For Dan Mullen, the crux of the No. 20 Florida Gators issues last Saturday in a 20-13 loss to the No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats came down to the penalties. There were 15 in all, for a loss of 115 yards. It’s unheard of, and was largely what led to the Gators falling. “I don’t ever remember a game as a head coach where we've had 15 penalties in a game before,” noted Mullen on Monday. “You know, I've coached a bunch of games, so maybe there's one skipping my mind out there, but I don't think I've had one with that many penalties before, so that you know, that is disappointing for me.” It’s not an excuse; it’s an indictment. “It really is [disappointing] to me, and that—I take it personally, that’s on me, you know. It's my responsibility as the coach, with every one of us, and when you go perform, and you make the mistakes that we made.” The majority of the penalties came in the form of false starts. There were eight total, called for 40-yards and often in incredibly crucial moments. False starts caused a third-and-short to become a third-and-long, negated rushing gains, wiped out a crucial fourth-down conversion in the redzone on the second to last drive of the game and kept the Gators just far enough back on two goal-to-go situations in the redzone at the end of the game when trying to tie for overtime. While an entire game can’t swing on one single aspect—every player has to do their part every play—it’s hard not to acknowledge the impact the false starts had on the Gators, as Mullen explained. “The second-to-last drive we're in the red zone, we convert, actually, a fourth-and-2 to go in to score a touchdown but there was a penalty. So that caused us to kick. And then the next drive, we're down inside the 5-yard line, there was a penalty. “We had 15 penalties. That's on me. The penalties are on me, you know what I mean? It's my responsibility to make sure the discipline this team plays with and executes at a high level. But that’s,” Mullen couldn’t help but offer a humorless laugh. “I’d love to say it's more than that, but you go watch the film and it's pretty obvious.” As for what caused all of the penalties, it was a number of factors. And as players explained this week, there’s something to be said for the fact this was the first true road game the offense has been in since 2019. No game last year had a crowd of greater than 20%, other than Texas A&M, which still featured a stadium that was over half empty. The first four weeks of this season featured three home games (where the crowd is quiet for the home offense) and a road trip to Tampa that had a majority of Gator fans in the crowd. Lexington isn’t the Swamp, but with close to 62,000 in attendance and less than 10% of those in Gator gear, the atmosphere was still raucous. “Once the bullets started flying some people got kind of flustered,” explained offensive lineman Stewart Reese. “That’s just part of the game. We have a lot of young guys and stuff like that. It’s just part of the experience for them being able to learn and move forward from this game we played this past Saturday and learn what they needed to learn.” The Gators offense uses a clap cadence for their snap count, letting the center know when to snap the ball to quarterback Emory Jones. It requires a specific sequence of claps, accompanied by Jones’ voice, to give the signal for the snap. The clap cadence is used throughout football. It did not work for the Gators in a loud environment. “I can be a lot louder. Part of that was my fault and my job, but we just have to go back to the drawing board and try to get better with that,” admitted Jones after the loss. “We weren't locked in on offense at all times and I mean it got to us at one part of the game. So we just have to go to the drawing board and get better with that.” Whatever caused the issues with the snap count though are secondary to a larger issue…the Gators inability to adapt to the problem. While the clap cadence is popular, it’s not the only option. There is also a silent count that can be employed; a hand signal, a foot lift, a soft clap, sometimes moving under center to give a tap. But most of those require the center to look between his legs for the signal, then look back up and snap the ball. There is more room for error. Yet, when an environment dictates, teams are known for switching counts…which isn’t as easy as it sounds. “You can do it, yeah,” Mullen explained to GatorBait Magazine on Monday. “Obviously it's much easier said than done. There's a lot that goes into what we practice and how we do things so. But, you know, we're gonna continue to look at each one of the different scenarios and everything that happens and we'll go improve on it and coach it up and get it fixed.” What would that mean though? And how many possibilities are there? In other words, how many different snap count options could the Gators carry into a game? “Across different teams, people have more quantity of snap counts, maybe. But, I mean, I've seen all kinds, you know, numbers of snap counts. Words, letters, all kinds of stuff,” followed Reese. “I mean, there's really no end to the combination of snap counts that you can have on standby, or you know, a part of the offense, so, yeah I mean there's a bunch of different stuff you could do.” As Mullen said though, it’s easier said than done. When you lean on one snap count the majority of the time, pulling out another in the middle of a game is like switching offensive schemes. Still, as Saturday showed, sometimes there is a need. Reese trusts Mullen and staff will adapt and make sure they have another crutch on which to lean moving forward. “We try to simulate a lot of the situations that we’re going to be in pre-game, in practice and stuff like that. As far as the offseason go, I mean, we really just have to prepare. Because it's easy to say we're gonna go prepare in practice, but once you step out on the field, it’s a completely different atmosphere of just, you know, being able to go in and change a scheme or something. “As far as snap counts go, I mean, we're pretty prepared for everything as far as snap counts. Going into that situation was a little tough, but I think we'll be ready next time, just being able to go in and, if the need comes up, just with snap counts. But I mean, Coach Mullen prepares us for, basically, any kind of situation, so I mean I don't think it will be hard to switch it up.” Assured Mullen, “We look at everything, at each one, at every little issue that goes on there and we work to get those corrected.”

*WELL, JUST 14 TODAY ... Before we turn the page and launch Homecoming Weekend, where the Gators are a 38.5-point favorites to win their fourth game, let’s address the obvious. And by the way, there are no right and wrong answers. But I am still a little bumfuzzled. Usually I try to provide answers in this space. However today I have 14 questions about Florida Gator football which can only be answered eventually by the players and coaches. Meanwhile, feel free to provide some your own to this version of Almost 20 Questions. When I was a kid, after we got our first TV in the 1950s, there was a show called Twenty Questions with a panel of celebrity guest experts trying to identify the object or person, which always started out with, “Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?” One popular question was, “Is it bigger than a breadbox?” My questions will be more generic and less specific. Almost 20 questions -- we’ve got six fewer today because it gets hard to follow along. And since we don’t really have an audience to ask these questions to, except you, let me bring in the three statutes to ask. After all it’s homecoming. So welcome Tim, Steve and Danny. You’re off the hook for answers. Before we turn the page and launch Homecoming Weekend, where the Gators are a 38.5-point favorites to win their fourth game, let’s address the obvious. And BTW, there are no right and wrong answers. But I am still a little bumfuzzled. What happened that night in Lexington? We could spend up all 14 questions on that alone, including why Dan Mullen ate three-time outs, ran out the clock and may have blown a chance for his only other touchdown of the game. We’ll get back to you on that, but so far, we don’t have any real answers. Although apparently Mullen feared it wasn’t worth the risk of trying to score. Which prompts the obvious: Deep down, does the coach trust his starting quarterback? As critical as the 15 penalties were, the Gators still had a chance to win in the final minutes – but didn’t. Was that lack of execution or bad play calling? Or lacking the proper personnel on the field to pull it off? Was Mullen correct when he laid the blame at the feet of his offensive line for all those illegal motion penalties because they weren’t “mentally tough,” or was it the coaches’ fault for not preparing them properly for the loud crowd at Kroger Field? Is Kentucky better than we thought? Or will the Wildcats be exposed this week vs LSU? Are the Gators’ hopes done for Atlanta? Hey, is this going to be a wild and crazy 2021 with more big surprises – ask Ohio State, Texas A&M, Oregon, etc. about that. Will Mullen and his staff be able to keep the players focused on the tasks ahead: Vandy and LSU — without peeking around corner at Georgia? Which of the early frontrunners are most vulnerable to an upset – Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Michigan? Going forward, which quarterback gives Dan Mullen the best chance to win – Jones or Anthony Richardson? Should AR#15 get more snaps? Did Dan Mullen and his staff get outcoached? And did he get a little snarky with his answer to our Kassidy Hill? Should Kassidy not have asked that question that way? And then one about the optics -- Mullen sometimes appearing detached, or even unemotional about the bitter loss, smiling as he shook Mark Stoops’ hand in post-game. Was he? I think before we sign off and close the books on Kentucky 2021, should we maybe be asking what the Wildcats did RIGHT instead the Gators did WRONG? Save that last one for the next sessions of Almost 20 Questions when we know a little more about how this season is going turn out. And finally, does it mean anything that Mullen is 3-5 in his last eight games, even though two of those losses were to Alabama? I feel I must provide these answers to stay within the game’s regulations. 1. Yes, it is bigger than a breadbox. 2. As far as whether it’s “Animal, Vegetable or Mineral,” I have no earthly idea. Pick one. P.S.: I’m allowing Tebow, Spurrier and Wuerffel to take a pass this time, instead of throwing one.

Sometimes the scoreboard lies. At halftime of Saturday’s homecoming game with Vanderbilt at The Swamp, the Gators held a 21-0 lead, which looks good on the scoreboard. What Dan Mullen, the announced crowd of 86,258 and SEC Network audience saw, however, was a Florida team that played bored and uninspired football. The talent differential was evident on Florida’s first two possessions when the Gators took a 14-0 lead, marching 78 yards on seven plays on a drive that ended on a 1-yard blast for a TD by Dameon Pierce and 49 yards on seven plays with Emory Jones throwing five yards to Ja’Quavion Fraziars to go up 14-0 with 5:23 left in the first quarter. Not only was it 14-0, but it was Florida 121 yards, Vandy 26. Maybe it was just too easy at that point. Maybe the Gators saw how bad Vanderbilt is and their 18-to-22-year-old mindset told them to set the cruise control because there was no way they could play bad enough to lose to the Commodores. Or maybe, it was that problem that hasn’t been solved all year, the one of consistency. We’ve seen the Gators do remarkable things like dominate Alabama for three quarters but lose because they played the entire first quarter having left their game somewhere along the path of the Gator Walk. Whatever the problem, the Gators definitely let down their guard and with the exception of a 4-play, 60-yard drive that concluded with a Jones to Trent Whittemore TD pass from nine yards out in the second quarter, the Gators were outplayed by a Vanderbilt team that may be fortunate to stay within two or three touchdowns of the remaining six teams on their schedule. Here is a list of some, but not all of the problems in the first half. There were two interceptions – one on Anthony Richardson, one on Jones. There were 15 missed tackles. There were four penalties, the two worst a late hit personal foul on Mohamoud Diabate and a targeting call that got Tre’Vez Johnson ejected. There was confusion with the coverage because Vandy kept running the same play, a little swing pass out in the flat to receivers who probably aren’t this open in skeleton drills on the practice field. Vandy went 4-7 on third down conversions. Vanderbilt controlled the ball for 11:17 in the second quarter, 19:50 in the first half. As bad as that was, it could have been really embarrassing for the Gators except that Vanderbilt contributed mightily to the first half zero it hung on the scoreboard. Vandy field goal kicker Joseph Bulovas showing exactly why he doesn’t kick for Alabama anymore by boinking a 39-yard field goal attempt and then going wide left from 41 yards out on the next drive. He would make it a hat trick in the third quarter when he missed a 33-yarder. There was also a touchdown pass with 30 seconds left that was overturned by the replay booth. Florida held a 21-0 lead at the half but the Gators were playing anything like a team with a 3-touchdown lead. They played bored. You wouldn’t think they would have been. You would think the Gators would have come out breathing fire to get the sour taste of last week’s 20-13 loss to Kentucky out of their mouths. Whatever the problem, Mullen left the field at halftime in somewhat of a foul mood. When the SEC Network sideline reporter asked him a question, his answer was four words. Obviously, he wanted to save whatever was on his mind for the team waiting for him in the locker room. “They played 50 snaps, [we] gave up over 200 yards of offense, couldn’t get off the field,” Mullen explained after the Gators had finished off Vanderbilt, 42-0. “They were on the field the entire half with the exception of our first, I think, two drives were three and outs … missed tackles. Giving up third-down conversions.” That should never happen. It was against Vanderbilt. Yes, the Commodores are members of the Southeastern Conference, the best league in the entire country, but they are perpetual bottom feeders. It’s reminiscent of a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild. A bit player or extra on the movie set carries the same card as the movie star, who will be paid millions for a leading role. The Commodores are the SEC’s bit players. The Gators or any other decent SEC team should never have a game when they don’t play like movie stars against the Commodores. There is no logical reason why the Gators didn’t score two or three more touchdowns in the first half other. Vanderbilt was stacking the line and the short routes, practically daring Jones to throw downfield. He obliged and found open receivers. The Gators should have scored more and Vanderbilt should have never had three shots at scoring. Things changed dramatically in the third quarter, but even then it took a trick play to light a fire under the Gators. When they couldn’t convert a 3rd-and-4 after taking the second half kickoff, Mullen sent in the punt team but instead of kicking away, Jeremy Crawshaw took off running around the left side for 28 yards to the Vanderbilt 45. The Gators still had a couple of shots to the foot that had to be taken – a false start on Stewart Reese and a holding call on Jean Delance – but on 2nd-and-26 from the UF 39, Jones found Pierce running wide open at the Vandy 35 for an easy pitch-and-catch touchdown pass. The Gators made it 35-0 on their next possession when Jones threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game, a 25-yard connection with Jacob Copeland to finish a 2-play, 72-yard drive. Pierce got the final TD on a 1-yard run on Florida’s next drive, set up by Trey Dean’s first interception of the season. In the third quarter the Gators outscored the Commodores, 21-0, and outgained them, 202-33. That’s the way Florida should have played the entire game. As displeased as he was with the way the Gators played in the first quarter, Mullen thought the Gators atoned for their first half problems after they came out of the halftime locker. No matter, he still knows the Gators missed an opportunity to play a full game. Against an opponent as poor as Vanderbilt, it should never take the head coach challenging his team to get them to play a dominating half of football. “I got after them,” Mullen said. “I don’t want to downplay that we didn’t give up any points, but you look at a lot of things. We didn’t give up some points on mistakes maybe by Vanderbilt more than us dominating and shutting them down completely. Now we made the plays to put them in those tough situations. We made the stop in the first-and-goal situation. We made the stop on four straight plays. We made the stop to force them into some field goals. So, I’m really pleased with those aspects of thing but the standard is not just to make a stop at the end of the drive. The standard is every single snap from play one of the drive. I thought we did that in the second half. That’s something we can really build off of.” Vanderbilt’s 200 first half yards were far too many but the Commodores managed only 87 in the final two quarters. Florida, on the other hand, had 215 yards in the first half and 254 in the second. It would have been more except Mullen pretty much played everyone on the depth chart in the fourth quarter. So, yes, the second half is something from which the Gators can build, but we have to take into consideration that there is a rather hefty margin for error against the likes of Vanderbilt. You can get away with mistakes against Vanderbilt without paying a severe price. Next week against LSU in Baton Rouge, the margin for error will shrink considerably. Judging by the way Georgia manhandled Auburn Saturday, it would seem the margin for error in Jacksonville on October 30 will be almost microscopic. Mullen put a positive spin on the second half, which is what you would expect of any head coach. Postgame was not the time nor was it the place to call out his players other in the most general of terms. But, even as he was standing there doing his best to put things into an optimistic perspective the wheels had to be turning rapidly in his brain, telling him that if the Gators don’t play better the next two games, they’ll lose. These next two games against LSU and Georgia are going to go a long way toward defining the 2021 season. The effort we saw Saturday at The Swamp or anything remotely close just isn’t going to cut it. Lose those two games and the Gators will have trouble punching their tickets to something like the Outback Bowl or the Gator Bowl. Split the two or do the almost unthinkable by winning them both, and a New Years Six bowl is possible for the fourth straight year. But going 1-1 or 2-0 won’t happen unless the Gators decide to play 60 full minutes. Nobody knows it more than Dan Mullen. “Are we playing at the level we need to play at with the intensity we need to play at?” he asked, perhaps already looking past the Vandy game and at the next two on the schedule. “I don't know that we did that for the first half as a whole. There's things I can circle in the first half that were great and there's things I can circle in the first half that just were not up to our standard. And our job as coaches is to make sure we are up to our standard on every snap." Every snap. Every quarter. Sixty minutes. That is something that hasn’t happened this year and it is a trend that is becoming worrisome. If the Gators had played as well as they are capable of playing for four full quarters of all six games, they would be unbeaten right now and looking like a team that is capable of winning a championship. Instead, they are a team that only plays to its capabilities in spurts and that makes us ask exactly what is it going to take to get a sustained, consistent effort from this team? Because of the inconsistency, we can look at the final 42-0 score against Vanderbilt and know that the scoreboard lied to us. The scoreboard made it look like the Gators took Vanderbilt to the woodshed but that’s nothing more than a scoreboard lie. It was a win by 42 points so technically speaking it was a blowout, but real blowouts leave you feeling that the winning team was in complete control and dominating. Other than those first two drives of the game and the third quarter, that isn’t what we saw Saturday against Vanderbilt no matter what the scoreboard or the stat sheet tell us.

Following the No. 20 Florida Gators 42-0 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, UF head coach Dan Mullen updated the injury status of several key players. Kaiir Elam Corner Kaiir Elam and running back Malik Davis were both sidelined the entire game. Elam has now missed three games in a row (Tennessee, Kentucky and Vanderbilt). The young secondary, baptized by fire a bit, has responded, with Avery Helm becoming the veteran and freshman Jason Marshall stepping up to become a stingy corner. Still, Elam is one of the best defensive backs in the country, a smothering cover corner who has a textbook swipe for a pass break up move. Getting him back ahead of LSU can be crucial. And on Saturday, Mullen shared the plan is for him to be suited up in Baton Rouge next week. “I was hoping. [He was] today right on the edge. He warmed up. I think everybody saw him go out and warm up. You know, it was going to be a game-time decision for us. Talking to him, he wanted to play. Talking to the trainers, they said you know, we could get him out there if we had to, possibly, in an emergency and so that gets on me. "If a trainer says that to me, get him out there in case of an emergency is not real confidence of what I’m looking for to get a guy on the field. We made the decision, I met with him after warmups. He’s like, ‘I’m ready to go.’ I said, “No, we’re not even going to dress you.’ As he said, he’s like coach, trust me, I will be ready next week.” Malik Davis and Richard Gouraige The senior running back Davis was unable to play today with an undisclosed injury. Mullen said as it became clear during the week that Davis would be out, the game plan folding in Nay'quan Wright more and more. Wright finished with seven rushes for 46 yards and two receptions for 57 yards. As for the injury updates of both guys, the head coach says they'll know more in the new week. "We’ll find out. We’ll find that out more after the weekend with the trainers, meet with everybody, where everybody’s at. See if they’re going to be ready to go. We’ve got a lot of guys down, a lot of guys not practice. Hopefully we’re going to get some more guys back next week but next guy’s got to step up and be ready to go play." Brenton Cox Cox was limited in practice this week, but the outside linebacker pushed through to play, according to Mullen. Unfortunately for Cox, that was only able to last a half and he came out of the locker room in street clothes and his jersey top. Through the first half, Cox was able to notch two tackles and a quarterback hurry. “A little banged up. Again, he got banged up. I wasn’t sure he even was going to play, to be honest with you," revealed Mullen after Saturday's game. "Coming into Thursday’s practice I wasn’t expecting him to play. Came and did a great job getting himself ready and played in the game Saturday. At halftime, I think we got a bunch out of him, he was a little sore so we got him out of there in the second half.”

Sunday mornings from September until November at 313 NW 11th Street in Gainesville followed a familiar routine for my grandparents. My grandfather got the sports section so he could read Joe Halberstein’s accounts of Florida’s football games. My grandmother got the comics where her three favorites were The Phantom, Terry and the Pirates, and Buck Rogers. She loved Buck Rogers although when asked if she ever thought there would be travel in space and men on the moon her standard answer was, “Donkeys will fly first.” When Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon July 20, 1969, she commented, “A man on the moon before the Gators ever won the SEC in football. I guess a donkey just flew.” I can only imagine what she might have said in 1991 when Steve Spurrier delivered Florida’s first Southeastern Conference championship that actually counted or in 1996 when Spurrier and the Gators beat FSU – “The girls school” as my grandmother called it – for the national championship. My grandmother had a way of putting things into her own unique perspective. She didn’t know much about football but she loved the Gators. She, like my grandfather, went to her grave without ever seeing the Gators win an SEC or national championship but because she never lost faith in the only team that ever mattered to her, she would have never allowed something like Florida’s 20-13 loss to Kentucky last Saturday to curb her optimism. Due to that semi-disastrous loss to Kentucky, it will take the football equivalent of flying donkeys for Dan Mullen and the Gators to win the Eastern Division championship in the SEC. It is not totally beyond the realm of possibility but on the probability scale, we may indeed see a flying donkey first since Kentucky, which owns the tiebreaker over the Gators, would have to lose three games. In that it’s Kentucky and the Wildcats are famous for swooning just when you think they’ve figured out there is no rule that prevents a basketball school from having a good football team, then we can concede the possibility that the Wildcats could go in the tank. Georgia? The Gators would have to beat the Bulldogs in Jacksonville, which might seem improbable but is indeed possible. After all, Ron Zook beat Georgia in 2002, the only loss the Bulldogs suffered that year and one that kept them from playing Miami for the national championship. Now, Georgia losing another SEC game other than UF? You may think donkeys will have to fly for that to happen, but we should remember 2019 when the Bulldogs were ranked fourth and unranked South Carolina smacked them, 20-17, in Athens. Whether donkeys are spotted on the radar or not, the season is not over for the Gators even if at the moment it seems the only realistic championship they can play for is some bowl game. At his Monday press conference Mullen pointed out there is still plenty of football to be played – seven games of the regular season plus a bowl game as long as the Gators get to the required six wins. Six? Why settle for six when nine or ten is attainable. Ten regular season wins would require the Gators to win against Vanderbilt, at LSU, Georgia (in Jacksonville), at South Carolina, Samford, at Missouri and Florida State. Only Georgia seems formidable among that group. Vanderbilt is one of the worst teams in all of college football and the Gators are 38.5-point favorites to take out their Kentucky frustrations on the hapless Commodores this weekend at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. LSU is 3-2 but if the Tigers manage to lose to Kentucky this weekend, it would shock no one if the plug is pulled on Coach Ed Orgeron. South Carolina is 3-2 but the three wins are against weak non-SEC opponents. Samford is D1AA. Missouri is 3-2 but the Tigers have the worst run defense in America, and it just so happens the Gators are the third best rushing offense in the country. Florida State is 1-4. Bad doesn’t even come close to describing the plight of the Seminoles this year. Basically, the only two games that should truly challenge the Gators the rest of the way are next week’s game against LSU in Baton Rouge and then Georgia on October 30. Tiger Stadium at night can be one of the worst places in the world for a visiting team although Auburn solved that problem last week. In the daylight, LSU is less of a challenge because the decibel level is almost always decidedly lower. The Gators play LSU at high noon. On paper at least, this is the best Georgia team Kirby Smart has put together but it’s not like the Bulldogs have been crushing the best and the brightest in the college football ranks. Clemson is a shell of its recent self, yet Georgia, even with a healthy JT Daniels, couldn’t score an offensive touchdown. Arkansas is a feel good story for 2021, but when the Razorbacks traveled to Athens they proved they are anything but ready for prime time. Florida is a better football team than either Clemson or Arkansas and this game will be played in Jacksonville. But, give the Bulldogs their due. They are ranked No. 2 in the nation and their defense leads the country in most categories. To beat Georgia, the Gators are going to have to win a rock fight. Getting to nine or ten wins in the regular season isn’t the same as winning the SEC East, but it is not an insignificant accomplishment. In Florida football history, the best four-year records to start their UF careers are held by Urban Meyer (44-9) and Steve Spurrier (39-10). A 9-3 regular season record topped by a bowl win would put Mullen at 39-12. At 10-2 plus a bowl, Mullen would be 40-11. In SEC history, the only coaches with 40 or more wins in their first four seasons on the job are Meyer, Kirby Smart (44-12), Nick Saban (43-11 at Alabama) and Les Miles (42-11). With 10 regular season wins, Mullen almost certainly gets the Gators in their fourth straight New Year’s Six bowl game. That isn’t the College Football Playoff, but that is a party that will have to be crashed at a later date. Making a New Year’s Six bowl is a big deal, however. With his New Year’s Six bowl wins in 2019 and 2020, the Gators finished in the top ten in the final polls. Recruiting is another reason why there remains plenty to play for. With their latest commitment from 4-star defensive tackle Jamari Lyons (6-4, 295, Viera, FL) the Gators have moved up to 14th in the 247Sports rankings, 15th at Rivals. The Gators should continue to rise in the rankings, particularly with another 2-3 commitments of the 4-star variety likely in the month of October such as 4-star wide receiver Jayden Gibson (6-5, 190, Winter Garden, FL West Orange). The Gators are also strongly in the mix for 5-star wide receiver Evan Stewart (6-0, 180, Frisco, TX Liberty), who happens to be best buds with 4-star UF quarterback commitment Nick Evers (6-3, 190, Flower Mound, TX). The two are in constant contact and made the visit together to Friday Night Lights in Gainesville back in July. The Gators can affect the recruiting momentum by closing out the regular season on a winning streak. Finishing on a 7-game tear to get to 10-2 in the regular season would certainly enhance the Gators’ chances to land some of the players on their board such as 5-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen (6-4, 325, Powell, TN), 4-star defensive back Azareyeh Thomas (6-1, 180, Niceville, FL) and running back Trevor Etienne (5-10, 200, Jennings, LA). The combination of Florida winning and trouble at LSU and Florida State could also be a big factor in recruiting. Unless LSU finishes the season with some big wins, which seems unlikely at this point, it seems a foregone conclusion that Ed Orgeron won’t be coaching in Baton Rouge next year. The Gators are going head-to-head with LSU for some top recruits so a UF win in Baton Rouge combined with a strong UF finish and a coaching change in Baton Rouge could cause 1-2 LSU commitments to reconsider matters and choose Florida. Florida State is 1-4 but only the UMass and Miami games seem winnable the rest of the way. FSU is recruiting well at the moment, but some of those highly regarded commitments might be jumping ship if the Seminoles finish with a rotten record. Recruiting isn’t simply about high school kids anymore, either. With the new rules that grant immediate eligibility for a first-time transfer and the one-year waiver that allows as many as seven transfers to replace kids that leave the program for greener pastures, picking and choosing from the portal has never been more important. From very good sources, the Florida coaches have been inundated with inquiries from kids who are ready to bolt their current school. With rumors swirling that Manny Diaz might be a short-timer at Miami, plenty of Hurricane insiders are bracing for a wholesale exit, particularly of players whose final choice came down to Florida and UM. When it comes to transfers, perception is everything. While some players will see a losing FSU or Miami program as a chance to step right in and start immediately, others will be more concerned about winning and the chance to play at the highest levels. The perception of the SEC has never been higher and the perception of the ACC, where FSU and Miami reside, has never been lower. Another reason why there is much to play for has to do with what’s in store for 2022. Per Phil Steele, Florida has one of the youngest rosters in the country so every game in 2021 is an opportunity for underclassmen to pick up the experience they will need to help the Gators compete for the SEC championship and perhaps a chance to play in the College Football Playoff. Here is how the roster could shape up for 2022 if no one transfers out. This also does not take into account signees or incoming transfers (returning starters boldface; * could declare for NFL) Quarterbacks (4): Emory Jones (RSR), Anthony Richardson (RSO), Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (RFR), Jalen Kitna (RFR) Running backs (3): Nay’Quan Wright RJR), Demarkcus Bowman (RSO), Lorenzo Lingard (RSR) Wide receivers (8): * Justin Shorter (RSR), * Jacob Copeland (RJR), Trent Whittemore (RJR), J’Markis Weston (RJR), Ja’Quavion Fraziars (JR), Xzavier Henderson (JR), Daejon Reynolds (RFR), Marcus Burke (RFR) Tight ends (4): Keon Zipperer (JR), Jonathan Odom (RSO), Nick Elksnis (SO), Gage Wilcox (RFR) O-linemen (13): * Richard Gouraige (RSR), Ethan White (SR), Kingsley Eguakun (RJR), Josh Braun (JR), Michael Tarquin (RJR), Riley Simonds (RJR), Will Harrod (RJR), Kaleb Boateng (RJR), Gerald Mincey (RSO), Richie Leonard (RSO), Yousef Mugharbil (RFR), Austin Barber (RFR), Jake Slaughter (RJR) D-linemen (11): Dante Zanders (RSR), Griffin McDowell (RSR), Jaelin Humphries (RJR), Gervon Dexter (JR), Princely Umanmielen (JR), Jalen Lee (JR), Lamar Goods (RSO), Desmond Watson (SO), Chris Thomas Jr. (RFR), Justus Boone (RFR), Tyreak Sapp (RFR) Linebackers (11): * Brenton Cox Jr. (RSR), David Reese (RSR), Mohamoud Diabate (SR), Khris Bogle (SR), Lloyd Summerall III (RJR), Ty’Ron Hopper (RJR), Derek Wingo (JR), Diwun Black (JR), Antwaun Powell (RSO), Scooby Williams (RFR), Chief Borders (RFR) Secondary (15): * Kaiir Elam (SR), Jadarrius Perkins (SR), Jaydon Hill (RJR), Tre’Vez Johnson (JR),Rashad Torrence II (JR), Mordecai McDaniel (JR), Avery Helm (RSO), Ethan Pouncey (RSO), Fenley Graham Jr. (RSO), Kamar Wilcoxson (RSO), Jason Marshall Jr. (SO), Donovan McMillon (SO), Corey Collier Jr. (SO), Dakota Mitchell (RFR), Jordan Young (RFR), Special teams (2): Jeremy Crawshaw (P); Rocco Underwood (LS) Graduates/seniors who could return for an extra year due to the NCAA COVID rule: RB Dameon Pierce, RB Malik Davis, S Trey Dean III, LB Amari Burney, PK Jace Christmann, DE Zachary Carter, DL Antonio Valentino, DL Daquan Newkirk, DL Tyrone Truesell This will be a quality roster from top to bottom in 2022 that will have as much or more experience than any team in the Southeastern Conference, particularly when enhanced by transfers and freshmen. This will be Dan Mullen’s fifth year on the job and there will be very few, if any, holes, all the more reason why the Gators need to finish the 2021 season strong, getting to nine or ten regular season wins and adding a win in a bowl game for good measure. Donkeys will have to fly for the Gators to win the SEC East this year, but there is that remote chance it could happen. The Gators need to play like a miracle is indeed possible, but even if it works out to the contrary, they have plenty to play for. The loss at Kentucky is a setback, but there is still plenty of football to be played and plenty to play for.

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED: A GET WELL GAME There is a reason why you never hear the other 13 teams in the SEC complaining about Vanderbilt (2-3). Fans don’t like it that Vandy takes a full share of the conference money even though it makes very little contribution, but you won’t hear that from athletic directors and head coaches from around the league. They know that as long as Vandy is in the league they have an almost guaranteed win any time the Commodores are on the schedule and it’s not like you’re actually going on the road any time the schedule send you to Nashville. When Vandy comes to your place, you’ve got yourself a nifty Homecoming opponent, which is what 20th-ranked Florida (3-2, 1-2 SEC) has Saturday. The Gators are favored by 39 points and it should be considered a moral victory for the Commodores if it’s that close. Vanderbilt is that bad, and that’s a good thing for the Gators, who (a) need a big win to wash the bad taste of last week’s loss to Kentucky out of their mouths, (b) need to get at least a full half of snaps for Anthony Richardson and (c) need to do something in the passing game other than dink and dunk. The Florida alumni should be happy if the Gators hang 50 or more on Vandy and they get to see Richardson for more than a snap or two here and there. It would also be nice if the Gators throw something other than two-yard passes to Justin Shorter and Xzavier Henderson, who seem to spend a lot of time open whenever they are allowed to run routes that cover more than 10 yards. Some carries for Demarkcus Bowman and Lorenzo Lingard would also be very nice. Florida needs to play focused and angry. This is no time to feel sorry for poor, pitiful Vandy. The Gators need to come out of the locker with the idea that they’re going to put Vanderbilt out of its misery early. The Sayer says sooth: FLORIDA 59, Vanderbilt 7 THE SEC SOOTHSAYER No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at Texas A&M (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Until a couple of weeks ago, every Aggie fan in the world had this game circled on his calendar. Oh, for another shot at mighty Bama and a chance to pay Nick Saban back for crushing the Aggies last year and keeping them from making the College Football Playoff. Well, sometimes you get what you ask for and in the case of Texas A&M, things don’t look quite as rosy as they did before they were taken to the woodshed by Arkansas and then followed that up with a loss to Mississippi State. Alabama is just starting to feel good about itself, which is bad news for the Aggies, who would love something, anything to feel good about. Texas A&M’s offensive line does a marvelous imitation of a sieve, which means QB Zack Calzada needs to be in his feets don’t fail me now mode from the opening kickoff until the final whistle. Making things worse, this week former Nick Saban assistant and current Aggie head coach Jimbo Fisher made the mistake of saying Texas A&M doesn’t fear Alabama. Bad Jimbo. Very bad. It’s not nice to make Nick mad. Nick will be very mad Saturday night. The Sayer says sooth: Alabama 42, Texas A&M 14 No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC) at No. 18 Auburn (4-1, 1-0 SEC): The question of the day is which Bo Nix shows up for Georgia’s first real road game of the season: Good Bo Nix, the one who extends plays with his crazy scrambles to keep drives alive, or Bo’s evil twin Skippy? Skippy Nix has this penchant for making people think he’s bet several grand on whoever Auburn is playing. If Skippy shows up against Georgia, Auburn is toast. If Good Bo shows up, the Tigers have a puncher’s chance. That’s not to say it’s necessarily a good chance, but it’s a chance just the same. Good Bo has to make plays with his feet and throwing the ball so that Tank Bigsby can give Auburn enough of a ground game to keep the chains moving. If Auburn can’t run, the Tigers can’t win. This is Georgia’s first real road game. Yes, the Bulldogs did play at Vanderbilt, but (a) that’s like playing a high school JV team and (b) there were at least as many Georgia fans as Vandy fans that day. The Bulldogs need to take charge of the game early to silence what will be a hostile Auburn crowd. The longer Auburn can stick with Georgia, the louder that crowd is going to be and the more difficult it will be for Georgia to win handily. Georgia is a 15.5-point favorite, which seems a bit much although the Bulldogs are clearly the most talented team. The Sayer says sooth: Georgia 31, Auburn 21 No. 13 Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) at No. 17 Ole Miss (3-1, 0-1 SEC): A year ago when Ole Miss played Arkansas, Barry Odom threw up a zone defense that turned Matt Corral’s brain into mush. Six interceptions later, Arkansas had a 33-21 win. Corral’s had an entire year to figure out how to read a zone defense that keeps everything in front of the safeties, so the question for Saturday is will Odom give Corral the same look as last year or does he have a few new tricks up his sleeve? Corral is a better quarterback than the one Arkansas picked off early and often last year, but Arkansas is a better football team. Both teams had their doors blown off last week – Ole Miss at Alabama and Arkansas at Georgia – so who wins Saturday afternoon might be the team that has recovered from PTSD and is thinking clearly once again. The Hogs have already beaten two ranked teams while Ole Miss got boatraced in its only encounter. In Fayette Nam, the Hogs would be clear favorites. This one is in Oxford and the thinking here is that Lane Kiffin is not going to have his offense nor his quarterback embarrassed two consecutive weeks. The Sayer says sooth: Ole Miss 37, Arkansas 33 LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC) at No. 16 Kentucky (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Kentucky is a shaky 3-point favorite at home Saturday night against an LSU team that can’t run the football and will be playing without the one guy – Darryl Stingley Jr. – who could probably blanket UK star wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. LSU ranks dead last in the SEC in pass defense but the Tigers are decent against the run. Can they shut down the UK running game and make Will Levis beat them with his arm? The Sayer says sooth: LSU 24, Kentucky 20 South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC) at Tennessee (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Now that Josh Heupel has moved on past that silly idea that Joe Milton III can quarterback the Vols to some wins in the SEC, the future is looking at lot brighter for UT. Hendon Hooker, the guy who should have been starting all along, may not have the big arm, but he makes good throws and he only runs when he’s gone through all his progressions, unlike Milton, who has the happiest feet in the SEC. The Vols are coming off a 458-yard rushing game against Missouri last week. They probably don’t get that many Saturday against South Carolina, but they won’t have to. South Carolina can’t run the ball and if the Gamecocks can’t run the ball to keep the Vols off the field, they’ll get blown out. The Vols are only favored by 10.5 points. It should be much more. The Sayer says sooth: Tennessee 38, South Carolina 17 North Texas (1-3) at Missouri (2-3): The good news for Mizzou is that Saturday’s opponent is a poor North Texas team from Conference USA, the worst league in all of Division I. The bad news for the Tigers is North Texas averaged 208 rushing yards per game. Missouri’s run defense gives up 308.4 yards per game and 6.56 per carry. It’s so bad that HBC Eli Drinkwitz fired his defensive line coach back on Monday. He might do better to just fire the entire defensive line. Missouri is a 19-point favorite because quarterback Connor Bazelac averages 304.4 yards per game throwing the football and the Mean Green have problems defending against anyone who has a clue. Bazelac has a real clue. This is Missouri’s last non-conference game. The Tigers need six wins to go bowling so this is a game they can’t afford to lose. The Sayer says sooth: Missouri 40, North Texas 24 SEVEN NON-SEC GAMES TO WATCH SATURDAY No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0) vs. No. 21 Texas (4-1): Oklahoma is favored by three in the Red River Rivalry. Ever since the loss to Arkansas, Texas has been clicking on offense. This just feels like a Texas win. No. 4 Penn State (5-0) at No. 3 Iowa (5-0): This one threatens to put you to sleep. Defenses will dominate, but it’s probably more because both offenses suck. Iowa is a 1.5-point favorite. Perhaps they should agree that the game is over as soon as one team scores two touchdowns. Of course, that might take until Sunday afternoon. No. 9 Michigan (5-0) at Nebraska (3-3): Michigan is a 3-point favorite, probably because nobody knows which Adrian Martinez will show up for Nebraska. If the good Adrian Martinez shows up, Nebraska could pull off the upset and give Scott Frost the signature win he’s been waiting for. If the Adrian Martinez who fumbles a lot and completes passes to the other team shows up, the Fighting Frosts don’t stand a chance. No. 14 Notre Dame (4-1) at Virginia Tech (3-1): From the moment they crank up “Enter Sandman” at Lane Stadium, the Hokie crowd will be juiced and the noise level will be formidable. The Hokies aren’t that bad and Notre Dame isn’t that good. Stanford (3-2) at No. 22 Arizona State (4-1): Arizona State leads the Pac-12 in both total offense and total defense. The Sun Devils are favored by 13. Why does this feel like ASU is going down? Florida State (1-4) at North Carolina (3-2): The Seminoles got lucky last week against Syracuse at Doak Campbell. Their luck runs out Saturday in Chapel Hill. Sam Howell is going to light up FSU. North Carolina will easily cover the 17.5-point spread. UConn (0-6) at UMass (0-5): The loser gets to claim the No. 1 spot in every Bottom Ten poll that’s out there. This game is even worse than last week’s UConn at Vandy game, won by Vandy on a last second field goal. UConn is favored by 3.5 points. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Perhaps I will change my mind in the next few weeks, but I just don’t believe there is a team in all of college football as good as last year’s Alabama. I think Alabama is still very good but this team seems rather methodical whereas a year ago it seemed the Crimson Tide could dial up a big play just about any time it wanted. I have yet to see anything from Georgia, Penn State, Iowa, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Cincinnati or any of the other unbeaten teams (only 15 left) that would convince me there is a dominant team in the bunch. A lot of good teams out there for sure, just nothing that I’ve seen to indicate greatness.

A loss always gets fans chirping -- especially in Gainesville. But a loss like the one the Gators took last Saturday in Lexington is bound to come with some blowback from the Florida Faithful. Some fans took to social media and called for Dan Mullen to be fired after losing his second game to Kentucky in four years -- something the Gators hadn't done in 31 years prior to his arrival. But not all the griping was that extreme. However, there is a list of things the many fans want to see Saturday as the Gators host the Vanderbilt Commodores at noon for homecoming. On Saturday, Florida Gators fans want to see.... Anthony Richardson It’s no secret. After watching Anthony Richardson light up the USF Bulls on Sept. 11 Gators fans have been begging to see more of the freshman quarterback. However, a hamstring strain sustained at the end of the USF game has prevented fans’ appetite for more AR15 from being satisfied. Despite Richardson being cleared for the Alabama and Tennessee games, the freshman quarterback never took a snap. Ahead of Florida’s visit to Lexington last week, Mullen told reporters that Richardson was 100%. However, the freshman quarterback’s role was still largely limited in the Gators’ 20-13 loss to the Wildcats. The 6-foot-4 Gainesville native completed his lone pass attempt for just eight yards and added 25 yards on the ground through five carries. Despite the consistent calls for Richardson, Emory Jones hasn’t played all that bad. In his last two starts under center, Jones has finished the night having completed over 70% of his passes and over 200 passing yards. Jones has also combined for a touchdown-interception ratio of 3-1. However, a slow start against Tennessee and a season-altering loss to Kentucky don’t have fans convinced that Emory Jones is their guy. Now, that doesn’t mean Mullen should buckle to the weight of public opinion and pull the plug on Jones. But many believe that Richardson has earned his shot. Mullen was asked about expanding Richardson’s role earlier this week. “We’ll look at it,” Mullen said. “It depends on our game plan from week to week and how practice goes.” Well, if there’s ever a time to experiment and perhaps split time evenly between Jones and Richardson, the Gators’ matchup with a less-than-impressive Vanderbilt team would present a prime opportunity. Shots down field The number of shots down field (or lack thereof) has been one of the main areas of scrutiny for Mullen and Florida’s offense. The Florida Gators offense didn’t take a single downfield shot against the Wildcats last Saturday night. Emory Jones’ deepest throw went for a 22-yard completion to Xavier Henderson. However, point No. 1 and point No. 2 definitely go hand-in-hand here. When you look at Florida’s quarterback’s spray chart from all five games this season, the Gators’ have thrown 16 passes that were deeper than 20 yards and only completed six of them. Four of those completions were thrown by Richardson. Now, should it be taken with a grain of salt considering Richardson’s completions came against FAU and USF? Sure. But for someone who boasts an insane amount of sheer arm strength, there’s no denying that Mullen is pulling back the reins on Emory Jones. And to most, that appears to be a lack of trust. Defensively, Vanderbilt isn’t expected to throw anything at Florida that the Gators haven’t seen -- making this week’s matchup a great opportunity for Dan Mullen to silence his critics and show that he trusts his quarterbacks, Emory Jones especially, as much as he says he does and let them air it out. A field clean of yellow penalty flags The best thing to come out of Florida’s loss to Kentucky have been the countless false start jokes. As maddening as it was on Saturday night, if you have a sense of humor, I’d bet money you’ve joked about Florida’s false start woes this week. But now that another Saturday is approaching, the penalties are no longer a laughing matter. Instead, they’re being viewed as a serious problem that needs to be addressed. In the three games the Gators played prior to their visit to Kentucky, Florida tallied just 17 penalties and 157 penalty yards. And in just 60 minutes of football, Florida nearly matched that last Saturday night as the Gators racked up 15 penalties for a loss of 115 yards. Eight of Florida’s 15 penalties were charged as false starts as a rambunctious sellout crowd at Kroger Field seemingly got to the Florida offense. “The penalties were not working for us,” Mullen said following the loss. “I’ll be honest with you, we had 382 yards to 211 and I think that was a big factor. If you look at it… the penalties weren’t small. You’re looking at taking third downs off the board… Those are the issues. The mental errors were just -- you can’t do that and expect to win a game making that many mental errors.” Ben Hill Griffin Stadium might burn down if the Gators get hit with a false start on Saturday. A flawless game from special teams When Dan Mullen returned to Florida as head coach, there was a new emphasis on special teams that hadn’t been seen since the Urban Meyer years. But Florida’s special teams unit has been all but stellar so far this season. Looking back at the Alabama game, many look back on the missed extra point and say, “If only…”. And those people have a point. If the Gators were to have split the uprights on the point after, there wouldn’t have been a need for the two-point try. Instead, Florida could have tied the game with an extra point and likely taken the game in overtime, where absolutely anything could have happened. And though it ended up being one of the highlights of the game, let us not forget the muffed kickoff return that pinned the Gators on their own 1-yard line against the Crimson Tide. Fortunately for Florida, Emory Jones and Co. were able to orchestrate a 99-yard drive against Alabama to pull within a touchdown. But the mishap certainly could have been disastrous. And then Kentucky happened. Gator Country’s David Wunderlich did an excellent job in his recent piece as he described Kentucky blocking Florida’s field goal and returning it for a touchdown as “ an anomaly within an anomaly”. But it happened. And it was undoubtedly a huge momentum swing in the game. Florida’s special teams unit hasn’t lost Florida a football game. But they haven’t won them one either. Dan Mullen’s killer instinct This has been a point of criticism since Mullen arrived at Florida. Gracing the same sideline as guys like Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer is no easy gig. Especially considering both Spurrier and Meyer weren’t afraid of humiliating opponents. Spurrier took pride in hanging half a hundred between the hedges, while Meyer took those timeouts against Georgia in 2008, letting the Bulldogs soak in their 49-10 defeat. Meanwhile, Mullen isn’t one to step on a team’s neck. Though Florida was never in position to blow Kentucky out last week, we saw some of this mentality pour into the game anyways. In last week’s game against Kentucky, the Gators had all three of their first-half timeouts. After Zachary Carter sacked Kentucky quarterback Will Levis on third down with 2:43 to play in the half, one would think Mullen would try and extend Florida’s 10-7 lead with another score, or at least a field goal. Instead, Mullen watched as time ticked away in what many view as a very questionable decision. Now, would it have been deemed all that puzzling had Florida pulled out the win? Probably not. Nonetheless, the Gators are 39-point favorites on Saturday. And after spending all week questioning Mullen’s reluctance to be more aggressive in his approach, fans are going to want to see the Gators cover the spread.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: AN IMPROVING DEFENSE IS A GOOD SIGN FOR THE GATORS Looking back on how his defense played last week in Florida’s 20-13 loss to Kentucky, Dan Mullen sees a unit that is improving despite playing shorthanded due to injuries to some key players. The Gators held Kentucky to 224 yards – 137 on the ground, 87 in the passing game – and just 4.77 yards per play. The Gators gave up 75 yards on Kentucky’s opening drive, 41 on a screen pass that went 41 yards for a touchdown, but after that, the Wildcats managed only 149 yards. “I think we did a really good job of containing explosives plays and big plays during the course of the game,” Mullen said on the SEC Coaches Teleconference on Wednesday. “They hit one big screen pass where we had a couple of missed tackles on, which was disappointing, but overall I thought we ran well to the ball. They were a physical team that runs hard. We got hats to the ball and wrapped up ball carriers.” Mullen probably wonders if the screen pass to Wan’Dale Robinson would have gone for a TD if Kaiir Elam had been playing. Elam was a preseason All-SEC selection who made second team All-America on some of the football magazines but he’s had to miss the last two games after going down with an injury in the Alabama game. A physical tackler, Elam most likely would have had one-on-one coverage on Robinson, who has established himself as one of the SEC’s most electric players with the ball in his hands. Without Elam or Jaydon Hill, who was slated to be Florida’s other starting corner before he suffered a season-ending ACL injury back in August, the Gators have been forced to play a lot of kids in the secondary. They’re starting to see great improvement from redshirt freshman Avery Helm and true freshman Jason Marshall. Transfers Elijah Blades and Jadarrius Perkins are seeing more snaps as they grow comfortable in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s coverage schemes. The run defense has been surprisingly good after losing team captain Ventrell Miller, last year’s leading tackler, to a season-ending torn biceps. Kentucky wanted to dominate the Gators on the ground, but the Wildcats, who ran for 571 yards on their two previous SEC opponents (Missouri and South Carolina) never could get into any kind of rhythm. "We're down both our starting corners, we're down our captain middle linebacker, but you’re starting to see some of the younger guys mature and get more comfortable on the field,” Mullen said, adding that against Kentucky the Gators “didn’t give up a whole lot of yards and defensively held them to 14 points. There’s a lot we can build off of there.” SATURDAY BY THE NUMBERS Florida (3-2, 1-2 SEC) is a 38.5-point favorite over Vanderbilt Scoring offense: Florida 31.4; Vanderbilt 16.0 Rushing offense: Florida 292 per game (6.89 per carry); Vanderbilt 119 (3.44 per carry) Passing offense: Florida 216.8 per game (7.3 per attempt); Vanderbilt 196.4 (5.3 per attempt) Third down efficiency: Florida 31-67 (46.27%); Vanderbilt 24-80 (30%) Offensive Turnovers: Florida 7; Vanderbilt 10 Sacks allowed: Florida 3 for -12; Vanderbilt 8 for -60 Scoring defense: Florida 19.8; Vanderbilt 35.0 Rushing defense: Florida 112.6 (3.34 per carry); Vanderbilt 204.6 (5.59 per carry) Passing defense: Florida 210.2 (7.2 per attempt); Vanderbilt 242.6 (7.6 per attempt) Third down defense: Florida 23-64 (35.94%); Vanderbilt 22-68 (32.35%) Turnovers forced: Florida 4; Vanderbilt 4 Sacks: Florida 17 for -79; Vanderbilt 3 for -19 OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Nick Saban is aware of how difficult it is to play in Kyle Field with 102,000 Aggies screaming at the top of their lungs. “Playing on the road is always difficult in our league, especially their place,” Saban said on the SEC Coaches Teleconference Wednesday. “I think it’s very important for us to prepare the right way, respect winning, do all the things you need to do to perform well when the game comes. These guys have a really, really good defensive team. I think they’re like fifth nationally and one of the top teams in the SEC” … Linebacker Drew Sanders had a surgical procedure on his hand that will keep him out of Saturday’s game with Texas A&M. Vegas says: The Crimson Tide is a 17.5-point road favorite at Texas A&M. Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC): HBC Sam Pittman offered this honest evaluation of the Razorbacks’ performance last week at Georgia on the SEC Teleconference: “We were not a threat to them. We had one nice option run and that’s about it during the game.” Vegas says: The Hogs are 5.5-point road dogs at Ole Miss. Auburn (4-1, 1-0 SEC): HBC Bryan Harsin doesn’t know if Georgia will play JT Daniels or Stetson Bennett at quarterback Saturday. Daniels has missed the last two games with an injury, but Bennett has played well in his place. “I don’t know about their quarterback situation,” Harsin said on the SEC teleconference. “JT Daniels is very good. Stetson Bennett, been very impressed with him.” Vegas says: The Tigers are 15.5-point home dogs against Georgia. Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Kirby Smart has the best defense in the country, but he says the Bulldogs have room to improve. “We gotta force more turnovers,” Smart said on the SEC Teleconference. “We have to tackle better, especially on the edge and in the secondary and we have to have better gap control.” Vegas says: The Bulldogs are 15.5-point favorites at Auburn. Kentucky (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Wan’Dale Robinson has provided an element of explosiveness to the Kentucky offense that has been missing. He has 29 catches for 467 yards and three touchdowns but HBC Mark Stoops says there is more to Robinson’s game than you see on the stat sheet. “The one thing that’s evident is how extremely hard Wan’Dale plays and how unselfish he is,” Stoops said on the SEC Teleconference. “He blocks extremely hard, he runs hard on decoys.” Vegas says: Kentucky is a 3.5-point home favorite over LSU. LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC): All-Interplanetary corner Derek Stingley Jr. has had a surgical procedure on his foot and is out indefinitely. “I’m doing all I can to return to the field as soon as possible,” Stingley said. “I want to finish out the season with my teammates and I will do everything I can to get healthy so that I will be able to play again” … On the SEC Teleconference Coach Oeaux would not blame first year offensive line coach Brad Davis for the team’s horrendous running game. “Brad’s a good coach,” Coach Oeaux said. “We need to be more committed to the run.” Vegas says: The Tigers are 3.5-point road dogs at Kentucky. Mississippi State (3-2, 1-1 SEC): The Bulldogs have a bye week and practice will focus on improving on the basics. “Biggest thing we’re going to do is go back to the fundamentals and try to sharpen up there,” Leach said on the SEC Teleconference. Missouri (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Corner Ennis Rakestraw tore an ACL during practice and is done for the season. Rakestraw had 13 tackles and two pass breakups this season … HBC Eli Drinkwitz is looking for the Tigers to bounce back from their 62-24 loss to Tennessee last week. “Just because we had one bad day it doesn’t have to define us,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s a lot of football left to play.” Vegas says: Missouri is a 19.5-point favorite at home against North Texas. Ole Miss (3-1, 0-1 SEC): HBC Lane Kiffin has the Rebels focused on neutralizing Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson (6-3, 245). “The size is crazy how big he is,” Kiffin said on the SEC Teleconference. “Maybe Cam (Newton) was that big at one point. I don’t know. It’s like a giant running back back there when he runs the ball. He has improved on some throws. He’s very dangerous.” Vegas says: Ole Miss is a 5.5-point favorite at home against Arkansas. South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC): The Gamecocks lead the SEC 14 turnovers forced, nine interceptions and five fumble recoveries … HBC Shane Beamer says the Gamecocks will be challenged by Tennessee’s running game out of a fast tempo offense. “You have to be able to handle the tempo, get lined up,” Beamer said on the SEC Teleconference. Vegas says: The Gamecocks are 5.5-point road dogs at Tennessee. Tennessee (3-2, 1-1 SEC): The Vols have outscored five opponents 73-13 in the first quarter. On the SEC Teleconference, HBC Josh Heupel explained the fast starts: “When it’s going good, guys are doing their job. That’s offense, defense. They’re dialed in and paying attention to the details. I think that, as much as anything, plays apar in how you start or how you finish. In this football game coming up, our start will be important, too.” Vegas says: Tennessee is a 10.5-point home favorite against South Carolina. Texas A&M (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Jimbo Fisher says the Aggies are not in awe of No. 1 Alabama, which comes to College Station Saturday with a 19-game winning streak. “You respect what they do but you’re not in awe of them,” Fisher said on the SEC Teleconference. “Our players play them all the time. I don’t see that as an issue. We respect what they do.” Since Fisher became the Aggies’ HBC in 2018, they have lost all three games to Alabama by a combined 69 points. Vegas says: The Aggies are 17.5-point home dogs to Alabama. Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-1 SEC): What does Vandy HBC Clark Lea believe is critical for the Commodores Saturday against Florida in Gainesville? “Let’s get out to a better start and give ourselves a competitive chance,” Lea said Tuesday. “Then design around the matchups. Let’s find a rhythm on offense. That gives us a chance to get our playmakers the ball in space and defensively, let’s make sure we’re doing a good job of accounting for the quarterback in the run game and have an awareness of their shot plays, too. It’s gonna be about us. It’s gonna be about getting off to a better start, again not having the self-inflicted wounds and putting ourselves behind early, and then trying to get to that one-possession game in the fourth quarter where the pressure’s on the opponent.” Vegas says: Vanderbilt is a 38.5-point underdog at Florida. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The Louisiana love affair with LSU coach Ed Orgeron seems to be teetering on the verge of divorce. Shall we call this love on the rocks? It’s not that the people in the state or the LSU boosters hate Coach Oeaux. Far from it. They love the guy, it’s just that they love the Tigers even more. So what has gone so wrong in the 21 months since Coach Oeaux could have run for governor that the fan base wouldn’t shed too many tears if he were to leave or get fired, whichever comes first? Look no further than replacement coaches. The two bright minds behind LSU’s national championship run in 2019 are coaching somewhere else – Joe Brady with the NFL Carolina Panthers where he is offensive coordinator; Dave Aranda to Baylor where he’s HBC. The replacements in 2020 were Scott Linehan (offense for Brady) and Bo Pelini (defense for Aranda. Pelini, in particular, was a total disaster. They’re both gone and their replacements for 2021 – Jake Peetz (offense) and Daronte Jones (defense) – haven’t exactly set the world on fire. Coach Oeaux can recruit against anyone, but all that talent can’t compensate for bad assistant coaching. We saw it at Florida in 2010 when Urban Meyer made numerous bad choices to replace coaches. The Gators went from consecutive 13-1 seasons including a 2008 national championship to 8-5. Making matters worse are NCAA and Title IX difficulties. If bad assistants don’t do Coach Oeaux in, it seems inevitable the off-the-field matters will.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: THE GATORS MUST PLAY A COMPLETE GAME SATURDAY The worst thing that could happen Saturday would be for the Florida Gators (3-2, 1-2 SEC) to take the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-3, 0-1 SEC) lightly. The Commodores are absolute lightweights who are probably three years away from being competitive in the Southeastern Conference. In their only SEC game so far – a 62-0 beatdown loss to Georgia – the Commodores managed only 77 yards of offense while giving up 534 to the Bulldogs. This is a game the Gators can win without playing very well, but it’s also a game in which the Gators MUSTplay very well. The Vandy game marks the midway point of the season and while it will take an unprecedented turn of events for the Gators to get back in the SEC East championship picture, the Gators still have the possibility of a 9-10 win season. With the two toughest games on the remaining schedule on October 16 at LSU and October 30 against No. 2 Georgia in Jacksonville, the Gators can’t afford a second straight game pockmarked by mistakes. In order to build momentum and confidence for LSU and Georgia, it is imperative for the Gators to play their first complete game of the season. Through five games, Dan Mullen has seen pockets of success such as the last three quarters of both the Alabama and Tennessee games. As well as the Gators played after the first quarter of those two games, Mullen still can’t say the Gators had a championship level performance on offense, defense and special teams for 60 straight minutes. Had the Gators played a complete game against Kentucky, they would have won the game quite handily. Yes, Kentucky is a good team and we shouldn’t discount how hard and how well the Wildcats played, but if the Gators had brought their A-game in every phase Florida would have won the game. Decisively. This is what has to happen Saturday against Vandy. It won’t be good enough to simply cover the 38-point spread. No, this has to be a statement game. This has to be a game in which Florida’s pride results in offense, defense and special teams giving the best effort of the season, an effort that will put the Gators in good shape for the next two games. Anything less is unacceptable. About penalties: For those who think Mullen teams are routinely undisciplined and prone to penalties here are where his teams have finished (ranking least-to-most penalized) in the SEC since he became a head coach in 2009 at Mississippi State: (at Mississippi State) 2009-5th; 2010-4th; 2011-3rd; 2012-5th; 2013-4th; 2014-2nd; 2015-2nd; 2016-9th; 2017-10th; (at Florida) 2018-11th; 2019-3rd, 2020-3rd; 2021-11th Here is where the Gators have ranked every year since 2009 (ranking least-to-most penalized): 2009-11 SEC had 12 teams; 2012-21 SEC has 14 teams 2009-9th; 2010-11th; 2011-12th; 2012-14th; 2013-14th; 2014-13th; 2015-9th; 2016-14th; 2017-12th; 2018-11th; 2019-3rd; 2020-3rd; 2021-11th Current SEC rankings (ranking least-to-most penalized, by yardage): 1. LSU 21-174; 2. Kentucky 26-219; 3. Auburn 29-242; 4. Georgia 31-250; 5. Missouri 28-266; 6. Vanderbilt 33-287; 7. Texas A&M 38-304; 8. Mississippi State 42-316; 9. Tennessee 33-319; 10. South Carolina 39-324; 11. FLORIDA 41-363; 12. Alabama 40-368; 13. Arkansas 49-416; 14. Ole Miss 42-375 DIVISION I COUNCIL APPROVES WAIVER TO HELP REPLACE TRANSFERS The NCAA Division I Council Tuesday approved a one-year waiver that will allow schools to sign 25 high school players and as well as up to seven players to replace those who transfer out. The rule is specifically designed to help with roster management, helping coaches compensate for the combination of the increased number of players who are taking advantage of the new one-time transfer rule as well as the extra year of eligibility granted to everyone who played during the 2020 season. Players who elect to transfer out during a season will not be eligible to compete immediately. The new one-year waiver is expected to become official once the Division I Council concludes its meeting today. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Talking about Saturday’s Alabama-Texas A&M game on The Paul Finebaum Show, Greg McElroy of ESPN said, “It’s going to get ugly and I think most Aggie fans probably know that” … Running back Jase McClellan, Alabama’s second leading rusher, is done for the year after ACL surgery. Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC): HBC Sam Pittman says there will be no hangover from the loss to Georgia when the Razorbacks travel to Ole Miss. “I’ll be damned if Georgia’s going to make us lose this Ole Miss game,” Pittman said Monday. Auburn (4-1, 1-0 SEC): Linebacker Owen Pappoe, who has missed the last two games, will be a game time decision Saturday for Georgia. Pappoe had 15 tackles in Auburn’s first three games. Last season he was in on 93 tackles and had four sacks ... Auburn has come back from 10 or more points to win in each of the last two games. The last time that happened was 2010. Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC): JT Daniels has done some soft tossing of the football but hasn’t practiced extensively. Stetson Bennett IV, who has started at QB the last two games in Daniels’ place, has a laceration on his knee but he’s practicing … Georgia leads the country in scoring defense (4.6 points per game), pass defense (110 yards per game) and total defense (180.6 yards per game). The Bulldogs rank fourth in rushing defense (70.6 yards per game) and sacks (18 for -111 yards). Kentucky (5-0, 3-0 SEC): On SEC Now, HBC Mark Stoops thinks Kentucky can be as good as anyone in the SEC. “Why can it not be us?” Stoops asked. We can play with anybody, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves either. You have the opportunity every seven days to be humbled.” LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports writes that if LSU fires HBC Ed Orgeron, AD Scott Woodward will go after Jimbo Fisher, James Franklin or Lane Kiffin. Mississippi State (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Mississippi State is 129th out of 130 Division I teams in rushing, averaging 56.2 yards per game and just 3.02 yards per carry. Missouri (3-2, 0-2 SEC): HBC Eli Drinkwitz has fired defensive line coach Jethro Franklin. The Tigers are the worst run defense in the country (308.4 yards per game). In their loss to Tennessee, the Tigers gave up 458 rushing yards. Ole Miss (3-1, 0-1 SEC): Paul Finebaum says the momentum shifted in the wrong direction for Ole Miss when Lane Kiffin went for a fourth-and-1 from the Alabama six and missed on the opening 16-play drive of the game rather than kick a field goal. “… I understand the mentality, but you’re playing at Alabama, and if you can walk away with something, walk away with some points on the board,” Finebaum said … QB Matt Corral gets a return engagement Saturday with the Arkansas defense. Last year Arkansas intercepted Corral six times. South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Wide receiver Or’Tre Smith has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Smith had 30 catches for 326 yards as a freshman in 2017 but only 13 for 109 yards since including one catch for 15 yards this season. Tennessee (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Ben McKee tweeted out that Vols OC Alex Golesh loves the toughness of QB Hendon Hooker, calling him “a certified dude.” Hooker has hit 61-89 passes (68.5 percent) for 838 yards (9.4 per attempt) for 10 touchdowns and has 216 yards on the ground for another two touchdowns. In the three games Hooker has started at QB, the Vols are 2-1, averaging 44 points and 507.7 yards per game. Texas A&M (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Center Luke Matthews is done for the year after shoulder surgery. Also out for the year are defensive backs Myles Jones and Brian George ... Before Mississippi State’s Will Rogers completed 46 passes against the Aggies last week, the Aggie defense had given up on 46 completions in four games. Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-1 SEC): Former Alabama placekicker Joseph Bulovas has kicked the game winning field goal in both of Vanderbilt’s wins, a 38-yarder with 19 seconds left to beat Colorado State and a 31 yarder as time expired to beat UConn last Saturday … Following Vandy’s 30-28 win over winless UConn, HBC Clark Lea said, “A win like this is important. We took a gut punch. For as ugly as that was, we’ll take an ugly win and especially one where we showed character.” HEISMAN CANDIDATES Bryce Young, QB, Alabama: 108-148 passing (73 percent) for 1,367 yards (9.2 per attempt) and 17 TDs (2 interceptions); -19 rushing. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas: 105-652 rushing (6.21 per carry) for seven TDs; 10-167 receiving for two TDs. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss: 87-125 passing (69.6 percent) for 1,219 yards (9.8 per attempt) and 10 TDs (0 interceptions); 161 rushing for six TDs. Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati: 73-115 passing (63.5 percent) for 1,045 yards (9.1 per attempt) and nine TDs (2 interceptions); 98 rushing for three TDs. Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma: 122-160 passing (76.3 percent) for 1,260 yards (7.9 per attempt) for 10 TDs (4 interceptions); 95 rushing for two TDs. Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh: He is 121-168 passing (72 percent) for 1,731 yards (9.4 per attempt) and 19 TDs (1 interception); 142 rushing for two more TDs. It would take a miracle of Moses parting the Red Sea proportions for these guys: Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina: 69-86 passing (80.2 percent) for 1,113 yards (12.9 per attempt) and 10 touchdowns (1 pick); 69 rushing for two touchdowns. Malik Willis, Liberty: Through five games he is 76-107 (71 percent) passing (10.5 per attempt) with 11 TDs (no picks) and 66-418 rushing (6.33 per carry) for six TDs. Tanner Mordecai, QB, SMU: He is 127-181 passing (70.2 percent) for 1,569 yards (8.7 per attempt) and 24 touchdowns (6 interceptions); 149 rushing for one touchdown. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Back in the 1970s when he was the football coach at North Carolina State and I was the sports editor of a newspaper in the state, Lou Holtz was one of my favorites. He used to do magic tricks for reporters after practice and always had a funny line to share. Easy to approach and fun to deal with. That was then, this is now. As he ascended up the coaching ladder, Holtz became crotchety, difficult to deal with and arrogant. He put Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina on NCAA probation. Holtz has been retired for years and is no longer doing studio analysis for ESPN. What he’s up to lately is to be part of a group that includes former Notre Dame QB Rick Mirer to trademark “Play Like a Champion Today,” the words you see on that sign every Notre Dame player slaps on his way to the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium. Holtz and this group plan to make money off the trademark. Holtz put that sign up at Notre Dame in 1988. He has since claimed that he first saw it in a book about Knute Rockne although he’s never been able to say which one. Notre Dame has researched but can’t find any book or reference to the sign from the Rockne days. Bud Wilkinson had the sign up at Oklahoma as early as 1947 and there are plenty of photo references to prove it. OU athletic director Joe Castiglione has taken exception to Holtz and his group trademarking but there isn’t anything he can do legally. “I guarantee if we had known about it, we would have contested it.” Former OU head coach Barry Switzer said, “I don’t give a s%#t, you know! We know the truth.” Lou Holtz does too, but truth and Holtz aren’t exactly bestest of buds. If you don’t believe it, pick up a copy of the book, “Under the Tarnished Dome: How Notre Dame Betrayed Its Ideals for Football Glory.”

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: A SHORTER, EYES DILATED VERSION Historically, and this year is no different than most, Vanderbilt is the cure for the common Homecoming game. You want to know why there is no move to oust Vanderbilt from the SEC and bring in someone with a competitive football team? The answers are simple: (a) Vanderbilt is a charter member of the SEC and with charter membership comes a measure of clout; (b) Vanderbilt raises the GPA of the entire conference; and (c) everybody needs a good Homecoming opponent so the alums can go home happy. Obviously, Nostradamus was in charge of scheduling for the Southeastern Conference in 2021. Who else would have known the Florida Gators (3-2, 1-2 SEC) would need a get-well Homecoming win to make the alums happy after the debacle at Kentucky? Make no mistake about it, Florida’s Homecoming game with Vanderbilt this weekend is a get-well game. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea might be the nicest human being in the entire state of Tennessee, but this is not a week for Dan Mullen to show anyone, no matter how nice they are, any measure of mercy. This should be viewed as a throw them on the ground, stomp their larynx and then kick them in the ribs for good measure game. Not only that, this should be a game in which Dan Mullen gives Anthony Richardson at least half the snaps. Proof is in this number: 6.5. That’s the yards per pass attempt for Emory Jones through five games. He has completed 93 of 135 passes, which is nice accuracy (68.9 percent), but he has thrown for only 871 yards, 6.5 yards per attempt. Now, no one is going to mistake EJ for Kyle Trask (9.8 yards per attempt last year, 8.3 in 2019) or even Feleipe Franks (7.6 per attempt in 2018), but that is fewer yards per attempt than Treon Harris (7.1) back in 2015 and Tyler Murphy (6.6) in 2013. It should not be that way. The way Florida runs the football, those per pass attempt numbers should be at least 1.5-2 yards higher. Despite very good protection – the Gators have given up only three sacks in five games (tied for second in the SEC and sixth in the country) – Jones seems hesitant at times, reluctant at others, to cut loose and throw the ball downfield. Until defenses are made to respect his arm, they’ll continue to stack the line against the run. That’s why Mullen needs to give Richardson more snaps and experience. He has the big arm and showed with those two long throws in the South Florida game. He missed the Alabama and Tennessee games due to a hamstring injury suffered in the South Florida game, then played a few snaps against Kentucky. Mullen perhaps limited him at UK due to the road environment, but Saturday it will be a home crowd and a path of least resistance team in Vanderbilt. It’s time to cut him loose because if the Gators can’t improve on 6.5 they’re going to struggle mightily in some of the games remaining on the schedule. I am not sure Emory Jones can improve on 6.5 yards per pass attempt. I believe that Anthony Richardson not only is a dynamic runner but he has the big arm to give the Gators the downfield threat in the passing game they need. THE LAST 1:58 OF THE FIRST HALF AGAINST UK At his Monday press conference Mullen defended the last 1:58 of the first half, pointing out that UF started with the ball at the 13 and Kentucky still had all three of its time outs. Mullen said the Gators had play calls to go downfield the first two plays, but UK was dropping plenty of people into zone coverage which forced Jones to check down to underneath throws. Rather than risk anything further that could allow Kentucky field position and time outs to spare, the decision was made to shut it down. “We went out there looking for explosive plays,” Mullen said. “I think Emory had to check it down a couple of times and all of a sudden we really hadn’t moved the ball much and the clock is under 30 seconds. It wasn’t like we weren’t going to look to take a shot. Two of those plays we called to see if we could take a shot down the field. They bailed everybody back, we checked it down. Now you look at the clock and you’re one play away from having to punt and they potentially have got good field position.” MULLEN ON THE NUMBER OF PENALTIES (15 FOR -115 YARDS) “I take it personally. That’s on me ... I don’t ever remember a game as a head coach when we’ve had 15 penalties. I’ve coached a bunch of games so maybe there’s one skipping my mind out there but I don’t think I’ve had one with that many penalties before. So, that is disappointing for me.” COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: WEEK FIVE Extinct Species List Les Miles, Kansas Randy Edsall, UConn Clay Helton, Southern Cal Chad Lunsford, Georgia Southern: On Life Support Scott Frost, Nebraska: Michigan comes to Lincoln this week and is only a 3-point favorite. Is that because Nebraska is getting better or because the people in Vegas think Michigan will arrive bored and play like it? Frost needs six wins in the worst way to survive. Walt Bell, UMass: There is a chance – a chance mind you – that the Minutemen will actually win a game this week when UConn comes to town. UMass should be a D1AA team except they can’t play six or seven paycheck games a year to support all the non-revenue sports without taking regular beatings. Tom Arth, Akron: In a battle of the winless, Ohio U doubled up on the Zips, who dropped to 1-4. They get Bowling Green this week. The folks in Akron must be wondering what the hell they were thinking when they fired Terry “I’m good for five wins a year” Bowden. Endangered Species List Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green: BG plays Akron this weekend in what should be win No. 3. If Lefty can get the Falcons to five wins he should be a candidate for coach of the year in the Big MAC. Ed Orgeron, LSU: Coach Oeaux’s problems can be summed up easily: Bad assistant coaches will (a) lose you games and (b) get you fired. Coach Oeaux replaced last year’s bad assistants with a new group and apparently they’re as bad as the group he had in 2020. Dino Babers, Syracuse: The next three games with Wake Forest, Clemson and (at) Virginia Tech will determine whether Dino gets another year or not. He shouldn’t be making plans to buy a new house in Syracuse any time soon. Chip Kelly, UCLA: Just when it seemed the Chipster had turned the corner, he got his doors blown off by Arizona State. He’s 3-2 and at the very worst needs 8-4 to survive. Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois: He’s got the Huskies at 3-2 but he needs to win at least three more to get the taste of last year’s 0-6 out of the mouth of the boosters. Seth Littrell, North Texas: He’s gone from hot ticket item to needing to go 5-3 the rest of the way to save his job. Phil Montgomery, Tulsa: The Phighting Phils are 1-4 and the only winnable game the rest of the way seems to be South Florida. Steve Addazio, Colorado State: Was that close loss at Iowa bad juju on the part of Iowa or did Colorado State show it’s actually capable of playing at a high level? The Fighting Addazios are 1-3 and need to break even in their final eight. Butch Davis, Florida International: Getting destroyed by Florida Atlantic and the Fighting Willie Taggarts has not helped his cause. The Panthers have lost four in a row and it’s not until the final game of the season (North Texas) that one looks winnable. Manny Diaz, Miami: Miami can’t lose this week since it’s an open date, but the next three games are all quite losable – at North Carolina, North Carolina State and at Pitt. Miami really can’t afford to fire Manny but if he can’t get to seven or eight wins he could be a goner. Jeff Scott, South Florida: His career record is 2-12 with both wins over D1AA opponents. He was a really good assistant coach at Clemson. He needs to get on the phone with Dabo and see if he can come back. Checking for a pulse P.J. Fleck, Minnesota: Beating Purdue eased the tension. For now. Dana Dimmel, UTEP: The Miners are now 4-1, two wins from a bowl game. They would be crazy to fire him if he gets a bowl game. That’s a lot of pressure. Ken Niumatolo, Navy: He’s probably good for another year no matter what happens this year, but it didn’t hurt his cause to get that win over UCF last weekend. A win over unbeaten SMU this week would really help things. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Last Friday night, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren paid a visit to the Iowa radio broadcast team during the Iowa-Maryland game. Warren gushed about “The Alliance,” the consortium of the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC that is supposed to thwart the power of the Southeastern Conference, force College Football Playoff expansion on their terms and create all these big football games that the networks are going to be fighting to broadcast. After a weekend that saw the Pac-12’s only decent team (Oregon) lose and the ACC continuing to look like the weak sister of the Power Five conferences, “The Alliance” is looking rather weak. The networks aren’t going to be fighting over cross-conference matchups between these three leagues, not when ESPN will have the likes of Texas and Oklahoma playing the likes of Alabama, LSU, Georgia or Florida. The SEC is going to get richer. “The Alliance” will be fighting for the scraps.

“You’re on the road. You’ve got your back to the wall. You’re making some errors right there. You get out. You’re looking at the clock. You’ve got about 30 seconds, I think it was. You’ve got the ball at about the 30-yard line (34), on the road. Go and settle down and not create a potential issue right there.” --Dan Mullen I’ve never really understood analytics. On one hand, they allegedly provide insight to trends and tendencies. But theorists also portend that past results are not necessarily a predictor of future events. There are computer models that we can study, which is why during hurricane season we can’t take our eyes off the Cone of Uncertainty. Me, I tend to stick with the current trends. Which is maybe why I didn’t see this one coming Saturday night in Lexington. And the football news out of Gainesville isn’t trending up this week. I was wrong on all three talk shows that I did last week – four, if I count my own – because I felt the Gators were a better team, already so much in the head of Mark Stoops that they could virtually roll their helmets out on Kroger Field and beat spread against the Wildcats. I said if Anthony Richardson plays, Florida wins. He did. They didn’t. So who am I to question anybody’s judgment? On the other hand, there was no way I could have forseen Florida committing 15 penalties – over half of them for illegal motion that were drive-killers and negating at least one possible game-tying touchdown. So what happened? This one hurt especially -- a second loss which eliminated any chances for the CFB playoffs and probably the SEC East, plummeting the Gators from No. 10 to No. 20 in the AP poll. It especially stung because of mistakes both by players and coaches which smack of regression and suggests a mediocre season is ahead. Unless they could somehow win out and beat Georgia – which almost feels laughable to suggest after losing to Kentucky -- all that’s likely left now to play for besides pride is a second-tier bowl game which brings in the jeopardy of player opt-outs. Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. I’m not going over to the dark side with those yahoos who call for a coach’s head every time their team loses a game unexpectedly. But admittedly Dan Mullen didn’t have his A game, nor did his coaches or offensive snap counters. There were some suggestions — one by quarterback Emory Jones -- that perhaps the ball wasn’t snapped on time sometimes. Jones took his part of the blame, confessing “I’ve got to be louder” in barking or handclapping signals. Perhaps most puzzling of all was Mullen’s decision to run out the clock just before the half -- and then not score in the second half – which gives cause for concern that seemed very un-Mullen-like. In the 7 minute, 24-second post-game press conference, Mullen’s answers were not terribly insightful or enlightening. He said no, he did not think he and his staff were outcoached. He said the noise at Kroger Field wasn’t the reason for the penalties. “A lack of mental toughness,” he characterized it. He said that the field goal block was poor execution by the special teams and that sloppy tackling was the reason for Kentucky’s block/return. But that the offensive lineman had done some tackling drills in pre-season training camp. “You can’t make those kind of mistakes and win games in the SEC,” Mullen said. Mullen’s reasoning for running out the clock when Florida still had three time outs with 1:56 to play in the second period, up 10-7, after a first down on Trent Whittemore’s catch, was confounding to ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky and wasn’t clear to me. “I’m shocked,” Orlovsky said twice. Maybe I am just not as smart, but I couldn’t quite decipher Mullen’s answer and reasoning in the post-game presser. “You’re on the road. You’ve got your back to the wall. You’re making some errors right there. You get out. You’re looking at the clock. You’ve got about 30 seconds, I think it was. You’ve got the ball at about the 30-yard line (34), on the road. Go and settle down and not create a potential issue right there.” "Issues"? Or maybe missed opportunities? And oh yes, Kentucky was getting the ball first in the second half. That leaves room for all kind of speculation, but we can only guess what prompted his decision to sit on the ball. Did he lack confidence in his quarterback? Was Mark Stoops’ defense too intimidating? Why not at least one long pass, or bring Richardson back in for that “Kodak” double pass like Whittemore threw for a touchdown last week? Or maybe you just have to step back and give Stoops credit for a well-coached game and the Kentucky fans for stirring up strong support at Kroger Field. Which by the way, Mullen did. Looking back, this was the one that got away and the price to be paid will likely be costly. It will be an angry fan base that shows up Saturday for Vanderbilt, for those who, indeed, do show up.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: THREE OBSERVATIONS AFTER THE LOSS TO KENTUCKY It should have never been a white knuckles finish: Florida (3-2, 1-2 SEC) should have won this game something like 28-7. Kentucky should have never gotten their second and third touchdowns. UF, meanwhile, should have scored at least three more touchdowns but penalties killed off potential drives. The false starts were bad – hard to forget those two when it was goal-to-go on the final drive – but so were the two penalties that affected the blocked FG attempt that was run back for a TD (Did Josh Paschal hurdle the UF blocker or did he just split two defenders and get a hand up?). On the interception runback by Tre’Vez Johnson, Antonio Valentino was flagged for an illegal block set the ball back to the UF 31 (instead of starting at the UK 16). On third down at the 24, Dameon Pierce bounced out of the pack and turned the corner on the left side for a 10-yard gain only to have it nullified by a very dubious holding call on Kingsley Eguakun. Two plays later Paschal blocked the kick. That’s actually a 14-point swing since without the penalties, UF probably would have scored a TD. The holding call on Ethan White was another killer. The Gators started on their own 34 after a brilliant defensive stand but a holding call on Ethan White erased a 9-yard pass from Emory Jones to Xzavier Henderson. Instead of second-and-one at the 43, it became first and 20. On third and long, EJ underthrew Justin Shorter who was in the seam with two steps on the defense. The worst of the false starts was actually the one on White at the Kentucky 10 on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter. If the Gators had scored a TD on that drive instead of settling for a 33-yard field goal, it would have only taken a field goal on the final drive to force overtime. The defense had an exceptional game: Kentucky managed only 224 yards – 137 rushing, 87 passing – and only the first TD can be pinned on the Florida defense. The second TD was a return of a blocked FG and the final one was a short field gift (29 yards) after an interception. The Wildcats couldn’t sustain drives with their running game and the Florida secondary did an exceptional job with the exception of that 41-yard screen pass TD from Will Levis to Wan’Dale Robinson. If the Gators can play like this consistently, they can still have a very good season. The passing game has to improve: The stat line for Emory Jones doesn’t tell the whole story. He was 24-32 for 211 yards there were missed opportunities for big plays. The interception is one example because Justin Shorter would still be running if EJ makes a good throw. On third-and-goal at the UK five on the game’s final drive, Trent Whittemore was wide open in the middle. EJ could have hit him anywhere within the five or the two and he probably would have scored. Instead, EJ dumped it off to Malik Davis for a three-yard gain in the left flat. There are too many occasions when Emory Jones takes the easy throw when a big play is possible. Yes, Kentucky was in a zone intended to keep everything in front of the safeties (expect more of that in the future), but there were still plays to be made because the O-line only allowed one sack and three quarterback pressures. EJ has to start making more downfield throws or else the Kentucky defensive plan will be the blueprint. The Coaches Top 25 Poll: 1. Alabama 5-0; 2. Georgia 5-0; 3. Iowa 5-0; 4. Penn State 5-0; 5. Oklahoma 5-0; 6. Cincinnati 4-0; 7. Ohio State 4-1; 8. Michigan 5-0; 9. Oregon 4-1; 10. BYU 5-0; 11. Michigan State 5-0; 12. Oklahoma State 5-0; 13. Notre Dame 4-1; 14. Kentucky 5-0; 15. Coastal Carolina 5-0; 16. Arkansas 4-1; 17. Ole Miss 3-1; 18. FLORIDA 3-2; 19. Auburn 4-1; 20. Wake Forest 5-0; 21. Clemson 3-2; 22. North Carolina State 4-1; 23. Texas 4-1; 24. SMU 5-0; 25. Arizona State 4-1. The Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. Alabama 5-0; 2. Georgia 5-0; 3. Iowa 5-0; 4. Penn State 5-0; 5. Cincinnati 5-0; 6. Oklahoma 5-0; 7. Ohio State 4-1; 8. Oregon 4-1; 9. Michigan 5-0; 10. BYU 5-0; 11. Michigan State 5-0; 12. Oklahoma State 5-0; 13. Arkansas 4-1; 14. Notre Dame 4-1; 15. Coastal Carolina 5-0; 16. Kentucky 5-0; 17. Ole Miss 4-1; 18. Auburn 4-1; 19. Wake Forest 5-0; 20. FLORIDA 3-2; 21. Texas 4-1; 22. Arizona State 4-1; 23. North Carolina State 4-1; 24. SMU 5-0; 25. San Diego State 4-0. THE SEC AFTER FIVE WEEKS Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Alabama just brutalized Ole Miss at the line of scrimmage, holding the nation’s No. 1 offense to 291 total yards. Alabama, meanwhile, threw for 241 and ran for 210. Brian Robinson Jr. ran for 171 yards and four TDs. Next week: at Texas A&M (3-2, 0-2 SEC) Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC): Not ready for prime time. It was deer in the headlights for Arkansas at Georgia, which is rather strange considering they had already played and beaten two ranked teams. This was the first true road game of the season and the Hogs seemed intimidated by both the crowd and the pre-game hype. Next week: at Ole Miss Auburn (4-1, 1-0 SEC): There is Good Bo Nix and there is Bad Bo Nix. Bad Bo Nix nearly caused Auburn to lose to Georgia State, a game won by TJ Finley AFTER Bad Bo was benched. Good Bo Nix made play after play and led Auburn to an improbable win over LSU at Tiger Stadium. Auburn plays Georgia next week. The Tigers have a fighter’s chance at home if Good Bo shows. Auburn will be beaten into submission if Bad Bo is quarterbacking. Next week: Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC) Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC): The Bulldogs simply lined up and knocked Arkansas off the ball, whether it was offensively or defensively Saturday. Georgia imposed its will on both lines of scrimmage and made what was expected to be a tight ball game into a very easy blowout win. Georgia started Stetson Bennett IV at quarterback but he hardly had to throw the ball (7-12, 72 yards) because Arkansas couldn’t stop the run. The Georgia defense limited Arkansas to 143 yards. Next week: at Auburn (4-1, 1-0 SEC) Kentucky (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Florida held the Wildcats to 224 yards but they got a touchdown on a blocked field goal and on a short field after an interception. Chris Rodriguez ran for 99 yards and a TD. Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson is a dynamic talent. Next week: LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC) LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC): The Tigers can’t run the ball and it’s killing them. Against Auburn, LSU had 26 carries that netted 11 yards. The Tigers have to throw nearly every down and they’re struggling to protect Max Johnson. Auburn put tremendous pressure on Johnson, sacking him three times and forcing six bad throws with its pass rush. Next week: at Kentucky (5-0, 3-0 SEC) Mississippi State (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Obviously, Mike Leach thinks running games are vastly overrated. The Bulldogs ran 17 times for 30 yards against Texas A&M, but they threw for 408, dominated time of possession (35:28-24:32) and that was enough to win the game. Will Rogers completed 46-59 passes for three touchdowns and Makai Polk caught 13 for 126 yards and two TDs. Next week: Open Missouri (2-3, 0-2 SEC): This is the worst rushing defense in the country and it isn’t even close. Mizzou is allowing 308.4 yards per game on the ground and the next worse team is giving up 45 per game fewer. Tennessee hung 62 points, ran for 452 yards and finished with 677 total yards. Next week: vs. North Texas (1-3) Ole Miss (3-1, 0-1 SEC): Matt Corral’s Heisman Trophy chances took a serious hit when Ole Miss was totally dominated by Alabama. Corral was 21-29 for 213 yards and one TD and finished with a net of three yards on 10 carries. Next week: Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC): You could call South Carolina’s 23-14 win over Troy the Turnover Bowl. Troy fumbled it away twice and threw two picks, while South Carolina lost three fumbles. A pick six by David Spaulding and two Parker White field goals salvaged the win. Next week: at Tennessee (3-2, 1-1 SEC) Tennessee (3-2, 1-1 SEC): The only way Joe Milton III should ever see the field again is (a) if it’s a blowout and the other team can’t possibly or (b) Hendon Hooker is injured and can’t play. Hooker showed that he is easily the Vols’ best quarterback against Mizzou when he was 15-19 passing for 225 yards and three touchdowns while adding another 74 on the ground for a TD. Next week: vs. South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC) Texas A&M (3-2, 0-2 SEC): The Aggies were held to fewer than 300 offensive yards for the second straight week. The only bright spot is running back Isaiah Spiller, who ran for 100 yards. Next week: vs. Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) Vanderbilt (2-3, 0-1 SEC): In the Repus (Super spelled backwards) Bowl between the two worst teams in college football, the Commodores engineered a game-winning drive in the final 1:07, scoring the game-winning field goal from 31 yards out by former Alabama placekicker Joseph Bulovas. It’s seven consecutive SEC games remaining on the Vandy schedule. Next week: at Florida (3-2, 1-2 SEC) FOOTBALL IN THE MINOR LEAGUES ACC: Wake Forest Gump (5-0) is the last unbeaten in the Always Climpson Conference. The schedule looks anything but daunting. Could the Demon Deacons run the table? … Clemson (3-2) had a 400-yard offensive game but still only scored 19 points to hand Boston College (4-1) its first loss … Pittsburgh (4-1) actually looks like the best team in the league. Big Ten: Is Iowa (5-0) that good or was Maryland (4-1) just that bad? Not sure it was great defense by Iowa that cause Maryland to turn it over seven times. We’ll find out a lot this week when Penn State (5-0) visits Iowa … Michigan (5-0) is unbeaten but the Wolverines haven’t beaten any one of significance … The same can be said about Michigan State (5-0), which has beaten a couple of convents and a homeless shelter … CJ Stroud threw five TDPs against Rutgers, which makes you wonder how long Quinn Ewers is going to hang around Columbus. Big 12: Oklahoma (5-0) remained unbeaten with a 37-31 win over Kansas State. Spencer Rattler was 22-25 passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns for the Sooners … Texas (4-1) set the stage for the Red River Showdown by taking out TCU (2-2), 32-27, as Bijan Robinson ran for 216 yards and two TDs … Oklahoma State (5-0) doesn’t do anything spectacular, but the Cowboys do just enough to win. The Cowboys are off until October 16 when they face Texas. Pac-12: You can forget the Pac-12 getting a team in the College Football Playoff after Oregon (4-1) lost to Stanford (2-2) in overtime. There isn’t a single undefeated team in the Pac-12. The good news for Oregon is the Ducks really don’t have a potential loss until the last game on the schedule against Oregon State (4-1) … Arizona State (4-1) beat UCLA handily. The Fire Chip Kelly folks are going to heat up their rhetoric this week. Independents: BYU (5-0) is now the only unbeaten independent after its 34-20 win over Utah State. Group of Five: Cincinnati (5-0) may not have another losable game until November 20 when the Bearcats face SMU (5-0). Desmond Ridder threw for 297 yards and two TDs and ran for another in Cincinnati’s 24-13 win over previously unbeaten Notre Dame … SMU got four touchdown passes from Tanner Mordecai, who now leads the country with 24, in its 41-17 win over South Florida … After their 59-6 win over Louisiana-Monroe Saturday, it seems the only thing preventing Coastal Carolina (5-0) from a perfect regular season is an October 20 Fun Belt showdown with Appalachian State in Boone. App State (4-1) clobbered Georgia State 44-16 … Dana Holgorsen has Houston (4-1) on a 4-game roll. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: If the College Football Playoff were today, we’d have two teams from the SEC (Alabama and Georgia) and two from the Big Ten (Iowa and Penn State). We’ve got two months before we’ll know the four teams but it’s not preposterous to think we will wind up with Alabama and Georgia and two from the Big Ten from this group – Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State or Michigan. If Cincinnati and Oklahoma are unbeaten and only one can make the playoff, it will be Oklahoma. My guess: Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma. Same old, same old.