Thoughts of the Day: March 2, 2021

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday:

TWO QUARTERBACKS THIS FALL? MULLEN’S DONE IT BEFORE

Emory Jones is currently Florida’s No. 1 quarterback and Anthony Richardson is the No. 2. That’s the way it was when spring practice began and barring something unforeseen, the way it is going to be a couple of weeks from now when spring football ends. Just because there is an established hierarchy, however, it doesn’t mean Jones will get all the snaps this fall with Richardson assuming the role of Captain Clipboard on the sideline.

Mullen made it abundantly clear he’s planning to play both Jones and Richardson in the fall, a common sense move since if Jones were to go down with an injury he wants Richardson poised and ready to go. Mullen isn’t planning to get caught in another situation like the one at Kentucky in 2019 when Feleipe Franks went down with a broken/dislocated ankle and untested Kyle Trask came in cold only to surprise everybody by playing like a poised veteran in the first meaningful action of his career.

"You’re one play away from that guy being the starter and being the starter at Florida is a great, great responsibility," Mullen said at his Monday press conference as the Gators near the midway point in spring practice. "And within our system it’s a great responsibility for our success. So, you know, I always want to have multiple guys ready. We’ll play multiple guys early in the season, whoever the starter is, just so that guys are ready to play like we always do."

As the backup quarterback, Jones has completed 55-86 passes (63.9%) for 613 yards and seven touchdowns while running for 514 yards and six more TDs. Richardson got only a handful of snaps in 2020 when he ran for 61 yards on seven carries and completed 1-2 passes for 27 yards and a TD.

While a lot of coaches shy away from anything that can be perceived as a two quarterback system, Mullen has never been afraid to give his backups critical snaps in big games. Back when he was UF’s offensive coordinator in 2006, Mullen effectively used Chris Leak as his pinpoint passer and Tim Tebow as his bull of a runner who occasionally threw. It worked well enough to win a national championship.

As Mississippi State’s head coach, Mullen ran what was essentially a two QB system in 2010 when he orchestrated a shocking turnaround that saw the Bulldogs win nine games and go to the first of eight straight bowls. Chris Relf and Tyler Russell combined for 2,411 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, 763 rushing yards and three more TDs. In 2013 it was Russell and Dak Prescott were the two-headed QB monster. Prescott was the starter in 2014-15 but Damien Williams got snaps in big games in 2014. Nick Fitzgerald rehashed the Tebow role in 2015 although Prescott was a more than adequate runner. When Fitzgerald became the starter in 2016, Williams once again got important snaps as the backup. Keytaon Thompson had gotten enough important snaps in 2017 that when Fitzgerald broke his ankle in the first quarter against Ole Miss he nearly led the Bulldogs to a win. Thompson was the winning QB in the Gator Bowl against Louisville and Lamar Jackson.

In a quarterback-driven league such as the SEC you can’t survive without a quality starter. Mullen thinks he has that guy in Emory Jones, but Anthony Richardson didn’t come here to carry a clipboard. He will have to earn his snaps but if he works hard, Mullen will oblige him with opportunities when games matter and not just at mop up time.

Some might view this as a two QB system, but Mullen has always made it work and without much in the way of complaining from his guys.

MANN SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK What a week it was for Tre Mann, who came up big when the Gators (13-6, 9-5 SEC) needed him most. In pacing Florida to critical road wins over Auburn and Kentucky, Mann combined for 40 points and 21 rebounds as the Gators moved into sole possession of third place in the SEC standings.

Against Auburn, Mann scored 19 points while pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds. Saturday against Kentucky, he scored 21 and led the team with eight rebounds. In the two games, Mann was 15-25 overall from the field (60%), 3-8 (37.5%) from the three-point line, and 6-7 from the foul line while adding four assists and three steals.

Mann averages 14.7 points to lead the team and is tied with Colin Castleton for the team lead in rebounds at 5.8 per game. Mann leads the Gators with 65 assists and is second in steals with 30.

Tuesday SEC games #12 Arkansas (19-5, 11-4 SEC) at South Carolina (6-12, 4-10 SEC) Auburn (12-13, 6-10 SEC) at #8 Alabama (19-6, 14-2 SEC)

Vanderbilt (7-13, 3-11 SEC) at LSU (14-8, 9-6 SEC) Kentucky (8-14, 7-8 SEC) at Ole Miss (13-10, 8-8 SEC)

Wednesday SEC games Missouri at FLORIDA (13-6, 9-5 SEC) Mississippi State (13-12, 7-9 SEC) at Texas A&M (8-7, 2-6 SEC)

UF SPRING SPORTS Baseball: The Gators (6-2) remained third in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll. UF moved up three spots to No. 4 in the latest NCBWA poll and one notch to fifth in the latest D1Baseball.com poll. The Gators dropped one spot to No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches poll and down to No. 7 in the Baseball America poll. The Gators return to action Wednesday when they face 21st-ranked Florida Atlantic at the Florida Ballpark.

Softball: The Gators (12-0) remained No. 6 in the D1Softball.com poll. The Gators will face New Mexico State Wednesday at Katie Seashole Presly Stadium.

Lacrosse: The Gators (1-1) dropped one spot to sixth in the Maverik Women’s Division I poll. The Gators will be on the road at Kennesaw State Wednesday.

Volleyball: The Gators (12-2) are 8th in the latest AVCA poll … Lauren Dooley was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week and Marlie Monseraz was named SEC Setter of the Week … The Gators will host Arkansas Saturday and Sunday at the O-Dome.

Men’s Golf: Sophomore Ricky Castillo was named to the 2021 Walker Cup team that will face the team from Ireland and Great Britain May 8-9 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach … After their 5th-place finish in the LSU Invitational, the Gators are ranked 23rd nationally in the GolfWeek poll.

Women’s Golf: The 16th-ranked Gators are in 16th place after one round in the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, South Carolina.

OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama: Athletic director Greg Byrne announced plans for Bryant-Denny Stadium to be at full capacity in the fall.

Arkansas: The Razorbacks (7-0) are ranked No. 1 in every collegiate baseball poll ... The Razorbacks (19-5, 11-4 SEC) moved up eight places to 12th in the latest Associated Press basketball poll.

Auburn: Former Auburn wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers is the latest former Tiger to join Gus Malzahn at UCF. Running back Mark-Antony Richards transferred to UCF last week. The UCF coaching staff includes Travis Williams (defensive coordinator), Herb Hand (offensive line), Kenny Ingram (defensive ends), Brian Blackmon (special teams coordinator) and Addison Williams (corners), all of who coached for Malzahn at Auburn last year.

Georgia: On the Paul Finebaum Show, ESPN college football analyst Cole Cubelic said, “Paul, I might have Georgia as my No. 1 team in college football heading into the season and I’m not sure there’s going to be another team even close to them in the SEC East.”

Kentucky: Defensive lineman Jerquavion Mahone has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Mahone has made five tackles in his career … Kentucky has suspended all football activities due to Covid-19 issues.

LSU: LSU (6-1) is ranked 11th in the latest D1Baseball.com poll.

Mississippi State: Mississippi State (5-2) moved up two spots to No. 3 in the latest D1Baseball.com poll.

Missouri: When the AP and Coaches polls came out Monday, Missouri found itself unranked for the first time since mid-December.

Ole Miss: The Rebels will play BYU home-and-home, playing in Provo in 2028 and in Oxford in 2029 ... The Rebels (5-2) dropped from 1st to 4th in the latest D1Baseball.com poll.

South Carolina: South Carolina (6-0) is ranked 14th in the latest D1Baseball.com poll.

Tennessee: The Vols (7-2) remained 18th in the D1Baseball.com poll.

Texas A&M: The Aggies are scheduled to play their first basketball game since January 31 tonight at Missouri. That is, unless someone in the program tests positive for Covid-19 between now and 7 p.m.

Vanderbilt: The Commodores (6-1) are No. 2 in the latest D1Baseball.com poll.

ONE FINAL THOUGHT FOR TUESDAY: Joakim Noah is planning to retire from the NBA and fittingly, when he calls it quit it will be with the Chicago Bulls, the team that drafted him with the 9th pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. With his old college coach Billy Donovan now coaching the Bulls, the night Noah hangs up his sneakers promises to be quite emotional. During his three years at the University of Florida, I got to know Jo very well and always enjoyed how much joy he brought to the game, both on and off the court.

I want to share three off-the-court moments that will always stick with me when I think about Joakim Noah.

(1) The Oh-Fours (Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green) were always seen riding in Lee Humphrey’s little truck. The families of Noah, Horford and Green were fairly well to do and could have bought them cars, but Noah made the decision for the group that since Corey’s family couldn’t afford a car (his dad was struggling with diabetes and lost a leg) none of them would get a car. Until they all could own a car, none of them would. Noah also made the decision that when he and Horford got nice watches from family for Christmas, they wouldn’t wear them because Corey couldn’t afford a watch like that. That always told me what a caring teammate Noah was.

(2) I was able to share Jo’s last afternoon in Gainesville in 2007 before he left for Las Vegas to prep for the NBA Draft. We walked into Donovan’s office and there was Christine (Billy’s wife) and youngest daughter Connor (five at the time if memory serves me correctly). At the sight of Joakim Noah, Connor squealed with delight and ran to him arms open wide. Noah, all 7-feet of him, dropped to his knees and hugged her as she leapt into his arms. For the next five minutes, they talked, Jo on his knees holding her hands as she asked what must have been a dozen questions. Noah answered every question and maintained eye contact with her the entire time. I watched a 22-year-old empower a 5-year-old and it told me why teammates loved Joakim Noah so much.

(3) In the summer of 2009 at my 40th high school reunion at the Gainesville Hilton, I was talking to some friends I hadn’t seen in years when two arms engulfed me from behind and lifted me off the floor. When I turned around, it was Joakim Noah, who hugged me again and told me how happy he was to see me. He asked what I was doing and I told him I was there at my reunion. He asked politely if he could take a look at what we were doing. He could have acted like he was a big star – which he was – but he walked with me and as I introduced him to people, he was genuinely pleased to meet them and so engaging. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. In his own way, he was making me a star. That is the Joakim Noah I am always going to remember.