THOUGHTS OF THE DAY

Photo Credit - UF Communications

REAL JOURNALISM FOR REAL GATORS

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY By FRANZ BEARD A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: It started out as a stretch play to the right side for Trevor Etienne Saturday night. Right tackle Austin Barber and right guard O’Cyrus Torrence did their part by muscling South Carolina’s Jordan Burch and Zach Pickens out of the play. Center Kingsley Eguakun got a sealing block on Nick Barrett to create a wide lane for Etienne who began angling toward the west sideline of The Swamp about the 20 yard line. Darius Rush seemed to have an angle that could have made this an 8-yard gain if only he could have gotten both hands cleanly on Etienne’s shoulder pads. The problem was Etienne was just too fast through the hole and Rush never really had a chance. Etienne blew through that attempted tackle and it was off to the races for an 85-yard touchdown run, the longest run from scrimmage this season for the Gators (6-4, 3-4 SEC). “I honestly didn’t expect him to take it all the way because on outside zone, I’m expecting him to hit outside, but when I saw him cut it inside and I saw him miss the ‘backer, I’m like, ‘He’s going to the house,’ ain’t no way somebody is going to catch him,” Torrence said after the Gators had clobbered South Carolina 38-6 in the final UF home game of the season. “It was just a good rub-round play and everybody did their job. We had a hat-for-hat and he had to make one person miss and he did it.” If you’re wondering what seems to have changed for the Gators since the second half of the Georgia game, that’s it – everybody is doing their job. Since the second half of the Georgia game, the Gators have a 96-44 advantage on the scoreboard. Narrowing things down further, if you simply go by the last six quarters – the last two of the 41-24 win over Texas A&M and the win over South Carolina – the scoring differential is 59-6. The yardage advantage in the last six quarters is 744-333. In the past two games, the Gators have outrushed the Aggies and Gamecocks 665-178. In the last three games, the Gators have forced seven turnovers while losing just one. The Gators have played the last two games focused and motivated. They’re 2-0 in the month of November and while they’re bowl eligible, the goal is to finish the season with an 8-4 record. A couple of weeks ago UF was being shakily projected to go to a low level pre-Christmas bowl game. With the momentum of the last two games, the Gators are now projected to play January 2 in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa (formerly the Outback). To finish November 4-0 and take an 8-4 record into the bowl game, the Gators have to ratchet up the intensity even more on the road at Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5 SEC) and Florida State (7-3). “We’re going to be real focused because we want to win out, and that’s the main goal,” Torrence said. “And the away games are the hardest, so we just gotta make sure we stay locked in on the small things that helped us get to this point and we feel like we’re a pretty good team. We played much more team ball and we’re just going to get better from here on out.” Gators take out Kennesaw State; face FAU tonight The Gators (2-0) will play their final home game until after Thanksgiving tonight when they take on Florida Atlantic (1-1) at the O-Dome (7 p.m., SEC Network). The Gators are coming off an 88-78 win over Kennesaw State in which Colin Castleton scored a career-high 33 points to go with nine rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals. FAU, coached by former Florida assistant Dusty May, whose son Jack is a Gator walk-on, lost to Ole Miss in its most recent game. Following the FAU game, the Gators will play FSU in Tallahassee Friday night, then travel to Portland, Oregon to play in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament against Xavier and either Duke or Oregon State in the second game. In the third game of the tournament, the Gators will face either Gonzaga, Portland State, Purdue or West Virginia. UF women’s basketball: Gators ratchet up the defense Five Gators scored in double figures Sunday afternoon at the O-Dome but the offense took a back seat to the defense as Florida (2-0) forced 35 turnovers in an 86-40 win over UNC-Asheville. The Gators held UNCA to just 13-52 shooting overall and a dismal 1-18 from the 3-point line. Offensively, the Gators were led by Leilani Corea, who scored 17, while KK Deans had 13, Ra Shaya Kyle and Jordyn Merritt 11 each and Nina Rickards 10. Kyle had 15 rebounds. Next up for the Gators is a Wednesday night road trip to Tallahassee to face Florida State (3-0). Head coach Kelly Rae Finley announced Friday evening that the Gators signed 5-star guard Laila Reynolds (6-1, Brandywine, MD Shabach Christian Academy). Reynolds, rated the No. 19 recruit in the country, chose the Gators over Georgia, Mississippi State and UCLA. UF volleyball: Gators gear up for UK with road win over Texas A&M The 11th-ranked Gators (20-4, 12-2 SEC) went on the road to College Station Saturday to take a 4-set win over Texas A&M – 25-18, 25-16, 16-25, 25-20 – to set the stage for next weekend’s showdown with Kentucky (16-6, 11-2 SEC) that will probably determine the Southeastern Conference championship. Merritt Beason led the Gators with 15 kills, four blocks and four aces to lead the Gators. Football Poll-iticks: Top four teams remain the same Associated Press top 25: 1. Georgia 10-0; 2. Ohio State 10-0; 3. Michigan 10-0; 4. TCU 10-0; 5. Tennessee 9-1; 6. LSU 8-2; 7. Southern California 9-1; 8. Alabama 8-2; 9. Clemson 9-1; 10. Utah 8-2; 11. Penn State 8-2; 12. Oregon 8-2; 13. North Carolina 8-2; 14. Ole Miss 8-2; 15. Washington 8-2; 16. UCLA 8-2; 17. UCF 8-2; 18. Notre Dame 8-2; 19. Kansas State 7-3; 20. Florida State 7-3; 21. Tulane 8-2; 22. Cincinnati 8-2; 23. Coastal Carolina 9-1; 24. Oklahoma State 7-3; 25. Oregon State 7-3 AFCA Coaches top 25: 1. Georgia 10-0; 2. Ohio State 10-0; 3. Michigan 10-0; 4. TCU 10-0; 5. Tennessee 9-1; 6. Southern California 9-1; 7. LSU 8-2; 8. Alabama 8-2; 9. Clemson 9-1; 10. Utah 8-2; 11. North Carolina 9-1; 12. Penn State 8-3; 13. Oregon 8-2; 14. Ole Miss 8-2; 15. Washington 8-2; 16. UCLA 8-2; 17. Kansas State 7-3; 18. UCF 8-2; 19. Notre Dame 7-3; 20. Florida State 7-3; 21. Cincinnati 8-2; 22. Tulane 8-2; 23. Coastal Carolina 9-1; 24. Oklahoma State 7-3; 25. North Carolina State 7-3 SEC football No. 8 Alabama (8-2, 5-2 SEC): Alabama scored 23 of the last 30 points in its win over Ole Miss, plus gained 198 of its 317 total yards in the second half. Next week: vs. Austin Peay (7-3) Arkansas (5-5, 2-4 SEC): Without starting QB KJ Jefferson, sidelined with shoulder and clavicle issues, the Arkansas offense managed only 10 points and 249 yards in the loss to LSU. vs. No. 14 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) Auburn (4-6, 2-5 SEC): Interim head coach Cadillac Williams got the ice bucket treatment from Auburn players after the win over Texas A&M. Next week: vs. Western Kentucky (7-4) No. 1 Georgia (10-0, 7-0 SEC): Georgia is favored by 22.5 points over Kentucky. Next week: vs. Kentucky (6-4, 3-4 SEC) Kentucky (6-4, 3-4 SEC): Mark Stoops says that will have to wait until after the regular season ends to decide about staff changes. Offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, O-line coach Zach Yenser and defensive coordinator Brad White are on very shaky ground. Next week: at No. 1 Georgia (10-0, 6-1 SEC) No. 6 LSU (8-2, 6-1 SEC): Freshman edge rusher Harold Perkins Jr. was a disruptive force in the 13-10 win over Arkansas. He had eight tackles, four sacks for -33 yards, one pass breakup, one QB hurry and two forced fumbles. Next week: vs. UAB (5-5) Mississippi State (6-4, 3-4 SEC): Mike Leach was careful not to make the kind of comments that will get him fined by the SEC, but he quipped that the officiating crew for the Georgia game Saturday night paid “homage to aspects of the Pac-12.” Next week: vs. East Tennessee State (3-7) Missouri (4-6, 2-5 SEC): After getting hammered by Tennessee, HBC Eli Drinkwitz said, “It’s Senior Week. We have two games left to define what this season looks like for our seniors. The best thing we can do right now is look ahead.” Next week: vs. New Mexico State (4-6) No. 14 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC): After losing to Alabama Saturday night, Lane Kiffin said, “We didn’t win the game. Maybe at some other places that’s good or it’s been good here in the past. It ain’t good enough. We came here to win, to beat Alabama and we didn’t do it. So we’re 0-1 today.” Next week: at Arkansas (5-5, 2-4 SEC) South Carolina (6-4, 3-4 SEC): With No. 5 Tennessee and No. 9 Clemson looming in the final two regular season games, the Gamecocks are now being projected to play in the December 17 Las Vegas Bowl. Next week: vs. No. 5 Tennessee (9-1, 6-1 SEC) No. 5 Tennessee (9-1, 5-1 SEC): For all the talk about Hendon Hooker, who is having a marvelous season, the player with the eye-popping stats is wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who has caught 58 passes for 1,116 yards and 15 touchdowns. Next week: at South Carolina (6-4, 3-4 SEC) Texas A&M (3-7, 1-6 SEC): The Aggies have lost six in a row. Jimbo Fisher’s record after 58 games as the HBC is 37-21. To hire Jimbo, A&M fired Kevin Sumlin who was 42-16 after his first 58 games. Next week: vs. UMass (1-9) Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5 SEC): With AJ Swann sidelined, Mike Wright assumed his old starting QB job and had the kind of performance that will make him a Vandy legend. Wright ran for 129 including a 59-yarder for a TD and threw for 184 including an 8-yard TDP that was the game winner over Kentucky with 32 seconds left. Next week: vs. FLORIDA (6-4, 3-4 SEC) Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 Oklahoma (5-5, 2-5 Big 12): There is widespread panic in the state after the Sooners lost to a West Virginia team playing with its second string QB. Next week: vs. Oklahoma State (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) Texas (6-4, 4-3 Big 12): In the loss to TCU, Quinn Ewers was just 17-39 passing for 170 yards with no TDs and one interception. Next week: at Kansas (6-4, 3-4 Big 12) ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The wonderful thing about November is the way college football’s pretenders are exposed, one-by-one. Over on the Left Coast Saturday night, Oregon lost to Washington and UCLA lost to Arizona, eliminating any chance either of those previously one-loss teams had of making the College Football Playoff. Southern Cal only has one loss, but with games against UCLA and Notre Dame (in South Bend) remaining, there is a good chance the Trojans will go down in flames as will the Pac-12’s chance of landing its first playoff team since 2017. There are only four remaining unbeaten Division I teams and only three of them have a chance to run the regular season table since Ohio State and Michigan will play in Columbus on November 26. TCU is unbeaten but will probably play Kansas State in the Big 12 title game and K-State is a team TCU does NOT want to play a second time. If the Frogs lose, the Big 12 will be without a playoff team. Again. So here’s a possibility for you: Georgia and Ohio State finish unbeaten and win their conference title games. Michigan and Tennessee both finish with one loss. We could wind up with two SEC and two Big Ten teams in the playoff. If you aren’t in favor of an expanded playoff, then that scenario alone should change your mind.

“That’s a 440-pound man trying to run with that ball. Six-foot five and a half. I’m proud of Des. He’s come a long way and he’s going to get better.” By BUDDY MARTIN There is nothing quite like one of The Big Fellas getting his hands on the ball with a chance to look like a running back wannabe that excites everybody – especially his teammates. In particular, one built like an aircraft carrier, someone who actually had to lose 30-40 pounds to get down to his playing weight, someone just learning to play the position and the game, someone whose work ethic inspires the efforts of those around him. If you don’t believe it, you should have seen how Desmond Watson's teammates stormed the field on the first play of the second half of Florida’s 38-6 victory. Must have been 80 or 90 of them. Which drew a flag from officials. And which downright delighted his coach. It was a sideline warning which Billy Napier wore like a badge of honor. And he wore a big smile after the game, talking about the Plant City sophomore with one of the most happy faces we’ve ever seen on Napier. “Big Des, man,” Napier said, shaking his head side to side in admiration, conflicted about bragging on the mild misconduct of his squad, but seemingly enjoying the bit of outlaw in it. In fact, Billy bragged on it. Maybe I missed it, but I didn’t see any reference to this roguish comment in the official game notes. But I did hear Billy say this: “You know, I always tell the players, ‘I want the officials to warn me. I want you to celebrate your teammates … I want the sidelines energy … I want you to be creative. ' But that’s next level stuff. We got a warning, but rightfully so. “That’s a 440-pound man trying to run with that ball. Six-foot five and a half. I’m proud of Des. He’s come a long way and he’s going to get better.” Oddly enough, Desmond Watson’s big play inspired the team more than anything Saturday – including its third straight shutout quarter and the spectacular rushing game that netted 374 yards, most of it among the trio of Anthony Richardson, Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. “Running the ball. It’s what we do,” Napier said. “It’s what we’re good at.” Yeah, and they were pretty good at takeaways, too. The sight of a massive Mountain Man, all 6-5, 440 pounds of him, stripping quarterback Spencer Rattler of the football, picking it up, then making his Heisman move by changing hands as he chugged toward the end zone completely lit The Swamp. Had Watson navigated those final 12 yards for the score, the stands at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field would have erupted like Mount Tambora. Maybe the eight-yard jaunt wasn’t as spectacular as the 75-scoring run of Etienne or the career high 163 yards of Johnson, but in many ways, it was symbolically comparable of how far both Des and his teammates have come this season. All of a sudden, Napier’s team that was given up for dead a few weeks ago found that spark in the third period vs. Georgia and has ignited a path toward post-season prominence. One projection even has Florida in the Gator Bowl vs.Clemson but Napier will hear none of that talk yet. Almost nonchalantly, the Florida Gators boat-raced South Carolina to become bowl eligible and maybe a lot more. For the first 15 minutes, Billy Napier’s Gators looked like Steve Spurrier’s Gators, rolling up a 21-0 first period lead and stringing together their third scoreless quarter in a row before squashing the hapless visitors. A sold-out crowd turned out for the final home game of the year and was treated to the closest thing to a complete game. It was a lovely way to spend a splendid Indian Summer Saturday … if we can still say that anymore. And if not, make it a Native American Saturday. Anyway, it was splendid. At least three things stood out as beyond impressive: 1. The fast start and 21-0 lead. 2. The momentary trio of 100-yard rushers which was eradicated by the -6 sack of A.R. which knocked him back to 96 yards. 3. The spate of three takeaways in the first 5:33 of the third period – the biggest feeding frenzy of its type this season for this now-hungry defense which has made a quantum leap in recent weeks. Actually, make that four things, because the enthusiastic support of the nearly 90,000 on Senior Night was a sweet going away kiss for 18 players – and maybe more. There could be another one going when Richardson gets drafted in the first round next April. On the other hand, A.R. didn’t act or sound like somebody who’s ready to bolt from his hometown where he is already a millionaire and could sleep in his own bed next year while playing for the Mighty Gators, who could be formidable in 2023 with new faces to bolster them. What’s new for Richardson is the vocal leadership, which he has found to be of his liking. When you can lead by example AND spirted dialogue, you’ve got something special. It’s the kind of thing that Napier loves to talk about when reflecting on his team’s growth. “I think the character, the consistency of the character of an individual, it’s easier to respect an individual when you see consistency from a person. You see them really trying,” said Napier. “You can’t fool players and you certainly can’t fool your teammates. I think that there’s been ownership at that level. There’s been leadership. There’s been challenges made. They know who is doing their part and who’s not. They know who can do better. I think that you finally got to the point where players are basically taking the bull by the horn to some degree. Players make a team. I think that some of those things were missing to be quite honest. I think that we’ve seen the growth in some of those areas and I think it's affected how they play.” That means A.R. That means you, too, Big Des. Hey Billy, how about putting in a short goal-line play for Des the way Mike Ditka did for William “The Refrigerator” Perry back in the eighties? Yeah, and we could nickname him Desmond “The Aircraft Carrier” Watson. That, alone, would be worth the price of admission. Especially on Veteran’s Day week.

By FRANZ BEARD Perhaps this was one of those wishful thinking out loud kind of moments for O’Cyrus Torrence, the 6-5, 335-pound mountain of a right guard who revels in beating up on whoever lines up across from him. He has been doing that on a regular basis all season which is why he is the highest graded run blocker in the entire country. He was the big bully on a Florida (6-4, 3-4 SEC) offensive line that left South Carolina punch drunk Saturday night at The Swamp. The Gators ran 79 plays in their 38-6 win over the Gamecocks, 54 of them were runs that netted 374 yards. “I know tomorrow Coach [Napier] ain’t gonna be yelling at us too much on film because we ran for 300,” Torrence said while surrounded by reporters in the South End Zone meeting room. “Not too much he could probably yell at us about.” Napier may not complain too much about the way Gators ran the football – “It’s what we’re good at and I think you have to play to the strengths of your team,” he said – but you can be certain he will get on some folks about the discrepancy between the first and second halves. In the first half, the Gators ran for 281 yards on 27 attempts, a rather healthy 10.4 yards per attempt. The Gators ran the same amount of plays on the ground in the second half, but the net was only 93 yards, 3.44 per attempt. Montrell Johnson Jr. finished the game with a 161 yards (6.7 per carry) and a TD. Trevor Etienne, who blew through a hole on the right side and then managed to outrun everyone to the end zone for an 85-yard TD in the second quarter, had 100 yards on eight carries. Anthony Richardson had a 3-yard touchdown run and finished the game with 96 yards on 15 carries. The offensive line certainly did its part, but Napier was quick to point out that running the ball for big yardage involves each player carrying out his assignment consistently well. “When you rush the ball effectively, in particular our way of doing it, every position group is contributing to that,” Napier said. “I mean, receivers are blocking their tails off out there. Line of scrimmage, the edges by the tight ends, the read game by the quarterback and all the perimeter screen and perimeter RPO stuff. There’s not a run out there that Ant’s not deciding should I throw it here, show I throw it there, I gotta read this guy.” Richardson, who had two touchdown passes and made it four straight games without a fumble or interception, was only 11-23 throwing the ball for 112 yards. He threw behind open receivers on a few occasions and let fly with a fast ball when a touch throw would have done nicely on two or three others. He could have thrown it better, but the way the Gators were running the ball, he really didn’t have to be the second coming of Drew Brees. Florida’s first half offensive production racked up 362 yards, 281 on the ground, 81 through the air as UF rolled to a 24-6 lead. The Gators scored three touchdowns and a field goal on their first four possessions. They may have added another score on their fifth and final possession but they ran out of clock at the end of the half with the ball on the South Carolina 29 after an 18-yard scramble by Richardson. The second half Gators were sloppy at times, inefficient at others. Florida managed only 153 second half yards and two touchdowns. Despite three defensive takeaways on South Carolina’s first three possessions of the second half, the Gators converted that into one touchdown. The Gators left points on the field. Fortunately, they scored all the points they needed in the first 30 minutes. In the final 1:14 of the game, the Gators committed their first turnover in four games. “Yeah, I thought our operation on offense was a little sloppy at times, maybe things you guys don’t see, but when we make mistakes, it had nothing to do with the other team,” Napier said. Translation: There will be things to yell about when the whole team watches the film together because if we eliminate the unforced errors we can do so much better. Defensively, this was the best the Gators have played in a game from start to finish all season. This was just the second time the Gators have held an opponent under 300 yards (Kentucky had 272 in game two). South Carolina averaged 4.7 yards per play. Coming into the game the Gators were allowing 6.09. For the first time in 10 games, the defense didn’t allow an offensive touchdown. Dating back to last week’s impressive second quarter against Texas A&M, the Gators have six consecutive shutout quarters on defense. Building on the momentum of last week’s well-played second half against Texas A&M, the Gators were dominant. It all began by getting the job done at the line of scrimmage. From the first three series, it was evident the Gamecocks were going to struggle running the ball. They managed only 44 rushing yards on 23 attempts. Without a running game, South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler was under heavy duress. He was sacked twice in the first half and got an intentional grounding call in the second. Rattler completed 18-26 passes and three plays accounted for 60 of his 146 yards, so on the other 23 attempts Rattler averaged 3.7 per attempt. South Carolina’s first three possessions of the second half resulted in fumbles, the best stretch of forcing turnovers the Gators have had all season. Rashad Torrence forced and recovered a fumble with a hit on wide receiver Antwane Wells on South Carolina’s first play of the second half. On their next possession, Jaheim Bell tried to run up the gut on second and 10 at the 20 only to meet up with Desmond Watson. Watson emerged out of the pack with the football and rumbled eight yards, using a stiff arm to shove away a tackler. The entire Florida bench erupted on the sideline and got a warning from the officials. “Kind of shocked when I saw him switching the ball [to his left hand] and then stiff arming people,” Richardson said. Torrence added, “Oh man, it was the best part of the game for me. I wish he would have scored. We would have gotten three flags thrown, more than just one on the field!” The Watson turnover was the only one of the three the Gators converted into points, a 4-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to Jonathan Odom, the first TD of Odom’s career on only his second catch. The third turnover was the result of a Kamari Wilson hit on wide receiver Jalen Brooks, who coughed the ball up. Trey Dean III made his Senior Day memorable by plucking the ball out of the air and running it back eight yards. Forcing turnovers, stuffing the run and limiting the Gamecocks to only three runs of 10 or more yards and three pass plays of 15 or more were sure signs the Florida defense is growing up. Now, there will be things to clean up in the week ahead. There were some missed tackles and Napier won’t be happy about a third-and-17 that was converted in the first quarter, but this was the best effort of the season. Adding the second half of the game with the Aggies to this one and the UF defense has allowed only 343 yards and zero points in the last six quarters. That brings us to special teams. Let’s just say they were an adventure because there were errors in kicking, punting and return games. The biggest blunder of all was late in the first half with the Gators leading 24-0. On a fourth-and-six at the Florida 48, the Gamecocks sent in their punting unit. The Gators were caught flat-footed when Kai Kroeger took the snap, looked left and then came back to the right side where he lofted a perfect pass to an uncovered Dakereon Joyner who split two Florida defenders and then ran behind a convoy of blockers for the Gamecocks’ only touchdown of the day. Adam Mihalek made a 28-yard field goal in the first half to put the Gators up 24-0, but he had a 36-yarder blocked in the third quarter after Torrence forced the first Gamecock turnover. After the fumble recovery by Dean, the combination of an off-target snap and a fumbled hold by Jeremy Crawshaw resulted in a 10-yard loss. That is six points left on the field right there. At the end of the third quarter, the Gators gave up a 37-yard punt return that was compounded by a face mask penalty that tacked on another 15 yards to give the Gamecocks a first down at the UF 19. The defense bailed special teams out on that one when they forced a turnover on downs at the 17 when Princely Umanmielen pressured Rattler into a bad throw. Xzavier Henderson fumbled while running back a South Carolina punt late in the first quarter. Miguel Mitchell was there to prevent a disaster, catching the ball in midair. It was a 9-yard loss back to the 15 but the Gators maintained possession. One play later, Etienne took off on his 85-yard touchdown jaunt that more than made up for Henderson’s mistake. From that point on, Ricky Pearsall returned the punts. Crawshaw somewhat redeemed himself in the fourth quarter when he did a rugby-style punt that bounced its way down to the South Carolina four before it was downed. “We made a handful of errors tonight I think we can clean up,” Napier said. “Kicking game, in particular, I thought was a little sloppy.” This was not the complete game that Napier has been talking about, but it was the closest the Gators have come to one all season. For the first half, the Gators were as dominant offensively as they’ve been all year. For four full quarters the defense got the job done. Special teams, while not good, didn’t haunt the Gators with their mistakes. Think of this as another step in the right direction. “I think we’re getting better,” Napier said. “I think we’re always a work in progress. This is something that can go away. It can disappear and you can forget why it’s happening. That’s the key, that we learn these lessons, that we continue to apply the same approach. Sometimes your ego can get the best of you, right, and you can lose sight of okay, hey, why is it actually working? We have to keep our humility, we have to keep our edge, but I do think we’re making progress.” Yes, the Gators are making progress. After the loss to Georgia, a lot of people rolled their eyes when Napier said he thought the Gators had turned a corner, but the last two games have proven that out. When Georgia finished off the Gators, 42-20, a lot of experts questioned if the Gators could win even one of their last four games. Florida is 2-0 in the month of November and bowl eligible. Road trips to Vanderbilt and Florida State remain on the schedule but the Gators should be favored to win both games, particularly if what we saw Saturday against South Carolina was a sign of things to come and not some sort of aberration. If you look back on the schedule, it’s easy to see that if UF had avoided turnovers they would have won the Kentucky game. If the defense had played with the same kind of effort and focus that we’ve seen in the last six quarters, both the Tennessee and LSU games, both could have been won. The Gators may be 6-4 right now, 3-4 in SEC play, but they could easily be 9-1. The one – the loss to Georgia – might have been competitive to the bitter end if the Gators had played the first half like they did the second. The takeaway from this game is that the Gators are making progress, perhaps not as fast as the fan base wants and certainly not as rapidly as Napier desires, but they’re getting there. Instead of having to win their last two games like they did in the final days of the Mullen era last year, the Gators are already bowl eligible and highly capable of finishing strong. “Ever since that Georgia game we were talking about being 5-0 (four regular season wins and a win in a bowl game), week by week, just trying to be 1-0 that week,” Richardson said. We’re just working, just trying to get better, just trying to improve day by day, game by game. We’re just trying to go 1-0 every game.” Two weeks into November, that plan is working out. Quite well, in fact.

Pearsall had first half TD catch (Chris Spears Photo) For a half, at least, the Florida Gators looked the part of a team that’s going places. Picking up where they left off last week at Texas A&M, the Gators could do little wrong on either side of the ball, taking a 24-6 lead into the halftime locker room. Starting with their opening possession, a 14-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 5:43 of the clock and culminated with a 3-yard touchdown run by Anthony Richardson, the Gators were in complete control. Florida scored on four of five possessions and didn’t have to punt. The Gators took a 14-0 lead on a 15-yard Richardson to Ricky Pearsall touchdown pass and they made it 21-0 when Trevor Etienne broke through the right side of the line and then legged out an 85-yard touchdown run. Florida’s final points came on a 28-yard field goal by Adam Mihalek. South Carolina’s only first half points came on a fake punt when Kai Kroeger threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Dakereon Joyner with 1:52 left in the half. Take those 48 yards away and the Gamecocks managed only 64 yards of offense. The Gators outgained South Carolina 362-112 with 281 yards on the ground. Montrell Johnson Jr. ran for 107, while Etienne gained 90 and Richardson 82.-- Franz Beard

" I believe Florida was headed to a Top 10 recruiting class in the rankings mentioned above. But what was thought to be out of reach just a week or two ago, a Top 5 class, may be something that is very reachable." By BOB REDMAN Gator Collective This thing was already headed in the right direction. But when the Florida Gators got a huge flip from previous Miami committed quarterback Jaden Rashada in the wee hours of the morning on Friday, things really took a turn for the better. That shake felt around the recruiting world could be felt immediately when Florida and Miami swapped places (No. 8 and No. 9) in the team composite recruiting rankings on both the major services, On3 and 247Sports. But the tremors that I believe will likely result from landing Rashada are going to change the shape and direction of this 2023 recruiting class. Make no mistake. I believe Florida was headed to a Top 10 recruiting class in the rankings mentioned above. But what was thought to be out of reach just a week or two ago, a Top 5 class, may be something that is very reachable. Not only that, Florida is now poised to poach some more top talent from the Miami class and maybe one or two that many thought was headed there. To say that the recruiting battles between the two have been contentious is an understatement. The No. 17 player overall and a five-star prospect according to 247Sports was the main target in a huge recruiting battle back in late June. He started out favoring Miami and then Florida got involved with Rashada based on some longtime relationships with the family and head coach Billy Napier along with a couple of others on staff. Rashada visited Gainesville twice in a two-week period including an official visit. A week later he took an official visit to Miami and committed to them shortly after the visit. It wasn’t pretty in Gainesville shortly after that in terms of recruiting talk around the water cooler. In another storyline between the two programs and this recruiting cycle, five-star offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa from the IMG Academy in Bradenton (FL) also visited the Gators around the same time. Another real need position for Florida, Mauigoa was also pretty close with Rashada. Although he never seemed as close to the Florida staff as Rashada, he visited Gainesville in March and April and then took an official visit to Gainesville on June 16. Three weeks later and a week after Rashada did so, Mauigoa committed to Miami. And yet a third highly rated prospect, four-star linebacker Malik Bryant of Orlando (FL) Jones, was a Gator lean for a long time. He made at least three unofficial visits to Gainesville and took an official visit to Florida on June 10. Bryant seemed to visit a ton of places but Florida seemed the most likely. He did visit Miami unofficially twice and then officially on June 24, the same day Rashada committed to the Hurricanes. A little more than a month later and on July 27, Bryant surprisingly pulled the trigger for Miami. The Gators won some battles, too , between the two programs. Prominent names in the recruiting class like receivers Aiden Mizell and Andy Jean (previously committed to Miami), defensive linemen Kelby Collins, Kamran James, Isaiah Nixon, and Gavin Hill, and defensive backs Dijon Johnson, Ja'keem Jackson, Sharif Denson, and Bryce Thornton are all highly regarded prospects but outside of Jean there wasn’t that much of a head-to-head battle with any of them and as it turns out, the three Miami commits were all higher-rated making it hard to swallow for Gator fans that follow recruiting. Until now. Rashada changes that. He’s a Top 60 consensus player and that makes him the highest-rated prospect in the Gators class in both recruiting services to this point. The real story moving forward however will likely be what Rashada will do in terms of helping Florida add to the class. That is hard to measure at this point, but at a quick glance, Rashada has a chance to be a magnet to some of the top talent in the entire country. I think it should likely be expected. Who are we talking about? Well of course we can start with the two that were already mentioned in offensive tackle Mauigoa and linebacker Bryant. Two positions where the Gators need the help and two prospects that have relationships with the Golden State quarterback. The offensive line is a position where quarterbacks should be able to help recruit and staying with the position Florida is expecting an official visit from five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola from Brocton (MA) Thayer Academy who has been favored to follow Rashada to Miami. While Mauigoa is considered the top tackle in the country, the uncommitted Okunlola is considered the third-ranked prospect at the position. Miami also has commitments from three-star offensive tackles Tommy Kinsler of Ocala (FL) Trinity Catholic and Frankie Tinilau from Miami. Kinsler lives just 40 miles from Gainesville and was a one-time commitment for the Gators. Kinsler has been on the Florida campus a lot and earned his offer at camp in Gainesville. Tinilau visited a few weeks ago for a game and the staff likes his game. One last name to talk about now is five-star receiver Jurrion Dickey from Palo Alto (CA) Menlo-Atherton. The Oregon commitment is a consensus Top 15 player nationally and played off-season 7-on-7 ball with Rashada. They will be looking to set up a visit with Dickey moving forward. If the Gators could secure his services he would be the highest-rated receiver to sign since Percy Harvin in 2006. This won’t be the full list of prospects that Rashada is connected to. These are the highest-rated or the guys at need positions that we know of right now. The names listed above could turn a No. 8 class into a Top 5 class easily. There is still a good bit of work ahead to make that happen, but this wasn’t even a thought not too long ago. Bob Redman has worked covering Florida Gators football, basketball, and baseball for various publishers since the summer of 2004. Before then he was a part of the football staffs of Steve Spurrier and Ron Zook for a 10-year period. He's the father of three children and a loving wife that allowed the couple to be married in the Touchdown Terrace at Ben Hill Griffin back in 1996.

By Franz Beard The mere mention of what happened in the second half of Florida’s decisive 41-24 win over Texas A&M brings a grin to the face of left tackle Richard Gouraige. Not just any grin, mind you, but one that brings back the kind of memory every offensive lineman at any level of football dreams about. That moment when you line up and you see the fear in the eyes of the guy across from you. He knows he’s about to get mashed and there isn’t one damn thing he can do about it. “That’s what you’re in the SEC for, man,” Gouraige said. “You just run the ball down people’s throat a little bit. There’s nothing better than knowing that your guy on the left or right are doing their jobs as full speed as they can and execute their blocks.” In the second half against the Aggies, the Gators threw sparingly but effectively. Not only were the Gators grinding it out on the ground, but with the exception of one coverage sack when Anthony Richardson had forever to throw but nobody open, they were on their pass blocking game. The Gators wound up with 291 rushing yards against Texas A&M, averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 50 attempts. Montrell Johnson Jr. racked up 100 yards and a TD on 22 carries. Trevor Etienne had 80 on 17 carries, one of which was a spectacular blend of power and balance as he broke tackles and put his hand on the ground twice to regain his footing. The carry was good for 10 yards but it was that kind of run that broke the Aggies’ will to resist. And then there was quarterback Anthony Richardson. He had touchdown runs of 10 and 60 yards among his 78 yards for the game. On the 60-yarder, he picked up a terrific block 15 yards downfield from tight end Jonathan Odom. It seemed Richardson was gliding the last 45 yards. He didn’t look like he was running that fast, but the Aggies’ very fast secondary couldn’t catch up with him. When he threw the ball, Richardson was 17-28 for 201 yards and two TDs, one a fade that finished on a one-handed grab by Ja’Quavion Fraziars. This was an NFL throw as was the 90 mph fast ball he threw to Caleb Douglas for a 12-yard TD in the fourth quarter. Richardson didn’t throw an interception nor did he fumble the ball, the third straight game he has been turnover free. The Gators had 78 offensive snaps and they controlled the football for 37:07. The Gators’ ability to control the clock had everything to do with the defense shutting out the Aggies in the second half. This was only the second time all season that the Gators had two consecutive shutout quarters on defense and that had everything to do with the O-line dominating the Aggies up front. By controlling the ball for 19:37 of the second half, the offense kept the defense fresh and that inspired five second half three-and-outs. “Our ability to sustain drives and their [defense] ability to get the other team off the field. I think we’re starting to play some complementary ball,” Napier said. Complementary football. That’s when offense, defense and special teams all help each other. Offense puts points on the board, controls the ball and doesn’t turn it over. Defense doesn’t give up chunk plays, gets three-and-outs and forces change of possession. Special teams puts points on the board and contributes to field position. Florida’s overall numbers on offense are a bit deceptive. The Gators average 31.2 points and 430.4 yards per game, decent but very middle of the pack in the SEC. The important number is yards per play. The Gators are 13th nationally, averaging 6.83. Of all the UF teams in the past decade, only the 2020 Gators (7.28) averaged more yards per play. What the numbers tell us is that Napier’s offensive scheme that was so good in the Fun Belt is easily adapted to the Southeastern Conference. He has the triggerman in Anthony Richardson, the 1-2 punch at running back in Johnson and Etienne, an emerging group of receivers led by Justin Shorter, Ricky Pearsall and Xzavier Henderson, and then the beasts up front – a seven-man rotation of Gouraige, Michael Tarquin and Austin Barber at the tackles; O’Cyrus Torrence, Ethan White and Richie Leonard IV at the guards; and center Kingsley Eguakun. Focus on the offensive line. Gouraige was a good but not great left tackle. Eguakun was a center who had trouble with big nose tackles and White had a hard time staying healthy. Tarquin got one start. Barber took a redshirt after a signing day flip. Leonard backed up at guard and center. Then there is Torrence, who came to Florida from Louisiana where he made All-Fun Belt three straight years. His analytics make him the top pass blocking guard in the nation. He is a mauler who destroys opponents in the run game and so good as a pass protector that he has yet to surrender a sack this year. What Torrence has brought to the UF offensive line is attitude. He comes to work intent on beating people up and keeping his quarterback’s jersey clean. It rubs off on his mates who have surprised the rest of the SEC with their efficiency whether it’s in the run game or pass protection. They line up and without fanfare get the job done. Isn’t that the calling card of offensive linemen? Nobody really notices any one of them when things are going well and the ball is moving. Let one of them screw up, however, and it seems everybody knows his name. With the exception of Torrence, whose name is very well known because draft gurus such as Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have him rated so highly, these guys anonymously get the job done. When you combine an offensive line that operates at max efficiency exceptional skill people, you’ve got something good going for you. The Gators have running backs who, once they break out of the pack and get to the second level, instinctively run to open space. The quarterback, so erratic at the start of the season, has begun to understand that it’s best to tuck and run for positive yards when there is no one open or when it would take a perfect pass in a too tight window for a completion. Back in the 1950s, there was a TV commercial made popular by the phrase “it’s what’s up front that counts.” Does that describe Florida’s emerging offense? Judging by Pro Football Focus analytics the Gators are the best offensive line in the Southeastern Conference. That comes as a surprise to the so-called experts who rated the Florida O-line no better than middle of the pack in all the preseason publications. They never envisioned a group that consistently lines up and knocks people off the line of scrimmage. The numbers bear it out. The Gators are third in the SEC (20th nationally) in rushing at 209.22 yards per game. More important, the Gators average 5.92 yards per carry. That’s the best average per carry in the SEC and second nationally only to UCLA. You have to go all the way back to Florida’s 2008 national championship team to find a UF team that averaged more yards per carry. That 2008 team featured Percy Harvin (9.4 yards per carry) and Chris Rainey (7.8) and Jeff Demps (7.85). The Gators have had 55 rushing plays this season that have gained 10 or more yards. Eighteen of those runs have gone for more than 20 which ranks 16th nationally and eight carries have gone for at least 30, which is tied for fourth. Johnson and Etienne both have 17 carries that have gained at least 10 yards while Richardson has 13. Johnson has seven carries of at least 20 yards while Richardson has four runs that have gone for 40 or more. The Gators don’t throw it that often, just 249 attempts all season, third fewest in the SEC but Florida’s average gain per pass attempt is 8.0 yards, a very respectable sixth in the SEC. That number has been growing because Richardson hasn’t been turning the ball over. He gets plenty of protection – the Gators have allowed only nine sacks for -58 yards all season. That is third in the SEC and tied for 12th nationally. Compare that to LSU (32 sacks allowed) and Kentucky (35). “Ant (Richardson) can do whatever he needs to do and just piggyback on everybody else,” Gouraige said. “But it basically just starts up front … As long as we dominate and set in the line of scrimmage we can be successful as a team.” Dominating is what the UF offensive linemen were determined to be all the way back to January. Spring practice was a grind but then they went through the dog days of summer, showing up every day to work out in the heat. It was more than just the workouts, however. It had everything to do with the bonding. No unit has to be more precise than the O-line where if one guy has a bad day it can throw off the entire offensive game plan. Gouraige says all that hard work, all that bonding to become a band of brothers, is starting to manifest itself on the field. “It’s really started since January,” Gouraige said. “That, we dedicated ourselves since the offseason and saying we wanted to be the best unit in the country. And, day-in and day-out, watching film, critiquing ourselves, holding guys accountable, trusting that everybody will do their job is great. You know what I mean?” On a weekly basis Napier has been bringing in guest speakers to motivate the Gators. One such speaker was Eric Thomas, who spoke to the team during the summer. His story of rising from homelessness to success as a speaker, motivational coach and minister is awe-inspiring. Something Thomas said resonated with Gouraige and all of Florida’s offensive linemen. “He was saying, ‘Don’t take this game for granted at all. Play like it’s your last play,’” Gouraige recalls. “Coach’s (Napier’s) model is play for the guy who’s left of right of you so I always take that to heart, that this might be my last snap. If this is my last snap, I want to please the guy that’s left and right of me knowing that Richard did his job as best as he can. So he’s going to do his job well.”