Former UK defensive back Van Hiles not sure how anyone can logically pick Florida over Cats

New offensive line coach Zach Yenser will be all-in for a win at Florida. (Vicky Graff Photo)

If you are contemplating what is a fair expectation for Kentucky football’s record this season, former Kentucky defensive back Van Hiles has some advice for you: Don’t pick Florida to beat UK.

Never mind that Florida won 31 straight games against Kentucky from 1987 through 2017 or is 8-2 in the last 10 matchups against UK.

The Cats won at Florida in 1977 and 1979 before not winning there again until 2018.

That doesn’t matter to Hiles. He’s interested in today, not history, and does not understand how anyone can make a preseason pick with UK losing at Florida.

“Just imagine if the roles were flipped and we (Kentucky) came in off a subpar year with a new coach and new system and mass exodus of players to the transfer portal and Florida was coming to Commonwealth Stadium (Kroger Field),” Hiles said on a Twitter video.

“What if Florida was coming off a 10-win season and returning a preseason all-SEC quarterback and running back with the (freshman) receiving class, a transfer from a SEC college to solidify the interior (offensive line) and raving about the tight end group.”

Disagree? Agree?

“Who would be the damn favorite? Florida would be favored by at least three points, maybe more,” Hiles said.

I would go with maybe more when you look at those facts. The UK-Florida history has many wondering if UK could win again at Florida like it did in 2018, especially with the Cats coming off a home win over the Gators last year.

Hiles has no doubts. He knows his logic is “not a guarantee” UK will win but thinks it is “weird” to look at those facts and not logically see UK as the favorite. He believes all UK’s strengths over Florida are just being ignored by many preseason predictions.

“It’s interesting that we don’t get the benefit of the doubt that other teams get in the same situation we are in,” Hiles said.