"IT FELT LIKE A LOSS BECAUSE WE ALL KNEW WE COULD HAVE PLAYED BETTER THAN WE DID." - MONTRELL JOHNSON JR By KYLE CURTIS GatorBaitMedia.com The Gators may have not lost Saturday night, but it may not have been a win either. Although it goes in the win column, this was not a win-worthy effort against a poor opponent. Florida kept getting bailed out. Whether it was the late interception by Tre’Vez Johnson, the botched snap leading to a longer field goal or even the lack of a clean hold on the game-winning kick, Florida was fortunate. USF accumulated over 400 yards of total offense while eclipsing its season average of rushing yards in the first half. The Bulls had two separate players rush for over 100 yards while averaging over six yards a carry. Quarterback Gerry Bohannon, a Baylor transfer, ran for 102 yards while running back Brian Battie added another 150. Anthony Richardson looked uncomfortable when looking down the field once again, finishing his night with only 112 yards passing and two interceptions. The Gators have yet to have a receiving touchdown through the first three games. Luckily, the running backs carried the load for the Gators’ offense. The top three running backs all were able to get in the endzone, highlighted by Montrell Johnson Jr.’s 62-yard scamper. “It definitely saved us (rushing attack), we couldn’t do much in the air and that’s on me,” Richardson said following tonight’s game. Montrell Johnson Jr. spoke after his big night and said that despite his individual success it needs to translate to the team being successful. He also stated how he is a fan of the running back committee and gives the three backs all a chance to “stay fresh.” Going into Tennessee week, both the passing game and rushing game will need to show up in order to go into Knoxville and come out victorious GAME NOTES Gator Tennis legend Ben Shelton became the youngest honorary Mr. Two Bits ever against USF at 19. Shelton just turned pro after winning the NCAA singles championship last Spring. USF scores its first touchdown in the first quarter of the season, putting up 102 rushing yards in the first quarter compared to Florida’s 68 TOTAL yards. Montrell Johnson’s 62-yard rushing touchdown was the longest run by a Florida runner since Anthony Richardson’s 80-yard run last year against the Bulls. First-career interception for Georgia transfer Jalen Kimber. Additionally, this is Florida's first pick-six since Chauncey Gardner-Johnson had one in the 2018 Peach Bowl vs. Michigan, which was 39 games ago. 12 of USF's first-half runs covered at least 5 yards, while only one went for less than 2. USF finished the first half with 216 yards on nearly 10 yards a carry. The Gators have yet to score a passing touchdown this season through 12 quarters. The shutout in the third quarter marks three straight games where the Gators have gone scoreless in the third quarter.

It was tailor-made for Anthony Richardson to play a clean, efficient, game on offense utilizing both his arm and legs as he continued to regain the confidence that was lost a week ago. By LOREN MEADOWS Gatorbaitmedia.com Football Analyst What Was Expected: Despite Florida coming of a 26-16 loss to Kentucky, and USF coming off of a 42-20 win over Howard, all signs pointed to an easy win Saturday night for the Florida Gators. They had rolled up over 600 yards against USF and the man responsible for most of that damage was going to be at the controls of the Florida offense. It was tailor-made for Anthony Richardson to play a clean, efficient, game on offense utilizing both his arm and legs as he continued to regain the confidence that was lost a week ago. The offense struggled as a unit last week but would find its footing with at least three rushing touchdowns and a touchdown pass which had eluded the Florida offense the first two weeks of the season. Defensively, the Gators looked for a dominant performance where Florida would handle the line of scrimmage and create consistent 3rd-and-long situations that would allow pass rushers Brenton Cox, Jr., Gervon Dexter Sr., and Antwaun Powell-Ryland to consistently pressure and affect USF quarterback Gerry Bohannon. What We Got: A.R. struggled for the second week in a row. While many expected Richardson to regain his confidence at the expense of the USF defense, he once again lacked confidence, going 10-18 for 102 yards with two interceptions. While the number of attempts seemed to be custom made for him to regain comfort and stability after last week, 6.2 yards per throw is hardly the explosive offense that we expected. USF looked to confuse Richardson at times with zone pressures, taking away his initial read and forcing him to climb the pocket or reset his launch point. This would cause his feet and timing to be erratic when throwing the ball. The Florida offense did find success on the ground to the tune of 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns. As expected, Montrell Johnson, Trevor Etienne and Nay’Quan Wright all found the end zone, with Johnson eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the first time as a Gator. It was expected that Florida would control the line of scrimmage and stifle the USF running game. However, USF rushed for 286 yards on 46 attempts for a 6.2-yard average. Florida rarely found itself in favorable third down situations that would allow consistent pressure on USF quarterback Gerry Bohannon on obvious passing downs. While Bohannon was not stellar, his QBR was almost 50 points higher than Richardson. USF was also 8-for-15 on third down and converted both of its fourth down attempts as well. “I think it was a really good design,” Billy Napier said of the USF offense. “They involved the quarterback in the read game, some really unique stuff." USF challenged the eye discipline of the Gators at all three levels of the defense, and it certainly affected the Gators at all three levels. The Skinny: Billy Napier stated, “Any time you win a football game I think there is a place to celebrate that.” He also credited his team for sticking together and “having each other's back." After three games, that seems to be the formula for success. Stick together and run the football. Even though Richardson feels like he is “growing” in Billy Napier’s offense, his last two performances have left much to be desired from a player who seems to have so much potential. At 2-1 the sky is not falling. However, I would guess that when the Gators sit down to review the film that will be the end of any celebration. It’s the presentation that is concerning. A three-point win over USF is not as much an issue as how it was done. It was not the clean, efficient product we expected, but a sloppy effort marred in turnovers and poor run fits. The work continues. See you in Knoxville. Florida 31 USF 28

It’s time to put to rest any thoughts that this is or could be a great Florida Gators team. It’s not great – it probably is only pretty good. By CARLTON REESE GatorBaitMedia.com The cynics at this moment control the narrative when it comes to the Florida Gators: The Utah win was a fluke, the USF win was a fluke, Anthony Richardson is not who we thought he was and Billy Napier may not yet be ready to make the right decisions in big moments. Fair enough, the cynics may be right on all counts, but to what end? The narrow victory over South Florida showed clearly that Florida had not improved much since its meltdown against Kentucky a week earlier and that the Gators are in big trouble heading to Knoxville to face a red-hot Tennessee team. Against South Florida, we all expected to see Richardson sharp and ready to dominate as before, we all expected to see a Napier game plan to befuddle the Bulls, we all expected a lock-down defensive effort against an utterly outmanned opponent, we all expected a breezy second half with backups getting much-needed reps. We got none of it. What we did get was yet another slap in the face from old man reality, who keeps screaming at us that this young team with little depth is miles from its intended destination. But we’re fans, and we want to reach that destination now and not later. So what if the Gators had no business beating South Florida Saturday night? When Florida’s defense could not stop USF, it took a bad snap and a muffed hold on a field goal to deliver the final 31-28 victory, not the recipe for victory one would have expected entering this contest. Florida could not stop USF, but the box score says otherwise. It’s time to put to rest any thoughts that this is or could be a great Florida Gators team. It’s not great – it probably is only pretty good. But it CAN be great, just likely not until November when this young team has had a chance to hone a new system with a new coaching staff and endure a lot of lumps along the way. We are watching Richardson learn his trade through the school of hard knocks at the moment. A couple more ugly picks against South Florida have turned the Gators fans’ mantra from “In Anthony We Trust” to “In Anthony We Hope.” But Richardson and his teammates are not the only young ones learning the hard way – the same can be said for Napier. With the Gators trailing 28-24 with 11:14 to play, it was time for Napier to take the team off Richardson’s shoulders and let his powerful backs and offensive line take this thing over once and for all. An acrobatic catch by Justin Shorter for 39 yards followed by some gash running from Montrell Johnson had Florida set up with 1st-and-goal at the five. That’s when Gator fans saw perhaps the most addled play call since Doug Dickey went for it on fourth-and-one from his 29 against Georgia in 1976. Not exactly Dickey’s “Fourth and Dumb,” Napier’s call was nearly as disastrous: A low percentage back shoulder fade into the end zone that was picked off. Florida’s line and running backs were taking over and 88,000 people in attendance including everyone on the USF sideline knew the hammer up the middle would not be stopped. It was a bad call by Napier, but he later showed he learned from his mistake. Following an interception by Tre’Vez Johnson, Napier decided the best option would be handing the ball off to Trevor Etienne, not once but four straight times. To the relief and ultimate delight of Gator fans everywhere, the formula worked and the Gators went ahead on Etienne’s 3-yard TD run. Napier learned from his mistake, so all is forgiven. Even Richardson learned from his mistakes. Both interceptions he threw were never close to being anything but picks, then later when being chased near the sideline and facing the opportunity to thread it into a tight window to a receiver downfield, Richardson chose to launch it out of bounds. Again, another sigh of relief from 80,000 clad in orange in blue. The temptation for cynicism is too great, especially with the history of this program. A 16-7 lead at home against Kentucky? Game over. A 24-10 lead at home against South Florida? Time for the scrubs to quit salivating and put on a helmet. Sadly, those days are over – Kentucky no longer fears The Swamp and even South Florida comes to Gainesville believing it will win. In Kentucky and South Florida, we witnessed two teams with near-perfect game plans. Is game planning the Florida Gators such an easy thing these days? Kentucky knew exactly what it took to stifle Richardson and the Gators offense. South Florida’s game plan of misdirection and multiple shifts never ceased to succeed – Florida never figured it out and was poised to lose until a poor snap lost the Bulls 14 yards after driving inside the Gator 20 with 34 seconds left. The Gators are 2-1 but two plays from being 0-3. That’s the view of the cynic; the Pollyanna among us revel in the belief that this may be a team that can find ways to win when it shouldn’t. Come Saturday in Knoxville, there will be no room for errant throws and dizzied defenders – this is the best Volunteers team in 18 years and enters the Florida game more confident than it has been since 1971. No one cares if you deserve your victory in Knoxville, only that it comes home with you. Even the cynics will rejoice a win over Tennessee, fluke or not.

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: RULE NO. 1: GET OUT OF SATURDAY INJURY-FREE Based on talent alone, the Florida Gators (1-1) should win Saturday’s encounter with South Florida (1-1) at The Swamp (7 p.m., SEC Network) handily. The Gators are 24-point favorites and it would be surprising if the final outcome is that close although Billy Napier will probably go out of his way to keep from embarrassing longtime friend Jeff Scott, the USF head coach. Having coached in the Fun Belt, which sprung two of the most unlikely upsets last week when Marshall beat Notre Dame in South Bend and Appalachian State took down the Aggies in College Station, you can bet the farm that Napier is taking South Florida seriously. And it isn’t just because there is that remote chance the Gators could be upset by the Bulls. He needs Florida to play well because that’s the best way to get rid of the sour taste of last week’s defeat at the hands of Kentucky. Expect the Gators to play well. While expecting the Gators to try to work out the kinks in Anthony Richardson and the passing game – UF is one of only seven teams (USF also) in the country without a touchdown pass so far – Florida needs to effectively run the football, particularly with a new starting right tackle and some shuffling among the backups on the O-line. Defensively, Scooby Williams needs to get the reps in the absence of Ventrell Miller and it’s important for the Gators to get the pass rush uncranked. They will need it against Tennessee next week. The one thing, above all else, that must be accomplished is the Gators need to come out of this game without sustaining another injury. We’ve known since the spring that depth was going to be an issue. Miller and right tackle Michael Tarquin are out at least for this game. UF can’t afford any more injuries. The Sayer says sooth!: FLORIDA 41, South Florida 14 The SEC Soothsayer Louisiana-Monroe (1-1) at #2 Alabama (2-0): Overlooked in the euphoria of last week’s muscle flexing by Appalachian State and Marshall of the Fabulous Fun Belt, was the 35-7 thrashing Monroe Doctrine gave D1AA Nicholls State, a tune-up for Saturday’s close encounter with Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The last time the Warhawks visited Tuscaloosa was 2007 when they scored a 21-14 win over Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. That upset was pulled off without the astute coaching of Little Terry Bowden. Can the Warhawks do it again? Donkeys will fly first. The Sayer says sooth!: Stars Fell on Alabama 67, Marilyn Monroe 7 Missouri State (2-0) at #10 Arkansas (2-0): Bobby Petrino returns to Fayette Nam, presumably on a bus and not on the Harley Davidson that got him into so much trouble back in 2012. It won’t matter if he flies in on a magic carpet with that All-SEC volleyball player who the motorcycle wreck, Mizzou State will lose. This is all about the paycheck so Bobby P will take his beating like a man then high tail it back across the state line. The Sayer says sooth!: Ozark Mountain Daredevils 44, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man 14 #22 Penn State (2-0) at Auburn (2-0): This game is a dilemma for Auburn fans. They want their school to slay the Yankee invaders from north of the Mason-Dixon Line but at the same time they would be very happy if said Yankees put the kibosh on their beloved Tigers so they could raise the $18 million it would take to send Bryan Harsin back to the Left Coast where he belongs. The difference will be in the number of passes TJ Finley and Robby Ashford complete to the carpetbaggers from up north. The Sayer says sooth!: Pennsylvania Six-Five Thousand 28, Flaming Locks and Auburn Hair 20 #1 Georgia (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at South Carolina (1-1, 0-1 SEC): Will Muschamp is having to squeeze by on $800,000 a year as Georgia’s defensive coordinator. Fortunately, he’s got the $15 million South Carolina paid him to go away to help make ends meet. Muschamp’s defense may be penalized for illegal drooling Saturday when they go after Spencer Rattler, who has already been sacked nine times. The only way South Carolina wins this game is if they spike the Georgia Gatorade with enough melatonin to make the Poodles comatose. The Sayer says sooth: The Devil Went Down to Georgia 42, 461 Ocean Boulevard 10 Youngstown State (2-0) at #9 Kentucky (2-0): Kentucky’s win over Florida last week all but assures the Mildcats of a perfect September since the next two are the D1AA Youngstown State Penguins and the Northern Illinois Huskies of the MAC and Cheese Conference. Youngstown happens to be the home of all the Stoops brothers so maybe UK shows a little mercy to their hometown. The Sayer says sooth!: Kentucky Woman 38, Penguins of Madagascar 7 Mississippi State (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC): Granny Holtz gushed over Jayden Daniels earlier in the week, calling him one of the great quarterbacks in the country. Daniels better better be in his feets don’t fail me now mode Saturday night because Zach Arnett’s defense is going to be in his face early and often. Meanwhile, LSU’s defense has to stop the Air Raid, which distributes the ball as well as anyone in the country. Twelve different receivers have already caught a pass for the Men from Cowbell. Folks in Baton Rouge will not be amused with Brian Kelly after their beloved Tigers drop to 1-2. The Sayer says sooth!: Starkville City Jail 35, Born on the Bayou 24 Abilene Christian (2-0) at Missouri (1-1): Mizzou will wear throwback helmets against D1AA Abilene Christian. The Tigers could wear leather helmets and would still beat Abilene Christian. At least, they better win this one because starting next week wins are going to be hard to come by. The next three opponents are Auburn, Georgia and Florida. The Sayer says sooth!: Sheer Misery 30, Abilene, Prettiest Town That I’ve Ever Seen 13 #20 Ole Miss (2-0) at Georgia Tech (1-1): It doesn’t matter who Lane Kiffin starts at quarterback, the Rebels will win this game. Why he could even start the most famous Mississippian of all time, Tupelo’s Elvis Presley, and beat the North Avenue Trade School. It’s only a matter of time before the NATS put Geoff Collins on the Extinct Species List. The Sayer says sooth!: Tupelo Honey 38, Atlanta Rhythm Section 10 Akron (1-1) at #15 Tennessee (2-0): This is the second of the two paycheck games the Vols scheduled in the month of September. The goal for Saturday is to avoid injuries since Florida comes to Knoxville on September 24. The Sayer says sooth!: Smokey Mountain Rain 56, Roy Firestone 7 #13 Miami (2-0) at #24 Texas A&M (1-1): Mario and the Fighting Cristobals are overrated, but then again so are the Aggies even at #24. Just a week ago they were #6 when they were ambushed at Kyle Field by Happy Appy State. The game is a sellout but even 102,000 screaming Aggie fans can’t provide enough energy to pull this one out. The Aggies’ only hope is to play Max Johnson, but Jimbo seems determined to do his best Dan Mullen invitation and go down in flames with a QB who probably would be a fine slot receiver. The Sayer says sooth!: Going Back to Miami 27, Jimbo’s Exes Don’t Live in Texas 14 Vanderbilt (2-1) at Northern Illinois (1-1): Gloria Vanderbilt had its incredible 2-game winning streak snapped last week by Wake Forest Gump. The chardonnay and white seedless grapes tailgate bunch were so upset they have decided to boycott this week’s game with Northern Illinois. Should someone remind them the game is in DeKalb, Illinois? The Sayer says sooth!: Gloria Vanderbilt 33, Northern Lights 30 Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 #6 Oklahoma (2-0) at Nebraska (1-2): Well, they don’t have Scott Frost to kick around anymore. He’s got $12.5 million to console himself with while waiting for Bill O’Brien to take a head coaching job somewhere so he can get recycled at St. Nick’s. Meanwhile, the boys from Oklahoma are faring quite well without Lincoln Riley. This one won’t be close. The Sayer says sooth!: The Reason God Made Oklahoma 41, Jimmy Cracked Corn Texas-San Antonio (1-1) at #21 Texas (1-1): UTSA probably has dreams of doing to Texas what Happy Appy State did to the Aggies last week. Oh, but that would be sweet for a program that has only been in existence since 2012. UTSA leads the country in sacks with 16. Can they get to Hudson Card enough to spring the upset? It will be close for a half then the Longhorns pull away. The Sayer says Sooth: Texas State of Mind 35, San Antonio Rose 24 ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The NCAA may have a reprieve. For now. Athletic directors from around Division I seem to be okay with football remaining under the NCAA umbrella rather. After all these months with calls for the football schools to secede from the only organization in America that can rival the Congress for ineptitude, the football schools are tapping the brakes. Actually, there are some perfectly good reasons to stay with the NCAA for now. First and foremost, while there is agreement to expand the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, there is no new network contract and a date for the new playoff format hasn’t been set. While everyone wants a 2024 start to the new and expanded CFB, nothing is going to happen until there is a new TV contract. Any change to the current contract has to go through ESPN and all indications are ESPN and the Disney/ABC family of networks want the exclusive to the CFP, but there are media deals that have to be worked out with the Big 12 and Pac-12, both of whom have combo deals with ESPN and Fox. Fox could gum up the works so ESPN may have to concede one of the two conferences to Fox to get the CFP deal done. Secondly, as much as the need to secede makes sense, the 10 Division I conferences plus Notre Dame have yet to agree on structure and leadership, teensy little matters that have to be resolved before anything moves forward. Would, for example, the Division I schools be content with just football leaving the NCAA or would they eventually want to move all their sports from control of the NCAA? A rule book will have to be written. Who’s going to write it? Where will headquarters be? Who will be the football commissioner and just how much power would the Division I schools be willing to give the commish? Would it be an iron hand a la Pete Rozelle and the NFL from 1960-89? Or would it be a weak commish like MLB’s Rob Manfred, controlled by the league’s heavyweights? Third, in this era of NIL and coming professionalism of college sports, will it be feasible for college presidents to have the final say in any collegiate sport, much less the financial bell cow? The future of collegiate sports is going to require a businessman and businessmen not academics who make less money and probably have less power than their football coaches. I’m convinced that there will be a secession that will begin with college football. What I’m unsure of is that football will be the only sport that departs the NCAA, but until there is some sort of structure in place to provide leadership for the future, the NCAA will still be in charge.

College football fans, especially Gator fans, tend to soar too close to the sun following big wins and step too close to the ledge after disappointing defeats BY CARLTON REESE GatorBaitMedia.com That sound you heard Saturday night was not a thud, despite all the panic-ridden screams reverberating through the halls of Gator Nation. There was no crash and burn, only a bumpy re-entry to the atmosphere following a week-long trek in the galaxy of stars where this program did not belong in the first place. It was fun while it lasted, but now that we’re all back on planet earth, it’s time to take a deep breath and evaluate just what this team is and where expectations should be. The Utah win sent us all into orbit, clinging to the notion that Georgia was now firmly within our crosshairs and Atlanta hotel reservations could be booked with all sincerity. The reality check administered by Kentucky was not only inevitable, it was necessary. College football fans, especially Gator fans, tend to soar too close to the sun following big wins and step too close to the ledge after disappointing defeats – the first two games of 2022 played right into this script. The Utah win was just too good to be true, and the Kentucky loss is just not as bad as it seems. Two weeks ago, nearly all Gator fans would have happily accepted a 1-1 start as a step in the right direction, but for some reason Gator Nation seems more despondent as a result – the natural reaction to a glorious win against a top-10 team followed by what was clearly a horrible performance. Utah was blindsided by a hostile environment and a quarterback hitting on all cylinders; Kentucky was ready, though, and Anthony Richardson had his worst game since his implosion in Jacksonville last October. So why was the Kentucky loss not as bad as it seemed? For starters, the victory was a gift handed over to the Wildcats – in spite of how Florida played, it still had chances late to win the game. Kentucky did not show it was a better team than Florida, only that on the Gators’ worst night the Wildcats are capable putting one in the ‘W’ column. The Gator defense handled Kentucky and performed at a level that should have yielded a victory with only a slightly-beyond mediocre performance by the offense. The irony is that Utah lost to Florida, and I was not convinced Florida was the better team; Kentucky beat Florida and in no way am I convinced the Wildcats are the better team. On that night, with Anthony Richardson not seeing the whole field and throwing some bizarre passes to defenders in white, Florida was merely quicker to the defeat line. We comfort ourselves in knowing that what we witnessed Saturday night in the Swamp is no doubt the worst we will see from this team. The Florida defense gave up one play to Kentucky, a 55-yard TD strike from Will Levis to Dane Key early in the second quarter. After that, the Wildcats scored on a six-yard drive that followed an interception, two field goals and an interception returned for a touchdown. Discounting one of the field goals that followed Florida turning it over on downs deep in its own territory, the Florida defense really only surrendered 10 points. It's clear Mark Stoops spends most of the off-season preparing his team for the Florida game – the Wildcats are always ready even when they do not win. Perhaps the Gators need to mark the Kentucky game on their schedule in the same manner – losses in three of the last five contests should convince anyone of that. Then we come to Richardson, who a week ago was being touted as the next Cam Newton, the re-birth of Vince Young and the physical manifestation of Superman himself. What we saw against Kentucky was not Superman, but “Florida Man” on full display. After Kentucky missed a game-clinching field goal late, Richardson had the chance to guide Florida to a tying touchdown and put the night’s miserable performance behind him. Then, on fourth-and-six he rolled out to his right and threw one at the receiver’s feet – an embarrassing moment at the most critical of times. Other times, Richardson failed to see open receivers that had nothing but a goal line to stop them. Passes were torched at close range and many just plain missed their intended mark. When the game was on the line the final two drives, Richardson was clearly not up for the moment, which is odd considering that in similar situations a week earlier he played with the confidence of Tom Brady. Lest anyone forget, Anthony Richardson is a redshirt sophomore with three collegiate starts to his name. He’s just a kid. A kid blessed with a Greek-statue physique and a cannon for a right arm. The best is yet to come, and will come, but for now everything is still a learning process and the lessons from Saturday night’s debacle will pay dividends down the road this season. There is much to be learned from watching game film of this one and Richardson is a smart enough cookie to drink it all in and turn it to his long-term advantage. It's hard to imagine Richardson playing as bad a game the rest of the year – hopefully this becomes his seminal moment where he dedicates himself to his craft like never before. Forget about Heismans, Unitas awards or even national titles – it’s all about the hard work to reach that potential everyone believes exists. Richardson is aware now more than ever of his own fallibility and hopefully this will make him a better player and not shatter his confidence. The Gators are 1-1 and right where they ought to be. The Kentucky loss was ugly, but may actually make Florida a better team in the long run. We can look back as recently as 2018, when Kentucky came to Gainesville and shocked the Gators in Dan Mullen’s first season as coach. A distraught fan base soon forgot all about that loss when the Gators reeled off five straight wins including at Tennessee, at ranked Mississippi State and then No.5 LSU. That team won a New Year’s Six bowl game and whatever despair was felt in week two of that season had certainly dissipated not long after. The loss to Kentucky was not the end of the season, just a return to planet earth and the reality of a team still trying to crawl from the ashes of 2021’s fiery downfall.

By FRANZ BEARD GatorBaitMedia.com Senior Columnist “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden; Along with the sunshine, there has to be a little rain sometime” – Lynn Anderson The rose garden that Florida fans were seeing when they celebrated a 29-26 win over then 7th-ranked Utah turned into a rainstorm last week when the Gators lost to now 9th-ranked Kentucky, 26-16. Kentucky celebrated by dousing Mark Stoops with Gatorade on the sideline. Up in Lexington, UK students took to the streets. You would think the Wildcats won the SEC championship. Billy Napier never saw the Utah game as what would define Florida’s football season. He saw that game through his coach’s lenses. There were way too many mistakes that fans at the game or watching on TV were never aware of. “Sometimes you get a great outcome and you didn’t do what you were supposed to do,” Napier said at his Monday press conference. “Sometimes we sack the quarterback and we busted the coverage over here and we could have given up a touchdown. So, sometimes I think in this game you can get too consumed with the result. What you’ve got to do is control the things that you can control, get consumed with preparing and go execute and do your job for the team.” The mistakes the Gators made in the Kentucky game were way too obvious and on full display for the whole world to see. Most of the mistakes were the kind of things that are gone over time and time again in practice, but it’s different practicing against teammates during the week and then executing in front of 90,000 and a national television audience on Saturday. In the days since Kentucky, Napier has kept a very even keel, sounding much the way he sounded prior to and after the Utah game. Whether his demeanor is practiced or simply a natural cool, calm and collected exterior, Napier comes across as a coach with a sculptor’s mentality. We may see a block of granite. From that same block of granite the sculptor envisions a masterpiece. He chips, he chisels, he smooths away the rough edges with sandpaper. Then the process begins all over again. The work in progress begins to take shape until one day there is a finished product ready for the whole world to admire. Think of the Gators that Billy Napier is coaching as you would a block of granite. There is an abundance of rough edges that have to be smoothed out, never so obvious as they were when Kentucky came to town. Napier and his staff have spent the days since smoothing over the flaws as they prepare for Saturday’s close encounter with the South Florida Bulls at The Swamp. No matter how well the Gators play – they’re favored to blow the doors off USF by 24 points – they will still be a work in progress. While many in Florida’s fan base saw the loss to Kentucky as a disaster of category five proportions, Napier chooses to see it as an opportunity to smooth out some of the rough spots before sending the Gators out to do battle again. In re-evaluating the Kentucky loss and then turning the lessons learned into positives on the practice field, Napier was quick to make this a top-to-bottom experience for the entire football organization. “We’ve got a punch-list of things that we have to do as individuals and our responsibility to the team, staff and players,” Napier said when he met with the media on Monday. “And, having the self-discipline to follow through, right, I think can be a challenge. And I think our group is learning what’s expected of them, the level of detail. I’m not just talking about players when I say that, right, I’m talking about position coaches. I’m talking about graduate assistants. I’m talking about off the field people. All parts of the organization are improving each week, right, where, I don’t care who we play, we are consumed with improving, to be more efficient at how we do things, and I think that’s where we’re at, independent of who we play.” Staying focused on whatever is next is straight out of the famous Nick Saban “process” that Napier learned during two stints at Alabama. There is a little bit of Dabo thrown in there from days on the Clemson staff as well plus more than a few lessons learned from a father who became legendary as a high school coach for the way he treated his players. If you’ve followed Napier from the time he was introduced as Florida’s head coach by Scott Stricklin way back in December, then you are familiar with this Napierism: “Better people make better football players.” He could probably add to that by including better people make better coaches, staffers, equipment managers and so on. It’s all part of a cultural shift that’s going on with the Florida football program. No one is more keenly aware than Billy Napier that the last time the Gators won the Southeastern Conference championship was 2008, the same year the Gators won their third and most recent national title. Thirteen years have passed since then, time enough for Nick Saban to win six national titles and Dabo Swinney to win two. With one SEC loss already in the books plus a road game to Tennessee and Georgia still on the schedule, it may take a miracle of Samson slaying a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey proportions for the Gators to get back to a championship level in 2022. A 2022 championship has a ring of impossibility to it because it takes time for blocks of granite to take shape. There are, however, visual signs that things are changing. Wide receiver Justin Shorter, standing in front of the media Monday in a blue Gator polo streaked with sweat, was the perfect example. The sweat was from his daily routine of 250 catches. He caught footballs. He caught tennis balls. All thrown at different speeds and angles by his human jugs machine, mom Paula Shorter. Paula Shorter doesn’t lack for ability. “She can really zip it,” Justin says. “She can dial it up. I ain’t gonna lie.” Florida’s other wide receivers may not have a mom who can fire a tight spiral at them, but they’ve noticed Justin’s work ethic and that of Ricky Pearsall, whose every morning routine is making 100 consecutive catches from a non-human JUGS machine. One drop and Pearsall re-sets to zero. The workout isn’t complete until he has made 100 consecutive catches. Shorter and Pearsall are part of a change in culture that is necessary to take the Gators from the roller coaster existence they’ve been on since Urban Meyer’s final season in 2010. Players have embraced hard work just as they have embraced Napier’s people first approach. “I would say definitely the culture here has changed drastically,” Shorter said. He spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Penn State before transferring to Florida in 2020. He has seen how his teammates are putting in the hard work on their own and in groups to do their part for the team. While doing his own workout, Shorter paid attention to teammates getting in the extra work. “I think I saw eight guys down there – linemen, running backs running, doing drills, linemen snapping balls, kids over there catching JUGS,” Shorter said. Shorter says there is a hunger for greatness, something that was surely missing last year when the Gators limped home with a 6-7 record, finishing up with a losing record when they suffered a grind-it-out 29-17 loss to UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl. The Gators know they could have done better and should have done better. There is no question the Gators should have and could have won at least 10 games in 2021, but you don’t win a lot of football games when the team lacks discipline, when there is a lack of respect for the entire coaching staff and the support people. You also don’t win a lot of football games when there are off-the-field issues with bad food and parking tickets because players have no place to park their vehicles. Even before the Heavener Football Center opened with adequate parking and three good meals a day, Napier took the time to rectify the problems. Whether or not this is something the previous head coach could have controlled, it didn’t get done. With Napier, things got done and they continue to get done, which is why Florida football seems to be on a stable, consistent incline even with a loss to Kentucky. This was a winnable game, lost because Florida mistakes giftwrapped 23 points to the Wildcats. You don’t beat many teams when you have a wholesale giveaway of points, particularly when it’s a quality team from the Southeastern Conference. That made correcting mistakes the first rule of order when the practice week began. Rather than browbeat his team with all the times the Gators shot themselves in the feet against Kentucky, Napier viewed this as a teaching moment not just for the players but the entire Florida football organization. “So many people contribute to a football team, so a loss gives you a chance to hit the re-set button, to re-center,” Napier said. “Everybody kind of gets hit in the gut and I think sometimes it’s healthy. The key is that you don’t waste it, right? That’s when I say operate in truth. I say, hey, let’s call it exactly like it is. What caused us to get the result we had here and what can we do to position our team?” Operating in truth. Another Napierism that will be repeated over and over again. It means taking responsibility and owning your mistakes. It means giving maximum effort all the time, not just when it suits your mood. As Napier explained at his Wednesday press conference, it means you don’t cut corners when nobody’s looking. Good teams make the transformation to great teams when everyone in the organization operates in truth. Sometimes it takes a loss to kick start the climb from average to good and from good to great. “I think everybody’s awareness is heightened a little bit relative to what’s required to win and I think we’re learning what winning football looks like, right?” Napier said. “I mean, you know we did some things in that game that go against everything that we teach from a formula standpoint and what we do to win, so sometimes it’s got to happen to you for you to understand the importance of conversion downs, right, the importance of red-area touchdowns, the importance of turnover margin, right? “All these things, it’s technical but it’s simple and I think losing sometimes, ‘Oh, man that really does matter,’ right? As simple as that sounds, I think that it’s been healthy for our players and I think there is a little bit different level of awareness and, you know, in this game you’ve got to handle success and you’ve got to handle failure, right? And, the ability to stay consistent, not only as a leader of an organization, but also as a player, I think is very important.” No rose garden was promised for the 2022 season. The first rain has fallen and there could be more in the future. It’s football and it’s a process, just like sculpting. Chip away, chisel, smooth over the rough edges and then start all over again.

With many recruits coming to Gainesville the past two weekends, Florida has stayed consistent on the recruiting trail despite the start of the season. Big names, committed and uncommitted, have been able to enjoy the night experience The Swamp provides while also getting to see the Gators in action. Florida sits at No. 10 in the 2023 rankings in recruiting according to 247Sports. Here is a look at how some of the top targets sit with the Gators along with who will be in town for the USF game. Cormani McClain- 5-star CB McClain, a Lakeland native, could join the historic list of Gator legends to come out of Lakeland: Ahmad Black, Chris Rainey and the Pouncey brothers Maurkice and Mike to name a few. The Gators are not the only team in the race for the top-rated cornerback recruit for the class of 2023. Additionally, Alabama and Miami are Florida's only threats to McClain. In an interview with Chad Simmons of On3 Sports McClain said, "Man, that’s all I do is think about them three (Florida, Miami and Alabama), playing with them; I could play for all three.” McClain is the No.4 overall player in his class and has the power to be the leader of a strong group. Luckily for Florida, Coach Corey Raymond has one of the best track records in the nation with developing cornerbacks. Players that have been under Raymond in the past include Jamal Adams, Derek Stingley Jr. and Kelvin Joseph, all at the top of their position at the highest level. In the interview, McClain said he would choose “whichever coach (can) develop me the most, tell me the best and progress me as a man and athlete.” If that is what McClain is looking for, Raymond has the resume to back it up. McClain recently went on an unofficial visit to Florida and was told that “Florida blew it out of the water.” This is going to be a player worth monitoring that has the chance to make a tidal wave impact on this recruiting class for the Gators. Keon Keeley- 5-Star Edge Keon Keeley is a towering 6-foot-6 edge rusher out of Tampa and has all the physical tools to be elite at the next level. The No. 2 overall player in Florida (7th nationally), Keeley would be another massive addition to Billy Napier’s class. Along with McClain, the Gators are in a three-man race for Keeley with Alabama and Ohio State. Keeley made an appearance in The Swamp last weekend on an unofficial visit and was impressed by the atmosphere of a night game at Ben Hill along with the coaching staff. “They say they’re building something special to stay in the state of Florida,” said Keeley to On3 Sports. Napier has made an emphasis on staying close to home and gather all the talent in our own backyard. Winning over Keeley and gaining his commitment will be a massive momentum booster for the Gators in owning the Sunshine State on the recruiting trail. Eyes on the Prize Although Florida has missed some commitments on the trail, the mission isn’t over until the dotted line is signed on national signing day February 1. Some recruits verbally committed to other schools who the Gators are still in contact with include four-star offensive lineman Rodrick Kearney (Florida State), four-star defensive lineman John Walker (UCF), four-star running back Cedric Baxter Jr. (Texas) and four-star linebacker Malik Bryant (Miami). VISITORS FOR USF GAME Gators DB commit Ja'Keem Jackson Gators OL commit Knijeah Harris Gators DL commit Kamran James Gators LB commit Jaden Robinson 2024 No. 1 RB Jerrick Gibson 2024 top-100 CB Charles Lester 2024 top-100 LB Adarius Hayes (50/50) 2024 top-100 DB Jaylen Heyward (50/50) 2024 DL Kendall Jackson (50/50) 2025 four-star EDGE Armondo Blount (No. 1 sophomore in Florida) 2025 four-star RB Taevion Swint With a lot of visitors coming for the opening kickoff against Utah along with the SEC opener, this is a slower week for visits of recruits.

"After struggling to get anything going on the ground or through the air last week against Kentucky, Richardson will be looking to duplicate his last performance against the Bulls and regain the confidence that he admitted was lost versus Kentucky." BY LOREN MEADOWS GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst After Saturday’s depressing loss to Kentucky, Billy Napier stated, “a loss gives you a chance to hit the reset button.” Fortunately, that button is wrapped in a green and gold bow with the letters USF on it. The Gators are in the Swamp and under the lights for the third straight weekend in what should be an opportunity for the program to right the wrongs that plagued them a week ago. USF comes to Gainesville, with a record of 1-1. The loss, a week one beatdown suffered at home to #12 BYU, was followed by a 42-20 win at home against FCS foe Howard University. In 2021 the Gators beat the Bulls 42-20 on the hills of explosive plays by both Emory Jones (now at Arizona State) and Anthony Richardson. Richardson had a coming-out party of sorts against USF last year to the tune of 3-for-3 passing for 152 yards at two TDs along with four rushes for 115 yards and a TD. Most memorable of Richardson’s performance last September was the 80-yard dash that showcased his top-end speed and big-play ability. After struggling to get anything going on the ground or through the air last week against Kentucky, Richardson will be looking to duplicate his last performance against the Bulls and regain the confidence that he admitted was lost versus Kentucky. Many teams position games like this on their schedule in order to reassess where they are as a team both mentally and physically. After emotional games versus Utah and Kentucky, a familiar foe enduring their own challenges is made to order. USF Offense: South Florida employs a fast-paced offensive attack directed by first-year offensive coordinator Travis Trickett. To run the new look offense the Bulls have turned to Baylor Transfer Gerry Bohannon (#11, 6-3, 226), who passed for 2,200 yards and 18 touchdowns while running for another nine. Bohannon has a skill set similar to that of Richardson and can be tough to bring down in the open field. While Bohannon has yet to throw a touchdown pass this season, USF may possess one of the American Conference's best receiver combinations in Xavier Weaver (#10, 6-1, 180) and Jimmy Horn Jr. (#5, 5’9 174), a potent pair from the Orlando area that have combined for 18 catches over the first two games. Horn, the smaller of the two, is also a factor in the return game. Along with the threat of Bohannon on the ground, the Bulls utilize the trio of Jaren Mangham (#0, 6-2, 231), Michael Dukes (#2, 5-10, 197), and Brian Battie (#21, 5-8, 165), a consensus All-America kick returner in 2021. Mangham is the elder statesmen of the group and accounted for both Bulls touchdowns against the Gators last season. The early reliance on the run game is supported by the experienced center-guard-left tackle combination of Brad Cecil (#74, 6-4, 294), Demetrius Harris (#64, 6-3, 315), and Donovan Jennings (#73, 6-5, 312). All are in their final year and have played side by side for most of the last four seasons. It will be interesting to see how Florida reacts to the hurry-up attack the Bulls will employ. While he has not shown it at USF yet, Bohannon is an able passer who could cause issues if the Gator pass rush does not get home. While Patrick Toney and company utilize “creepers” to confuse the offense it will be interesting to see how Bohannon reacts due to his familiarity with the system from his time at Baylor. Could the absence of Ventrell Miller play a role? The Florida defense should be able to handle the line of scrimmage against a team looking to run the football and gather chunk plays through the air. This should create third-down situations that allow Brenton Cox Jr., Gervon Dexter, and Antwaun Powell-Ryland to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. USF Defense: Veteran defensive coordinator Bob Shoop inherits a defense that finished 123rd nationally in 2021. Similar to their offense, South Florida will look to create “a full court press” on the field and apply constant pressure for 60 minutes. To make this plan work, USF has turned to the transfer portal to improve its anemic defense. Missouri transfer Jatorian Hansford (#28, 6-4, 265) has become an instant playmaker at defensive end. The middle linebacker position will be manned by Minnesota transfer DJ Gordon IV (#8, 6-1, 220) who has recorded 12 tackles in the first two games. Defensive tackle Rashawn Yates (#6, 6-3, 282) recorded a tackle for loss against the Gators in 2021. In the secondary, two Kansas State transfers will man the corners: Will Jones II (#7, 5-9, 191) and Amaris Brown (#9, 5-10, 197), who have been standouts for a unit looking to improve on South Florida’s 53.12% opponents passing success rate that ranked 129th nationally. In last year’s game, Florida rolled up 666 yards offense on a sloppy field in Tampa. Based upon that and the first two games, look for the Bulls to get off the bus blitzing Saturday night. After watching Anthony Richardson struggle through the air against Kentucky the USF defense will look to capitalize on that pressure by creating turnovers and feasting on an offense in search of its true identity. The Gators will counter with zone run schemes and a substantial size advantage on the offensive line as well as the receiver positions. The opportunity for the big play is there for the Gators as USF has given up over 400 yards of total offense against both BYU and Howard. Shoop has this unit improving, but a clean, efficient, game plan should allow the Gators to move the football consistently. The Skinny: Billy Napier stated “the big focus for our team is to be consumed with improvement,” challenging himself and his coaches to “do our best work for the players.” The effect of that attitude should be on display Saturday night against USF. The score is not as important as the type of game the Gators need to play: Clean, penalty free, and efficient in all three phases. Anthony Richardson needs to find balance in his fourth full start as a Gator, allowing his athleticism to lead him while he grows with confidence in Billy Napier’s offense. USF head coach Jeff Scott has hired new coordinators in an effort to give his program more life. As one opposing American Conference assistant stated, “they are going to improve and still be bad overall, but the depth is coming along.” In many ways this is very similar to the Gators as there is visible improvement in most areas, with the long-term effects to be determined. However, despite last week's issues the Gators are further along than the Bulls top to bottom and now have more than 130 plays to examine how to enrich Richardson’s development. The pace of play will be good prep for the road trip to Knoxville September 24th. The elusive Richardson touchdown pass happens early, the defense turns the Bulls over twice. Wright, Johnson Jr., and Etienne rush for a touchdown each. Prediction: Florida 34 USF 10

This Florida season, like so many others before, has already been an emotional roller coaster. Billy Napier pulled off the upset and became the only coach in Florida’s history to beat a ranked opponent in his first game as head coach against Utah. Just as high as fans were after week one, they were just as low after week two. A poor offensive performance, and maybe some nerves by Anthony Richardson in The Swamp humbled the Gators in week two resulting in a 1-1 record going into the USF matchup. Nonetheless, before the season started most fans would have accepted the 1-1 record after the first two games with open arms. In his weekly press conference, Billy Napier discussed what the reality check for his team meant and how they will use the loss as motivation moving forward. “It comes back to really evaluating the game independent of the result," Napier said. "Is the effort good? Are the fundamentals good? Is the communication where it needs to be? If we’re having execution issues, why? "So many people contribute to a football team, so a loss gives you a chance to hit the reset button, recenter.” On to this week’s opponent, the University of South Florida Bulls. The Bulls are no stranger to either Richardson or Napier. Although meeting for the first time as head coaches, Napier and USF head coach Jeff Scott coached together as assistants at Clemson from 2008-2010, Napier as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and Scott as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. The Bulls became familiar with Richardson during last year's contest in Tampa in which he torched the USF defense with 152 yards passing and two touchdowns on only three pass attempts. He rushed four times for 115 yards in what turned into his own coming-out party. Flashback: The viral 80-yard rushing touchdown Richardson ripped off against the Bulls last year is also where his hamstring injury originated that held him out of a few contests last year. Going into the matchup this weekend, Florida will likely stick to the same game script of last year and establish the run game early. With Trevor Etienne showing promise along with veteran backs Nay’quan Wright and Montrell Johnson Jr., the backfield looks to get a lot of work. Last season when these two teams met, Florida accumulated 666 yards of total offense, 363 on the ground. Those 666 yards is the sixth-most all-time by a Gator offense. The Gators will look to stay undefeated in the all-time series with the Bulls. The Gators won last year’s matchup in Tampa with a score of 42-20 and defeated USF in The Swamp, 28-14, in 2010, the teams' only previous meetings. In addition to staying undefeated against the Bulls, the Gators also look to continue their 13-game win streak against non-conference opponents dating back to 2018. As good as the Gators have been rushing the ball, they may have been better at defending it up to this point. In the first half, Florida has only allowed 22 rushing yards through the first two games. Florida is the only team in the nation to face two AP top-25 teams in its first two weeks. The Florida offensive line has been stellar through two games, opening holes for Johnson and Etienne. In addition to the successful run blocking, the line has also managed to provide stellar pass protection -- it took six quarters for the opponents to register a sack. The first sack of the season came on the opening drive in the third quarter of the Kentucky Game. The Gators will be down two starters in the USF game: Linebacker Ventrell Miller and right tackle Michael Tarquin, both out with lower leg injuries. Napier described Miller's absence as missing “your best communicator.” The timetable for both players' returns is unknown.

There is a prevailing feeling that Richardson’s improvement is underway and it has also stemmed from positive reaction to his mistakes and how it has resulted in some more mature decisions. (Chris Spears Photo) By BUDDY MARTIN GatorBaitMedia.com Editor Tiger Woods did things with golf clubs we never before thought possible. His consistently low numbers were staggering. He was in the 60s more times than the weather in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Tiger’s most amazing feats were not just the 15 majors he won or his 10 lowest rounds during them. I was there for the remarkable 65 he carded in the first round of 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach which he went on to win by a whopping 15 strokes. And I still don’t believe it! I bring this up today because Tiger’s most astonishing accomplishments are not in the record books. Contrary to fiction, he was never able to post the perfect round of 18 and didn’t crack 60 in official competition. On days when his putter or wedge betrayed him and he had to improvise to avoid missing the cut, he turned a potential 78 into a round of par or better. Incredibly, he made 142 consecutive cuts. And that’s how you become a real champion, when competitive spirit takes over and won’t let you crash and burn. Anthony Richardson wasn’t even born when Tiger captured that first Open at age 24 with rounds of 65, 69, 71 and 67. Not intending to compare this young phenom with such an iconic athlete of age 20, but the fact is it’s important to remember that the crucible of struggle is what molds character. Perfection is just a mirage. Gator fans need to get a grip on the realization that a “work in progress” means the best is yet to come. Richardson’s opening day win over Utah was, in golf parlance, a round of 67. Richardson’s second round fell off to, say, a 79, but he was on the way toward to a decent round against Kentucky until the 65-yard Pick Six interception. Now Anthony must put that one in his back pocket and go play like Tiger Woods – in terms of attitude and effort. Which is to say: On days when he doesn’t have his best stuff, to use his arms, legs and brain and keep from missing the cut. And setting the example for his teammates. Nobody knows this better than Richardson’s coach. Billy Napier is a truth-teller and doesn’t mince words. Billy is wise enough to know there will be fender-benders in this journey which should not be classified as roll-overs or NASCAR-type crackups that destroy the machines. At the same time, mistakes must be addressed and corrected. “It’s like getting a speeding ticket,” Napier said of the loss to Kentucky, inadvertently referencing a sore subject that became topical over the summer when his quarterback got tagged with one on Archer Road in the wee hours of the morning while lead-footing his new NIL-gifted Dodge Charger. “You’re a little more aware of the things you need to do.” (A few days later, A.R. gave back the Charger in favor of a more docile Toyota). Perhaps most bothersome about Richardson’s off-night -- when it seemed like he sometimes couldn’t hit the proverbial bull in the ass with a bass fiddle -- was how it almost dented his ego. He admitted after the game that missing open receivers caused him to “lose my confidence.” That’s something we’ve seen that could destroy good athletes should it linger. “In this game, you’ve got to handle success and you’ve got to handle failure,” said Napier. In baseball, sometimes a pitcher doesn’t have his best stuff or he can’t get it over the plate, so he gives way to the bullpen. But there are only a dozen or so football games vs. 162 or more baseball games, so there’s not as much opportunity to get it right. Saturday will be a test to see if A.R. can return to the form he displayed against Utah, or close to it, in a game the Gators are favored to win by over three touchdowns. He needs to get back on track – now. “I don’t care who we play. We’re consumed with improving,” said Napier. There is a prevailing feeling that Richardson’s improvement is underway and it has also stemmed from positive reaction to his mistakes and how it has resulted in some more mature decisions. As embarrassing and devastating as the way he performed in losing to Kentucky may have been, Napier said several times he believes the hard work and “character” of his team will prevail this season. Richardson included in that group. Perhaps primarily. In sports, sometimes it is the things you can’t see in the box score or stats which make the difference. For instance, how you handle the defeat and your immediate response to failure. In that matter, there were two events that immediately followed Anthony’s bad night which spoke volumes to me. 1. Instead of ducking the press and taking the easy way out, as is so often the case today with many elite athletes, Richardson manned up by coming to the post-game press conference and owning his poor performance -- even admitting he “lost my confidence” after failing to hit open receivers. 2. On his way home, according to the father of one of them, A.R. stopped to talk to a group of kids playing catch – even tossing the ball with them in the parking lot. That he would even think of such a kind act of consideration at such a difficult time really impresses me. Even more than facing the press firing squad. If Karma is keeping score at home, he or she owes Anthony Richardson one. Maybe even two, or more. Florida 38, South Florida 10 Proudly Announcing Our New Teammate: Carlton Reese. It gives me great pleasure to announce that GatorBaitMedia.com has been joined by a highly respected, longstanding member of the Fourth Estate. Carlton Reese, a lifelong Floridian and fourth generation Marion Countian, begins this week as Contributing Editor/Columnist. You’ll see and read lots of his stellar work in GatorBait, but won’t always recognize his skills and talent behind the scenes as an editor which will make us all better. A graduate of the University of Florida, Reese has worked as a sportswriter and copy editor for the Gainesville Sun, Ocala Star-Banner and Bradenton Herald -- covering nearly all sports one can imagine. He is particularly keen on story lines and historical data of the Florida Gator football program. Most recently, Reese has worked as a freelance writer and editor with his works appearing in Ocala Magazine, Ocala Style and Good Life of Central Florida where he has won numerous writing awards from the Florida Magazine Association. From 2010 to 2020, Reese worked as a tournament director and writer for Golfweek Magazine. He is the author of the book, "Setting the Records Straight: How Rod Carew Hit .400... But Not Ted Williams" which is available for purchase on amazon.com. Reese currently resides in Ocala and is married to wife Marlena with four daughters, the eldest currently a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a longtime friend with whom I have previously collaborated – and plan to do so again in the future on book projects. Please welcome him to the GatorBait family.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: VENTRELL MILLER OUT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA GAME Billy Napier wouldn’t go into detail about the extent of the lower leg injuries suffered by middle linebacker Ventrell Miller and right tackle Michael Tarquin Wednesday. When asked about the status of the two starters, Napier replied simply, “They won’t play this week.” Tarquin’s spot on the offensive line will be taken by Austin Barber (6-6, 312), who played most of the snaps at right tackle when Tarquin went down against Kentucky. Heading into the Kentucky game, Barber was listed as the backup to Richard Gouraige (6-4.5, 308) at left tackle. With Barber getting the start at right tackle, Josh Braun (6-6, 351) will shift from O’Cyrus Torrence’s (6-5, 347) backup at right guard to Gouraige’s backup. Now backing up Torrence is Jalen Farmer (6-4.5, 334). Scooby Williams (6-2, 235) will get the start for Miller. He came off the bench to get a tackle against Kentucky. Williams has the physical talent to get the job done, but the question heading into Saturday’s game is his ability to get everyone in the right spot and direct traffic. That’s an area where Miller is quite proficient. “The big challenge here goes back to what I talked about in the very beginning, the ability to process quickly and communicate,” Napier said. “When I think about replacing Ventrell I’m immediately thinking about replacing the communicator … the ability to process quickly and communicate. We talk about communication. We want to do it early, loud and often. We want to do it clearly, concisely and with confidence. That’s a big challenge for those linebackers to be as good of a communicator as Ventrell was. There’s a component to that position that affects that entire group.” UF Depth Chart for South Florida (starter in bold face) Offense WR: Xzavier Henderson; Daejon Reynolds or Marcus Burker WR: Justin Shorter; Ja’Quavion Fraziars WR: Ricky Pearsall; Trent Whittemore; Ja’Markis Weston LT: Richard Gouraige; Josh Braun LG: Ethan White; Richard Leonard IV C: Kingsley Eguakun; Jake Slaughter RG: O’Cyrus Torrence; Jalen Farmer RT: Austin Barber; Kamryn Waites TE: Dante Zanders; Keon Zipperer QB: Anthony Richardson; Jalen Kitna or Kyle Engel RB: Nayquan Wright; Montrell Johnson Jr. or Trevor Etienne; Lorenzo Lingard Defense DE: Princely Umanmielen; Justus Boone NT: Jalen Lee; Desmond Watson; Jaelin Humphries; Jamari Lyons DE: Gervon Dexter Sr.; Tyreak Sapp; Chris McClellan JACK: Brenton Cox Jr.; Antwayn Powell-Ryland Jr.; Lloyd Summerall III or David Reese LB: Scooby Williams; Derek Wingo LB: Amari Burney; Shemar James; 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 LS: Rocco Underwood; Chase Whitfield 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; OL David Conner; CB Jaydon Hill; QB Jack Miller III; LB Ventrell Miller; LS Marco Ortiz; LT Michael Tarquin SEC football #2 Alabama (2-0): Louisville transfer wide receiver Tyrell Harrell, expected to be a difference maker in the passing game, remains sidelined with a foot injury. Nick Saban said Harrell has been unable to practice this week, will not play Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe and is listed as day-to-day. #10 Arkansas (2-0): Through two games, Georgia transfer wide receiver Matt Landers is the leading receiver with seven receptions for 88 yards. “He’s been a joy to have on our team,” said HBC Sam Pittman. Auburn (2-0): Social media exploded Wednesday when 4-star wide receiver Karmello English de-committed, calling the school the “University of Auburn” … The game with Penn State at Jordan-Hare Stadium still isn’t sold out. #1 Georgia (2-0): Sophomore wide receiver AD Mitchell and freshman defensive back Nyland Green are both listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game in Columbia with South Carolina. LSU (1-1): LSU’s best pass rusher, B.J. Ojulari, is expected to play Saturday when Mississippi State comes to Baton Rouge. He has been out since hurting his knee in the first quarter of the Tigers’ season opener with Florida State. Mississippi State (2-0): Of the 22 players on the Mississippi State two-deep on the defensive side of the ball, 17 are in their third season in coordinator Zach Arnett’s 3-3-5 scheme and three others are in their second year. Missouri (1-1): When talking on the SEC Coaches Teleconference about Mizzou’s 40-12 loss to Kansas State, HBC Eli Drinkwitz said, “We can’t control the event that happened Saturday. All we can control is our response to it.” #20 Ole Miss (2-0): When asked about the competition for the starting QB job between Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmeyer ahead of Saturday’s game with Georgia Tech, Lane Kiffin said, “I see both guys playing.” South Carolina (1-1): Quarterback Spencer Rattler can make all the throws, but can he stay upright when the Gamecocks play Georgia this week? In two games, Rattler has already been sacked nine times, which ranks dead last in the SEC. #15 Tennessee (2-0): When speaking about his offense, coordinator Alex Golesh said Wednesday, “There’s a bunch of guys in that room that have earned the right to be confident.” #24 Texas A&M (1-1): If Texas A&M wanted to fire Jimbo Fisher it would cost $89,950,000. Lawyer Alexander Shunnarah, who has 24 offices around the country including Houston, went to social media to post “Need help with future contract negotiations? CALL ME Texas A&M! If you or a loved one find yourself stuck in a $75M contract with no results, you know who to call.” Vanderbilt (2-1): Sophomore defensive tackle Devin Lee is expected to return from injury to make his 2022 debut when the Commodores travel to Northern Illinois. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 #6 Oklahoma (2-0): Rather than attend Oklahoma’s game with Nebraska in Lincoln, former OU head coach Bob Stoops will be in Lexington to celebrate younger brother Mark becoming the winningest coach in UK history with 61 wins, breaking the record held by Bear Bryant since 1953. #21 Texas (1-1): Columnist Joey Hickey writes, “Now, Texas is already further ahead than Texas A&M ever was in Jimbo’s second season, while Fisher lost to a Sun Belt team in year five. It doesn’t take much discernment to see where both programs are headed.” Football played somewhere beside the SEC Mountain West Conference: Craig Thompson, who worked closely with Greg Sankey, Bob Bowlsby and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick, is stepping down as commissioner of the Mountain West Conference. BYU (2-0): Oregon is paying BYU, the nation’s 12th-ranked team, $1.1 million to travel to Eugene to play the 25th-ranked Ducks this weekend. It’s rather odd that the oddsmakers in Las Vegas list Oregon as a 3.5-point favorite when you consider the Ducks were destroyed by Georgia in game one and their only win is a 56-point beatdown of D1AA Eastern Washington. BYU, meanwhile, is coming off a win over then 9th-ranked Baylor. It should also be noted that BYU was 5-0 against Pac-12 teams last year. Notre Dame (0-2): There is a good reason why the Irish are 0-2 out the gate. They are 118th nationally in total offense (302 yards per game) and 117th in scoring (15.5 points per game). Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is feeling the heat, but he’s not the only one. There are calls for coordinator Al Golden to simplify the defense after the Irish couldn’t stop Marshall from running between the tackles for 219 yards last week. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: It took three weeks but we have our first member of the Extinct Species List. No one should be surprised that it’s Scott Frost, whose 16-31 record included 22 losses by eight or fewer points. Frost made the mistake of going home to Nebraska to try to resurrect a program that is no longer relevant. Rule number one when leaving a job where you’re ultra-successful (Frost was at UCF) – pick and choose wisely. Only take a job where you know everything is in place to win. What worked for Nebraska 25 years ago doesn’t work anymore. Frost needs a couple of years recycling at St. Nick’s to get a chance to be a good coach again. Countdown to firing day: Week 3 Extinct Species List Scott Frost, Nebraska: He had a good thing going at UCF, then mama called. Sometimes you need to slap mama in the face and tell her to keep her opinions to herself. Frost will likely re-emerge as somebody’s offensive coordinator, perhaps even at Alabama if OC Bill O’Brien takes a head coaching job somewhere after this season. On Life Support Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech: Situation grim. The stadium was barely half full last week when the Jackets had a good second half to beat D1AA Western Carolina. Ole Miss comes to Atlanta this weekend. Jacket fans are braced for a boatracing. The buzzards are circling. Scott Loeffler, Bowling Green: He’s 0-2 and faces the same Marshall team that just beat Notre Dame in South Bend this week. That will be followed by Mississippi State. The only thing that will save him is a bowl game and a winning record in the MAC and Cheese Conference. Bryan Harsin, Auburn: This is the ultimate can’t win situation. Auburn’s zany fans don’t want him and they’ve run off the AD that hired him. They presume the new AD will see things their way. Nine wins, one of them over Alabama, will keep him safe. To fire him they would have to pay $18 million. They paid Gus Malzahn $21.4 million to walk. Jake Spavital, Texas State: The Bobcats are 1-1 thanks to that win over Florida International. Baylor looms this week. Yikes. Jake the Snake needs five more wins or else the buzzards start circling. Mike Bloomgren, Rice: Career record 12-32. The next three games are Louisiana, Houston and UAB. There is a reason the buzzards are circling. Endangered Species List Herm Edwards, Arizona State: The Sun Devils are 1-1. The good news is that Emory Jones has yet to throw a pick and they probably get their second win this week against Eastern Michigan. The bad news is that Utah, Southern Cal and Washington follow the fighting EMUs. Then there is that teensy matter of the NCAA, which may be dropping the hammer soon. Willie Taggart, Florida Atlantic: The wins are over a very bad Charlotte team and D1AA Southeastern Louisiana. The Free Willies need a good showing this week against UCF. Seth Littrell, North Texas: Fans aren’t fooled by the 2-1 start. The wins are over UTEP and D1AA Texas Southern. Three straight losing seasons. He needs eight wins. Badly. Neal Brown, West Virginia: The Mounties are 0-2 and they’ve lost to Kansas. The athletic director is telling fans to be patient, which is AD-speak for, “It’s too early to fire him, especially when we play D1AA Towson Saturday.” Brown makes $4 million a year. Ken Niumalatololo, Navy: The Navy has fallen on hard times since that 11-2 season in 2019. The Midshipmen are 7-17, 0-2 out the gate this year with a loss to D1AA Delaware in game one. If they wind up with a losing record this year, it will be the fourth time in five years. Karl Dorrell, Colorado: He’s not just 0-2 out of the gate, but 0-2 in the Pac-12, so the Buffs are out of the conference race by mid-September. This is not going to end well. Brent Brennan, San Jose State: He’s 21-38 for his career. His only win this year is over D1AA Portland State and that was a white knuckler. They’re paying him $1 million, which is a lot for a school with little history or tradition.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: TWO GAMES IN, THESE ARE QUESTION MARKS FOR THE GATORS Two games in, there are questions about the Florida Gators in year one of the Billy Napier era. That would be true if the Gators were 2-0 instead of the 1-1 they are heading into Saturday’s non-conference matchup with South Florida at The Swamp. This team is a work in progress with a long way to go before the Gators are playing at the standard Napier wants and expects. They may or may not get there this year, but if they don’t it won’t be for a lack of effort. What we’ve learned in two games is that the Gators have a potentially explosive running game when Anthony Richardson can get loose to complement Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson. We’ve also learned that the passing game can be good like it was against Utah, and really bad like it was in game two when Richardson was overshooting open receivers far too often. Defensively, we’ve learned the Gators are capable of making some big plays, but they still make mistakes and that has to change. Napier admitted after the Utah win that the Gators had a way to go. He didn’t have to say the Gators were way off after the Kentucky game, but it should be noted that the Gators were capable of winning the football game despite playing ugly. That they didn’t has everything to do with four mistakes that counted for 23 of Kentucky’s 26 points. So, here are a few of the questions that have to be answered for UF, the sooner the better. 1. Second half run defense: Through two games, the Gators have allowed 300 rushing yards, most of it in the second half and a good bit of that in the fourth quarter. Obviously, Florida’s lack of depth at defensive tackle has plenty to do with that but the coaching staff is going to have to get some of the younger players like Jaelin Humphries and Chris McClellan ready to contribute more. 2. Better decision making by Richardson: Richardson had a bad game throwing the football against Kentucky, a problem that will have to be resolved, but maybe the bigger issue is his decision making. More specifically, understanding that there are times when it’s far better to tuck the ball and take the four or five positive yards than holding the ball and waiting for receivers to get open against a team dropping seven into a zone like we saw consistently in the second half against Kentucky. Kentucky geared its defense around stopping Richardson and did a good job of throttling the passing game. There were, however, many opportunities for Richardson to get positive yards and move the chains. The improved decision making will come with more experience, but somehow, this has to be fast tracked if the Gators are going to get to the eight or nine-win level this season. 3. Shutting down the tight ends!: In their first two games, the Gators have allowed 35 pass completions for 418 yards and two touchdowns. Of those 35 completions 16 for 208 yards and a TD have gone to tight ends. It seems that every time opponents get in third-and-long situations, they simply dial up a pass play to a tight end and the chains move. That has to change. The Gators are fortunate that the next five opponents don’t use their tight ends very much, but wait until the Gators face Georgia, which isn’t afraid to run three tight end sets with stud athletes who can wear opponents out. 4. Consistency in the pass rush: The Gators didn’t register a sack in the Utah game. They had three in the first half against Kentucky, but the Wildcats kept the UF pass rush from getting to Will Levis in the second half. Brenton Cox Jr. is getting doubled every snap and until someone else can emerge as a consistent pass rusher, the double teams on Cox will continue. 5. Converting third downs to keep the chains moving: One way to compensate for the lack of depth on the D-line is to keep the defense off the field. That puts a premium on converting third downs. Right now the Gators are tied for ninth in the SEC at 39.29 percent (11-28). The Gators were good against Utah (7-12 for 58.33 percent), but they were terrible against Kentucky (4-16, 25 percent). When you control the football and move the chains, you are effectively playing defense with the offense. Some of that has to do with Richardson understanding that he’s got to pull the ball down and run with it when he’s got first down yardage within easy reach rather than trying to force the ball into coverage. Something else, the Gators need to do a better job of getting into third-and-short situations. 6. Taking more deep shots down the field in the passing game: If there is no threat of the deep ball, then there is no incentive for opposing defensive coordinators to loosen things up. Until the Gators are willing to take their shots downfield, they’re going to see a lot of eight in the box dropping into zones. Ricky Pearsall has the speed to get deep, but he’s not the only one. Both Justin Shorter and Xzavier Henderson can do it. It wouldn’t hurt to get the tight end involved in the middle of the field, either. UF Volleyball: Gators sweep FSU The 16th-ranked Gators tuned up for their weekend match against 4th-ranked Wisconsin Tuesday night with a straight set (25-19, 27-22, 25-22) shutout of Florida State at the O-Dome. Merritt Beason (13 kills) and Marina Markova (12 kills) paced the Florida attack. Freshman setter Alexis Stuckey had 41 assists, the best 3-set numbers of her career. SEC football The biggest question marks for each SEC team so far #2 Alabama (2-0): There are two, the offensive line and the lack of quarterback pressure. Here’s the proof with the O-line. Bryce Young is averaging only 6.1 yards per pass attempt, down from 8.9 last year. He’s having to unload the ball in a hurry because the O-line can’t pass protect. The Tide has only gotten to the quarterback three times. Will Anderson has one sack … Alabama is a whopping 49-point favorite at home against Louisiana-Monroe. #10 Arkansas (2-0, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback KJ Jefferson has already run 37 times in two games. He’s taken a lot of hits and the Hogs haven’t even gotten to the meat of the schedule. Auburn (2-0): The defense has yet to record a turnover against two cupcake opponents. Over on offense, quarterbacks TJ Finley and Robby Ashford have combined for one TDP and four interceptions … Penn State is only favored by 2.5 points this Saturday in Auburn. #1 Georgia (2-0): The Bulldogs are being called the most complete team in America, but they’ve only played a vastly overrated Oregon team and D1AA Samford. There isn’t a game that should be competitive until the gauntlet of Florida, Tennessee, at Mississippi State and at Kentucky so it’s anybody’s guess how good they are until the last week of October … The Bulldogs are 24-point favorites on the road at South Carolina. #9 Kentucky (2-0, 1-0 SEC): There are serious concerns about the offensive line. The Wildcats are averaging only 1.88 per carry in the running game and quarterback Will Levis has been sacked seven times already. LSU (1-1): There are all sorts of concerns, but it starts on both lines of scrimmage. QB Jayden Daniels has been sacked six times and most of his rushing yardage is the result of running for his life. Over on the D-line, the Tigers gave up 201 rushing yards to D1AA Southern U last week … LSU is a 2-point home underdog to Mississippi State. Mississippi State (2-0): The Bulldogs have turned the ball over five times in two games, which should be alarming to Mike Leach. Over on the defensive side of the ball, MSU has only three sacks in two games … The Bulldogs are slight 2-point favorites on the road in Baton Rouge. Missouri (1-1): Quarterbacks Brady Cook and Jack Abraham have combined to throw five interceptions and they’re averaging just 6.0 yards per pass attempt. Over on defense they have been unable to generate much of a pass rush. #20 Ole Miss (2-0): Ole Miss is scoring points (43.5 per game) with a very balanced offense (249.5 on the ground, 222 through the air) but there is still no definitive number one QB. Lane Kiffin needs to decide on a starter before the Rebels get into the SEC portion of the schedule … The Rebels are 16-point favorites against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. South Carolina (1-1, 0-1 SEC): The biggest concern has to be the injury bug. Two key defensive players are out for the season and there are five questionable for the Georgia game including stud corner Cam Smith. Injuries have been a problem ever since fall camp began … The Bulldogs are 24-point home underdogs to Georgia. #15 Tennessee (2-0): Both Ball State and Pitt threw the ball consistently well against the UT secondary. That has to tighten up. Over on the offensive side of the ball, QB Hendon Hooker has been sacked four times and he’s had to scramble way too much. Of his 20 rushing attempts, most have come on scrambles … The Vols are 47.5-point favorites at home against Akron. #24 Texas A&M (1-1): The quarterback issue is huge. Haynes King averaged only 4.9 yards per pass attempt against an App. State secondary that was inept the week before against UNC. The O-line can’t run block … Despite their poor showing in a loss to Appalachian State last week, the Aggies are a 5.5-point favorite at home against 13th-ranked Miami. Vanderbilt (2-1): Even before the Commodores were boatraced by Wake Forest Gump, their defense was struggling. They’re dead last in the SEC and it’s only going to get worse … Vanderbilt is a 2.5-point underdog on the road at Northern Illinois. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 #6 Oklahoma (2-0): We may have to wait until the Sooners play Texas on October 8 before we know how good the Sooners are. The only thing so far that raises eyebrows is the five sacks allowed against two bad teams in the first two games of the season … Oklahoma is an 11.5-point favorite on the road against Nebraska. #21 Texas (1-1): Quinn Ewers looked good in his first two starts, then he was injured in the Bama game. He’s out at least until October 8. The O-line has given up six sacks in two games. They better do a better job blocking for Hudson Card because the dropoff to the third-team QB is enormous … Texas is an 11-point home favorite against Texas-San Antonio. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Jimbo Fisher is under contract with Texas A&M until 2031. He got a contract extension in the offseason, raising his pay from $7.5 million to $9 million with $100,000 a year increases, all of it guaranteed. It sounded like the deal of the century to Aggie fans who bought into the hype of Jimbo’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class that some have gone so far as to call “generational.” The recruiting class may or may not pan out. A lot of people were saying the same thing about Urban Meyer’s final recruiting class at Florida in 2010, which was also ranked No. 1. Hope for a championship for that recruiting class died when Jordan Reid fumbled at the Georgia 5-yard line with 2:05 left in the 2012 game. The Aggies haven’t played a single SEC game this year so there is time for Jimbo to right a listing ship but if you saw how inept they were offensively against an Appalachian State defense that gave up 63 points just a week before, then you know there are boosters asking each other “what in the ever lovin’ hell were we thinking when we extended Jimbo’s contract?” Many more Aggie boosters may be asking that question on October 8 when they complete a 4-game gauntlet of No. 13 Miami, No. 10 Arkansas, at Mississippi State, which will probably be ranked by the time they play them, and at Alabama. It is entirely possible the Aggies, who were picked sixth in the preseason AP poll, will be 1-5 after the Bama game if their inept offense doesn’t improve. In the Lone Star State they say only God and the Longhorns have more money than the Aggies. If the Aggies are 1-5 after the Bama game, will those same boosters who agreed to pony up the big bucks for Jimbo’s contract stay behind their man?