FOR UF TO WIN, TRASK MUST STAY UPRIGHT Auburn defensive end Marlon Davidson has Saturday's matchup with 10-ranked Florida (5-0, 2-0 SEC) down to a science. To hear him talk, he's almost drooling at the thought of coming off the edge to bury Florida quarterback Kyle Trask, who Davidson sees as nothing more than a sitting duck because he's a pocket passer. “That actually makes me a little more happier, having a guy that wants to sit back there and throw the ball,” Davidson said a couple of days ago. “That leads to more sacks for me.” Davidson is 6-3, 278-pound senior who has 2-1/2 sacks this season, all against perennial MAC bottom feeder Kent State. He has ZERO sacks against Oregon, Tulane, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. He did get a quarterback hurry against Tulane. Now Marlon Davidson is a very good football player. There is no denying that. So are the others on Auburn's front four. A whole lot of folks think Derrick Brown will be the second defensive lineman taken in the 2020 NFL Draft (Ohio State DE Chase Young is almost certain to be the first). Scouts seem to think BUCK end Nick Coe will play on Sundays for years to come. Nose tackle Tyrone Truesdale is talented but makes a lot of plays because so much attention is being devoted to Brown. So Auburn has talent up front on defense. The big question is can they bring the heat often enough to disrupt Trask and slow Florida's offense to a crawl. The key for Florida to move the football and put points on the scoreboard Saturday will be to keep that front four out of Trask's face. Give Trask time to throw and good things happen. He has completed 51-66 passes since taking over for Feleipe Franks in the fourth quarter of the Kentucky game, good for 647 yards and a most impressive 9.4 yards per attempt. For the most part, Trask has been very good finding open receivers and getting the ball out of his hands in a hurry. For all the talk about Auburn's defense, the Tigers have given up seven touchdown passes and have only one interception all season. The Tigers have 13 sacks, which isn't bad, but more sacks and a heavy dose of pressure on the quarterback almost always results in more interceptions. That hasn't happened with any consistency so far. This translates into one objective for the Gators: Keep Trask's jersey clean, give him time to throw and let Florida's very talented crew of receivers do their thing. If Trask spends the majority of the game upright it will likely mean Florida's wide receivers are going to give the Gators plenty of scoring opportunities and the result will be a UF win. If Auburn's front four can spend the afternoon in the Florida backfield, Auburn probably wins. NO CHEAP TICKETS In an interview with Kyle Zorn of secondary market ticket broker Tick Pick, Mark Heim of Al.com reports the average price for a ticket to Saturday's Florida-Auburn game is $226.09 with the highest priced ticket is $1,017. Stub Hub has tickets in the $1,000 range while the highest priced ticket on Vivid Seats is $966. A QUESTION FOR THE LAWYERS California has passed its “Fair Play to Pay” law which will enable college athletes to cash in on endorsements and hire agents, a law that is seriously opposed by the NCAA on the grounds that it would give California a competitive edge not enjoyed by schools in the other 49 states. I'm not a lawyer so I don't know what the answer would be to this question, but since membership in the NCAA is voluntary at what point does California law override the NCAA bylaws, providing of course, the NCAA bylaws are not unconstitutional? From my non-legal perspective, it would seem it will be a dilemma for the California schools. Do they allow their athletes to break NCAA rules or do they forbid them, which, of course, would go against California state law. Would some of our lawyers weigh in on this? I'm really looking for some perspective on what I think is going to be a tough issue. SEC FOOTBALL STUFF #2 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Placekicker Will Reichard is being held out of practice this week to rest his ailing hip flexor. Reichard is 4-7 on field goals and 21-22 on extra points this year. Saturday: Open Arkansas (2-3, 0-2 SEC): Tight end Cheyenne O'Grady, who caught eight passes for 91 yards in the Razorbacks' loss to Texas A&M last week, has been named Player of the Week by the Mackey Award committee. The Mackey Award honors the best tight end in the country. Saturday: Open #7 Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Safety Jordyn Peters is healthy once again and that can't be good news for opposing punters. Peters blocked three punts last year, second most in the nation and tops in the SEC. Saturday: at #10 FLORIDA (5-0, 2-0 SEC) #3 Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC): With Solomon Kindley still hobbled by a sprained ankle, Justin Shaffer will probably get the start at left guard Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to Knoxville. Saturday: at Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC) Kentucky (2-3, 0-3 SEC): Speaking of his team's mental state while on the SEC Coaches Teleconference Wednesday, HBC Mark Stoops said, “It's definitely a challenge, no doubt. We had high expectations coming into the season but we are determined to get things right.” Saturday: Open #5 LSU (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Senior running back Lanard Fournette, the younger brother of LSU great Leonard Fournette, has withdrawn from school and is leaving the team. He is a graduate and has played in only four games this season ... Linebacker Michael Divinity has been ruled out of Saturday's non-conference matchup with Utah State. Saturday: vs. Utah State (3-1) Mississippi State (3-2, 1-1 SEC): With rumors that he will be on the short list to replace fired Chris Ash at Rutgers, MSU HBC Joe Moorhead said, “We ask our players to be focused on the task at hand and right now I’m focused on us getting better tomorrow, us doing a great job recruiting this weekend. And then doing what we need to do with the team next week to find a way to beat Tennessee.” Saturday: Open Missouri (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Bye weeks haven't exactly been a good thing for Missouri under HBC Barry Odom. The Tigers are 0-3 after a bye week during Odom's tenure at Missouri, 0-5 when bowl games are added to the equation. Saturday: vs. Troy (3-1) Ole Miss (2-3, 1-1 SEC): Senior defensive back Montrell Custis has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal. He is set to graduate in December so he won't have to sit out no matter where he transfers. Saturday: vs. Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC) South Carolina (2-3, 1-1 SEC): Running back Rico Dowdle (ankle) won't practice this week but is expected to be back at full speed next week. Backup QB Dakereon Joyner is still hobbled by a hamstring. His status won't be known until next week. Saturday: Open Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC): HBC Jeremy Pruitt says he was not seeking preferential treatment when linebacker Jeremy Banks was arrested on an outstanding warrant for a previous traffic citation. Pruitt, who sounded off about the arrest, says he didn't want special treatment for his player but was upset to discover there was a warrant in the first place. During Banks' arrest, he was caught on video screaming, “Where I'm from we shoot at cops.” Saturday: vs. #3 Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC) #23 Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1 SEC): For the Aggies to get to the 9-10 wins they were predicted in the preseason, quarterback Kellen Mond is going to have to step it up. His play in the Aggies' losses to Clemson and Auburn really didn't give the Aggies a fair chance to win either game. Saturday: Open Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC): Ole Miss hasn't announced who will start at QB against Vanderbilt but Vandy HBC Derek Mason believes it will be true freshman John Rhys Plumlee. Mason said, “He’s got a cool calmness about him and guys played for him.” Saturday: at Ole Miss (2-3, 1-1 SEC) GOOD QUOTES FOR THURSDAY Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt on what Georgia coach Kirby Smart inherited when he took over the program in Athens: “I think the program he took over won 20 games in its previous two years, that helped.” From Alabama coach Nick Saban on what he thinks about rankings: “I don’t think it really matters at all where you’re ranked or rated right now. It only matters when it’s in January. When the season’s over, that’s all that matters. It can slip away very quickly. As it did last week, it wasn’t even because the team (Clemson) didn’t win. It must’ve been somebody’s perception of how they played. So it’s not even about winning, it’s about how you played.” From Laken Litman of Sports Illustrated on the chances Michigan's Jim Harbaugh could be fired if he manages something like a 7-5 record this year: “But the reality in Ann Arbor is that even if Michigan finishes, let’s say, a disappointing 7-5, Harbaugh isn’t getting fired. The program desperately wants and needs him to succeed. The idea that Harbaugh wouldn’t make it to the Nov. 30 matchup against first-year head coach Ryan Day and Ohio State isn’t happening. If Harbaugh can piece together a 9-3, 10-2, or even an 8-4 season and beat the Buckeyes, he’ll certainly have bought himself more time. Michigan hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 2011 and has lost the last 16 of 18 matchups. Even if Michigan loses to its rival again, the odds of Harbaugh being fired are still very low.” Coach O on graduate transfer quarterbacks: “When you choose a grad transfer, you have more info than you did in high school so you can pick what you specifically need for your team. It's sort of like free agency. Guys are going to pick the schools that give them the best chance to play and the best system for them. It's like getting a mature player for your team.” RANDOM THOUGHTS: It's on to Houston and the American League Divisional Series for the Tampa Bay Rays, who hit four home runs Wednesday night to beat the Oakland Athletics, 5-1, in the AL Wild Card Game … Bill Bidwell, the sole owner of the Arizona (formerly St. Louis) Cardinals since 1972, died Wednesday at the age of 88 … Asked what is the plan for a starting quarterback among Case Keenum, Colt McCoy and rookie Dwayne Haskins, Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden said, “We don't have one right now” … Howard University coach Ron Prince, who has had three players including Cam Newton's younger brother Caylin transfer out since the season began, has been accused of being verbally abusive and intimidating to his players … Despite Jalen Ramsey's demands to be traded, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan says there are no plans to send him to a new team … The New England Patriots have been auditioning placekickers after the team's all-time leading scorer Stephen Gostkowski was placed on injured reserve. Kai Forbath and Mike Nugent are getting the longest looks to become the replacement kicker … Due to a rash of injuries that have left only 28 healthy players on its roster, Grinnell College (Iowa) has elected to forfeit the remaining games on its schedule … Arch Manning, grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, is the starting quarterback as a freshman at Isadore Newman School in New Orleans. Archie says the grandson is probably ahead of where Peyton and Eli were at the same age.

The Florida Gators basketball team kicked off practice for their 2019-2020 season and Gator Bait Media was there to check out the team. Observations and Notes: The teams fluctuated but one group of five that stood out was: -Andrew Nembard -Noah Locke -Keyontae Johnson -Tre Mann -Kerry Blackshear Scottie Lewis could be the 6th guy in that rotation and possible starter depending on the game. Lewis, a freshman, is excellent on the defensive end of the ball. Mann, also a freshman, seems capable of making his own shot and takes a risk/reward approach to passing...and it's a lot of fun to watch. Blackshear seems to have fit right in to the team's chemistry and is a noticeable help at center. At one point during practice, he tried to make a "cute" move instead of being more physical and head coach Mike White told him "this isn't the ACC now" to which Blackshear laughed. On the second run, the set looked much better. Check out the video below for a glimpse at the team during practice.

NO EXTRA MOTIVATION NEEDED FOR THIS ONE Hours before the 10th-ranked Florida Gators (5-0, 2-0 SEC) took to the practice field to begin earnest preparation for their Saturday afternoon matchup with 7th-ranked Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC), Josh Hammond could already feel a different vibe among his teammates. “You don’t get many opportunities like this: College GameDay, top-10 matchup, 3:30 prime-time kickoff,” Hammond said at Florida's Monday media day. “You don’t get many of ‘em, so you definitely try to take advantage of your opportunities. Guys will be flying around all week. Everybody will be motivated just because of the game.” The fact that the game gets the 3:30 slot on CBS and Herbie, Coach Corso, Reece and Desmond will all be there with the rest of ESPN's GameDay crew should be enough to light a fire under both teams. There is plenty at stake because the winner remains undefeated, at the top of its SEC division (Florida in the East, Auburn in the West) and very much in the College Football Playoff picture even if it is the first week in October and the sixth full week of the season. There was a time when Florida-Auburn was always one of the headline games in the entire country, but both teams haven't played at a consistently high level since the past few years. Dan Mullen is Florida's third coach since the Gators last won a national championship in 2008. Auburn last won a national championship in 2010 and the Tigers played for the national championship in 2013, but between those peak seasons there have been a few seasons when the Tigers were nowhere close to championship levels. With so much at stake for the winner Saturday – a chance to remain in the hunt for the SEC championship and one of four slots for the College Football Playoff – there isn't much in the way of extra motivation needed. Dan Mullen won't need to dig deep into his bag of psychological tricks to get the Gators emotionally ready to go. “I told our guys today, if they need me to give a ‘rah-rah’ to get us going, then they’re pretty messed up in the head right now,” Mullen said. “This is what you come here for, to play in these games.” AS HEALTHY AS THEY'VE BEEN ALL SEASON In addition to the much anticipated return of corner CJ Henderson and edge rusher Jabari Zuniga, Florida's defense will get three others back who missed last week's game with Towson – safeties Shawn Davis and Jeawon Taylor and linebacker Ventrell Miller. Barring any injuries in practice or some unforeseen suspension, the Gators will be as close to full strength as they've been all season. "I'm not going to say everybody is 100% coming back into it, but they are going to be ready to play," Mullen said at his Monday afternoon press conference. "Us getting them prepared throughout the week to get ready to be as close to 100% as possible on Saturday is the most important thing.” MOON SEC DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK Linebacker/edge rusher Jeremiah Moon was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the Gators' 38-0 win over Towson. Moon had five tackles and half a sack as the Gators scored their second shutout of the season. The Gators haven't given up a single point since Feleipe Franks went down with an injury against Kentucky. Since then, they've outscored opponents 88-3. Others who were singled out for their performances last weekend were: Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama (Offensive Player of the Week); D.J. Wonnum, DE, South Carolina (Defensive Player of the Week); Joseph Charlton, P, South Carolina (Special Teams Player of the Week); Mike Horton, OL, Auburn (Offensive Lineman of the Week); and Bo Nix, QB, Auburn (Freshman of the Week). FLORIDA BASKETBALL GETS 2020 COMMITMENT Upside is everything when it comes to juco forward Osayi Osifo (6-8, 215, McKinney, TX/Melbourne, FL Eastern Florida State College). Osifo put up modest numbers at the Brevard County junior college last year (4.4 points, 3.9 rebounds) but if you go by potential, he could have a breakout season in 2019-20. Osifo only began playing basketball when he was 15 so he's still learning the game. He is a tremendous leaper and has a 7-1 wingspan so he will play much taller than 6-8. The Gators have the full contingent of 13 scholarship players and only one player – 6-10 grad transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. – will use up his eligibility this season. Expect UF HBC Mike White to proceed cautiously regarding any other commitments. The Gators could lose one or two underclassmen to the NBA Draft but he has transfers Anthony Duruji (from Louisiana Tech) and Tyree Applebee (from Cleveland State) sitting out per NCAA transfers rules. Both will be expected to contend for starting minutes next season. Additionally, White has been extraordinary at landing top grad transfer talent (Canyon Barry, Egor Koulechov and Blackshear) so he may play wait and see for the annual transfer migration. SEC FOOTBALL STUFF #1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Through five games, QB Tua Tagovailoa has completed 113-148 of his passes (76.4%) for 1,718 yards (11.6 per attempt) and 23 touchdowns. He hasn't thrown an interception. Saturday: Open Arkansas (2-3, 0-2 SEC): HBC Chad Morris has a week off to sort out his QB situation. Nick Starkel left the Texas A&M game in the second quarter with an injury to his left arm. Ben Hicks came off the bench to finish the game and played well enough that Morris might have a QB controversy on his hands when Starkel is able to practice and play again. Saturday: Open #7 Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Auburn's true freshman QB Bo Nix has completed 73-125 of his passes (57.6%) for 980 yards (7.6 per attempt) and seven touchdowns with two interceptions. Nix is also the team's second leading rusher with 173 yards (4.94 per carry) and two touchdowns. Saturday: at #10 FLORIDA (5-0, 2-0 SEC) #3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC): HBC Kirby Smart is expecting corner Eric Stokes (knee) to practice this week and guard Solomon Kindley (lower leg) to get clearance to play Saturday against Tennessee. Saturday: at Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC) Kentucky (2-3, 0-3 SEC): With Sawyer Smith trying to battle through some injuries, Kentucky will work with Walker Wood and all-purpose athlete Lynn Bowden Jr. at quarterback this week. HBC Mark Stoops is optimistic Smith might be able to practice by the end of the week Saturday: Open #5 LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Although Coach O says linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson is still a little gimpy, Chaisson says he is ready to get back on the field and play. Chaisson has missed LSU's last two games. Saturday: vs. Utah State (3-1) Mississippi State (3-2, 0-2 SEC): It is being reported by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and New Jersey Advance Media that MSU head coach Joe Moorhead will be one of the coaches Rutgers targets to replace Chris Ash, who was fired Sunday after going 8-32 in three-plus years. Saturday: Open Missouri (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Missouri's defense, which ranks third nationally (231.3 yards allowed per game) will be facing a Troy offense this week that is averaging 40.8 points and 5125 yards per game. Troy QB Kaleb Barker has thrown 13 touchdown passes and averages 341.8 passing yards per game. Saturday: vs. Troy (2-2) Ole Miss (2-3, 1-1 SEC): Defensive tackle Patrick Lucas (torn Achilles) is done for the season while defensive end Ryder Anderson (knee) is expected to miss fpur or more weeks. Quarterback Matt Corrall, who missed the loss to Alabama, will start throwing again at practice Tuesday. Saturday: vs. Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC) South Carolina (2-3, 1-2 SEC): Running back Rico Dowdle, who ran for 102 yards and a TD in 15 carries in the Gamecocks' win over Kentucky, is working through an injured ankle but is expected to be able to practice by the end of the week. Saturday: Open Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC): Jeremy Pruitt will not name a starting quarterback ahead of Saturday's game with Georgia. “We're not going to give Georgia a scouting report of what we're going to do this week,” Pruitt said. The starter against Georgia will be either Jarrett Guarantano or true freshman Brian Maurer. Guarantano started all four of Tennessee's games but was briefed briefly in the third quarter of the Vols' loss to Florida. Saturday: vs. #3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC) Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Wide receiver/punt returner Roshauud Paul will take a redshirt this season. Paul will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. Saturday: Open Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC): After giving up 1,638 yards and 138 points in its first three games, Vanderbilt held Northern Illinois to 388 yards and 18 points, prompting HBC Derek Mason to state, “Those dudes were out there battling and I'm excited because I think we can make a run.” Saturday: at Ole Miss (2-3, 1-1 SEC) GOOD QUOTES FOR TUESDAY From Stewart Mandel of The Athletic on the Florida-Auburn matchup: “How long has it been since the Gators beat Auburn? Well, it was 2002 and their coach was Ron Zook. It’s the former rivals’ first meeting since 2011. Florida QB Kyle Trask, currently completing 77 percent of his passes, can attain hero status if he keeps it up against the Tigers’ D.” From Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network addressing what he thinks could be Alabama's Kryptonite when it comes to a championship run: “When Alabama moves up in class, thought it was going to be against A&M, but it will be obviously against LSU, for that three- or four-game gauntlet, are they equipped to make enough stops? Because that offense can score with reckless abandon, but the defense is going to have to do something for them to win a championship.” From Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated on potential problems with California's Fair Play to Pay Act if it is implemented nationwide by the NCAA along with a rule that would make players able to transfer freely without having to sit out a year: “But let’s anticipate what happens if college athletes can profit off their likeness and can transfer and play right away. Players will essentially be free agents after every season—free to sell their services, literally, to the highest bidder. Oh, officially the schools couldn’t pay them. But if the booster who owns a Norman car dealership offers Hurts $300,000 to be the face of his marketing campaign, as long as he (wink-wink) chooses a nearby school, who is going to stop him?” RANDOM THOUGHTS: Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended for the remainder of the season after his vicious helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle. Burfict is no stranger to suspensions, having been suspended or fined by the NFL 13 times in his seven year career including twice (three games each) for illegal hits … Orlando attorney John Morgan scored a win over the NCAA Monday when a confidential settlement was reached that will restore the honors and statistics of Louisville players affected by the vacating of the Cardinals 2012 Final Four appearance and their 2013 NCAA championship … Despite its notice of allegations from the NCAA that were tied to the school's shoe/apparel contracts, Kansas signed a 14-year extension with Adidas valued at $196 million. SINCE SEPTEMBER IS GONE … I felt compelled to offer up the song “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire. I was fortunate enough to see the band in the late 1970s when they didn't play concerts, they put on an unforgettable extravaganza. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk&list=RDGs069dndIYk&start_radio=1

The No. 10 Florida Gators defeated the Towson Tigers 38-0 and that game’s over with, let’s move on because it’s finally THE week. No. 7 Auburn is coming to town for a Top 10 matchup with ESPN’s College Gameday on campus for the CBS Game of the Week. Since the first kickoff of what would become a 5-0 win streak for the Gators, it’s all been leading to this. So with that in mind, let’s dispense with the Towson topics and start looking towards this coming Saturday. Here are your watercooler topics to prepare for the Auburn matchup. Engage Full Strength The Gators should be back at near full strength (minus offensive tool guy Kadarius Toney) for this all-important game. Corner CJ Henderson, defensive end Jabari Zuniga, linebacker Ventrell Miller, wide receiver Freddie Swain and safety Shawn Davis missed Saturday’s game against Towson and Henderson, Zuniga and Miller have missed parts (or all) of the last three games. Head coach Dan Mullen says everyone should be back this Saturday and that there were no significant or lasting injuries suffered against Towson. The only person still missing will be Toney who is still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained against UT-Martin. Mullen said on Saturday that Toney should be back after the bye week, which would place his return for the Georgia game, as Gator Bait first reported. For now, all of those defensive guys returning can directly help with the next point. Glass Case of Emotion Watching this Gators defense is like being in a glass case of emotion. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s crew is first in the country in red zone defense, second in sacks (24) and ninth in total defense…but 70th in 3rd down defense. Anyone who’s watched Florida play a first half this season isn’t surprised by that stat. Grantham makes incredible halftime adjustments though. As frustrating as it has been for fans to watch teams move at will between the 20’s, the middle of the field open enough for a semi to drive through while everyone is blitzing, the Gators have stood tall in the redzone and subsequently, only given up 17 points in the 2nd half of all five games. What is cause for concern though is that if Grantham plays this style against Auburn in the first half, the game will get too far out of hand for the 2nd half to make a difference. Plus the Tigers—this weeks and the following week’s of LSU—don’t need to even get beyond the 20-yard line. They can just hit explosive plays to score. It will be interesting to see if Grantham calls Saturday’s game differently to account for a more prolific offense. Emory Can Quarterback Quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson told Gator Bait last week that he trusts redshirt freshman Emory Jones to run the entire offense; that when he comes in to play, Johnson doesn’t feel tied to just call a subset of plays that utilize Jones’ legs and ignores more reads, but that he can open up the entire playbook. The Towson win was a good example and great practice for Jones as he was given more responsibility than just quarterback draws and keepers. He dropped back, he lined up in the shotgun, he made easy screens and followed his reads to take shots downfield. Now Jones has a much larger repertoire that Auburn will have to prepare for so when he does check in for his packages, the defense can’t just play short to stop the run…leaving him run to do so. Trask Timing Vs. Awareness From the moment he entered the Kentucky game, one of the things that stood out the most about Kyle Trask was how quickly he got the ball out to receivers. Within 1.5, 2 seconds tops, he was releasing the pass. Feleipe Franks was apt to hold on longer and go through some more progressions but it could also lead to pass rushers having more time to get through, flushing him from the pocket and letting plays fall apart. The offensive line has done well on pass protection so Franks was justified in doing this; but still, it was nice to see how quickly Trask would get the ball out of his hands, a key skill heading into the meat of the SEC schedule with it’s tenacious defensive ends. However, to play devil’s advocate, there are so many options in Mullen’s offense that sometimes you want your quarterback to hang back an extra half a second to survey how the play is unfolding and choose the best option. Trask has started to do that, but it goes back to the point with Franks that sometimes that gives rushers more time to get past the offensive line. We saw this happen Saturday three times when Gator tackles missed blocks/assignments and Trask didn’t feel the pressure coming. It’s a vicious cycle and I’m even talking myself in circles. The point being, Trask has had incredible pocket presence. Now he just needs to work on his pocket awareness. Kyle to Kyle Kyle Trask to Kyle Pitts has been magical. Pitts, the receiver/tight end utility guy, says he spent all summer in the playbook, learning it backwards and forwards: “Last year I was kind of, I mean I knew it, but I didn’t know it like the back of my hand, so this year I really took the time to study hard, which I feel makes me play more loosely and confident.” Pitts is tied with running back Lamical Perine for a team leading three touchdowns. All of Pitts have come the past two weeks from Trask. It’s a connection the duo says they’ve developed with chemistry through practice and now on the field, Trask admits he just looks to where Pitts is on the field. “Any time you see him out there with a matchup you just have to get it out there in front of him.” Make sure to check out our post game video report including post game reaction from Jon Greenard, Tre Grimes and Kyle Pitts. Click on the video below to watch!

PRACTICE WELL, PLAY WELL It won't take Dan Mullen long to figure out if the Gators (5-0, 2-0 SEC) are likely to play as well as he knows they will have to play to knock off 7th-ranked Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC) Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (3:30 p.m., CBS). Starting today, if he sees the effort in practice – not just from his starters but from the entire roster including those on the scout team – Mullen will know his team is focused and ready to take care of business. One thing experience has taught him, both as an assistant and as a head coach, is the team that practices well generally plays well. “In every aspect of the game, if we don't get better this week we can't expect to win,” Mullen said Saturday evening after the 10th-ranked Gators had shut out Towson State, 38-0. It's not that the Gators played poorly against Towson. Any time you shut out an opponent and you score five touchdowns and get a field goal in nine offensive possessions, one of which included an end of the half kneel down, you've played very well. Shutting out any opponent these days and times in a college game where the RPO is way ahead of the defenses that try to stop it is an accomplishment. But the Gators have to get better and getting better means an exceptional week on the practice field. Practice isn't going to be so much about learning anything new although there may be a few new wrinkles thrown into the game plan that specifically aim toward an Auburn weakness. For the most part practice will be about staying so focused on carrying out assignments that distractions are blocked out. It's about being intense while at the same time building to a Saturday afternoon crescendo when all the hard work and determination of the week comes to fruition in a best performance of the year. So far this season the Gators haven't played what amounts to a complete game. While they have taken care of business well enough each week to be undefeated at this point, Mullen is still waiting for a complete 60-minute effort. He's seen enough in spurts to know the Gators have a complete game in them but Saturday he needs to see the put it all together on the field. If he sees it in practice starting today, Mullen will know he's got a team that can take the next big step. GATORS AT #10 IN AP, #8 IN COACHES POLL Florida's 38-0 win over D1AA Towson State certainly didn't impress the voters in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, who moved the Gators down to #10 (from #9). Meanwhile, voters in the Coaches Poll held the Gators steady at #8. There was a change at the top of the poll as last year's national champ Clemson dropped down to #2 after a great escape 21-20 win over North Carolina, decided by a failed two-point conversion with 1:19 remaining in the game. Moving to the top spot was Alabama, a 59-31 winner over Ole Miss. Ohio State jumped LSU into fourth place in the AP poll. The Buckeyes jumped LSU into fifth place in the Coaches poll. The Associated Press Top 25 Poll (1) Alabama 5-0; (2) Clemson 5-0; (3) Georgia 4-0; (4) Ohio State 5-0; (5) LSU 4-0; (6) Oklahoma 4-0; (7) Auburn 5-0; (8) Wisconsin 4-0; (9) Notre Dame 3-1; (10) FLORIDA 5-0; (11) Texas 3-1; (12) Penn State 4-0; (13) Oregon 3-1; (14) Iowa 4-0; (15) Washington 4-1; (16) Boise State 4-0; (17) Utah 4-1; (18) UCF 4-1; (19) Michigan 3-1; (20) Arizona State 4-1; (21) Oklahoma State 4-1; (22) Wake Forest 5-0; (23) Virginia 4-1; (24) SMU 5-0; (25, TIE) Texas A&M 3-2 and Michigan State 4-1 The Coaches Top 25 Poll (1) Alabama 5-0; (2) Clemson 5-0; (3) Georgia 4-0; (4) Oklahoma 5-0; (5) Ohio State 5-0; (6) LSU 4-0; (7) Auburn 5-0; (8) FLORIDA 5-0; (9) Wisconsin 4-0; (10) Notre Dame 3-1; (11) Penn State 4-0; (12) Texas 3-1; (13) Oregon 3-1; (14) Iowa 4-0; (15) Boise State 4-0; (16) Washington 4-1; (17) Utah 4-1; (18) Michigan 3-1; (19) UCF 4-1; (20) Wake Forest 5-0; (21) Texas A&M 3-2; (22) Virginia 4-1; (23, TIE) Memphis 4-0 and Michigan State 4-1; (25) Oklahoma State 4-1 RANKING THE SEC TOP TO BOTTOM (1) Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC): What Devonta Smith did against Ole Miss (11 catches, 274 yards, five touchdowns) actually dwarfed what Tua did (418 passing yards, six touchdowns). Nick Saban has to love what he's seeing out of his offense, but when his defense gives up 31 points to Ole Miss with a true freshman quarterback there will be hell to pay in practice this week. Saturday: Open (2) LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC): In his last outing, quarterback Joe Burrow threw for six touchdowns against Vanderbilt. Burrow said, “I think that was probably the worst game I've played so far.” Saturday: vs. Utah State (3-1) (3) Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Through its first four games, the Bulldogs have one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the country, averaging 253 yards per game on the ground and 255.8 through the air. Saturday: vs. Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC) (4) Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC): In taking out Mississippi State, 56-23, Auburn scored on its first five possessions and built up a 42-9 halftime lead ... True freshman QB Patrick Nix threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 56 on seven carries. (5) FLORIDA (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Through five games, the Gators are completing 74.8% of their passes (116-155) for 1,441 yards (9.3 per attempt) and 11 touchdowns. A year ago the Gators completed only 59.6% of their passes and averaged just 7.6 yards per attempt. (6) Missouri (3-1, 1-0 SEC): The Tigers rank third in the nation in total defense at 231.3 yards per game allowed. Saturday: vs. Troy (2-2) (7) Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Even though the Aggies got a win over Arkansas Saturday, HBC Jimbo Fisher wasn't exactly beaming afterward. “In no way a I happy, content or satisfied with how we're playing,” Fisher said. Saturday: Open (8) Ole Miss (2-3, 1-1 SEC): True freshman QB John Rhys Plumlee, playing in place of injured Matt Corrall, threw for 142 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 109 yards and another TD against Alabama. Saturday: vs. Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC) (9) South Carolina (2-3, 1-2 SEC): The Gamecocks ran the ball (247 yards) and played great defense against Kentucky (seven points and only 247 total yards). They get a week of euphoria with an open date, then reality sets in with (at) Georgia and Florida back-to-back. (10) Mississippi State (3-2, 1-1 SEC): The Bulldogs are struggling on defense, giving up 28.8 points and 401.4 yards per game. Last year MSU ranked #1 nationally in total defense. This year the Bulldogs are tied for 77th. Saturday: Open (11) Kentucky (2-3, 0-3 SEC): Mike Stoops gets a week off to see if he can get some people healed up before Arkansas comes to town. Of the remaining seven games on the schedule, only (at) Georgia is unwinnable. Saturday: Open (12) Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC): The Commodores were able to milk the last 3:10 off the clock Saturday to score a 24-18 non-conference win over Northern Illinois. They'll have to play a lot better this week if they intend to knock off Ole Miss on the road. Saturday: at Ole Miss (2-3, 1-1 SEC) (13) Arkansas (2-3, 0-2 SEC): The Hogs scared the bejabbers out of the Aggies but, of course, lost. They get a break with an open date this week before they travel to Kentucky. Auburn, Alabama and LSU are among the remaining games on the schedule. Saturday: Open (14) Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC): As ugly as it has been for HBC Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols, it's about to take a turn for the worse with Georgia next on the schedule. Phattus Maximus could be the interim head coach by this time next week. Saturday: at Georgia (1-3, 0-1 SEC) ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL Chris Ash of Rutgers became the first Division I coach to join the Extinct Species List when he was fired Sunday. Ash, who was 8-32 in his Rutgers head coaching career, saw the bottom drop out on Saturday when the Scarlet Knights fell to Michigan, 52-0. To buy out Ash will cost Rutgers $8.47 million. Expect Greg Schiano's name to emerge as a leading candidate to take over. Schiano went 68-67 with six bowl games in 11 seasons in a previous stint as the Rutgers head coach. Wisconsin's throwback uniforms for Northwestern, which featured khaki-colored pants to go with the red jerseys, had Twitter abuzz comparing the look to a corporate seminar for Target employees. It's not even October and already the Pac-12 is without a single undefeated team, making it more than likely the league will not have a team in the College Football Playoff for the third straight year. SMU (5-0) is ranked 24th in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. This is the first time SMU has been ranked since it was hit with the NCAA death penalty in 1987. The 5-0 start is the best for SMU since 1983. GOOD QUOTES FOR MONDAY Tweeted out by USA Today columnist Dan Wolken comparing Ohio State QB Justin Fields with Georgia QB Jake Fromm: “I’m kind of surprised we aren’t talking more about the fact that Ohio State has a better quarterback than Georgia, given that Ohio State’s quarterback was at Georgia last year.” From Bruce Feldman of The Athletic on the shaky status of Southern Cal HBC Clay Helton: “The read I’ve gotten on what USC brass is thinking regarding whether Helton will be the coach beyond 2019 is this: People inside and around the program genuinely like and respect Helton. He’s done a lot of good things, and he always comes across as a mature, grounded person — something, quite honestly, USC didn’t have much of in the previous decade, when it often seemed as if USC was its own worst enemy and simply couldn’t get out of its own way. Truth is, that part of it goes way beyond football.” From North Carolina coach Mack Brown discussing why he went for two points and the win instead of taking the safe route and kicking an extra point that could have sent the Tar Heels game with Clemson (won by Clemson 21-20) into overtime: “How could I not? I’ve always had the theory that the longer the game goes, the best team wins – and they have the best team. So, my thought was, ‘Go now.’ We’ve got momentum, they’re tired, they’re on the field, so that was the best chance for us to win the game.” From Washington State coach Mike Leach after the Cougars got blasted by Utah, 38-13, in Salt Lake City: “We're a very soft team. We get a lot of good press and we like to read it a lot. We like to pat ourselves on the back, and if we get any resistance we fold.” RANDOM THOUGHTS: Leonard Fournette carried 29 times for 225 yards to rally the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 26-24 win over the Denver Broncos. In addition to career bests in carries and yards, Fournette also had a career-best 81-yard run … How does Baker Mayfield respond to Rex Ryan's criticism? By throwing for 342 yards and a touchdown to help the Cleveland Browns to a 40-25 win over the Baltimore Ravens in a battle of former Heisman Trophy winners. While Mayfield was lighting up the Ravens, Lamar Jackson threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 66 … Antonio Brown is seeking $61 million from the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots after both teams cut him when allegations of sexual assault came out in the press … Former Gator Pete Alonso not only set the all-time rookie record with his 53rd homer of the season Saturday night for the New York Mets, but he led Major League Baseball in home runs. He also became only the third player to ever win the Home Run Derby and lead the Majors in home runs in the same season.

Lost, perhaps, in all the discussion about whether 5-0 Florida (2-0 in the SEC) is worthy of its top ten billing is one minor little detail that actually says plenty about what the Gators have done so far. Florida has yet to play a game at full strength and the place that has had the greatest effect is on the defense. Yet here the Gators are, ranked 10th nationally and with a defense that ranks fifth in scoring defense (8.8 points per game), 16th in rushing defense (86.80 yards per game), 35th in pass defense (194.4 yards per game), 17th in total defense (281.2 yards per game), tied for second in sacks (24 for -136 yards) and tied for first in interceptions (nine). The Gators have allowed only five touchdowns all season and haven't allowed a fourth quarter touchdown since the Miami game. That TD in the Miami game also marked the only time all season that an opponent has scored in the fourth quarter on UF. Florida's defensive numbers are definitely impressive. Now imagine what the Gators might be able to do if everybody's healthy. Barring an injury this week in practice or an unexpected suspension, the defense the Gators send out on the field Saturday when 7th-ranked Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC) comes to Gainesville will have a full contingent of movable and interchangeable parts for the first time all year. That is particularly good news since Auburn is coming off its best offensive game of the year – 361 passing yards, 217 rushing yards – against a Mississippi State defense that, prior to Saturday night, was thought to be pretty good. “Once we get everybody back healthy I think we'll be pretty good,” says grad transfer Jonathan Greenard, who has assumed the mantle of heart and soul of the defensive unit. Once we get everybody back on and get the chemistry back on and play like we were playing back in camp we'll be really good.” Getting edge rusher Jabari Zuniga and shutdown corner CJ Henderson back for the Auburn game will go a long way toward getting the chemistry back to where it was during Florida's preseason camp. In their absence, Greenard has taken over as the unparalleled leader of the defense. His season stats show four sacks, four quarterback hurries, three passes batted down, a forced fumble and an interception. He's been doubled and tripled up on every play but that will certainly change with Zuniga's return. Henderson, who has been out with a severely sprained ankle since the Gators whacked Tennessee-Martin in game two, will benefit from a healthy Florida pass rush. He's likely to draw the assignment of neutralizing Auburn's Seth Williams, who has 17 catches for 289 yards and four touchdowns so far. Williams torched Mississippi State for eight catches, 161 yards and two touchdowns. Henderson has yet to give up a touchdown pass in his Florida career. It will be imperative for the Gators to stuff Auburn's running game (Tigers average 251 yards per game and 5.3 per carry) and put the game on true freshman quarterback Bo Nix. Although Nix is coming off his best game of the season – 16-21 for 335 yards and two touchdowns against Mississippi State – he averaged only 5.7 yards per attempt against Oregon, 5.6 against Tulane and 5.0 against Texas A&M. It's also important that the Gators show discipline in their pass rush to keep Nix in the pocket. He has run for 173 yards and two touchdowns this season, averaging 4.94 per carry, so he's got the ability escape and extend plays. If the Tigers are able to establish the running game early, it will give Nix run/pass options and the ability to throw off play action. While Auburn's defense has been exceptionally good against the run, the Tigers have shown some vulnerability in the passing game where opponents are averaging 225 yards per game. The Auburn secondary has allowed seven touchdowns and has just one interception. The Tigers have 13 sacks on the season, 10 in the last three games. Florida's strength on offense is its wide receivers and this will easily be the best unit the Tigers have faced all season. If the Gators can give Kyle Trask time to throw the football, they will be able to score points. If they can get anything out of the running game, it will force Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele to take people out of coverage to play the run. The pundits will be talking all week about Auburn's tough defense, but Florida's defense, particularly with everybody healthy, might be more than equal to the task. If the defense shows and the Gators can give Trask enough time to make good throws, this is a game the Gators can win. SOME GOOD THINGS FROM THE TOWSON WIN In only his second game as the starting quarterback, Kyle Trask completed 18-20 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns and set the UF school record for 18 consecutive completions (the last three from the Tennessee game, first 15 vs. Towson). His only bad throw of the game was in the third quarter when he made a throw under duress when Towson brought the house on a blitz. Trask probably could have unloaded that throw out into the right flat where Kyle Pitts was open. Trask spread the ball around to seven different receivers and did a good job of getting the ball to the open man instead of trying to force the ball downfield. Dameon Pierce broke off runs of 31 and 37 yards, finishing the day with 84 yards on six carries. On the 31-yarder, Pierce started right, but made a sharp cutback left where he found open space. Without question that's the best play a Florida running back has had all year in reading what's going on in front of him then reacting. Pierce scored on the 37-yarder when he found the edge on the left side and accelerated down the West sideline, leaving several Towson defenders in his wake. Pierce wasn't targeted for any passes but did show up well in pass protection. He showed in this game that he is Florida's best combination of both speed and power and should get more of the load in the running game. Pitts continues to be the X factor in the Florida passing game. He's too fast for linebackers and too big and strong for corners and safeties to cover. Against Towson he had four catches for 28 yards and two touchdowns, both scores coming on throws in red zone where his size and strength make it next to impossible to jam him. Greenard was in on five tackles, picked up half a sack, three quarterback hurries and got his first interception as a Gator when he gathered in a pass deflected at the line of scrimmage by Tedarrell Slaton. Towson had 61 rushing yards at halftime but finished the game with only 65. SOME NOT SO GOOD THINGS The Gators gave up three sacks for -21 yards in losses. The first sack was over right guard Chris Bleich. Bleich did atone for his error by falling on the football when Trask fumbled after he was hit, but Trask should have never been hit in the first place. The second was near the end of the first half when Stone Forsythe got beat on the outside and Nick Buchanan didn't pick up the defensive tackle when he got inside on Brett Heggie. The third was on Trask who held the ball too long even though he had Pitts open in the left flat. For the second straight week Trask had a fumble when his pass protection broke down. Auburn will present a fierce pass rush so Trask has got to do a better job of ball security this week. The Gators allowed 8-15 on third down conversions, 5-8 in the first half. Towson quarterback Tom Flacco picked up 22 yards up the gut on the Tigers' first offensive play of the game. Later on that same drive he converted third downs with runs of nine and 11 yards. In the first half, the Tigers found success throwing the ball in the middle of the field to the tight ends and on a couple of quick slants. There were too many missed tackles (at least seven) at or near the line of scrimmage when the Tigers were able to get positive yardage after the initial contact. Florida's run blocking is way too inconsistent. Maybe it's because Mullen understands the strength of the team is the passing game so the Gators spend far more of their time in pass protection drills in practice than run blocking. The Gators have to get to a point where they have the option to run the football successfully on third and four or fewer yards. PARTING SHOTS Yes, it was Towson and a game that most people found dull and uninteresting but attendance was 79,126. Most of the gaps in the unseated areas of the stadium were on the student side but there are plenty of other empty spaces that should be occupied by season ticket holders. If the Gators intend to get the football program back to a championship level, then The Swamp has to become the most intimidating place to play in college football once again.

From University Athletic Association— ESPN’s College GameDay Headed to Gainesville for Florida-Auburn This will be the Gators’ second appearance on the show this season, marking the first time since 2012 with multiple GameDay appearances. GAINESVILLE, Fla. — ESPN announced on Saturday night that its weekly traveling shows College GameDay, Built by The Home Depot (26th Season) will be making its way to Gainesville to broadcast from the site of the top-ten, SEC contest between the No. 9 Gators and No. 7 Auburn Tigers. GameDay will be back in Gainesville for the first time since Oct. 20, 2012, when No. 3 Florida defeated No. 9 South Carolina, 44-11. Location of the show will be announced later in the week. This will be the second time this season the Gators have been featured on ESPN’s marquee show after GameDay came to Orlando for their opening weekend 24-20 win against the Miami Hurricanes. Saturday will mark the 40th time Florida has appeared on GameDay, the third highest total in the country. The Gators' 25-14 (.641) record ranks fifth-best in the nation for schools who have played in 10 or more GameDay contests. Since 1993, College GameDay has been television's definitive and comprehensive college football studio show and has traveled most weeks on college Saturdays to the day's big game and has been met by large and enthusiastic crowds. Rece Davis will host, reuniting the cast of characters: Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, David Pollack and Maria Taylor. In addition, Tom Rinaldi and Gene Wojakowski report and produce features for the College Gameday. This week’s matchup between the Gators and Tigers marks their 84th contest and their first game against each other since 2011, with their last game in Gainesville coming in 2007. The Tigers lead the overall series 43-38-2. Additional Gator Bait Note: This will be the first Top 10 matchup of undefeated teams in the Swamp since No. 4 LSU vs. No. 10 Florida on October 6, 2012. Florida won the game 14-6. The following week a one loss South Carolina team (loss to LSU) game to the Swamp for the aforementioned Gameday game.

This is where the rubber meets the road, it’s time to find it or grind it, everything matters from here on out…and any other number of cliches one can think to describe the turn the No. 9 Florida Gators season is taking after a 38-0 win over the Towson Tigers. The Gators pitched their second shutout in five games, the first time that feat has been accomplished since 2012. If you remember, that season the Gators had a Top 5 defense and entered the postseason No. 3 in the BCS rankings. The Gators offense put up 422 total yards, the fourth straight game of doing so, matching a run in the 2018 season of 400+ total yard in each of the last four games. Quarterback Kyle Trask (18-20, 188 yards, two touchdowns; one rushing touchdown) and tight end Kyle Pitts (four receptions, 28 yards, two touchdowns) have found a connection that is working more often than not. Florida has scored 24+ points in nine straight games and quarterback Kyle Trask went 15-15 to start the game, tying back to three completions at the end of his play against the Tennessee Vols last week, to set a new school record of 18 straight completions. This breaks the previous record of 17 set by Chris Leak in 2005. But is it enough? The Gators have a gauntlet of a stretch approaching beginning with a date next Saturday with No. 7 Auburn Tigers and then a trip to Baton Rouge to meet No. 4 LSU. Oh yea and don’t forget the November 2 Cocktail Party showdown with No. 3 Georgia (all rankings subject to change). Is giving up 17 first downs to a FCS opponent and only rushing for 160 yards against that same opponent going to stand the test of the SEC? This was the Gators last chance to work out those kinks before beginning the games were one mistake can mean a loss. So was it enough? Are they ready to go to the next level? "We're certainly going to find out next week, aren't we,” quipped head coach Dan Mullen following the win. "I thought we played solid. You know, first half we didn't do a good job getting off the field. That's something we've got to get better at. Even for the day, we gave up 8-of-15 third-down conversions on the day and didn't do a great job of getting off the field in the first half. They had a good plan, though, well-executed. They did a good job slowing the game down. We wanted to get a lot of plays in, try to play with some tempo. We only had 60 plays in the game.” “It was little things like different fronts we were getting so we had to get everybody on the same page and executing,” said Trask of the 17-0 first half. That score, and the pace of game for that matter, harkened back to the Gators game two weeks ago against UT-Martin. Mullen said after that win that the halftime speech he gave “wasn’t very friendly” and echoed the sentiment today. “It wasn’t super friendly, either. I don’t know. I guess I was mic-ed up on HBO so you’ll have to tune in [Wednesday[ night to find out what happened.” *The Gators were filmed by HBO this week for a new college football docs-series. Florida’s episode will air Wednesday, October 2. Some of the first half woes could be forgiven when seen through the scope of gamesmanship. The Gators ran a lot of different plays today, like a reverse handoff to Van Jefferson on the first drive of the day that saw the wide receiver running a jet sweep from the left up the middle for seven yards. Or Jacob Copeland seeing four targets throughout the day. Or the jumbo tight end package on the goal line in addition to folding freshman tight end Keon Zipperer into the gameplan. Then there’s the fact that the offense went under center much more today than typical. All things that Auburn will now have to plan for after watching film. But there’s also the worry that the offensive line–which saw shuffling again today—isn’t ready to face arguably the best defensive front seven in the country, leading to even more rushing woes and possible sacks for a quarterback that is clicking in every area but pocket awareness. “The mental toughness of the offensive line in their preparation has got to improve as we move forward,” admitted Mullen following the 160 yard rushing performance and three sacks (one leading to a fumble) leveled on Trask. “Those guys have got to. I know [offensive line coach] John [Hevesy] gets on them. They’re young guys. They go, ‘Coach, I’m working.’ No, you’re not, obviously not, because if you were working we wouldn’t have missed assignments, so what you’re doing is not enough. They need to do more. OK. If you want to keep doing the same thing over and over again, you’re not going to improve, what are you doing at night? Everybody learns differently. Are you walking it through in the dorm at night, are you drawing it, are you watching film? Everybody learns in a different way, OK. And guys have got to learn what’s the best way they learn, what’s the best way they can improve at processing information as they get going, and they got to do it. And if they don’t, then they’re not going to get better, and then we got to find somebody that can.” The leader of that line, center Nick Buchanan, knows what went wrong and more importantly what it will take to fix the problem. “Just not taking care of the little things, not focusing in on every single little detail that goes into one single football play. We run a lot of plays out there on offense, so some things can get overwhelming, but you have to have that ability to calm yourself down and really hone in and play the next play. “I feel as though everyday we can get better at our technique and our fundamentals, the little things that go into being great offensive lineman. When it comes to better competition and getting into SEC play, of course you have to take it to another level and we’re prepared for the challenge.” The rushing game did increase by 40 yards in the second half. On defense, Todd Grantham’s guys pitched a shutout and forced the Tigers to go 0-3 in the redzone. Of the Tigers nine drives, three ended in turnovers and one in a blocked field goal thanks to Adam Shuler getting a hand up on the kick. The latter came after the Swamp sang Tom Petty’s “Won’t Back Down” and Brad Stewart with Mohamoud Diabate sacked Towson’s Tom Flacco, providing one of the most electric moments in the game. “I think that's huge for the defense. Like I said, [Towson] was a team that was lighting up scoreboards,” reminded Mullen of the team that is a Top 10 team in their FCS rankings. The shutout against a team of that caliber, as Mullen likes to say, is nice but the missed tackles were also a glaring point the coaching staff will address this week. “I was disappointed with that. One of their backs wasn’t real big, a couple of times he was really low center of gravity and got underneath us. That happens with Dameon Pierce and people, too.” The takeaways (Gators have 13 this season) were one of the most encouraging aspects of the defensive performance and we will break them down more soon. And the turn aways in the redzone though are what this defense feels they can build off of before facing Auburn’s freshman phenom quarterback Bo Nix. It requires a mindset that linebacker Jon Greenard (5 tackles, 1 interception, 3 quarterback hurries, 0.5 sacks) explained isn’t easy to accomplish, but necessary. “It’s hard. You’re tired. You’re sore. All of that plays into it. The momentum’s obviously not going our way; they’re driving. Their offense is clicking, so it’s really easy to give in. If anybody could do it, it would be easy. So, we know we have to take that chip on our shoulder every time we go into a game. I feel like we pride ourselves on finishing everything. So, no matter how the drive starts or what they’re doing in the middle, we just basically have to stop and put the fire out.” Receiver Tre Grimes (five receptions, 55 yards) feels that more than a third of the way into the season, this is where that maturation happens and starts to create the identity of the 2019 Florida Gators. “I feel like we’re getting to that point where everybody’s locking in and doing things that they need to do. Like I said, it was here and there, there’s some games where the passing isn’t there, some games where the offense is not there. That comes with time, that comes with experience and I feel like we’re at that point in the season where everything is starting to mesh together and we’re gonna be good.” That mindset, as described by Greenard and Grimes, no matter how difficult to keep, is what Mullen feels has led to a 5-0 record thus far. And it’s going to be what this Gators team will need to continue their SEC run. "You look at this team, we've taken care of business to this point. We have taken care of business. Whatever the situation, good or bad, we've taken care of business so far this season. We've played some good teams, but now it's going to go to a whole new level for us. Now you've got a Top 10 team coming in here next week. It's going to go to a whole new level."

Dan Mullen wasn't in a particularly apologetic mood 30 minutes following ninth-ranked Florida's 38-0 win over the Towson Tigers Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and really, what's to apologize for? Why complain when your team moves to 5-0 on the season with a 38-point win, a second shutout of a season that hasn't even reached the halfway point and it's been nine quarters since the last touchdown was allowed? Why apologize when you've outscored three teams 88-3 since your backup quarterback took over in a road game in the SEC? You never apologize for winning. As for complaining, there will be time enough for that come Monday. By then, the Florida coaches will have dissected every single play in the win over Towson and grades will have been issued. Come Monday, Mullen and his staff will be able to point to every single flaw and every single mistake made against Towson, the kind of which the Gators can't afford to make next week when seventh-ranked Auburn comes to Gainesville for nationally televised game on CBS that will also bring in ESPN with its College Game Day crew. Against Towson, the Gators played well enough and winning was never in doubt, but this was a Division 1AA team they were facing. The Towson Tigers are a very good team in the Colonial Athletic Association, but the CAA certainly isn't SEC caliber. While the Gators played fairly well and beat a 1AA team by 38, Auburn went beast mode against what was thought to be a fairly decent Mississippi State team. What Auburn did to the Bulldogs can best be described as pillaging and plundering. That 56-23 win wasn't anywhere as close as the score might indicate. You can expect pundits and critics alike to spend the next few days proclaiming that If Florida plays the same way it played against Towson and Auburn plays as well as it did against Mississippi State, this will not fare well for the Gators. Towson was in Gainesville for a six-figure paycheck but even though the Tigers lost by 38 points and didn't score, they didn't embarrass themselves. They had some moments when they moved the ball fairly well as evidenced by eight third down conversions in 15 tries and they made the Gators work for everything they got. Offensively, Towson couldn't keep the score close because the Tigers stick it in the end zone and of their two field goal attempts, one sailed wide right and the other was blocked. Mullen thought Towson made a decent accounting of itself. “Obviously, you give credit to Towson,” Mullen said. “We knew coming in that they were a really quality team. They have a good quarterback who could move the ball on people. They're a top ten team in their division and you saw that out there today.” The Gators got all the points they needed on the opening drive when they went 82 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a five-yard Kyle Trask to Kyle Pitts TD pass. Trask was 6-6 on that opening drive. He completed his next nine passes before he finally threw an incompletion. He finished the game hitting 18-20 of his passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns while setting a school record for 18 consecutive completions (last three against Tennessee and first 15 against Towson). The Gators scored on six of their nine possessions (five touchdowns, one field goal). They ran for a season-high 160 yards and got two explosive runs from scrimmage by Dameon Pierce, who ripped off a 31-yarder in the first half and a 37-yarder for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Gators finished with 422 total yards on 60 offensive plays, zero turnovers and just three offensive penalties (one hold, two false starts). Defensively, the Gators limited the Tigers to 248 yards, 183 through the air and 65 on the ground. Florida finished with four sacks, turned the Tigers over three times (one fumble and two interceptions) and committed only one defensive penalty, a dubious pass interference on an uncatchable ball that was a good 20 yards off the mark. Could it have been better? Yes, but it was good enough to win and it was a game in which the Gators made visible progress, which is another one of the reasons Mullen didn't feel the need to apologize afterward. The Gators are 5-0 and they've controlled the only thing that matters which is beating all five teams on their schedule. “You look at this team and we've taken care of business so far,” Mullen said. “We have taken care of business. Whatever the situation, good or bad, we have taken care of business so far to this point. We have played some good teams but now it's going to a whole new level. We have a top ten team coming in here next week. It's going to be a while new level.” Auburn requires that the Gators take care of business at a whole different level than anything we've seen so far. In each of the five wins, the Gators have gotten away with the kind of mistakes that will likely be exposed against Auburn if they are repeated. If Auburn comes to Gainesville playing anything close to the level shown when it whacked Oregon in the season opener or in putting Mississippi State out of its misery with 42 first half points then the Gators will have to play virtually mistake-free to win. The win over Mississippi State was Auburn's most complete game of the year as the Tigers finished with 361 passing yards and 217 on the ground. Although the Gators have played well in spurts, they still have distinguished themselves with anything close to a complete game. Long before the outcome of the Auburn game was known, Mullen was at the podium, happy the Gators were 5-0 but at the same time addressing what has to get better in this next week of preparation. “We have Auburn coming in here next week,” Mullen said. “If we don't prepare and practice better, if we don't have a better routine, take care of our bodies, put in a little extra time and do the things we have to do as a football team to get better; if our scout team doesn't prepare better … in every aspect of the game, if we don't get better this week we can't expect to win.” If you go simply by the outcome of Saturday's games – Florida's win over Towson and Auburn's win over Mississippi State – it's a no brainer who will be favored to win next week. Auburn will pass a lot of smell tests because the Tigers beat a Southeastern Conference opponent by 33 points and while the Gators took some positive steps in their journey toward becoming a complete football team, it was obvious they aren't there yet. Mullen posed these two questions: “Where are we? Are we getting better?” To answer the first, the Gators are 5-0 but still looking for a win over a truly quality opponent. As for the answer to the second question, yes the Gators are getting better but can they improve enough in a week to score what will be considered a statement win? We won't know that for another week but for now, no need to complain nor apologize.

Check out our pregame show with Kassidy Hill before the No. 9 Florida Gators 4pm kickoff against the Towson Tigers. We discuss injury updates, notes and the Gators keys to the game. Follow the link here or click through below.

Technically the No. 9 Florida Gators will face their first Top 10 matchup of the season on Saturday. The Towson Tigers are a FCS team, currently with a 3-1 record and ranked No. 5 in the Colonial Athetlic Association. Oh, and they’re quarterbacked by Tom Flacco, the younger brother of Denver Bronco’s quarterback Joe Flacco. So is Tom Flacco elite? We’ll discuss all that and more in one last thing before Florida-Towson. One Thing to Remember These Gators are focused. It’s easy to over look a FCS opponent, what most would consider a “cupcake” game. It’s even easier to offer lip service that they won’t be overlooked. But head coach Dan Mullen and these Gators offered an answer this week with substance. The goal each week is to get better. If they have any chance of beating No. 7 Auburn, explained Mullen, it would take getting better this week as well and that includes defeating Towson. It echo’s so many of his previous sentiments; sentiments that he and the Gators have backed up in such a way that one can't help but believe them. One Florida Player to Remember Lamical Perine and Dameon Pierce. We’re cheating here and giving two players. And really, we could offer a third in whoever steps in at right tackle. These are going to be the guys who matter the most this week as the Gators escalate the work on the running game. Perine and Pierce are somewhat beholden to what the offensive line gives them; but as of late they’ve been given little so the running backs are going to begin looking for new ways to break off plays, whether drifting more to the outside or working on moves for the inside. Next weeks opponent, Auburn, has one of the best defensive lines in college football and so it’s going to be a game where the Gators can afford to “figure out the run game as they go.” And even though Mullen could—and probably will—try to work the edges more to play away from the line, putting the game entirely in the air is dangerous. There has to be some sort of run game to open up the passing game and this week against Towson is the last opportunity to figure it out and start averaging more than 137 rushing yards per game. One Towson Player to Remember Tom Flacco is hoping to follow in his brothers footsteps and make it to the NFL. He's completing 58.8% of his passes through four games with six touchdowns to only one interception. He’s thrown for 300+ yards in two of the Tigers four games and is averaging 8.4 yards per play. He has taken a sack in each game though so expect Todd Grantham to go after the senior. One Big Question Will CJ Henderson and Jabari Zuniga play? Mullen said both are game time decisions and that's he's comfortable playing them even if they didn't practice much during the week, given both are veterans. Henderson was seen at practice this week without a brace. There are two schools of thought as to their playing time. On one hand, the Gators most likely won't need the two defensive starters against Towson, so rest them Saturday to be fresh against Auburn and that October gauntlet. however, Henderson hasn't played in the last two games and Zuniga missed the majority of the last two games (all of Tennessee, most of Kentucky after getting injured in first half). So while you don't want to risk making their injuries worse, might it be beneficial to get them in for a couple of plays to shake any rust off? We'll see what coaches decide. One Last Prediction Towson is a fairly good team in their league and Mullen did his part this week pumping them up. But he did the same with Tennessee and we saw how that went. The Gators have done what they're supposed to do against these smaller schools the past two season, and we don't expect it to change against Towson. Final Prediction: Florida wins, 49-7

Most likely Freddie Swain. This article originally appeared in Gator Bait Magazine, 9-28-19 edition. Subscribe today! Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen has asked for an Alpha Dog. A guy that can stand up, make his voice heard and boldly lead the No. 9 Gators through what promises to be one of the toughest schedule stretches in college football during October, and beyond. He asked for this back in the summer, again in fall camp and is looking for that one guy still a third of the way through the season. The contenders have whittled down, but the Gator players know who will emerge: Freddie Swain. The receiver from North Marion has steadily made his impact during his time in Gainesville. Now in his senior season, he’s earned the right to demand attention from his team. They give it to him, thanks to the respect that preceded. “Freddie. I mean, he's just a guy, he always tells you, if you do something good, 'Good play, good play.' If you do something bad, he'll tell you, you know, you need to improve,” said an unprompted Feleipe Franks during fall ball.” “I watch Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond like go at it like every day in like practice, in summer workouts,” says redshirt freshman quarterback Emory Jones. “I mean like them guys I always gonna turn to when the pressure hits, I’m always gonna turn to those type of guys ‘cause I trust them, I see that they put the work in. Everything falls back to your work.” And when asked to identify who those alpha dogs could be, it was Swain’s name who often arose. “There are different types of Alpha Dogs,” explains Franks. “There are people who talk and they go out there. And there’s lots of people who just do it with their actions. Like maybe Josh; he’s not very talkative, but he shows you with his actions. He does everything right. But there’s also more vocal guys like Freddie. Just different people on the team have different types of leadership.” Safety Donovan Stiner agrees, “It’s really important, especially during games, especially when things aren’t going our way or we’re in a tough position or something. Guys are down or something. It takes those guys to pick the team back up, pick the energy back up. And I think there are a few guys on our team like that. I would say Feleipe Franks, Freddie Swain. David Reese is like that.” It’s during those games, like Stiner mentions, that Swain has truly stepped forward to lead his team. After Franks was injured during the third quarter of the comeback win versus Kentucky, it was Swain the team looked to for guidance according to Hammond. It mirrored a moment from halftime. Down 14-7 and with little momentum, Swain stepped to the front of the locker room and made sure the team was looking at him. “Come out this second half bro, and pick your brothers up and let’s go. Them boys can’t play with us,” he told them. Following Franks injury and Swain’s second moment of leadership, the Gators rolled off 19 unanswered points to defeat the Wildcats. It called back to Swain’s own explanation of what it takes to be an alpha dog. “Just heart. Heart and passion for the game and to actually really love it. You got heart and passion and show the guys you really care, you can be an Alpha Dog.” Following the performance against UT Martin, which the team described as lackluster all things considered, it was linebacker Jon Greenard and Swain who called a team wide meeting to remind the guys what it would take to reach their goals. Swain is working on his individual goals for the season as well. He has eight receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns through four games along with being assigned kickoff and punt return duties. Following the UT Martin weekend, Hammond described Swain’s game saying, “Freddie did a really good job on catching bubbles, getting open across the middle a couple times in some big critical moments when we needed it. So, just continuing to grow, continuing to prepare and continue to try to make plays for the offense in the future is what we’re trying to do.” If you ask Freddie Swain, he’s not an Alpha Dog. He’s just trying to do what he can to help his team. But that’s the definition, isn’t it? For Swain, that can be debated however one wants. He’ll keep doing his thing and hope the guys around him learn something from his hard work. “I wouldn’t really wanna say what I am but that’s great that guys think of me in that way. I just try to lead by example, try to do the right things on and off the field. So it’s kinda good that they’re taking things from me.”