A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: Nine sacks allowed in four games. That’s more than half the sacks the Gators allowed all last year when they were one of the better teams in the country protecting the quarterback. It is an issue the Gators will need to get a better handle on before they take the field against Kentucky in Lexington Saturday (12 noon kickoff, ESPN). The Gators will be going against a Kentucky defense that gets most of its sacks (11 so far) from its front four, allowing the Wildcats to drop seven in coverage. That’s pretty much what Utah did in game one when the Gators allowed five sacks for -47 yards. That was with an O-line that had four new starters, one of whom was backup center Jake Slaughter. Two weeks ago, with Kingsley Eguakun back in his familiar starting role at center, the Gators gave up only one sack to Tennessee, which leads the SEC and ranks third nationally with 16 sacks. The hope is that Eguakun will be ready to go Saturday. He was held out of the win over Charlotte and UF head coach Billy Napier won’t know until midweek if Eguakun will be able to go Saturday. “I think it’s to be determined [if Eguakun can go],” Napier said at his Monday press conference. I think that he’s made progress. We anticipate him practicing tomorrow.” The Gators played with three backups in the lineup in the win over Charlotte. Slaughter started for Eguakun at center, freshman Knijeah Harris started for Micah Mazzccua (discipline) at right guard, and Lyndell Hudson II started at right tackle for Damien George Jr., who missed the first half as the result of an SEC suspension. Napier said Mazzccua will definitely be back Saturday. If Eguakun and George are back in the lineup, the Gators will have the same starting five that was so effective against Tennessee. “Look, we have a new group of players on the O-line and then we’ve had injuries,” Napier said. “So that group, the continuity has not been there this year. So we’ve played with a mixture of lineups and I think that’s contributed to some of the issues we’ve had, but I do think at times we really played well, also.” Not all the issues with sacks can be attributed to the O-line, however. Napier pointed out Monday that it’s not uncommon for every position group to contribute to the breakdown that leads to a sack. It can be a missed block or a blown assignment by a running back. It can be a receiver running a wrong route or failing to get separation, causing the quarterback to hold the ball too long. It can also be caused by a wrong read by the quarterback, who perhaps locks in on one receiver instead of unloading to someone else who’s open. At least one of the three sacks the Gators allowed against Charlotte wasn’t necessarily the fault of the O-line. “There was one play when I held onto it way too long,” Mertz said. “Just it was one play I’d love to have back because I had a throw, and it’s a big one. You convert that and you’ve got another shot to score points.” Mertz on being a Florida Gator: “I owe this university everything I’ve got and I try to hold to that every single day that I’m blessed to be here and I’m thankful for it. I think I said it the day they announced me as starter that it’s a blessing and it’s a privilege to be here. That’s what wakes me up every day. I enjoy doing what I’m doing. I love this sport. I love this team. I love this university. It’s been an absolute pleasure and I’m definitely doing what I love to do with people I love to do it with. So it’s a blessing.” Mertz on being surprised at something new a defense throws his way: “There hasn’t been an opportunity in a while where I’ve seen something where I haven’t been prepared, I haven’t seen it. So for me it’s gathering all the information, getting our guys in the right protection, run game check, combination with routes. For me, that’s the game within the game. A lot of people don’t really have the opportunity to experience that, but that’s where the game gets fun. It’s a chess game. It’s a blast.” Statistically speaking: Mertz is completing 77.8 percent of his passes (84-108, 976 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception). He’s the most accurate passer in the SEC and ranks fourth nationally. Mertz is averaging 8.8 yards per pass attempt, highest of his career. A year ago, Florida quarterbacks completed only 54.4 percent of their passes while averaging 8.0 per attempt. UF volleyball: Gators fall one spot in AVCA top 25 poll Despite a 2-0 record last week, the Gators dropped one spot to No. 4 in the AVCA rankings. While making the transition from injured (ACL) All-American setter Alexis Stucky to backup Kennedy Muff, the Gators went five sets in the wins over No. 24 Auburn and unranked Georgia. Meanwhile, Florida middle blocker Nnedi Okammor was selected SEC Defensive Player of the Week after recording 17 blocks in the two wins. She had a career high 10 blocks in the win over Georgia. The Gators (10-1, 2-0 SEC) will host Texas A&M (9-3, 1-1) at the O-Dome Wednesday night. AVCA top 25: 1. Wisconsin 11-0; 2. Nebraska 11-0; 3. Stanford 9-2; 4. FLORIDA 10-1; 5. Louisville 11-1; 6. Oregon 12-1; 7. Washington State 12-1; 8. Pittsburgh 11-2; 9. BYU 13-1; 10. Texas 7-3; 11. Georgia Tech 11-1; 12. Tennessee 11-1; 13. Minnesota 5-5; 14. Arkansas 12-2; 15. Penn State 8-3; 16. Creighton 10-3; 17. Purdue 8-3; 18. Baylor 6-5; 19. Kansas 10-2; 20. Houston 7-3; 21. Dayton 13-2; 22. Ohio State 4-7; 23. Kentucky 3-7; 24. Auburn 11-2; 25. Arizona State 14-0 SEC football No. 12 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Left guard Tyler Booker was selected SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week after recording six knockdown blocks and not allowing a sack in Alabama’s win over Ole Miss. Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC): Penalties have contributed mightily to two consecutive Arkansas losses. The Hogs committed 14 for -125 yards in the loss to Brigham Young, 11 for -69 against LSU. So many of the LSU penalties were false starts by the O-line. Auburn (3-1, 0-1 SEC): “Offensively we’re searching and we’ve got to find some answers,” says HBC Hugh Freeze. In their two games against Power 5 opponents, the Tigers have thrown for a combined 150 yards. No. 1 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Offensive tackle Amarius Mims (ankle surgery) is out for the Auburn game. Safety Javon Bullard (ankle) has missed the last two games and is day-to-day. D-lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is still in a boot and highly doubtful. Wide receiver Ladd McConkey (back) remains day-to-day. Tight end Lawson Luckie (ankle) is on limited participation in practice. O-lineman Austin Blaske (knee) was dressed for UAB but did not play. D-lineman Mykel Williams missed UAB with an undisclosed illness and his status is unknown. Kentucky (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Maxwell Hairston was selected SEC Defensive Player of the Week after returning two interceptions for touchdowns in UK’s win over Vanderbilt. Hairston also had three pass breakups in the game. No. 13 LSU (3-1, 2-0 SEC): Quarterback Jayden Daniels was selected Co-SEC Offensive Player of the Week after completing 29-29 passes for 320 yards and four TDPs to lead the Tigers past Arkansas. Mississippi State (2-2, 0-2 SEC): In a losing effort against South Carolina, quarterback Will Rogers completed 30-48 passes for 487 yards and a touchdown. Rogers has now thrown for 11,668 yards and 88 touchdowns in his Mississippi State career, moving past Florida’s Chris Leak for fourth place in career yardage in the SEC. With two more TDPs he will move past Peyton Manning, Chris Leak and Tim Tebow for fourth all-time in the SEC. No. 23 Missouri (4-0, 0-0 SEC): The Tigers rank third in the SEC at stopping the run (83.25 yards per game, 2.6 per carry) but they’re 12th in the league against the pass, allowing 238.3 yards per game and nine TDPs. No. 20 Ole Miss (3-1, 0-1 SEC): Regarding the inconsistent running game, HBC Lane Kiffin says, “We’ve got to get better. We’ve got to coach better, involve different schemes, different things. Sometimes the running game is interesting. You’ll have these games and all of a sudden you’ll pop and you’ll have a bunch of explosive runs.” South Carolina (2-2, 1-1 SEC): Quarterback Spencer Rattler was selected Co-SEC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Mississippi State. Rattler completed 18-20 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns, plus he led the Gamecocks on 98- and 99-yard scoring drives … Alex Huntley, who had three tackles, two sacks and two pass breakups in the win over Mississippi State was selected SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. No. 19 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC): The Vols are giving up 190.8 passing yards per game and just 5.9 yards per attempt. The Vols will be challenged Saturday by a South Carolina passing offense that ranks No. 1 in the SEC (340 yards per game) and No. 8 nationally. The Vols rank No. 1 in the SEC and No. 3 nationally in sacks with 16 while South Carolina ranks last in the SEC in pass protection, having given up 19 sacks in four games. Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback Conner Weigman is listed day-to-day after leaving the Auburn game with an ankle injury. The offense actually functioned better when backup Max Johnson came into the game … Linebacker Taurean York was selected SEC Freshman of the Week after contributing 11 tackles including two for loss in the Aggies win over Auburn. Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-1 SEC): Three interceptions thrown by QB AJ Swann, no running game and seven penalties for -75 yards doomed the Commodores in their loss to Kentucky. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Phineas T. Barnum, the early 19th century master showman who never missed an opportunity to promote his circus, is the most often given credit for the line, “Any publicity is good publicity” although there is no real evidence that he actually said it. Oscar Wilde, on the other hand, did say, “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” And then there’s Brendan Behan, who said, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.” In his pregame speech before Oregon pummeled Colorado, handing Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes their first loss of the season, Ducks coach Dan Lanning said, “The Cinderella story is over, men. They’re fighting for clicks. We’re fighting for wins.” I’m sure Dan Lanning thought he was being ever so clever. After all, it was a pre-game speech and coaches are known to embellish or challenge testosterone levels through any variety of word salad, but maybe Lanning didn’t understand that it would come across negatively for him and Oregon. Deion knew the Buffs were going to get hammered although he said afterward he expects them to win every game. Deion Sanders does care about winning and losing, but he knows this year isn’t going to produce a championship. So what’s he doing? He’s making himself the PT Barnum of college football and the way he sees it any publicity is good publicity. Everybody is talking about him and Colorado. What Dan Lanning probably didn’t factor into his speech was next year Deion Sanders and Colorado will be in the Big 12. Because of all the publicity Deion has generated, the Buffaloes will have lots of good players and because they’re in the Big 12, they’ll have a far better chance to (a) win a conference championship and (b) make the College Football Playoff than Oregon, which will be in the Big Ten. You may think Deion Sanders runs his mouth too much. Some even say he’s all about Deion and not about the kids who play for him, although the kids who play for Colorado and those who played for him at Jackson State, would beg to differ. For his lightning rod approach to being Colorado’s head coach, the Buffaloes are swimming in booster money and they’re the talk of college football. Really good football players want to play for Coach Prime. As Polonius said in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”: “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” You can say Deion is madness personified, but his method is going to get results.

Florida kicker Trey Smack was named the SEC Special Teams Players of the Week following his five field goal performance on Saturday. Smack, who the league announced as the winner on Monday, is the first Gators player to win the honor since Kadarius Toney in 2020. Just one week after making his first career collegiate field goal, and seemingly taking over the starting job, Smack made all five of his attempts against Charlotte on Saturday. The five field goal performance is the most by a Gators kicker since Eddy Pinerio made five in 2017. The Maryland native started the season exclusively as the kickoff specialist and has delivered touchbacks on 22 of his 24 kickoff attempts. However, after Adam Mihalek started the year as the place kicker, two missed kicks against Tennessee gave Smack a chance to take over the job. He has made the most of the opportunity so far, making all six of his field goals and all four of his extra points. Against Charlotte, Smack made kicks from 23 yards (twice), 27 yards, 36 yards, and 54 yards. The 54-yarder was a career long for the Maryland native and is tied for the seventh longest field goal in Florida football history. Smack is now the third Gator to earn SEC Player of the Week honors, joining freshman Jordan Castell and Cam Jackson who earned weekly honors after week three.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: “Rikki don’t lose that number, it’s the only one you’ll own …” – From “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” from the Steely Dan album “Pretzel Logic” in 1974 Better yet, Graham Mertz, don’t you dare lose Ricky Pearsall. If he’s open, get him the football. Four games into the 2023 season, the Mertz-to-Pearsall connection has become ever so vital to Florida’s success. Pearsall, who caught 33 passes for 661 yards and five touchdowns a year ago, has 26 receptions for 362 yards and one TD already. Saturday night against Charlotte, Pearsall made what might go down as the most spectacular catch any Florida receiver has made in years when he made a leaping, 1-handed snag of a Mertz pass for 25 yards, holding onto the ball even as two defenders simultaneously delivered rather nasty hits. When he spoke to the media after the Gators (3-1, 1-0 SEC) finished off Charlotte, 22-7, Pearsall admitted he probably could have made the catch with two hands, just that he felt like grabbing the ball with one. “I feel like I probably could have jumped up and grabbed it with two, but I don’t know what happens, but I just felt like doing it,” Pearsall said. “I don’t know how to describe it. In the moment, I just felt like doing it, so I just did. Good thing I came down with it.” Pearsall makes the 1-handed grabs routinely in practice, a requirement of wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales. When the UF receivers are going 1-on-1 or scrimmaging against the defense the 1-handed catch is no longer a surprise. Linebacker Shemar James was on the sideline when Pearsall made the spectacular catch that brought nearly all 89,053 fans in The Swamp out of their seats. While calling the catch “amazing,” James said it’s nothing different than he sees regularly on the practice field. “He does that almost like every day, so I’m kind of used to it, like Ricky did it,” James said. Billy Napier, who coached All-American wide receivers Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley when he was their position coach at Alabama (2013-16), thinks Pearsall ranks with the best receivers in the entire country. “He’s bigger than you think,” Napier said Saturday night after Pearsall caught six passes for 104 yards. “He’s more explosive than you think. He came back to improve his stock for the draft and he’s doing it. Not to mention the leadership and the character that he brings every day, the work habits. Ricky is a very effective player because he’s highly skilled. He can get open at the line. He can separate at the top of the route and he’s got fantastic ball skills and hand selection.” Saturday, it will be a necessity for Pearsall to get open early and often to loosen up a Kentucky (4-0, 1-0 SEC) defense that allows only 2.58 yards per rushing attempt. The Wildcats are going to dare the Gators to beat them through the air. If Mertz and Pearsall have a good game, the Gators should be in the hunt for their fourth consecutive win. Gators ranked in both polls Despite a rather lackluster performance in their 22-7 win over Charlotte, the Gators moved up on spot in the Associated Press poll to No. 22 and made their debut in the Coaches poll, landing at No. 22. Georgia and Michigan remained 1-2 in both polls. Ohio State moved up two places to No. 4 in the AP poll to displace Florida State and up one place to No. 3 in the Coaches poll. Associated Press top 25: 1. Georgia 4-0; 2. Michigan 4-0; 3. Texas 4-0; 4. Ohio State 4-0; 5. Florida State 4-0; 6. Penn State 4-0; 7. Washington 4-0; 8. Southern California 4-0; 9. Oregon 4-0; 10. Utah 4-0; 11. Notre Dame 4-1; 12. Alabama 3-1; 13. LSU 3-1; 14. Oklahoma 4-0; 15. North Carolina 4-0; 16. Washington State 4-0; 17. Duke 4-0; 18. Miami 4-0; 19. Oregon State 3-1; 20. Ole Miss 3-1; 21. Tennessee 3-1; 22. FLORIDA 3-1; 23. Missouri 4-0; 24. Kansas 4-0; 25. Fresno State 4-0 Coaches top 25: 1. Georgia 4-0; 2. Michigan 4-0; 3. Ohio State 4-0; 4. Florida State 4-0; 5. Texas 4-0; 6. Southern California 4-0; 7. Penn State 4-0; 8. Washington 4-0; 9. Oregon 4-0; 10. Utah 4-0; 11. Alabama 3-1; 12. LSU 3-1; 13. Notre Dame 4-1; 14. Oklahoma 4-0; 15. North Carolina 4-0; 16. Duke 4-0; 17. Washington State 4-0; 18. Miami 4-0; 19. Tennessee 3-1; 20. Ole Miss 3-1; 21. Oregon State 3-1; 22. Missouri 4-0; 23. FLORIDA 3-1; 24. Kansas 4-0; 25. Kansas State 3-1 UF volleyball: Five sets? No Alexis Stucky? Nooooo problem! Mary Wise’s Gators must love living on the edge. They’re 10-1 (2-0 SEC) this season with half their wins coming the hard way – five sets. The 3rd-ranked Gators opened SEC play Friday night at No. 24 Auburn, rallying past the Tigers in come-from-behind fashion by taking the fourth and fifth sets. Sunday night, arch-rival Georgia came to the O-Dome and once again the Gators had their backs to the wall. Trailing Georgia 2-1, the Gators staged yet another rally, winning the fourth set, 25-23, on a kill by Sofia Victoria, then finishing off the Bulldogs, 15-13, in the fifth and final set. The Gators are not only 2-0 in SEC play, but 2-0 with graduate transfer Kennedy Muff as the setter. When All-American setter Alexis Stucky went down with an ACL tear a week ago in a 5-set loss to No. 1 Wisconsin, Muff took over as the starting setter. The Gators are 2-0 as Muff becomes more and more comfortable quarterbacking Florida’s attack. Sunday night, Victoria had half her 16 kills in the final two sets to lead the Gators. Muff had 38 assists, two service aces, four blocks, six kills and 12 digs. Nnedi Okammor led the Gators with 10 blocks while Ellie McKissic had 15 digs and four services aces. Next up for the Gators is an O-Dome match with Texas A&M (9-3, 1-1 SEC) Wednesday night. SEC football No. 12 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC): A wounded Nick Saban is a dangerous Nick Saban. The way Alabama played, especially on defense, against Ole Miss was a warning shot across the bow of the rest of the SEC. If Jalen Milroe can build on his game against Ole Miss (17-21, 225 yards and 1 TD) Alabama will be a beastly obstacle for everyone on its remaining schedule. Next week: at Mississippi State (2-2, 0-2 SEC) Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC): The Hogs dominated LSU in the first half, but the defense let them down in the second half, particularly in the last few minutes when LSU drove 72 yards to set up a game-winning field goal with five seconds to go. Despite three TDPs, KJ Jefferson threw two critical interceptions and fumbled twice, although Arkansas recovered both of the fumbles. Arkansas shot itself in the foot with 11 penalties. Next week: vs. Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) in Arlington, TX Auburn (3-1, 0-1 SEC): The problem for the Tigers is at quarterback. Payton Thorne is NOT the answer nor is Robby Ashford. Does Hugh Freeze give redshirt freshman Holton Geriner a shot as the starter? He threw a couple of completions against the Aggies after Thorne and Ashford couldn’t move the offense. Can Geriner be any worse than Thorne or Ashford. Next week: vs. No. 1 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC) No. 1 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC): The trend of a tale of two Georgias continued. There is the ho hum Georgia that plays down to its competition in the first half. Then there is the second half Georgia, which plays like a team that can win a national championship. UAB was feeling good after two quarters, but felt the wrath of Georgia in the second half when Georgia poured it on. Next week: at Auburn (3-1, 0-1 SEC) Kentucky (4-0, 1-0 SEC): The Wildcats have been successful making opponents one-dimensional by first stuffing the run (77.5 yards per game, 2.58 per carry). The pass rush has produced 11 sacks and forces a lot of quick throws. Opponents average only 5.8 yards per pass attempt. Next week: vs. No. 22 FLORIDA (3-1, 1-0 SEC) No. 13 LSU (3-1, 2-0 SEC): Three of Jayden Daniel’s four touchdown passes against Arkansas came in the second half. Daniels threw for 320 yards, completing 20-29 passes. Malik Nabers (8-130) and Brian Thomas Jr. (5-133) both caught two TDPs. Next week: at No. 20 Ole Miss (3-1, 0-1 SEC) Mississippi State (2-2, 0-2 SEC): Lideatrick Griffin caught seven passes for 256 yards including a 65-yard touchdown reception against South Carolina. The Bulldogs ran for only 32 yards in 23 attempts against the Gamecocks. Next week: vs. No. 12 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) No. 23 Missouri (4-0, 0-0 SEC): Brady Cook didn’t practice all week, but it didn’t hurt him against Memphis. Cook went 18-25 passing for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Through four games Cook has yet to throw an interception. Next week: at Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-1 SEC) No. 20 Ole Miss (3-1, 0-1 SEC): The Rebels couldn’t run the football against Alabama, gaining only 56 yards on 29 carries. QB Jaxson Dart, who ran for 136 yards the previous week against Georgia Tech, was sacked five times for -20 yards. He finished the game with a net of five yards on 12 carries. Next week: vs. No. 13 LSU (3-1, 2-0 SEC) South Carolina (2-2, 1-1 SEC): Wide receiver Xavier Legette had a monster game against Mississippi State, catching five passes for 189 yards including touchdown receptions of 76 and 75 yards. Spencer Rattler was 18-20 passing for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Next week: at No. 21 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) No. 21 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC): Joe Milton threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, plus had an 81-yard touchdown run to lead the Vols past Texas-San Antonio. The Vols ran for 303 yards, averaging 9.18 yards per carry. Next week: vs. South Carolina 2-2, 1-1 SEC Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Do the Aggies have a quarterback controversy now? When Conner Weigman went down with an injury, Max Johnson revived a sluggish offense by throwing a pair of third quarter touchdown passes. The A&M offense operated far more efficiently with Johnson than they had the previous three games with Weigman at QB. Next week: vs. Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC) in Arlington, TX Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-1 SEC): The Commodores shot themselves in the foot against Kentucky, throwing four interceptions and committing seven penalties for -75 yards. AJ Swann was only 16-40 passing for 189 yards with no TDPs and three interceptions. Next week: vs. No. 23 Missouri (4-0, 0-0 SEC) ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Cameron Ward. You probably don’t know that name, but here’s a clue for you. If he were playing in the Southeastern Conference he would be the best quarterback, hands down. Nobody knew about him in 2018 where he threw for 1070 yards and seven touchdowns at Columbia High School in West Columbia (population 3,644), Texas. He spent two years in the D1AA Southland Conference playing at Incarnate Word where he threw for 6,908 yards and 71 touchdowns in two years. He entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season, intent on playing at a Power 5 conference school. He transferred to Washington State where he threw for 3,231 yards and 23 TDs last year. Already this season Ward has thrown for 1,389 yards (9.9 per attempt) and 13 TDs without an interception. He scares the bejabbers out of every defensive coordinator in the Pac-12. Some folks who know about these things say Cam Ward is by far the best QB in a league that has reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams (USC), Michael Penix (Washington) and Bo Nix (Oregon). Why is this important? Because Cam Ward has gone from D1AA to maybe being the best QB in all of college football, no matter the division. He wants to play in the NFL someday. Do you know how many D1AA players were taken in the most recent NFL Draft? Ten. That’s all. At Wazzoo, Cam Ward will get drafted, quite likely in the first round in 2024. At Incarnate Word, he would be trying to land a free agent gig or trying to catch someone’s eye in the XFL, USFL or Arena League. Get ready for D1AA quarterbacks to be a transfer trend in December when the portal opens up again. Division I coaches who need an experienced QB will be less afraid to dip down to the D1AA ranks thanks to Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and D1AA QBs who want a shot at the NFL will be looking to move up.

Florida Utilizes Revitalized Kicking Game, Defense in Average Day Against 49ers By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst The Florida Gators entered Saturday night's game against the Charlotte 49ers on a high, following a dominant performance against the Tennessee Volunteers that caught the attention of many in the SEC. Charlotte came to Gainesville appearing disjointed after surrendering more than 500 yards at home to Georgia State. Despite missing three key offensive players due to injury or suspension, a balanced offensive performance was expected as quarterback Graham Mertz and his team aimed to exploit the 49ers' defense. What We Thought On paper, this seemed like an opportunity for the Gators to fine-tune their offense. The team sought big plays, particularly in the passing game, while maximizing short-yardage opportunities in the run game. Mertz has been efficient, but the absence of big plays has been noticeable. With a disorganized Charlotte secondary, Mertz used play-action to find open receivers for scores. On the ground, the Gators relied on Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne for another solid rushing performance. The defense aimed to pressure quarterbacks Jalen Jones and Trexler Ivey, building on recent improvements under defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong. What We Got Florida has found its kicker in Trey Smack, who went 5-for-5 on field goals, including a 54-yarder. Unfortunately, this success highlighted an underperforming offense that settled for four field goals in the red zone. The game started strong with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Mertz to freshman tight end Arlis Boardingham, but subsequent drives stalled. The absence of Kingsley Eguakun and Micah Mazzccua was felt as Charlotte defenders Nikhai Hill-Green and Eyabi Okie-Anoma each registered a sack against Mertz. The Gators' defense remained solid, but failed to force a turnover for the third time in four games. The Skinny While the Gators' performance left something to be desired, there were positives. Smack's reliability gives Florida a scoring option beyond the 40-yard line. However, other special teams units need improvement. Head coach Billy Napier must address these issues immediately. Offensively, Mertz continues to perform consistently but is taking unnecessary hits. Defensively, the team is healthy and prepared for a physical game next week against Kentucky in Lexington. Linebackers Shemar James and Scooby Williams are emerging as one of the SEC's top duos. In summary, the final score doesn't fully capture the Gators' performance. Every game has its ups and downs, and a team focused on improvement can always get better. The upcoming game against Lexington will be a true test, allowing the Gators to move on from this game and focus on future challenges. Final Score: Florida Gators 22, Charlotte 49ers 7 (Prediction: Florida 35, Charlotte 0)

On the depth chart this week there was an “or” listed at the placekicker position. After tonight, that “or” won’t be there for too much longer.

It wasn't pretty, but the Florida Gators relied on kicker Trey Smack's precision to secure a 22-7 victory against the Charlotte 49ers team led by Biff Poggi on Saturday night.

On the depth chart this week there was an “or” listed at the placekicker position. After tonight, that “or” won’t be there for too much longer. Trey Smack, a sophomore from Severna Park, Maryland, was the seventh-ranked kicker in the nation when he arrived in Gainesville. After Adam Mihalek’s 2022 campaign, there was never a chance for Smack to officially take over as the guy his freshman year. Smack handled kickoff duties his freshman year having 18 touchbacks and waiting for his opportunity. In 2023, Smack entered the Charlotte game with 15 touchbacks on kickoffs and was the starting kicker for the Florida Gators for the first time in his career. His first start as a Gator is one he won’t forget. Smack single-handedly scored more points than Charlotte’s team with four field goals on the day. Poor red zone offense from the Gators allowed Smack to have opportunities all throughout the day. The highlight of the day came in the second quarter when Smack connected on a 54-yard field goal that would have been good from 60-plus, setting a new career-high.

The Gators go into the locker room with a 16-7 lead over the Charlotte 49ers. While a lead is good, Florida had tons of room for improvement in the first half and Charlotte has no business still being in this game, Ricky Pearsall may have made the greatest catch in recent Florida football history.

Florida looks to continue cleaning itself up as Charlotte comes to town.

There was a defensive unit meeting Wednesday evening after a practice nearly everyone from coaches to players deemed unsatisfactory. The way the Gators have played defensively all season, the last thing they want is a letdown against a 28-point underdog like Saturday night opponent Charlotte.