KNOXVILLE-- As early as 8 p.m. Friday night the Volunteer faithful were camped outside of Ayres Hall for their favorite sports morning show. The anticipation of ESPN College Gameday live from Knoxville and the game to follow has put the Tennessee campus in a state of frenzy. As you drive down Neyland Drive, the Volunteer Navy looks to be back to the form that reminds Volunteers and Gator fans of when the Sheriff Peyton Manning roamed under center and the HBC was his 4-year nemesis. College Gameday was electric to say the least. From the announcement of each star of the show, to Lee Corso antagonizing Tennessee and Florida fans with a helmet swap, the home team has been primed and ready to go. Rece Davis appears and instructs the Volunteers to belt out Rocky Top on cue. You can tell Rece Davis has done this a time or too. Phil Fulmer way has been jam packed since 7 a.m. as well. Volunteer fans have lined up to get a glimpse of the football team that many believe is ready to take the next step as one of college football’s most exciting teams. There is a sense of confidence among the fans that they are certain to scratch the 5-year itch. On the flipside, as the Gators make their way down the hill for their own arrival, they look to be focused on the task at hand. There were very little handshakes, hugs, and smiles. The Gators arrived in must-win mode and should play with an energy that seemed to escape them at times a week ago. As the DJ spins the tunes in Neyland Stadium, the excitement has started to build inside the stadium. Tennessee so far this season has been the better team. However, Volunteer fans remember when they arrived to this game with a Heisman candidate at quarterback and an explosive offense but somehow ended up on the wrong end of the contest. Because of that, when you speak to many on the street and in the stadium, most say what they want but I am not sure they believe it. Back to College Gameday. As the noon hour draws near. The experts on the set make their picks along with Tennessee alum and WWE Champion Bianca Belair. As expected, they all pick Florida minus veteran Kirk Herbstreit who notes that Florida “expects” to beat Tennessee. The attention turns to Lee Corso who is quick to note that he is a resident of the state of Florida and may be in trouble if he would choose the Gators. With Smokey by his side, he expresses, “not this time!" and dons the Smokey head gear, then waves goodbye. Stay tuned.

` How, exactly, does Tennessee get ranked No. 11 in the nation after beating two unranked teams that are buried so deep in the polls you’d need a scuba diver to find them? You don’t get to heaven on the wings of Ball State and Akron. By BUDDY MARTIN GatorBaitMedia.com Editor Riddle me this: How in just 16 games has Tennessee become a national powerhouse with a mastermind coach who has conquered The Gator Nation like Luke Skywalker with light sabers and the magical Harry Potter contents found in the bottom of some used McDonald’s Happy Meal Bags? The Fickled Fortunes and Fandom of Football. Conversely, the team that has fallen from grace, all the way from No. 12 to No. 20 after losing to now-No. 8 ranked Kentucky, has become a punching bag for some of the whack-a-doodles in its fan base. Anthony Richardson has gone from Revered To Reviled. And Billy Napier is the new Dan Mullen. Where have you gone oh OrangeAndBlueBloods? Of course! All the numbers point to a Tennessee win. ESPN’s predictor gives the Vols an 87 percent chance of winning. Their odds have UF an underdog at 10.5. Yet … I’m not buying Josh Heupful’s Harry Potter Act just yet. Las Vegas says the Vols are favored by about a touchdown and a field goal, still rising on the basis of Richardson’s slump. And, oh yes, the 106,000 raucous fans who will show up at Neyland Stadium Saturday with bottles of French Mustard, sleeves of ProV 1 or Tiltleists X-out golf balls and perhaps a hidden flask of White Lightnin’ moonshine. Therefore, Tennessee is about to administer a “beatdown” to Florida. They say. The same Tennessee who most seasons couldn’t spell victory against the Gators if you spotted them the “v and the i and the c…” plus 10 points. The same Tennessee that has lost 16 out of the last 17 to UF. Yeah, them. For the first time since Mother Teresa of Calcutta became a saint – actually, it was the same year, 2016, when Pope Francis canonized her – the Florida-Tennessee game has become relevant again. Maybe it’s even a rivalry. Maybe. But just because the Vols are double-digit favorites doesn’t wipe out their ugly history vs. Florida. And speaking of the wonderful, blessed founder of Missionary of Charities, meaning no disrespect to the saint, one wonders about what scouting report Mother Teresa could offer on the Little Sisters of the Poor teams that Tennessee has been playing. How, exactly, does Tennessee get ranked No. 11 in the nation after beating two unranked teams that are buried so deep in the polls you’d need a scuba diver to find them? You don’t get to heaven on the wings of Ball State and Akron. The Zips were called by veteran Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist John Adams “one of the worst teams I have ever seen play at Neyland.” Did you hear about this? In September, Florida will have played probably the toughest schedule in the country against the 7th, 20th and 11th rated teams. Doesn’t that count for something? Yet, in some parts of the Gator Nation there is a smell of panic. Pardon me while I ponder the notion of a loyalty roll call for card-carrying Orange And BlueBloods to check who may have bailed even before the weather FORECAST – let alone all kinds of weather. Bless them, Mother Teresa, for their infirmities, fans being fans. It’s part of the affliction of arrogance and self-indulgence. We are all “experts” on at least three things: 1. How to build the perfect fire. 2. How to run a restaurant. 3. How to coach football and call plays. Has Billy Napier got a little somethin' for the favored Vols? (Chris Spears Photo) Obviously Billy Napier is stupid, which is why his team is poised for a Checkerboard beatdown and a Bluetick hound bite. “What is it with our fan base,” lamented a longtime Gator fan and good friend, “where they beat Utah and one minute they’re going to be national champions … and they lose a game, so they want to fire the coach?” I can feel the heaping criticism and temporary insanity of those Gator fans who know better. Even some of my more knowledgable friends have succumbed. And I’ve heard all kinds of theories and excuses. 1. Billy Napier needs a new play caller. 2. Anthony Richardson should be moved to tight end. 3. A.R. needs contact lenses. 4. A.R. is injured. 5. Napier needs to start Jalen Kitna. 6. Billy Napier should be fired. I’ll stop there. Yes, we know the Gators must play to their strength and keep running the ball with Nay’Quan Wright, Travis Etienne and Montrell Johnson, highlighting their strength in O’Cyrus Torrence and his O-line Peeps. Ball control would save some breath of Big Desmond Watson, Brenton Cox, Gervon Dexter, Amari Burney and maybe even Ventrell Miller, who is upgraded to “questionable.” Promising youngster Shemar James starts in Miller’s spot, if needed. The Gators need takeaways. Tennessee’s talented QB Hendon Hooker presents a challenge for Patrick Toney’s defense as a running threat and almost never throws picks. Toney’s secondary, including coach Corey Raymond’s corners, will be tested by Hooker. This makes for interesting matchups. I can’t wait to see how the execution plays out. Saturday’s game is a bit of a conundrum for me. Right up to the 3:30 kickoff I will be fiddlin’ with my pick. As of now, I am stuck in prognostication gridlock. Which is to say, I can see both sides, and I agree with both. At times like this, when all the numbers come crashing against what logic that may still exist in my addled mind, I have to rely on my Alligator Brain. In psychological terms, it may mean something different, and in a bad way, but to me it’s just the conditioned response built up over a half century of Orange And Blue Osmosis. In other words, I’ve not only seen this movie, I’ve written about it hundreds of times. So I will invoke this caveat. If the betting line continues to climb by kickoff, I’m inclined to dust off my old “Newton’s Law” theory. Actually, his third law: “If an object A exerts a force on object B, then object B must exert a force of equal magnitude and opposite direction back on object A.” AKA, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” So I will go opposite. My “Alligator Brain” reminds me of the times the Florida Gators have won some of their biggest games as an underdog. At Alabama in 1963. Against Houston in the 1969 home opener. The 2002 win over Georgia. And, of course, as a 2.5-point underdog, beating of Utah, 29-26. You do remember that on Sept. 3, right? For that reason, I’m taking the 10 points and Florida, with an outside chance of a 24-21 upset by the Gators -- but not making that call until an hour before the 3:30 kickoff. Hey, Hendon Hooker could sprain his ankle stepping off the bus! So could A.R. As for you card-carrying O&B bloods, go ahead listen to Tom P. sing “Won’t Back Down” and maybe light a candle in the window. Your Faith muscles are about to be tested. Florida 24, Tennessee 21

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: HOW MUCH IS THE DISRESPECT CARD WORTH? Nobody but nobody but nobody seems to think the 18th-ranked Florida Gators (2-1, 0-1 SEC) have much more than a snowball’s chance in hell to beat the 11th-ranked Tennessee Vols (3-0, 0-0 SEC) in Knoxville Saturday. The oddsmakers in Vegas established the Vols as 10-point favorites and some of the talking heads are already hinting that Tennessee wins this one big. Really, really big. For all practical purposes, this is Tennessee’s Super Bowl and perhaps it should be since the school will have to answer to the NCAA for 18 Level I violations committed by former coach Jeremy Pruitt and his coaching staff. Tennessee wanted Pruitt gone so badly that it essentially turned itself in to the NCAA and tried to fall on the sword in exchange for leniency. The NCAA came back with those 18 Level I violations. Tennessee has until October 20 to offer its response. If it were just two or three Level I violations, the Vols might skate, but 18? UT fans won’t be thinking about the dangers that lie ahead with the men in blue suits Saturday, however. They’ll be thinking celebrating Tennessee’s second win over the Gators since 2004. They’ll be thinking a top ten ranking when the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls come out. They’ll be thinking, “Bring on Bama! Bring on Georgia!” And when Lee Corso picks the Vols, which he is sure to do just before noon, the gathered throng of creamsicle-clad Vol fans will go into such a frenzy that wads of chewing tobacco will be swallowed and Peyton Manning jerseys will be forever stained with dip juice. Could it play out that way? Of course, it could. The Gators could go up to Knoxville and lay a great big egg, the kind that will have a lot of fair weather Florida fans turning to social media to question the sanity of UF athletic director Scott Stricklin for hiring Billy Napier in the first place. But, could the Gators do the unthinkable and actually win this game? The answer to that is also, of course, and it might not be such a far-fetched notion. The Gators did blow Tennessee’s doors off last year in Gainesville, after all. When you compare who the Gators have played against who the Vols have played, it’s silly to think UF doesn’t have a chance. Florida has beaten the then 7th-ranked team (now 13th) in the country, lost to the 8th-ranked team (Kentucky), a game they all but gave away, and beaten a South Florida team that is head and shoulders better than two of Tennessee’s victims (Ball State and Akron). Tennessee’s quality win is in overtime against 17th-ranked Pittsburgh, which lost its starting QB in the first half and played the rest of the way with a gimpy second teamer who had one good leg. Florida has played a tougher schedule, but that’s all in the past. It’s up to the Gators to put it all together on Saturday in front of 100,000 strong at Neyland Stadium. To do it, Billy Napier will need the Gators to play turnover free, limit penalties, throw and complete passes when necessary and run the ball. Run it a lot. Control the clock. Keep that Tennessee offense on the sideline while they grind and grind and grind. Here are five keys to victory: (1) Anthony Richardson completes enough passes to Ricky Pearsall and Justin Shorter to back the UT safeties off the line of scrimmage; (2) Richardson has to get outside the tackles where he has the option to run or throw; (3) Montrell Johnson Jr., Trevor Etienne and Nay’Quan Wright need to get their carries, plus involve them in the passing game; (4) set the edge so that QB Hendon Hooker and the UT running backs can’t get outside the tackle box; and (5) no turnovers or drive-killing penalties. So how does it play out? The Sayer says sooth!: FLORIDA 24, Tennessee 21 The SEC Soothsayer Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-0 SEC) at No. 2 Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Gloria Vanderbilt carries an exciting one-game winning streak and three pre-October wins into Tuscaloosa. They need to hold on to those memories. The wins were against a bunch of boys. The Commode Dores face grown men Saturday and Bryce Young will re-fuel his Heisman Trophy candidacy. The Sayer says sooth: In Alabama the Tusks are loosa 56, Designer Blue Jeans 7 No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. No. 10 Arkansas (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at Jerry’s World: Here is the difference between the Aggies and the Razorbacks. The Aggies have no actual football tradition other than a dandy marching band. If Jimbo loses Saturday, they’ll be ready to burn him at the stake and the only Jimbo they will love is the song by Rev. Horton Heat. Arkansas actually has football tradition. If Sam Pittman loses Saturday, they’ll still love him. The Aggies are favored by two for reasons that go beyond logic. The Sayer says sooth!: They like Green Eggs and Ham Sam I Am 24, Sermon on Jimbo 14 Missouri (1-2, 0-0 SEC) at Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC): TJ Finley is hurting. Robby Ashford can’t hit a bull in the butt with a bass fiddle from point blank range and Zach Calzada is having surgery. The zany Aubrin fans hate the coach (what else is new?). This sounds like a song written by Hank Williams. Wouldn’t it be a hoot if Bryan Harsin went on a five or six-game win streak? The Sayer says sooth: Why Don’t You Love Me? 28, Misery Index 17 Kent State (1-2) at Georgia (3-0): Sean Lewis spent the week buttering up Georgia, calling the current Poodles the “greatest collection of talent ever assembled.” Perhaps he never heard of the Miami Hurricanes of 2001 that featured 17 NFL first rounders and 21 others who were chosen in the draft. Now, it is a fact that Georgia has more talent on its 2022 roster than there has been on the Kent State roster in its entire 102-year football history. To beat the Poodles Saturday, Kent State players should become hybrids of Clark Kent and The Flash. The Sayer says sooth!: The team that still doesn’t have to play the Aggies in College Station 56, Nick Saban’s alma mater 0 Northern Illinois (1-2) at No. 8 Kentucky (3-0): In their spring 1969 concert at The Rathskeller on the UF campus the infamous band NRBQ (National Rhythm and Blues Quintet) sang their signature “Kentucky Slop Song” with such memorable lyrics as “Got boogers hanging out my nose, got jam in between my toes.” Northern Ill comes to Lexington Saturday to pick up a paycheck. The Huskies will leave feeling like NRBQ wrote that song about them. The only way this one is close is if Mark Stoops dresses out the tuba section of the band in the second half. The Sayer says sooth: Blue Moon of Kentucky 41, Jam between their toes 7 New Mexico (2-1) at LSU (2-1): On the day the NCAA announced it is so mad at LSU football for recruiting violations that it is tacking on a another year of probation for UMass basketball, LSU wide receiver Kashon Boutte announced that he will miss Saturday’s game with the New Mexico Lobo to attend the birth of his child. It’s been like he’s not even there all season. He may be the best deep threat in the SEC but the Brian Kelly offense has him catching 2-inch passes. The Sayer says sooth: Having My Baby 45, You and Me and a Dog Named Boo 7 Bowling Green (1-2) at Mississippi State (2-1): Folks in northern Ohio are still wondering how Scot Loeffler inspired Bowling for Dollars to beat the US Marshall one week removed from Marshall’s win in South Bend. For a minute there they were thinking Urban Meyer was pacing the sidelines at Doyt Perry Stadium once again and the Falcons were dreaming of a title in the Mighty MAC and Cheese. By the time their ears stop ringing from the non-stop cowbells Saturday, the Falcons will feel like one of C.W. McCall’s country classics – “Cow Pattie.” The Sayer says sooth!: The Harvard of Oktibbeha County 45, Bowling for Dollars 10 Tulsa (2-1) at No. 16 Ole Miss (3-0): The Tulsa Golden Hurricane must be proof that we have a climate change crisis. When is the last time a hurricane, much less a golden one, hit Tulsa, which is 632 miles of dry land away from the Gulf of Mexico. When the Hurricane whisk out of Oxford Saturday, they’ll be toting $1.45 million back to the fossil fuel capital of Oklahoma. Maybe by the time this one is over, Lane Kiffin will officially name Jaxson Dart at his starting QB. The Sayer says sooth!: Ode to Billy Joe 42, Living on Tulsa Time 14 Charlotte (1-3) at South Carolina (1-2): Feminists everywhere are pissed with Shane Beamer, who needed Dawn Staley coming to his rescue. The offensive coordinator is under fire from his best wide receiver. Spencer Rattler is as shaky as someone who just missed getting struck by a 7-foot eastern diamondback. Confused? So are the Gamecocks. Fortunately for them they’re playing one of the three worst teams in all of Division I. The Sayer says sooth!: A Little Bit South of North Carolina 37, Charlotte’s Web 14 Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 Kansas State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) at No. 6 Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0 Big 12): This could be billed as the Battle of Tornado Alley since there were 63 tornados in Oklahoma last year and 39 in Kansas. When this one ends the fine folks who represent K-State will be asking Dorothy to click her ruby red slippers together three times while chanting “There’s no place like home! There’s no place like home!” The Sayer says sooth!: Okie from Muscogee 35, Somewhere Over the Rainbow 24 No. 22 Texas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) at Texas Tech (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): While they’re in Lubbock the Longhorns should pay a visit to the grave of Mac Davis, who crooned, “Oh Lord, It’s Hard to Be Humble (when you’re perfect in every way).” The Longhorns won’t have to be perfect to leave Lubbock with a win, but they better not make many mistakes. The Sayer says sooth!: Texas State of Mind 33, Lubbock or Leave It 31 ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Just when George Kliavkoff had some folks on the Left Coast believing he had a functioning brain he declared Thursday that the reason he’s opposed to UCLA leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten is mental health. As in the mental health of UCLA athletes who will have to ride planes coast-to-coast. As in the mental health of the accountants who will have to keep up with paying for charter flights and hotels. Kliavkoff says that all the money UCLA will be getting from that Big Ten contract with Fox, CBS and NBC will be eaten up in travel expenses. Really. I’m not making this up. Memo to George Kliavkoff and anyone else who thinks UCLA is stupid to leave for the Big Ten: Starting in 2024 when UCLA and Southern Cal join the Big Ten, all 16 schools in the league will be picking up an end-of-the-year paycheck for something like $100 million. Prior to its $67 million settlement with Under Armour, UCLA had accumulated $102.8 million in athletic department debt. And that was just in the previous three years. You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to figure out that if you subtract $67 million from the debt and then you start picking up $100 million yearly paychecks you’ll be operating in the black in no time at all. Meanwhile, the Pac-12 doesn’t have a media rights contract beyond 2023 and it’s unlikely to be getting one worth much more than $40-50 million a year no matter if the media deal is with ESPN or Fox or some streaming service. The only mental health issue here would be if UCLA were to stay in the Pac-12 rather than take the Big Ten deal.

From 1990 to 2005 the Florida-Tennessee football matchup was the premier matchup in the Southeastern Conference and at times the entire country. This year’s game has a similar feel but for different reasons. By Loren Meadows GatorBaitmedia.com Football Analyst It is the third week of September and for die-hard Gators and Volunteers fans that means one thing: On the Saturday of that week it’s time to buckle up. From 1990 to 2005 the Florida-Tennessee football matchup was the premier matchup in the Southeastern Conference and at times the entire country. This year’s game has a similar feel but for different reasons. The game most likely will have no bearing on the conference or national championship, but It will serve as a litmus test for two programs looking to regain the prominence of the aforementioned 15-year period. This will be the first-ever meeting between Gators Head Coach Billy Napier and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel. It will also mark the first time that both teams have been ranked in the Top 25 for this matchup since 2017. The host Volunteers will serve the Gators an explosive offense averaging more than 550 yards per game and the Gators will look to turn down the offensive buffet using a pass defense that is ranked 26th nationally (178yd/game) and control the clock with the nation’s 32nd best rushing attack. With a potential Heisman candidate at quarterback and an improving defense, is this the year that Tennessee ends a five-year losing streak where only one game has been decided by seven points or less? Tennessee Offense: The straw that clearly stirs the drink is quarterback Hendon Hooker (#5, 6-4, 218). In his second year with the Volunteers (transferred from Virginia Tech) Hooker is in total control of Heupel’s lightning-quick offensive attack. In the first three games of the 2022 season Hooker is averaging 281 passing yards per game while completing over 69 percent of his passes. More impressive is that Hooker has not thrown an interception in his last 167 pass attempts, the longest streak in school history. The beneficiary of Hooker’s ascension as one of the SEC’s top passers has been receiver Jaylin Hyatt (#11, 6-3, 215). Hyatt has made a big jump in his junior season to lead the Volunteers with 18 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Against Pittsburgh, Hyatt reeled in 11 catches, fifth-most in school history. The most talented of the receivers is redshirt senior Cedric Tillman (#4, 6-3, 215), a Las Vegas native and one of the SEC’s top returning targets who offers a big, athletic target to Hooker. Tillman, who has 17 catches for 246 yards and a touchdown, suffered a lower leg injury against Akron and could be limited against the Gators. Rounding out the receiver group is USC transfer Bru McCoy (#15, 6-3, 220) and Ramel Keyton (#80, 6-3, 185) who is averaging 22.8 yards per catch on the season. While Hooker is the focal point of the offense, the Volunteers have capable compliments in running backs Jabari Small (#2, 5-11, 213) and Jaylen Wright (#20, 5-11, 205). Small, who led all rushers last season with nine touchdowns, was injured last week against Akron but all signs point to his full return against the Gators. Wright is a more than solid No.2 and is presently leading the team in rushing with 231 yards. If there is a weakness in the Volunteers offense it could be on the offensive line. The Vols returns four starters to a unit that surrendered 44 sacks in 2021. Pittsburgh was able to pressure Hooker for three sacks but otherwise the line has been solid. Former Gator reserve lineman Gerald Mincey (#54, 6-6, 337) has nailed down a position at left tackle. When it comes to stopping the Volunteers, the Gators will have to be extremely disciplined with their eyes and well-conditioned. South Florida was able to make life hard for the Gators challenging Florida’s “eye discipline” at all three levels of the defense with shifts, motions and misdirection. The Volunteers are not as multiple but move at a breakneck pace. Every 20.1 seconds the Volunteers run a play, which forces a defense to line up quickly and limit substitutions or checks at the line. The Volunteers offense can be easy to break down but that does not always translate to the field as it is extremely hard to simulate in practice. With tempo, the defense can be put in a position where the mind plays tricks on you and you completely blow a coverage or run fit. Will the Gators keep it simple on defense in order to be properly aligned? This will be the best offense that the Gators have seen this season. No offense, Utah. Tennessee Defense: In 2021, Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks’ defense ranked 99th in the country; this year his unit ranks 51st. The unit has depth and plenty of experience with the backbone of the improved defense being edge rushers Byron Young (#6, 6-3, 245) and Tyler Baron (#9, 6-5, 260), who each have the ability to be difference makers on the outside. Young, a definite NFL prospect, was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against Pittsburgh, making him the first Tennessee defender to win the award since 2018. On the interior, Omari Thomas (#21, 6-4, 320) returns along with Da’Jon Terry (#95, 6-4, 321) and Elijah Simmons (#51, 6-2, 340). While not a great pass rusher Thomas is adept at batting down balls at the line of scrimmage with six career pass break ups. Simmons, the largest of the trio, had a decent game against the Gators last season logging a half tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. At linebacker, Jeremy Banks (#33, 6-1, 224) returns with his 128 tackles from a season ago. At safety, two potential All-SEC performers patrol the back end in Trevon Flowers (#1, 5-11, 200), a future NFL prospect and one of the Volunteers best in recent years, and Jaylen McCullough (#2, 6-0, 205), a four-year starter who has played in every game during his time at Tennessee (39). The Tennessee defense currently ranks 19th nationally against the run. Coincidentally, Florida has had to lean on the running game the last three weeks for reasons we will discuss later. The Florida offense will face a defensive unit similar to that of Kentucky in terms of size and speed, but possibly not as disciplined. The question is, did Mark Stoops lay down the blueprint to stopping Florida and will Tennessee follow suit? Florida will run the football out of practice, but must throw it out of necessity. Tennessee was manhandled last year in Gainesville to the tune of 283 yards rushing and the last thing the Volunteers want to do is allow the Gators to push them around in their own backyard. The Gators will most likely see eight-man fronts in an effort to slow the ground attack and force the Gators to make plays through the air. The best defense on Saturday for the Gators will most likely be a good offense that can dictate tempo and time of possession. For that, the Gators must run the ball and play a solid game of catch. The Skinny: Matt Hayes of Saturdays Down South stated earlier in the week that “Florida has owned the rivalry; Tennessee owns the future.” The first part of that statement is inarguable, but the second part is definitely up for debate. Florida has won 16 of the last 17 meetings and Tennessee has only won 5 of the last 25. Josh Heupel said it only took “five minutes” for someone to mention the rivalry after the Volunteers hired him before last season. To that fact he is 0-1 presently in this rivalry. The Volunteers are as electric an offensive football team as you will find right now and based upon the past two weeks there is no reason to think that the Gators will stop that train anytime soon. However, Billy Napier’s roots are also in Tennessee, just like another ball coach who ushered in a dominant era in this rivalry for the Gators. Billy Napier gets it and will have the Gators ready to compete on Saturday. Quarterback Anthony Richardson must play better, and I believe he will. Unfortunately, along with his sub-par play the potential absence of Ventrell Miller for a second week is concerning. Napier consistently speaks of his team’s ability to “handle adversity,” which surely will come on the road in a hostile environment. The Gators will continue that trend and keep it close into the fourth quarter. To the dismay of Florida fans, Josh Heupel will be 1-1 against Florida after Saturday. Prediction: Florida 24 Tennessee 34

After last week’s emotional roller coaster of a USF game, the Gators find themselves with a road matchup in Knoxville, Tennessee. Although it was a tighter game than most expected against USF compared to last season, USF head coach Jeff Scott summed up his assessment of the Gators this way: “Florida’s a better team this year than they were last year at this time.” With that being said, the Gators have their work cut out for them this week with a Tennessee team undefeated and ranked No.11. Nonetheless, the Gators have dominated the Volunteers, holding a 31-20 all-time record in the series and have won 16 of the last 17 meetings including the current five-game win streak. Half of the Vols' wins in the series came in the first 10 meetings from 1916 to 1953. The last four matchups have not been particularly close as Florida has won each of the last four by 12 points or more. This is the 25th meeting where both Florida and Tennessee come into the game ranked, the most recent coming in 2017. Florida is 16-8 in those matchups. Since 2003, Tennessee has been ranked just three times against the Gators, winning one of those games (2016) and losing twice (2012 and 2017). The Gators have fared well in Knoxville, winning two straight at Tennessee including seven of the past eight. All-time, Florida is 14-12 in Knoxville. This is quarterback Anthony Richardson’s first SEC road start, although he played most of the game in Baton Rouge last year against LSU. “It’s not like we’re going to Canada and they’re going to change the rules. It’s going to be the same game,” Napier said regarding Richardson’s first SEC road start. “It’s going to be a little louder and played at a different location.” The Gators rank dead last in the SEC in passing offense at 141 yards per game. They’re one of three teams in the country (Hawaii & USF) that don’t have a passing touchdown. As such, quarterback Anthony Richardson has more tackles (2), than touchdown passes. “We need to improve the throw game,” Napier said. “Precision in the throw game.” In last year’s matchup, Florida relied heavily on the ground game, gaining 283 of its 503 total yards via the rush in its 38-14 victory. The last time Florida visited Tennessee, quarterback Kyle Trask lit up the Vols' secondary with 433 yards en route to a 31-19 win. Florida has scored at least 31 points in each of the last four meetings with Tennessee. Over the last seven meetings, the Gators have scored at least 26 points. Only once since 2005 has Florida failed to score at least 21 points and that was a 10-9 win in 2014 in Knoxville. This is the first matchup of head coaches Billy Napier and Josh Heupel. There was a previous matchup between the two coaches during the 2013 Sugar Bowl when Napier was the WR coach at Alabama and Heupel was the Co-OC/QB coach at Oklahoma. While the Gators rank last in the SEC in passing, they rank second in rushing. The Gators' 6.4 yards per carrying is good enough for second in the SEC, fourth among Power 5 conference schools and fifth overall in the FBS. Florida is one of two teams in the nation to face three opponents all ranked in the AP Top 25 through the first four weeks of the season, the other team being Texas Tech. UF is also the only team to face three top-20 opponents through the first four weeks. ESPN’s College Gameday announced that it will be in Knoxville for the game Saturday. Gameday has been to the Florida-Tennessee game eight times, with the Gators holding a 6-2 record in those games (4-1 in Knoxville). Florida's next most prolific opponent for Gameday is Florida State, which it has also played eight times. Overall, this will be Florida's 42nd appearance on Gameday. The Gators are 26-15 in those games.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: It is a two-fold challenge for the Gators (2-1, 0-1 SEC) Saturday when they travel to Knoxville to face 11th-ranked Tennessee. The Vols’ Blur Ball attack takes temp to a whole new level, particularly with 25-year-old Hendon Hooker at the throttle of the attack. Hooker is a very accurate passer but he supplements his arm with his ability to run the football, which wears opponents out. The Gators run a lot of tempo, too, but nobody runs it as quickly as the Vols, which has been a problem for preparation. “I think the issue when you play these teams is simulating it in practice,” Billy Napier said Wednesday night at his midweek press conference. “Like how do you recreate this pace in a practice setting with the look squad or a practice squad to some degree? We have ways in our system where we can ramp it up and go quickly. We work on tempo throughout the year. It’s part of our practice plan in spring practice and in training camp, but to do it each and every play? These guys are really good at it. I think they’re one of the best at it when it comes to pushing the pedal and playing at a pace. I mean, we’re talking every 20.5 seconds they’re snapping the ball. “I think that they’re in year two and certainly they’ve got the personnel, in particular the quarterback. His ability to rush the ball, in particular, I think makes him unique.” Hooker has thrown for 844 yards (9.9 per attempt) and six touchdowns without an interception. He has only run for 68 yards so far, but a year ago he ran for 613 yards and five touchdowns. Hooker’s ability to take off and gain positive yards is a real problem for a Florida team that has had problems setting the edge to keep opposing quarterbacks contained. Utah’s Cameron Rising avoided sacks all night and wound up with 91 rushing yards and a TD. Kentucky’s Will Levis was sacked three times in the first half, but he avoided second half sacks by getting outside against the rush to extend plays. Last week against South Florida, Gerry Bohannon ran for 102 yards and a TD. “In particular this past week, I think we had some conflict plays on the edge,” Napier said. “The good thing I’m going to tell you is in the second half we eliminated that issue. I think it’s a good thing when the staff understands it and the players understand what happened, what the concept was, what went wrong and how to fix it. I think that’s when you start to see some growth from your players, when they can make adjustments. They can speak the language, they know when it happened, they know why it happened and we’ll call this, I’ll be a part of the defense and it fits together. I think work-in-progress is how we’ll describe it and hopefully we can do it better moving forward.” Depth chart for Tennessee (starter in bold face) Offense WR: Xzavier Henderson; Daejon Reynolds or Marcus Burke WR: Justin Shorter; Ja’Quavion Fraziars WR: Ricky Pearsall; Trent Whittemore; Ja’Markis Weston LT: Richard Gouraige; Josh Braun LG: Ethan White; Richie Leonard IV C: Kingsey Eguakun; Jake Slaughter RG: O’Cyrus Torrence; Jalen Farmer RT: Austin Barber; Kamryn Waites QB: Anthony Richardson; Jalen Kitna or Kyle Engel RB: Nay’Quan Wright; Montrell Johnson Jr. or Trevor Etienne; Lorenzo Lingard Defense DE: Princely Umanmielen; Justus Boone NT: Desmond Watson; Jalen Lee; Jaelin Humphries, Jamari Lyons DE: Gervon Dexter Sr.; Tyreak Sapp; Chris McClellan JACK: Brenton Cox Jr.; Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.; Lloyd Summerall III; David Reese LB: Shemar James; Derek Wingo LB: Amari Burney; Scooby Williams; Diwun Black STAR: Tre’Vez Johnson; Jadarrius Perkins; Kamar Wilcoxson CB: Jason Marshall Jr.; Devin Moore; Jordan Young S: Rashad Torrence II; Kamari Wilson; Corey Collier Jr. S: Trey Dean III; Donovan McMillon or Miguel Mitchell CB: Avery Helm; Jalen Kimber; Ethan Pouncey Special teams KO: Adam Mihalek or Trey Smack PK: Adam Mihalek or Trey Smack P: Jeremy Crawshaw; Jacob Watkins H: Jeremy Crawshaw; Jacob Watkins KOR: Ja’Markis Weston; Trevor Etienne or Nay’Quan Wright; Tre’Vez Johnson PR: Xzavier Henderson; Jason Marshall Jr. or Trevor Etienne Injured: TE Arlis Boardingham out; OL David Conner out; CB Jaydon Hill probable; QB Jack Miller III out; LB Ventrell Miller questionable; LS Marco Ortiz out; LT Michael Tarquin out UF volleyball: The 12th-ranked Gators (9-2, 1-0 SEC) opened SEC play Wednesday night at the O-Dome with a straight set (25-19, 25-19, 25-17) win over Alabama (6-7, 0-1 SEC). Florida coach Mary Wise is now 49-0 for her career against the Crimson Tide. Freshman setter Alexis Stucky had 25 assists, three kills, one service ace, five digs and a block to pace the Gators. Florida travels to South Carolina (6-4, 0-0 Sunday). SEC football No. 2 Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Freshman wide receiver Aaron Anderson is practicing but listed day-to-day for the Vanderbilt game Saturday. No. 10 Arkansas (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Defensive back Myles Slusher and defensive lineman Jashaun Stewart are expected to be back from injury Saturday against Texas A&M. Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC): When asked if QB T.J. Finley will be ready to go Saturday against Missouri, HBC Bryan Harsin replied, “We’ll see.” No. 1 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Wide receiver Kearis Jackson praised Kent State’s defense, saying “Them boys are flying around.” Yes, and they’re giving up 29.3 points per game and they’re favored to lose to the Poodles by a mere 45 points. No. 8 Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Five of the six Kentucky football players who were arrested after being charged with burglary last year have filed a federal lawsuit against the Lexington Police Department. Charges were later dropped against the players. LSU (2-1, 1-0 SEC): Brian Kelly says the Tigers are trying to get wide receiver Jack Bech untracked. He has just two catches for 22 yards so far. He caught 43 passes last season. Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC): In the loss to LSU, Mike Leach says the Bulldogs spent a lot of time playing with nine guys instead of 11.” Missouri (1-2, 0-0 SEC): In talking about what has gone wrong for the Tigers this season on the SEC Coaches Teleconference Eli Drinkwitz said, “It’s easy to point at the quarterback but everyone has to improve. I’ve got to improve.” No. 20 Ole Miss (3-0, 0-0 SEC): The Rebels are allowing only 13 points and 264 yards per game. They’re favored by 21.5 against Tulsa this weekend. South Carolina (1-2, 0-2 SEC): The Gamecocks hope to get Spencer Rattler untracked this week against Charlotte. He has only thrown one TDP and three picks in the last two games, losses to Arkansas and Georgia. No. 11 Tennessee (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Wide receiver Cedric Tillman and running back Jabari Small are expected to play against the Gators Saturday. No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC): The Aggies may come out throwing Saturday against an Arkansas secondary that is allowing 352.7 passing yards per game. Opponents are averaging 8.5 yards per pass attempt. Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-0 SEC): The Commodores had only nine sacks all last season. They have seven thus far in 2022. They’ll need all the pass rush they can get against Alabama Saturday. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 No. 6 (Oklahoma 3-0, 0-0 Big 12): When Oklahoma joins the SEC, its longstanding rivalry game with Oklahoma State will become a thing of the past. No. 21 Texas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): Bijan Robinson, who was on a lot of Heisman lists when the season began, has only 311 yards in three games, but 183 came last week so he could insert himself back in the Heisman race with a big game against Texas Tech Saturday. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The Extinct Species List grew by one when Arizona State announced that Herm Edwards is no longer gainfully employed. If Georgia Tech gets its doors blown off by UCF Saturday, Geoff Collins could be the next member. Countdown to Firing Day: Week 4 Extinct Species List Scott Frost, Nebraska: There was a report Nebraska contacted Urban Meyer. If he goes back into coaching (doubtful) any time soon, it won’t be to Nebraska but will be someplace he can win instantly. The one guy who could turn Nebraska around is Lance Leipold who has Kansas unbeaten at 3-0. Nobody ever goes 3-0 at Kansas. Herm Edwards, Arizona State: The NCAA violations were the fallback that allowed Arizona State to fired Herm with cause. In reality, it’s all about a 1-2 start with Utah, Southern Cal and Washington the next three games on the schedule. The guy they ought to hire is Bryan Harsin, who will be job hunting rather soon when the zany Auburn alums and boosters have their way. On Life Support Bryan Harsin, Auburn: He was a goner the day athletic director Allan Greene left one step ahead of the pink slip. The loss to Penn State ensures that the only way Harsin will be back is to win the next nine games, one of which is Alabama. Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech: Somehow he survived last week’s 42-0 loss to Ole Miss. If UCF wins by 20 or more Saturday, he may need to win seven of the eight remaining games to save his job. Buzzards are circling. Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green: Lefty shocked the world by knocking off Marshall in overtime last week. Marshall probably was still hung over from its win at Notre Dame the week before. Bowling for Dollars travels to Starkville this week. This won’t be pretty. He’s probably good until the end of the season but he’s not going to be back next year. Jake Spavital, Texas State: Last week’s hosing by Baylor was expected. D1AA Houston Baptist comes to San Marcos this week so the Bobcats will be 2-2. That means a 4-4 record the rest of the way keeps the lights on his office. Mike Bloomgren, Rice: Rice is 2-1 so far after that shocking win over Louisiana last week. Bloomgren shouldn’t be too giddy. His schedule says the Hoot Owls are a 3-9 or 4-8 team at best. If he can beat Houston this week, he will save his job and probably pink slip Dan Holgorsen. Endangered Species List Dana Holgorsen, Houston: The Cougars can’t run the ball and they can’t stop anyone from throwing it. That’s why they are 1-2 and why Houston boosters are asking themselves, “Why are we paying this guy $4 million a year?” The Cougars are favored by 17.5 over Rice. The boosters won’t be happy unless it’s a 30-point win. Willie Taggart, Florida Atlantic: FAU got boatraced by UCF in Boca Raton last week. They’re 2-2 with a paycheck game at Purdue this week. Taggart really needs seven or eight wins to feel comfortable. Lane Kiffin showed the folks in Boca that championships can be won at FAU. Seth Littrell, North Texas: It’s not that the Mean Green are 2-2 right now that troubles the boosters and alums. It’s that the two losses were by a combined 69 points. A bashing by Memphis this Saturday will have the buzzards circling. Neal Brown, West Virginia: Saturday at Virginia Tech might be the last time the Mounties can win a game this season. They’re 1-2 right now with the only W is against a D1AA team. This si not going to end well. Ken Niumalatalolo, Navy: Since winning 11 games in 2019, the Midshipmen are 7-17. They’ve lost to D1AA Delaware and they’re only averaging 10 points a game. They’re 16.5-point underdogs at East Carolina Saturday. The folks in Annapolis are very nervous. Karl Dorrell, Colorado: The Buffs are 0-3 and in desperate need of a win. They get UCLA at home Saturday. Win and the heat would ease on Dorrell but increase substantially on UCLA’s Chip Kelly. Brent Brennan, San Jose State: The good news is he didn’t lose last week. That’s because it was an open date. Lose to Western Michigan this week and he’ll be 21-39 for his SJSU career. This doesn’t have a good ending in the script.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: In their three games so far this season, the 11th-ranked Tennessee Vols (3-0, 0-0 SEC) have obliterated a pair of teams from the Mighty MAC (Ball State, which is 1-2 with a win over D1AA Murray State; and Akron, which is 1-2 with a win over D1AA St. Francis of PA). In the two D1AA wins, the Vols scored 122 points and allowed 16. The third win is over then 17th-ranked Pittsburgh (now 24th). The Vols won that in overtime, 34-27. It should be noted that before he departed the game late in the first half with an injury, Kedon Slovis threw for 195 yards and a TD. His replacement, Nick Patti, was playing on a bum knee. He was 9-20 for 79 yards and a TD. The 18th-ranked Florida Gators (2-1, 0-1 SEC) go into Saturday’s game with the Vols in Knoxville 10.5-point underdogs. The folks in Vegas obviously like Tennessee’s offense better than they like a Florida offense that has sputtered the last couple of weeks. The Vols are home, Game Day will be there and Tennessee fans will make sure there isn’t a seat to be had in Neyland Stadium. On paper, Tennessee should win the game. The Vols have a quarterback who is hitting 69.4 percent of his passes with six TDPs and no interceptions. He will be going against a Florida defense that looked good against Kentucky but bad in the wins over Utah and South Florida. While Hooker is 59-85 for 844 yards (9.9 per attempt), Florida’s Anthony Richardson is 41-77 (52.3 percent) for 423 yards (5.5 per attempt) and no touchdowns with four picks. The optics are very bad, but games are played on the field where optics don’t always tell the whole story. As good as the Vols look offensively with their Blur Ball offense that is averaging 20.4 seconds between snaps, they haven’t faced a team capable of running the ball and controlling the clock. The Gators will have to do that to win. If you are seeking a ray of hope for Florida, that’s it. UT gives up only 83.33 yards per game on the ground, but neither Ball State or Akron can run the ball and Pitt struggles with consistency. If the Vols can’t get the Gators off the field, then UF has a chance to win this one. The Vols have great skill players and if they get a quick lead, they’re awfully tough to stop, but don’t forget, strange things happen to the Vols when they play the Gators (Florida 30-13 in 2002 when UF scored 24 second half points in the final 3:20 of the first half; Florida 10-9 in 2014 with 10 points in the fourth quarter; Florida 28-27 in 2015 on a 63-yard Will Grier to Antonio Callaway TDP with 52 seconds left bust Austin Medley missed a 55-yard field goal as time expired; Florida 26-20 in 2017 on the Heave to Cleve, Feleipe Franks’ 63-yard Hail Mary caught by Tyrie Cleveland with no time left). Tennessee is favored. Based on the optics of what we’ve seen, the Vols should be favored, but optics don’t win games. You shouldn’t count the Gators out just yet. 2023 UF football schedule: September 2 at Utah; September 9 McNeese State; September 16 Tennessee; September 23 Charlotte; September 30 at Kentucky; October 7 Vanderbilt; October 14 at South Carolina; October 28 Georgia (in Jacksonville); November 4 Arkansas; November 11 at LSU; November 18 at Missouri; November 25 Florida State UF volleyball: Fresh off their road win over last year’s NCAA champ and then 4th-ranked Wisconsin, the 12th-ranked Gators (8-2) open the SEC portion of their schedule at 7 p.m. tonight (SEC Network+) at the O-Dome against Alabama (6-6). UF softball: The Gators announced their fall exhibition schedule: October 21 Jacksonville; October 23 Florida State; October 26 South Florida; October 28 St. Leo; November 4 at UCF; November 6 North Florida; November 10 College of Central Florida; November 28-December 1 Orange and Blue Series. UF baseball: Wyatt Langford, Brandon Sproat and Hurston Waldrep were named to the top 20 college baseball prospects in the nation by MLB.com. Langford is the No. 4 prospect after a season in which he hit .355 with 26 home runs, nine doubles, three triples, 63 RBI and seven steals. Sproat, who was drafted with the 90th pick in the MLB Draft by the New York Mets, but he elected to return to UF, where he posted a 9-4 record with a 3.41 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 89-2/3 innings. Sproat is MLB.com’s No. 16 prospect. Waldrep, a third-team All-American at Southern Miss where he was 6-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 90 innings. He is the No. 19 prospect. UF women’s golf: The Gators are in third place, seven shots behind first place Texas and four behind runner-up Texas A&M in the Mo Morial Invitational in Bryan, Texas. Florida’s Maisie Fuller is in second place at 8-under after two rounds, one shot off the pace by Sophie Guo of Texas. SEC football No. 2 Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Through three games Alabama is -2 in the turnover department. The Tide has picked off one pass and opponents have intercepted three Alabama passes. Another problem stat is sacks. No. 10 Arkansas (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Led by Alabama transfer Drew Sanders (5 sacks), Arkansas leads both the SEC and the nation in sacks with 17. Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC): It is being reported that starting QB T.J. Finley is out with a shoulder injury for Saturday’s game with Missouri. Finley had one TDP and four interceptions in the first three games. That means Robby Ashford will get the start. The Oregon transfer has thrown one TDP and two picks while rushing for 158 yards. No. 1 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): ESPN play-by-play broadcaster Joe Tessitore is complaining that Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012 but Georgia has only played the Aggies once (2019) and that was in Athens. Georgia and Alabama have met only once since 2012 and that was in the COVID year (2020) when Georgia traveled to Tuscaloosa. Georgia won’t play the Aggies or Alabama next year, either. No. 8 Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC): The Wildcats have the second longest winning streak (7) in the country, trailing only Clemson (9). With Northern Illinois of the Mighty MAC coming to Lexington this weekend you can bet the farm the streak will extend to eight games. LSU (2-1, 1-0 SEC): The Tigers have to be concerned with all the hits quarterback Jayden Daniels is taking. Through three games he has run 35 times for 225 yards but that includes seven sacks Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC): The big concern defensively for Mike Leach has to containing scambling QBs. In the loss to LSU last week the Bulldogs gave up 207 yards, 93 to QB Jayden Daniels. Missouri (1-2, 0-0 SEC): Mizzou HBC Eli Drinkwitz was the offensive coordinator for Bryan Harsin in 2013 at Arkansas State, then he coached tight ends for Harsin at Boise State in 2014 and was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2015. No. 20 Ole Miss (3-0, 0-0 SEC): The Rebels rank No. 1 in the SEC in rushing at 271.67 yards per game (5.7 per carry with 12 rushing TDs) and No. 5 nationally. Zach Evans is second in the league in rushing at 105.67 yards per game while freshman Quinshon Judkins is third at 96.33 yards per game. South Carolina (2-1, 0-1 SEC): On a podcast, wide receiver Josh Van criticized the play calling of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield, saying Satterfield called a play that the Gamecocks had practiced in weeks in a crucial situation last week against Arkansas. No. 11 Tennessee (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Reece Davis won’t say who the celebrity guest picker will be when Game Day visits Knoxville Saturday, but he did say he thinks Dolly Parton “is unavailable to join us.” No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC): The Aggies rank dead last in scoring in the Southeastern Conference at 20.7 points per game. Nationally, the Aggies are tied with Texas State for 109th. Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-0 SEC): The Commodores face Heisman Trophy QB Bryce Young Saturday at Alabama. Young will be throwing against a pass defense that has given up nine touchdown passes while picking off just one pass in four games. The Commodores rank 108th nationally in pass defense. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 No. 6 Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0 Big 12): The Sooners will likely stack the box against Kansas State this weekend. The Wildcats are averaging 239.33 yards per game (5.52 yards per carry) but only 115.3 passing yards. Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez is averaging only 4.6 yards per pass attempt. No. 21 Texas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): Since taking over at QB when Quinn Ewers went down with a shoulder injury, Hudson Card is 39-45 passing for 329 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Ewers was expected to be out until October 8, but he’s healed quicker than expected. There is an outside chance he will get in some snaps against Texas Tech. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: You have to hand it to Pac-12 – soon to be Pac-12 Minus Two – commissioner George Kliavkoff. He’s already lost the financial bell cows of his league (Southern Cal and UCLA) to the Big Ten (plus six when they join in 2024) and both Washington and Oregon have held meetings with Big Ten commish Kevin Warren about joining their cousins from Los Angeles County to share in the bountiful riches of the Fox/CBS/NBC media deal. Yet, when you hear Kliavkoff talk, you would think he’s got his league completely under control. Speaking to Left Coast football writers John Wilner and John Canzano, Kliavkoff boldly stated, “Listen, I think if schools would have left for the Big Ten they would have left already.” Kliavkoff is trying to sound like he actually knows what he’s talking about but his league distributed less than $33 million per school last year (SEC led with $56.4 million, Big Ten not far behind). The Fox/CBS/NBC deal will ensure that every school in the Big Ten is receiving somewhere between $90-100 million. When the SEC expands to 16 teams by adding Texas and Oklahoma, the league could very well be distributing more than $100 million per school. Donkeys may fly before the Pac-12 (Minus Two) distributes even half that. Recently, New York Post sports media writer Andrew Marchand said that negotiations between the Pac-12 and ESPN are currently “hundreds of millions apart. They’re not even close.” Kliavkoff called that nonsense, and said that he believes “the 10 schools will sign a Grant of Rights agreement if we put the right agreement in front of them, which is why we’re spending so much time focused on getting an agreement that will allow all of our schools not just compete but to thrive.” Kliavkoff sounds like a snake oil salesman, hoping he can convince 10 schools to buy into his pipedream. He may get a deal with ESPN, but it won’t be a killer deal like the one the SEC has and its only attraction will be the Friday night Pac-12 games and late night Saturday. The Big 12 actually has a better chance of landing a decent deal, largely because it can trade Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC a year or two earlier in exchange for a hefty ransom payment and a TV deal that will keep the league near or perhaps a little beyond the current $43 million and change they’re distributing. Even without Texas and Oklahoma, the Big 12 will have a decent football league and probably the best basketball league in the country. Still, Kliavkoff clings to the notion that the Pac-12 (Minus Two) will be just fine and may even expand once it gets a media deal in place. “I don’t feel any sense of urgency at this point,” Kliavkoff said. “No one’s going anywhere. We’re all together. We’re focused on doing this.” If you’re into wagering on such things, (1) bet a ton that if Oregon, Washington, California and Stanford were offered a chance to join the Big Ten, they would bolt in a heartbeat; and (2) at the first sign that two or all four of those schools seriously open discussions with the Big Ten, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado will be perched on the Big 12 office door, ready to beg their way in rather than go down with the SS Kliavkoff.

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: By his own admission, Anthony Richardson is probably too much of a perfectionist for his own good, something he needs to work on and the sooner, the better. “Sometimes that’s my biggest downfall because in practice, if I miss a throw by six inches I’m like, ‘Bro, that’s a bad throw’ but it’s completed,” Richardson said at Florida’s Monday press conference. “So sometimes that is my downfall. Just trying to be too perfect sometimes definitely can mess me up, but I feel like it helps me grow as a quarterback.” Billy Napier needs Anthony Richardson to think less and grow more. If he can do it prior to Saturday when the 18th-ranked Gators (2-1, 0-1 SEC) take on 11th-ranked Tennessee (3-0, 0-0 SEC) at Neyland Stadium (3:30 p.m., CBS) that would be a real blessing. If the Gators are to break out of their offensive doldrums they need Richardson to be on point like he was in the season-opening win over then 7th-ranked Utah. In that game, Richardson completed 17-24 passes for 168 yards and ran 11 times for 106 yards and three TDs. In Florida’s two games since, Richardson is 24-53 passing for 255 yards with zero touchdowns and four picks. He’s averaging 4.8 yards per pass attempt in the last two games. Additionally, Richardson has gained only 28 yards on 13 attempts. For those numbers have to change dramatically for the Gators to score a win over a UT team that is favored by 11 points, Richardson needs to relax a bit. His high school coach at Gaiensville Eastside, Ceddrick Daniels, offered a bit of advice after Richardson went 10-18 for 112 yards passing and ran seven times for 24 yards in the Gators’ 31-28 win over South Florida last Saturday. “He [Daniels] said I was thinking about too much,” Richardson said. “He felt I wasn’t being myself. I wasn’t being Anthony and he said he could see that when I walked out there for warmups.” For Richardson to be himself, he needs to use his legs more. He has had to be more cautious with backup quarterback Jack Miller III still recovering from surgery on a broken hand. In the Utah game and again against South Florida, Richardson slid to avoid big hits, something he never did when he was in high school. Coaches have told him to be careful, to avoid taking big hits, and that has weighed on him mentally. “I guess I started holding myself back from running and that’s a part of the offense that helps us move the ball,” Richardson said. “So I guess I’ve just got to pick that up and bring that back.” To win at Neyland, the Gators have to keep the Vols and their Blur Ball offense off the field. One of the best ways to do that is for Richardson to get involved in the running game. Florida has a dynamic trio of running backs in Montrell Johnson Jr. (240 yards, 9.2 per carry, 2 TDs), Trevor Etienne (166 yards, 7.5 per carry, 2 TDs) and Nay’Quan Wright (100 yards, 4.17 per carry, 1 TD). When you add Richardson’s game-breaking speed into the mix and a few completed passes, the Gators may have what it takes to slow the Vols down and leave Neyland with a win. UF Volleyball: Gators move up to No. 12 Florida’s 5-set win on the road over then No. 4 and last year’s NCAA champion Wisconsin moved the Gators up four places to No. 12 in the weekly American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll. Freshman Alexis Stuckey was named SEC Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week while Elli McKissock was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Stuckey had 86 assists in Florida’s wins over Florida State and Wisconsin. In the Wisconsin win, Stuckey had 45 assists, six digs, three blocks and one kill. McKissock averaged 4.25 digs per set in Florida’s two wins. The Gators (8-2) open SEC play Wednesday night (7 p.m., SEC Network+) at the O-Dome against Alabama (6-6). AVCA top 25 poll: 1. Texas 8-0; 2. Louisville 9-1; 3. Nebraska 8-1; 4. San Diego 9-1; 5. Stanford 5-3; 6. Wisconsin 6-2; 7. Ohio State 4-4; 8. Minnesota 5-3; 9. Penn State 11-0; 10. Pittsburgh 9-2; 11. Purdue 9-1; 12. FLORIDA 8-2; 13. Georgia Tech 7-2; 14. Baylor 10-2; 15. Kentucky 5-4; 16. BYU 7-3; 17. Pepperdine 9-2; 18. Washington 8-2; 19. Marquette 9-1; 20. Arkansas 9-1; 21. Oregon 6-2; 22. Creighton 8-3; 23. Rice 10-1; 24. Western Kentucky 12-2; 25. UCF 8-0 SEC football No. 2 Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Injured wide receiver JoJo Earle will start running again this week although there is no timetable yet for his return … Alabama is a 40-point favorite Saturday against Vanderbilt. No. 10 Arkansas (3-0, 1-0 SEC): The chief operating officer of Beyond Meat, which makes plant based products that taste like real meat, was arrested outside Reynolds Stadium in Fayette Nam for biting a man’s nose in a rage incident that happened in a parking garage after Arkansas beat Missouri State last Saturday evening … The Razorbacks are a 2.5-point underdog Saturday against Texas A&M. Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Asked Monday if he considers the upcoming game with Missouri a must win, Auburn HBC Bryan Harsin replied, “I would categorize every Saturday as a must-win.” Harsin is expected to become the latest Auburn head coach to be fired, perhaps even before the season ends … Auburn is a 7-point favorite against Missouri Saturday. No. 1 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Sean Lewis, head coach of the Kent State Flashes, the sacrificial lamb that will take a beating for a big paycheck on Saturday, calls the Bulldogs “the greatest collection of talent that has ever been assembled on a football team.” That might be a slight exaggeration but what else should he say in light of receiving a $1.9 million guarantee? … The Bulldogs are a 44.5-point favorite to beat Kent State. No. 8 Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Although the Wildcats moved to 3-0 with their win over Youngstown State, HBC Mark Stoops wasn’t happy with 10 penalties, three turnovers and four fumbles. He was fortunate the Wildcats did that against a D1AA team and not a team from the Southeastern Conference. LSU (2-1, 1-0 SEC): After scoring an SEC win over Mississippi State, HBC Brian Kelly wants to know, “Can we handle success?” The oddsmakers must think they can because they’ve established LSU as a 30-point favorite to beat New Mexico Saturday. Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC): In analyzing the Bulldogs’ 31-16 loss to LSU, HBC Mike Leach said Monday, “We play hard and we practice hard and I think we’re a little too quick to get discouraged. We’re fragile to get discouraged when we face adversity. We have to fight through that” … The Bulldogs are 30-point favorites to beat Bowling Green. Missouri (1-2, 0-0 SEC): Mizzou’s offensive line was flagged for five holding calls in the Tigers win over Abilene Christian … The Tigers are 7-point underdogs on the road at Auburn. No. 20 Ole Miss (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Lane Kiffin praised Tulsa’s passing attack, which averages 413 yards per game and has 12 TDPs to only one pick this year. The Golden Hurricane quarterbacks have been sacked 10 times this year. Ole Miss pass rushers already have 13 sacks and the defense is allowing opponents only 5.2 yards per pass attempt … Ole Miss is favored by 21 points. South Carolina (1-2, 0-2 SEC): Despite backlash from the media against HBC Shane Beamer for getting annoyed when a Title IX ceremony ran long during the Georgia game, women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley has been very supportive. Staley tweeted that Beamer has “done nothing but support our programs” … The Gamecocks are 22.5-point favorites to beat Charlotte. No. 11 Tennessee (3-0, 0-0 SEC): After losing 63-7 to the Vols, Akron coach Joe Moorhead praised the UT offense, saying, “Put too many in the box and you’re one-on-one outside for deep shots. Load the box and they run the ball right up the middle with incredibly wide splits. They have a great quarterback and a great line” … Leading receiver Cedric Tillman (17-246, 1 TD) is listed day-to-day for Saturday’s close encounter with Florida after suffering a lower body injury in the win over Akron … The Vols are 11-point favorites over Florida. No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC): WR Evan Stewart, WR Chris Marshall, DB Denver Harris and DB Deyon Bouie, who were suspended for the Miami game, will return for Saturday’s game with No. 10 Arkansas at Jerry’s World in Arlington … The Aggies are 2.5-point favorites. Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-0 SEC): Regarding Saturday opponent Vanderbilt, Alabama’s Nick Saban said, “This is a good all-around team and it’s going to be challenging for us.” Bama is favored by 40. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 No. 6 Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0 Big 12): Wide receiver Marvin Mims has caught 14 passes for 310 yards (22.14 per catch) and two touchdowns in three games … Oklahoma is a 13-point favorite at home against Kansas State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12). No. 21 Texas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): True freshman left tackle Kelvin Banks hasn’t given up a sack while committing just two penalties in 171 snaps. True freshman right guard Cole Huston has yet to allow a sack in 98 passing snaps … Texas is a 6-point road favorite at Texas Tech. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: In a halftime impromptu press conference with reporters at last Saturday’s Miami-Texas A&M game in College Station, Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said the league is leaning toward a single division but hasn’t decided whether there it will be eight or nine conference games when Texas and Oklahoma join the league. “The focus in football is on a single division right now,” Sankey said. “The real debate is eight or nine games. That doesn’t mean divisions are completely erased from our consideration but they’re not at the forefront of our thinking.” Back in May, the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin adjourned without a decision on whether teams will be playing eight or nine league games. Some schools prefer to remain at eight because it allows a paycheck game that typically is a sure win that helps with bowl eligibility. A nine-game schedule would allow for three permanent SEC opponents for each team while playing the other 12 teams home-and-home at least once every four years. Although Sankey said that moving to nine conference games “is not certain by any stretch of the imagination,” that seems the most likely scenario because it would allow the 3-6 scheduling format. A better scheduling format is a necessity. There is no rhyme or reason to the current scheduling format in which Texas A&M still hasn’t hosted Georgia even though the Aggies have been in the league since 2012. Missouri, which has also been in the SEC since 2012, will be making its first road trip to Auburn this weekend. Sam Kahn Jr. of The Athletic reported that Sankey hinted the earliest Texas and Oklahoma can join the SEC will be 2024. You can all but figure ESPN and the SEC will do whatever it takes to make that happen since the new contract that grants exclusive SEC rights to ESPN begins in 2024, the same year the Fox/CBS/NBC deal with the Big Ten kicks in. ESPN needs Texas and Oklahoma in the league in 2024 and Sankey is no fool. He knows that he can exact an even bigger contract increase with ESPN if Texas and Oklahoma join the league to ensure the SEC will easily be the most-watched conference and not the Big Ten.

Somehow, someway, with their defense getting ripped like they were being gashed by 11 Jack The Rippers, and their young quarterback still looking in the high grass for his confidence, a reeling Gator team had only one hope: “Swamp Magic,” cried my colleague Brenden Martin. By BUDDY MARTIN GatorBaitMedia.com The Swamp almost became a living mortuary Saturday night. Most of the 88,000 died a thousand deaths. The dreams of their beloved Gators getting back on a winning track were nearly trampled by the 24.5-point underdog South Florida Bulls. Honestly it felt like an L, even if it was a W. “It felt like a loss,” said Montrell Johnson, the offensive star of the night who did his own gashing with 103 yards rushing, including a 62-yard scoring jaunt. “But we knew we could play better.” Somehow, someway, with their defense getting ripped like they were being gashed by 11 Jack The Rippers, and their young quarterback still looking in the high grass for his confidence, a reeling Gator team had only one hope: “Swamp Magic,” cried my colleague Brenden Martin. And that’s exactly what it took. Already wiped out emotionally by the events of the night, including two more interceptions by Anthony Richardson – one at the 1-yard like when it looked like they could have walked in on the ground – the fans gnashed their teeth as the Bulls glided with ease right down the field on what looked like a certain score. Then came the “Swamp Magic.” First off, USF’s long snapper committed the egregious error of snapping the ball over the head of his quarterback on third down -- going from a 2nd and 6 at the Florida 19, to a 3rd-and-20, turning a chip shot into a challenging 49-yarder. The holder fumbled the snap and kicker Spencer Shrader gamely tried to get it airborne but missed, With 23 ticks left, Billy Napier’s good friend Jeff Scott fell shy of a longtime dream USF fans have had to finally beat the premier state university, which is so popular in their own Tampa Bay neighborhood, but it was their dream that got trampled in losing , 31-28. Napier said he told Scott “that I was proud of him” for the way the Bulls competed. Napier put a good spin on it, praising South Florida as a “quality opponent,” which is not going to be a palatable comment for the Gator Nation. Of his own team Napier said: “We won …. but we’ve got a lot of work to do.” When asked what he could say positive about them: “They’ve got some fight in them.” For the second straight game, Richardson threw two interceptions – one a check off at the goal line. Many of his throws were high and off-target. He was only 10 for 18 for 112 yards. On the positive side, Johnson and Trevor Etienne carried the offense – Etienne banging it up inside four straight times for a 3-yard go-ahead score. The Florida defense sorely missed leader/linebacker Ventrell Miller. Despite getting pushed around most of the night, Gervon Dexter, Brenton Cox and big Desmond Watson were formidable in the interior. The Gator running game flourished behind O’Cyrus Torrence and the right side of the O-Line. Meanwhile, Napier, Richardson and a nearly embarrassed coaching staff and squad live to fight again another day. They are going to need to keep fighting. Next up is the Tennessee Vols in Knoxville, where there is no “Swamp Magic.”

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: IT’S CALLED “TROUBLE WITH THE ZONE” Back in 2012, Clint Eastwood played the part of aging Major League Baseball scout Gus Zobel in the film “Trouble with the Curve.” For the past two weeks we’ve been watching a football takeoff on that movie that we could call “Trouble with the Zone.” This movie stars Florida QB Anthony Richardson and you can bet the farm that every one of the nine defensive coordinators remaining on Florida’s football schedule will watch it over and over again. Richardson has struggled mightily in the passing game the past two weeks against Kentucky and USF, who have crowded the box with eight and nine defenders only to drop seven into coverage. In the last two games, Richardson is a combined 24-53 (45.2 percent) for 255 yards (4.8 yards per attempt) with zero touchdowns and four interceptions. After breaking out for 106 yards and three touchdowns in the game one win over Utah, Richardson has 13 carries for 28 yards in the last two games. His confidence, sky high after the Utah win, seems to be waning significantly in the last two games. He has been holding the ball too long and too often has thrown into tight coverage. The hesitation to run has also been costly. We saw a 16-yard run against USF that looked like the Richardson who Utah couldn’t contain, but there were other opportunities to run the ball in which the gains were minimal. The Gators desperately need a decisive Anthony Richardson if they’re going have a chance to win this week at Tennessee and the other eight games on the schedule after Saturday in Knoxville. There is no question the Gators are going to have to throw the football, so Billy Napier is going to have to come up with some wrinkles in the UF offense that can loosen up a zone with passes Richardson is capable of hitting early in the game. Adding some speed option that can get Richardson and running backs Montrell Johnson Jr., Trevor Etienne and Nay’Quan Wright out on the edge where they have only one man to beat might be a possibility as well. The 18th-ranked Gators (2-1, 0-1 SEC) are 10-point underdogs for Saturday’s game in Knoxville against 11th-ranked Tennessee (3-0, 0-0 SEC). This is a game the Gators can win, but it’s going to take a confident Richardson and a ball control attack to do it. The Vols average nearly 80 offensive plays per game. Against South Florida, the Gators had only 48 offensive snaps. If UF snaps the ball only 48 times against Tennessee the Gators will be in for a long, long afternoon. Associated Press top 25 poll: 1. Georgia 3-0; 2. Alabama 3-0; 3. Ohio State 3-0; 4. Michigan 3-0; 5. Clemson 3-0; 6. Oklahoma 3-0; 7. Southern California 3-0; 8. Kentucky 3-0; 9. Oklahoma State 3-0; 10. Arkansas; 11. Tennessee 3-0; 12. North Carolina State 3-0; 13. Utah 2-1; 14. Penn State 3-0; 15. Oregon 2-1; 16. Ole Miss 3-0; 17. Baylor 2-1; 18. Washington 3-0; 19. BYU; 20. FLORIDA 2-1; 21. Wake Forest 3-0; 22. Texas 2-1; 23. Texas A&M 2-1; 24. Pittsburgh 2-1; 25. Miami 2-1 AFCA Coaches top 25 poll: 1. Georgia 3-0; 2. Alabama 3-0; 3. Ohio State 3-0; 4. Michigan 3-0; 5. Clemson 3-0; 6. Oklahoma 3-0; 7. Southern California 3-0; 8. Oklahoma State 3-0; 9. Kentucky 3-0; 10. Arkansas 3-0; 11. North Carolina State 3-0; 12. Tennessee 3-0; 13. Ole Miss 3-0; 14. Utah 2-1; 15. Penn State 3-0; 16. Wake Forest 3-0; 17. Baylor 2-1; 18. Oregon 2-1; 19. Texas 2-1; 20. Texas A&M; 21. Michigan State 2-1; 22. FLORIDA 2-1; 23. BYU 2-1; 24. Washington 3-0; 25. Miami 2-1 Other University of Florida sports Volleyball: Before the largest crowd in NCAA women’s volleyball history (16,833), the 16th-ranked Gators (8-2) took out 4th-ranked Wisconsin, last year’s NCAA champion, 25-21, 25-18, 26-28, 13-25, 15-13. Merrit Beason had a phenomenal night with 21 kills and freshman setter Alexis Stuckey had 45 assists. The Gators held Wisconsin to .115 hitting percentage behind 16 blocks, seven from Bre Kelly. The Gators will face Alabama at the O-Dome Wednesday in their SEC opener. Men’s golf: Behind three consecutive rounds of 68 by Ricky Castillo, the Gators finished runner-up at the OFCC/Fighting Illini Invitational Tournament. SEC football (AP rankings) No. 2 Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Alabama paid Louisiana-Monroe $1.95 million to take a beating to which ULM coach Little Terry Bowden said, “They don’t know this but Alabama built us a weight room today by playing us.” Next week: vs. Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-0 SEC) No. 10 Arkansas (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Arkansas didn’t take the lead in its 38-27 win over D1AA Missouri State until Bryce Stephens returned a punt 82 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter. Next week: vs. No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC) in Arlington, TX Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC): The Tigers’ 40-12 loss to Penn State has the buzzards circling over the football complex. Sunday, Paul Finebaum said, “It will no longer be, ‘Can Bryan Harsin survive?’ The questions now are, ‘Who will take his place?’” Next week: vs. Missouri (1-2) No. 1 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): In calling Georgia “the new Alabama,” Paul Finebaum said the Bulldogs “look like the perfect team” … Arik Gilbert didn’t make the trip to Columbia for the South Carolina game. Kirby Smart said it was for “personal reasons.” Given his history at LSU prior to landing at Georgia, some are wondering about Gilbert’s mental health. Next week: vs. Kent State (1-2) No. 8 Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC): There is growing sentiment among Nebraska people to go hard and heavy after Mike Stoops as the replacement for Scott Frost. Stoops makes $6.75 million per year and his buyout is only $1.75 million. Next week: vs. Northern Illinois (1-2) LSU (2-1, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback Jayden Daniels passed for 210 yards and a TD and ran for 93 and another TD in the Tigers’ 31-16 win over Mississippi State. Next week: vs. New Mexico (2-1) Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC): Following the loss to LSU, HBC Mike Leach said, “Starting with me, we have to be more consistent.” Next week: vs. Bowling Green (1-2) Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Despite giving up only three sacks and averaging 204 yards per game rushing, HBC Eli Drinkwitz is concerned about the offensive line. Following the win over Abilene Christian Drinkwitz said, “We’ve got to go back and find out what is the best five.” Next week: at Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC) No. 16 Ole Miss (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Zach Evans (317 yards, 3 TDs) leads an Ole Miss rushing attack that is averaging 271.67 yards per game, which leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally. Next week: vs. Tulsa (2-1) South Carolina (1-2, 0-2 SEC): To reporter Phil Kornblut who asked if the Gamecocks are giving up after their 48-7 loss to Georgia, HBC Shane Beamer told Kornblut, “What kind of question is that … Get out of here, man!” Next week: vs. Charlotte (1-3) No. 11 Tennessee (3-0): In the win over Akron, the Vols had 676 total yards with 438 through the air. QB Hendon Hooker has thrown for 844 yards and six TDs without a pick in three games so far. Next week: vs. No. 18 FLORIDA (2-1) No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0): The Aggies made the switch at QB to Max Johnson and got the win although the offense still is rather week after managing only 17 points and 264 yards in the win over Miami. Next week: vs. No. 10 Arkansas (3-0, 0-0 SEC) in Arlington, TX Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-0 SEC): You have to go all the way back to 2011 for the last time the Commodores started the season 3-1. The giddiness won’t last long. The Commodores visit Tuscaloosa next Saturday. Next week: at No. 2 Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC) Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 No. 6 Oklahoma (3-0): The Sooners are averaging 500.7 yards and 42.3 points per game. QB Dillon Gabriel has thrown for 759 yards and seven TDs without a pick. Next week: vs. Kansas State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) No. 22 Texas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): Texas spent $280,000 for a recruiting weekend that included Arch Manning and seven other players. Next week: at Texas Tech (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) Football played elsewhere beside the SEC Arizona State (2-1): It was only a matter of time before Herm Edwards joined the Extinct Species List. Herm was 26-20 during his tenure at ASU, but he was done in by the men in blue suits. The NCAA hammer will drop hard on the Sun Devils because of quite a few rules bent to the breaking point by Edwards and his assistants. Prime candidate to replace Edwards is former Houston and Texas HBC Tom Herman. Nebraska (1-3): Scott Frost was fired last Sunday. A week later, defensive coordinator Erik Chinander got the axe. The Huskers are 114th nationally in total defense. UCLA (3-0): The Bruins have opened the season with three home games that have drawn a combined 90,214. The capacity is 92,542. No. 15 Oregon (2-1): Oregon issued an apology to BYU after students began chanting “F#%* the Mormons” during Saturday’s 40-21 win by the Ducks in Eugene. No. 25 Miami (2-1): The Hurricanes lost to the same Texas A&M team that was dominated the week before by Appalachian State. That might be the last game Miami loses until November 19 when the Hurricanes travel to Clemson. It’s not that Miami is very good. Fact is the Hurricanes are not but the ACC is that weak. The Hurricanes were overrated to begin the season, they’re overrated now at No. 25 nationally and no matter what they do between now and November 19 they will still be overrated. Kansas (3-0): The Jayhawks are 3-0 for the first time since 2009. They’ve beaten West Virginia and Houston on the road and they’re good enough to go to the school’s first bowl game since 2008. Expect to hear HBC Lance Leipold’s name mentioned with any big time opening (see Nebraska, see Arizona State, probably Auburn). If Kansas is smart, they’ll back up a Brinks Truck to keep him. ONE FINAL PITHY: What we have seen in the first three weeks of the college football season is the exact reason we need a 12 or 16 team College Football Playoff and why we do NOT need to pare Division I down a couple of super conferences for an NFL-like model. Take a look at the Fun Belt as exhibit one. Appalachian State took down the mighty Aggies in College Station. Marshall went to South Bend to knock off Notre Dame and then promptly lost to Bowling Green. Georgia Southern beat Nebraska in Lincoln which was the last straw for Scott Frost. Old Dominion beat Virginia Tech and almost took out Virginia. UCLA needed a field goal as time expired to beat South Alabama. Louisiana beat Eastern Michigan by 28 points, the same Eastern Michigan that beat Arizona State to help show Herm Edwards the exit. An argument could be made that it’s still early in the season and none of these upsets could happen against good teams in November, but that is the same silly argument that was used when the NCAA expanded the basketball tournament first to 48 teams and then to 64. Now, it’s true that we still haven’t had some unknown team from an obscure conference win the NCAA Tournament, but Butler, VCU and Loyola made it fun and someday, somehow, Gonzaga will finally win a title. In the 12-team model the six highest rated conference champs will make the playoff. If the playoff goes to 16, there are arguments that we could have 10 conference champs and six at-large teams. I’m good with either model. We’ll probably wind up with one of the usual suspects winning it all, but I like the idea of Cinderella.

“Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.” – From the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:7 By FRANZ BEARD GATORBAIT MEDIA In the end Saturday night, the very merciful Florida Gators were shown a bit of mercy by those same South Florida Bulls who in the final minute appeared to have an unlikely win or at least a shot at taking UF into overtime. Some might say 18th-ranked Florida’s 31-28 win over the Bulls was sheer luck, but merciful is probably a better term for it. In one of the many definitions offered for the word, this one seems rather appropriate: Relief from what would be an unpleasant situation. Losing to the 24-point underdog Bulls would have been extremely unpleasant, especially with a trip to Tennessee next week. The Vols looked rather beastly in the way they slapped the Akron Zips around Neyland Stadium Saturday. The final score was 63-6 and it really didn’t seem that close. The week ahead for the Gators promises to be unpleasant enough no matter who they are playing because for the second straight week they have executed poorly. The difference in this week as opposed to last week’s 26-16 loss to Kentucky is South Florida made mistakes at the end of the game. Kentucky didn’t. In the week ahead, the Gators have issues that must be dealt with. For the third straight game they came out flat in the third quarter. The Gators haven’t scored a point in the third quarter this year. For the second straight game, the Gators threw a pair of interceptions. Despite numerous opportunities, the Gators failed to sack the USF quarterback. Additionally, Florida gave up way too many explosive plays, allowed 286 rushing yards and was dominated by nearly 13 full minutes in time of possession. Most of the time when you make those kind of mistakes you lose the game. The Gators were way too merciful. They gave the Bulls every opportunity to win the football game yet at the end, mercy was shown when South Florida botched two snaps just when it appeared they would either win the game or send it into overtime. The Bulls had a second-and-six at the Florida 19 with 44 seconds left, plenty enough time to get a couple of shots into the end zone except that center Brad Cecil one-hopped a shotgun snap between quarterback Gerry Bohannon and running back Brian Battie. By the time Battie ran the ball down and fell on it at the UF 33, the Bulls were looking at third-and-20 with just 34 ticks left on the clock. Rather than risk a sack that would push them beyond Spencer Shrader’s field goal range, the Bulls sent Battie straight up the gut for a two-yard gain. Shrader, who had already hit from 49 yards, had a straight-on shot from 49 once again but any chance he had to send the game into overtime ended when long snapper Bryce Bernard delivered a low-and-away snap that holder Andrew Beardall couldn’t handle. The ball was practically sideways on the ground when Shrader kicked it low and wide to the right. A clean snap on the second down play and the Bulls might have found the end zone for the win. A clean snap on the field goal attempt and Shrader might have drilled a second 49-yarder to send it to overtime. Those who had been shown mercy were merciful and that allowed the Gators to have one of those wins that have become a microcosm of the three games they’ve played so far. The Utah win was good. The Kentucky loss last week was bad. The win over South Florida was ugly. Ugly wins count the same as good ones and Florida coach Billy Napier wasn’t about to apologize for winning. He’s well aware that sometimes it’s necessary to find a way to win a game that has loss written all over it. Napier know it’s far better to win ugly than it is to be pretty. “They [South Florida] made mistakes, we made mistakes,” Napier said post game. While that has the sound of coach-speak, there’s nothing untruthful about the statement and certainly, no attempt to dodge the issues. The Gators made more than their share of mistakes, but they made just enough good plays to score the win. During the game the Gators had their good moments, their bad ones and quite a few ugly ones. So here are some highlights and some lowlights of how Florida came up with this improbable win. The good: Montrell Johnson Jr. broke a 62-yard touchdown run off the left side in the second quarter that gave the Gators a 10-7 lead with 14:49 left in the half. Jalen Kimber picked off a Gerry Bohannon pass and ran it back 39 yards for a TD with 3:10 left in the half. In the fourth quarter with the Gators trailing 28-24, Tre’Vez Johnson came up with an interception at the USF 28. Trevor Etienne carried four straight times for three, 15, seven and the final three yards for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 5:05 to go. The Gators ran for 217 yards with Johnson running for 103 and a TD on just six carries. Trevor Etienne had 56 yards and a TD on eight carries and Nay’Quan Wright had six carries for 37 yards and a TD. The Gators averaged 7.2 yards per carry on the night. Although the Gators turned the ball over twice via interceptions, they finished plus-one in that category with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The bad: The Gators had USF in a third-and-18 at their own 23 in the first quarter when Battie took a handoff and ran it straight up the gut for 21 yards to the 44. Later in that same drive, the Bulls gained 23, 12 and 10 on consecutive plays with Battie getting into the end zone on the last carry. USF had second-and-22 at the Florida 43 in the second quarter but the Bulls were able to convert in two plays for a first down at the UF 35. That led to Shrader’s 49-yard field goal that cut the UF lead to 24-13 at the half. On Florida’s first possession of the second half, the Bulls dropped seven into coverage on a third-and-eight from the UF 44. Richardson had what seemed an eternity to scan the field for an open receiver but he forced the ball deep across the middle. Linebacker Dwayne Boyles picked the pass off and ran it back 37 yards to the UF 18. Four plays later, the Bulls scored then added the two-point conversion to cut the margin to 24-21. The ugly: Florida missed a bunch of tackles but the Bulls also gashed the Florida defensive front for holes big enough to drive a truck through. South Florida finished the night with 16 plays of 10 or more yards, six in the passing game, 10 in the running game. Those 10 big plays in the running game netted 179 of South Florida’s 286 rushing yards. Some of Florida’s inability to make tackles could be attributed to the absence of middle linebacker Ventrell Miller. Redshirt freshman Scooby Williams and true freshman Shemar James made some plays but they weren’t nearly as effective plugging the run game as Miller, nor were they able to act as Florida’s traffic cops, getting everyone in the proper alignment pre-snap. “I don’t think you replace Ventrell Miller, his leadership, ability to communicate and his production,” Napier said. Florida got off only 48 offensive snaps. South Florida had 74. The Gators were only 3-for-8 on third down conversions while South Florida was 8-for-15. For the second time in three games, the Gators didn’t register a single sack. The Gators had only four tackles for loss in the entire game. Richardson was 7-for-9 for 75 yards throwing the ball in the first half. He was 3-for-9 for 37 yards in the second with 30 of those yards coming on a spectacular leaping catch by Justin Shorter. In the second half, the Bulls loaded the box with nine and then dropped seven into coverage any time Richardson looked to throw the ball. It was as if the Bulls were following the blueprint of the Kentucky defense the week before. For the second straight week, Richardson threw a pair of interceptions. His second interception came with 7:50 to go in the game. With first-and-goal at the USF five, Richardson checked into a pass play and made a bad throw on a back shoulder fade intended for Shorter in the end zone. Aamaris Brown made the catch in the end zone and stepped out of bounds. “It’s a run play with an individual cut option,” Napier explained. “They loaded the box up with one-on-one coverage over there. He made the decision to throw it. I have no issue with the decision to throw it. It’s how he threw it. He tried to throw a back shoulder fade when that wasn’t what it required. A simple play that has to be executed better.” The Gators had opportunities to blow the game open, but they didn’t do it. They had opportunities to get stops defensively but they kept letting the Bulls make big plays and move the ball. They had opportunities to lose the game as well, but they didn’t do that, either. That’s what is important to take away from this game. It was ugly but the Gators managed to pull out a win even when it seemed they were going to crash and burn there at the end. The botched snaps by South Florida were not caused by Florida’s relentless defense, but by the Bulls’ inability to execute two fundamental plays. The Gators get a win, but it’s safe to say it couldn’t have been done without South Florida’s contributions. Had the Gators lost the game we could say the same thing. “We certainly did enough to win tonight, but we’ve got work to do,” Napier said. “Nobody has been hiding around that. I think each week we’ve stood up here and said ... ‘Hey, we’ve got work to do. We said it on Monday and on Wednesday the next week. I feel the same way. That’s what I’ve been saying. “We’re 2-1 but we’ve got work to do. I think football is a sport and a team game where you are always a work in progress. If you’re undefeated and everyone is patting you on the back, then you’ve got work to do to resolve that. If you struggle a little bit and you found way to win, you’ve got issues to resolve that. The work is not going away.” The season is now 25 percent in the books and here is what we know: The Gators are capable of beating most of the nine remaining teams on the schedule. They are also capable of losing to any one of the nine teams remaining on the schedule. We could be in for a roller coaster existence the rest of the way, up so high one week and down so low the next. That’s what happens when you have holes to fill. Sometimes it is a smoke and mirrors existence. Sometimes you’re way too merciful, giving games away that should be won. Other times, like Saturday night against South Florida, it’s the other team that is merciful.