We dedicate one of our favorite movie lines of all time today to Kentucky's QB Andre Woodson and LB Wesley Woodyard. At every level of football, you need a great QB and a game changing defender and Kentucky's got that. They're definitely a big girl now.
Woodson has developed into a great QB in his third year as a starter. Last year may have been even more impressive as he averaged 270 yards per game and threw 31 TDs versus seven picks. This season he averages 255 in the air with 21 TDs and four picks. He's a polished guy now, but he did have two interceptions against LSU, so turnovers are out there. In their loss to South Carolina, he had one pick, which turned into an SC three-and-out. All that combined with his 63.7 completion percentage puts him second in the SEC behind some UF kid.
Woodyard is a Butkus Award finalist and leads the SEC with 76 total tackles, nine clear of second place. His 10.86 tackles per game makes him 16th nationally. In the LSU game, he had 11 tackles, including 1.5 for losses.
Stopping these two, or at least neutralizing them, has to be a goal for the Gators. Especially in their stadium, eliminating a heat-seeking LB can take the crowd out of the game. If UF's line can get to the second level and effectively use play action, the Gators should be successful against Woodyard.
Woodson is a different story because this game, like the LSU game, will become his legacy. Woodson's two picks led to 10 LSU points, and if he didn't protect the ball late (last three drives; TD, FG, FG) he would have been a goat. Now he has another national stage to show what he's about. While the turnovers may be out there, UF will have to pressure him into mistakes. And we all know how difficult that has been for this Gator defense. But UF is at game seven. The defense should be good enough now to knock Woodson around. If they are not, we should start looking for hotels in Atlanta and Tampa for New Year's.