get going," he said. "We want to start doing what we're we're here to do, and that's to play football."

The Gators sit at 3-4 after its win over Mississippi State two weeks ago with every loss coming away from the Swamp. Already out of playoff contention, Florida is looking to earn bowl eligibility before turning the page to a new era under a new head coach in 2026.

"I think the biggest thing, like I said, is we got to focus on us more than anything else. Don't focus about the team. Let the coaching staff focus about the team. We're getting ready to play. The players, we're going to put you in a position to be successful.

"... If we put it all together and focus on us to do our job, not to worry about anything else, we've got to be the best at what we do by position when we're on that field on Saturday.”