While holding court at halftime in the press box, Steve Spurrier came up with the line of the day. Asked about Washington State coach Mike Leach (Spurrier's son Bubba is the wide receivers coach at Wazzoo), Spurrier quipped, "Mike Leach is a heckuva coach. Somebody's going to hire him. Let's just hope it's not FSU!"

Things began well for Kyle Trask in it first start ever. In just over two minutes he posted his first touchdown with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts in what maybe be henceforth known as the Kyle-to-Kyle connection. And that made 26 points in in just over 16 minutes of play counting his 19-point production in the final quarter vs. Kentucky. From there it got a little sketchy as the sloppy play by both teams slowed the game down, marred by turnovers, penalties, longnnnngg replays and a generaly lethargic job of officiating by the crew of Referee David Smith, Line Judge Michael Turnover, Back Judge Paul Schardein, Head Linesman Tim Sistrunk and Side Judge Alex Moore. The emergence of Jacob Copeland was a pleasant surprise , including a 15-yard catch for a first down and an eight-yard run on a reverse. In general -- at least in the first several drives -- the offense seemed smoother and the timely passes of Trask seemed to capture big chunks of yards. "I don't know how to say this," admitted Mick Hubert, "but why doesn't it seem so much easier?" Yes, Florida was ahead 17-0 at halftime, but it took over 90 minutes to play the first two quarters. When Lamical Perine finally punched the ball over the goal line on the final play of the first play we had watched 90-minutes of football with the Gators on top 17-0, it did look like it had been a more fluid Gator offense. And with more 250 yards of offense, 12x14 for 204 yards and one touchdown by Trask, we had seen enough rest assure the quarterback was going to be just fine.

The No. 9 Florida Gators (3-0, 1-0) are preparing to face the Tennessee Volunteers (1-2)…and all anyone can talk about this week are the Gators quarterbacks. It’s indicative of the state of the rivalry for these SEC East foes and also a testament to the magnitude of the Gators current quarterback situation. A week after starting redshirt junior Feleipe Franks was lost for the season with a dislocated and fractured ankle, we know all we can now. The Gators have won 13 of the last 14 against the Vols. Jeremy Pruitt’s squad has had one of the worst starts imaginable and look weaker than they have in a while. Franks won’t be back. The offense is in Kyle Trask’s hands…and maybe Emory Jones as well, but we’ll talk about that below. Before the noon kickoff, let’s go over a few things we may not know to this point and prepare for the latest chapter in Florida vs. Tennessee. *Don't forget to stay cool and hydrated with the school's free, safety initiatives! One Thing to Remember There are no record books in rivalry games (albeit this one has been pretty skewed of late) so anything could feasibly happen in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium when these two teams go toe-to-toe. Tennessee will be looking to build off their first win of the season and put those two embarrassing losses behind them as their league slate begins. But this Florida Gators team is very emotionally motivated. When it hurts you, it can hurt more anything and cause you to lose a homecoming game to Missouri and rack up penalties against Miami. But when it helps you, it can help more than anything and help you reel off four games to end a season with huge revenge games over old and new rivals and mount a 19 point comeback in the 4th quarter. This team knows who they are though and head coach Dan Mullen has taught them to use it to their advantage. It’s why we’ll see a lot of them with various homages to Feleipe Franks and why they will all say it was for him after the win. This is an emotionally motivated team and watching their starting quarterback go down could be what starts a fire as the middle of the schedule arrives. One Florida Player to Remember Van Jefferson—It sounds odd to ask you to remember Florida’s leading receiver, because of course he’s already a major and vital part to the offense, right? Well, yes, but that could multiply exponentially this weekend. Franks was apt to spread the ball around, which is fine and keeps the defense on their heels. But sometimes when a quarterback and receiver have chemistry, it’s best to let the connection last as long as possible. When Kyle Trask entered the game against Kentucky, he came out showcasing his gunslinger skills and Van Jefferson was the primary recipient. Trask’s first four passes were completions, three going to Jefferson. In all, Van was targeted eight times in Saturday’s game, hauling in seven completions for 93 yards; seven of those targets, six completions and 62 yards came from Kyle Trask. The redshirt senior is clearly a comfortable target for the green passer and defenses will look to exploit that. But Jefferson was already well scouted as the Gators leading receiver before and still succeeded; and he has great technique to find his way open no matter the coverage. Expect to see this become a lifeline for Trask in his first start. One Tennessee Player to Remember Jauan Jennings—If Florida’s leading receiver is the Gator player to remember, it’s fitting that the same is true for the Vols. Jennings has 81 more yards so far than the next closest guy (star Marquez Callaway) with a large portion of 208 total coming from the season opening loss to Georgia State. In last seasons 47-21 loss to Florida, Jennings has four receptions for 60 yards. Depending on the status of Gators corner, CJ Henderson the Vols will likely test the Florida secondary with Jennings especially on 3rd downs. It’s in the money down that the receiver has been most lethal. He has four completions on 3rd, all of them going for 1st downs. Of those four, he’s been targeted twice when the down and distance was greater than 10 yards. Given the Gators defense to give up those chunk plays in the first half, expect Tennessee to take advantage and move Jennings down field to move the chains. One Big Question How much will see of each Florida quarterback? While Kyle Trask is listed as the starter for this week, don’t expect to only see the redshirt junior. Dan Mullen said on Monday that he’d like to play both Trask and redshirt freshman Emory Jones. When asked if it could be like a 2006 Chris Leak, Tim Tebow situation, Mullen shrugged and said maybe, we’ll see. The head coach has always been open about the fact he feels Emory brings a different set of skills to the position that can be utilized, especially in situational downs. Given that Trask will be taking on his first full game in a Florida Gators uniform, we should see a good bit more of Jones to help take the pressure off and provide a spark when needed as the mobile quarterback. Also, will Bryce Thompson play? The Vols corner has been suspended thus far, following a preseason arrest in which he threatened to hit a woman he was with and "shoot up the school." But according to reports, he was back at practice this week and will travel with this team to the game. Jeremy Pruitt has said that Thompson will have to "earn his way back out there." Being on the field with the team is a good start. One Last Prediction I think this game is close through mid-3rd quarter. Todd Grantham likes to play soft in the first half to see what the offense will do in certain situations. It’s how big 3rd downs are given up so often. As such, the Vols are going to strike with Jennings and possibly Callaway, as mentioned above. Trask will have some hiccups as he is handed the reigns for the first time since his freshman year of high school. Mullen will have to call through the rushing pains and this one will be too close given the difference in the teams trajectory right now. But by the 4th quarter and the remaining 15 minutes, I expect the Gators to pull away and win by 10.

By: KASSIDY HILL GatorBait Special Reporter Florida Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks lay on the field, lower body working to stay as still as possible, as his upper body heaved with tears and screams. The Gators redshirt junior’s season was over and the fact was setting in quickly. As he was loaded onto a cart with a cast around his dislocated and broken ankle, he gave a fist pump and thumbs up to the crowd. His teammates weren’t ready to concede to the reality. Van Jefferson — along with Tyrie Cleveland and Freddie Swain— had knelt next to Franks, praying over the quarterback while trainers tended to his leg. He had to be pulled off the field; he didn’t want to leave Franks’ side. The entire team and Kentucky Wildcats coach Mark Stoops all stepped out to give Feleipe their well wishes before the quarterback was transported to the training room. Feleipe ended up sticking around and watching the game in the locker room with Megan Mullen, Dan’s wife, as the Gators reeled off a 19-0 fourth quarter comeback. Franks then gave a message to the team following the 29-21 win. He told them simply, we’re too good of a team to struggle the way we did at times against Kentucky and we’re too good of a team to let situations snowball. But, he added, he was proud of the way they fought back to win and wanted them to play every play like it was their last. That’s how he had played, rushing for a hard yard on 4th down, and therefore he had no regrets despite his season slamming to a halt. It was a sentiment echoed by his coach and teammates. Feleipe Franks has been the first quarterback since Tim Tebow that has boldly taken leadership of a Gators team, earning respect from every person in the locker room. While Kyle Trask has earned tremendous respect for his loyalty and work ethic as well, the Gators are going to miss and be playing for their emotional leader in Franks. With that in mind, we cede the floor to Franks’ team. Their words tell the story better than any sentence we could construct. This is their appreciation for Feleipe Franks. HEAD COACH DAN MULLEN “Told him I love him and that we are there for him. I told him that it will be alright. I think — [guys going to the cart] it shows what he means to the team. What the team thinks of him as a leader, that’s the type of guy he is. How hard he has worked. It shows a lot about him and it shows the respect that the team has for his leadership and the love that they have for him. It’s a pretty close team.” LINEBACKER JON GREENARD “How he went out, him trying to get that first down, and I respected that so much more. I respected him so much more because he's laying it all out there on the line for us. Just to see him go down like that, in that fashion, we had to go out and put everything we had into that game to come out victorious and make him happy. He's still in high hopes. He understands what's going on. We’re going to continue to play. “Anytime you see a teammate go down, it’s sad. But realizing how he put all his everything into the game, it made us want to go out and play a lot more harder for him. It’s tough and it was sad, the way he went out. But we know he’s gonna bounce back better than ever. Guys are gonna continue to keep him covered and keep his family covered, we’re always gonna keep him in prayer. But anytime you see something like that, that’s always hard. But it just fueled us more to continue to play and finish out the game for him. “My words to him were ‘just keep your head up, always.’ Even when he was getting carted off, ‘just keep your head up. I know it’s hurting right now. It’s going to hurt mentally and physically, but you’re going to be fine. God is going to continue to bless you. You and your family are covered.’ Now he just has to get in his mind right now that it’s going to be really tough to understand it. It’s not a deny, it’s just a delay. With him, being in that situation, it’s going to make him better mentally. Physically, he’s going to come back stronger than ever. Sad to see him go, but he understands it’s part of the game.” QUARTERBACK KYLE TRASK “I just let him know ‘I got your back.’ It’s a next-man up mentality. I just did what I had to do for the team … me and him have spoken a lot — a lot — in the past few days. He’s been really supportive. I’m sure he’s going to be there with everybody in the quarterback room and the whole preparation process. He’s been really supportive. It’s good to have a good friend like that around.” OFFENSIVE LINEMAN BRETT HEGGIE “Feleipe… me and him are close, real close, we’re best friends, roommates. I know what it’s like being in his shoes, you know, dealing with a season ending injury. That was tough to see for sure. He’s doing well right now. He’s just recovering and everything and trying to get the inflammation down and stuff. I’m just there for him because he was there for me when I was going through my stuff. Now it’s my job to be there for him.” SAFETY SHAWN DAVIS “I just knew we just had to keep fighting for him and win for him. That’s something he would’ve wanted us to do.” TIGHT END LUCAS KRULL “We pray for Feleipe. He's one of my best friends here so, you know, I see him every day. I do everything I can for him. Obviously, it's something you hate to see. It's devastating. But at the end of the day, we have to keep moving forward, next man up, and rally behind Kyle and Emory, and get ready to go every day.” OFFENSIVE LINEMAN NICK BUCHANAN “He plays every play like it’s his last, which is how you should play football. You never know which one will be your last. It’s not his last play of football, he’s going to play again eventually. He has to get better and rehab and all that stuff. That’s how he plays. We encourage that. Things happen and it’s just the nature of the game of football. “Anytime you see a teammate go down like that, have to be carted off, it’s a bad deal. Especially when it’s your quarterback. Not only the quarterback but one of the leaders on the team, one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever seen. It’s a bad deal. You can’t linger on that, you have to rally around him and use it as motivation and not let him down because he’s still wanting to see us win.” LINEBACKER DAVID REESE On Feleipe Franks coming to the team meeting Monday morning: “I wished he was getting treatment but it all helps. You know, that’s our leader of our team. A guy that really loves this game. He has a competitive spirit and I know he is going to help Trask have the best transition possible … I know he will be around. I know he would do anything for us to be ready, he will do everything he can, whatever he can. Get healthy, that’s the biggest thing, but I know that he will be around. He is a great guy and he loves the program, that’s not an issue with him.” If you'd like to send Feleipe Franks a get well card, UAA asks you send it to: P.O. Box 14485 Gainesville, FL 32604 Address it to Football Administration and they'll get them to him.

No Transfer Portal for Kyle Trask, who loves his school and followed his heart It is in the quiet crucible of your personal, private sufferings that your noblest dreams are born and God’s greatest gifts are given in compensation for what you’ve been through. – Wintley Phipps PHOTO BY TIM CASEY/UAA COMMUNICATIONS KYLE TRASK TAKES THE SNAP AND GOT THE JOB DONE IN LEXINGTON By BUDDY MARTIN GatorBait Editor With his friend and teammate Feleipe Franks anguished and moaning from the pain of a dislocated/fractured ankle, lying face down and weeping in the grass of Kroger Field, Kyle Trask faced his crucible. Take the keys, jump behind the wheel and drive us downfield, despite the wretched emotion of the moment. And lead. Could he? Patience. Preparation. Poise. The Texas native was ready, had deliberately plodded his path as a backup, coached to be ready at all times. In the allegory of the Tortoise and the Hare, Trask would obviously not be playing the role of the rabbit. If ever there was ever a poster boy for the Boy Scouts’ slogan “Be Prepared,” it was him. And on a mid-September night in Lexington, Ky. his time finally came. It was once written by a Harvard academic, “One of the most reliable indicators and predictors of true leadership is an individual’s ability to find meaning in negative events and to learn from even the most trying circumstances.” Such was the case of Trask, whose new role was birthed out of chaos and misfortune. Trask remained calm and steely eyed as the occasion unfolded as he took the field. He was walking into a cauldron: His team down 21-10, four ticks into the fourth period, taking over an offense that had been sluggish. For six years Kyle Trask has waited in line to hear his name called. In this age of non-commitment wafflers, the real story is that he WAS even still around to take the snaps and not already gone over the Transfer Portal Wall. Transfer Portal? Perish the thought. “I never even considered it,” Trask said. Lesser men would have cut and run. After all, he had been in moth balls longer than your grandma’s favorite quilt. But he wasn’t going to bail on his teammates and school. Not Kyle Trask, self-described Gator lifer. Not Kyle Trask, who already has his bachelor’s and is working on a masters in sports management – and is as proud of his school’s Top Ten academic rating as its Top Ten football ranking. Not Kyle Trask, who never wavered in his commitment when asked by Coach Dan Mullen at the end of last year, ”Whatta you want to do? Where’s your head at?” “It was going into my redshirt junior season and he’s asking me where my head’s at because the transfer portal is a big thing. I told him I was 100 percent a Gator. I’m going to be ready when my number gets called,” Trask said. And ready he was. Suddenly thrust into the national limelight after what had looked like an eternal incubation, Trask delivered big-time. Zip, zip, zip – his passes, mostly to Van Jefferson, taking the Gators downfield immediately for a score. On the option play, Trask is tackled, twists and then pitches back to the traiing Lamical Perine. Touchdown. 21-16, five behind Kentucky. Was he nervous with so much on the line? No, said his coach. No, said his teammates. “We knew Kyle would come through for us,” said WR Josh Hammond. No said the 6-5, 239 pound red-shirt junior. He wasn't leaving Florida. With just over six minutes to play, Shawn Davis made his second interception of the night, and with a help of pass interference and targeting call, plus a 31-yard catch by tight end Kyle Pitts, Trask kept it up the middle for four yards, a TD and what would prove to have been enough for the winning score. In a little over 10 minutes The Tortoise outscored the Hare 12-0. He took his team back into the lead and Hammond wound up adding seven more on a Jet Sweep or good measure in the 29-21 – 19 unanswered points. The eternal backup would now be elevated to the starter, with some help probably from Emory Jones. This was a grand moment. But as pointed out by many others and even referenced by Dan Mullen, “we’ll see” how he reacts as The Man. Recently graduating academically for UF, he must now graduate from Clipboard U as the beloved backup quarterback – always the most popular guy on a team – and into to the hot seat as The Florida Gator Starting Quarterback. The question is how Trask will fit into this team as a starter. Maybe pretty good. He releases the ball quicker, which is a blessing to the inexperienced offensive line, and is a more accurate passer. He knows the offense and runs it confidently. While his legs are not weapons, they can help fulfill Mullen’s mandate that his quarterbacks be a “willing runner.” Behind him is the quicker, more elusive Emory Jones, who Mullen says will see more playing time. “And I may even put them in the game together,” he said, creating one more look to deceive defensive coordinators. Can he lead? Did we see enough of sample size? Dameon Pierce says when Trask came in the huddle, "We just kept with the game plan. We didn't change anything as far as play calling. Execute at a high level, we made some changes that needed to be made and we went out and made plays." The way Trask showed compassion to the injured Franks impressed Pierce. "I love it... when Feleipe was hurt, he was one of the first guys out there checking on Feleipe and making sure he's straight. Il ... That's one of the leaders on this team and we respect Feleipe and we love him. Kyle was just the next man up and he went out there and played very well." Now that the job has finally landed in his lap, he will have to answer those questions. For the first time since he was on the Freshman “A” team in Manvel, Texas, Trask will be a starting Saturday at noon against Tennessee. He has waited more than six years for this moment. Will he be different as a starter? What if he gets the jitters? “If he looks nervous,” Mullen said in semi-jest, “I’ll put Emory (Jones) in the first play.” Nah, I don’t think so. Pretty Kyle Trask’s battlefield promotion is permanent.

JUST WIN, BABY Consensus is that despite Florida's 3-0 record (1-0 SEC) and #9 national ranking that the Gators have somewhat underachieved in the first 25% of the 2019 season. Critics are quick to point to how the Gators finished in 2018 with four straight wins and at least five touchdowns in each game. Michigan came to the Peach Bowl having spent much of the season with its defense being compared to some of the best units in college football history. Ohio State turned those comparisons into a myth and what the Gators did in the bowl game was like an exclamation point, albeit one that sent 2019 Florida expectations through the roof. So here we are with three games in the books and the Gators are unbeaten, owners of a modest but very nice seven-game winning streak dating back to last November and yet you won't find many – if any – out there who will say the Gators have been impressive. And, with Feleipe Franks done for the year, the skeptics seem to think the lofty preseason expectations should be scaled way back. Like all the way back to seven or eight wins tops back. Saturday's game with Tennessee (1-2, 0-0 SEC) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium won't change any perceptions. Tennessee was so bad in losing its first two games that even if the Gators win this one by 30 very few will be impressed. It's almost as if Florida is in a can't win situation at least in the court of public opinion. If Kyle Trask lights up the Vols people will say he should have and folks won't necessarily think it's remarkable that he just started for the first time since he was a 9th-grader in Manvel, Texas. If Trask has a decent game but the Gators win without walloping the Vols, critics are likely to say Florida was overrated to begin with and now with the second string quarterback in charge the Gators are in trouble. Put the expectations aside and dwell on the only three things that really matter Saturday: (1) Get the win no matter the final margin; (2) get Trask another game of experience and the comfort of having started a game for the first time in years; and (3) don't get anybody hurt. If the Gators can accomplish those three things, it really doesn't matter what the critics are going to say. In the immortal words of the late, great Al Davis, “Just win baby.” Al never cared what the final margin was as long as the Oakland Raiders won the game. Florida fans would be smart to take on that same mentality. The Sayer Says Sooth: Trask is going to surprise us with his poise and his decision making. He may not finish with overwhelming stats, but he will be more than up to the task and will get the job done. The defense will play very well and the Gators will improve to 2-0 in the SEC by something like this – FLORIDA 37, Tennessee 17. THE SEC SOOTHSAYER #2 Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC) 54, Southern Miss (2-0) 10: Alabama is dealing with a slew of injuries and player transfers. Big deal. Southern Miss might have two guys on its roster who could crack Alabama's three deep. #3 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) 31, #7 Notre Dame (2-0) 24: This is going to be closer than the 14-1/2 points Georgia is favored by. The Irish are really good in the secondary, good enough that they're going to load up the box to stuff Georgia's running game and take their chances against the Bulldogs' inexperienced receivers. Georgia is still going to win this game but it's not going to be a blowout. #4 LSU (3-0, 0-0 SEC) 49, Vanderbilt (0-2, 0-1 SEC) 17: There is no way the Commodores can stop the Jeaux Burreaux Express. They'll take their beating like a man knowing they might be able to win the next three. #17 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC) 28, #8 Auburn (3-0, 0-0 SEC) 21:The Aggies are going to dare Bo Nix to beat them by stuffing the box and leaving the corners on an island. If the corners can't cover, the Aggies are toast because Kellen Mond and the offense will struggle. If this game were in Auburn, the Tigers would win by two touchdowns. Ole Miss (2-1, 1-0 SEC) 21, #23 California (3-0) 17:Ole Miss might have the most improved run defense in the country. If the Rebels stuff the run they'll score an upset over a ranked team. Okay, they're from the Pac-12, but Cal is still ranked. Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC) 21, Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC) 20:Sawyer Smith played well enough in the loss to Florida that Kentucky knows it can move the football. Mississippi State clearly isn't the same without Tommy Stevens and unless he's been visited by Benny Hinn, he's not going to be 100% Saturday. If he's not 100% Mississippi State will go down. Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC) 30, South Carolina (1-2, 0-1 SEC) 28: South Carolina is going to score some points Saturday. The problem is the South Carolina secondary is playing like it took lessons in Croatian and there wasn't an interpreter handy. Arkansas (2-1, 0-1 SEC) 38, San Jose State (1-1) 14: Hog fans should savor this win Saturday because there won't be many more Saturdays like this the rest of the year. COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: EDITION FOUR ON LIFE SUPPORT Phil Montgomery, Tulsa: He's 1-2 with a loss to Wyoming pending this weekend. He needs six wins and a bowl game to remain gainfully employed. Cincinnati, Memphis, Tulane, Houston and UCF remain on the schedule. He will be a member of the Extinct Species List soon. Bob Davie, New Mexico: He has heart issues and he's 65 years old, so unless he wins 9-10 games (highly improbable) he will be gracefully retired to an administrative job. It's like being fired without actually being fired. Lovie Smith, Illinois: Lovie lost to the Fighting EMUs (Eastern Michigan University). This week the Big Ten portion of the schedule kicks in with Nebraska. Lovie would be smart to go down to U-Haul to buy boxes that he will need to pack up his office sooner, not later. Chris Ash, Rutgers: There is hope in New Jersey. After the way Kansas hosed Boston College, Rutgers folks are thinking win #2 could happen this weekend when BC comes to town in this head-to-head of former Urban Meyer assistants. Even if he wins, however, Ash is a short timer. Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee: If he could somehow come up with a win over the Gators in Gainesville this weekend the people who write the checks to the boosters would probably find it in their pea picking hearts to forgive him for losing to Georgia State and BYU. Well, at least until the Vols get hammered by Alabama and Georgia. They won't beat the Gators, though. Color Pruitt short time. Brent Brennan, San Jose State: Paycheck losses really shouldn't count against beleaguered coaches from cash-strapped programs, but the Spartans are probably going to get blasted by Arkansas this week, which will move Brennan one step closer to the unemployment line. ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST Clay Helton, Southern Cal: The loss to BYU didn't help matters but it was non-conference. If Helton can win the Pac-12 Southern Division he probably gets another year. Randy Edsall, UConn: If he still has a job next year it's only because the athletic department is $41 million in the red and they have to pay $12 million to leave the AAC plus $3.5 million to join the Big East. As if that's not enough, when they leave they lose $7 million a year in AAC football TV revenue. Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech: His VaTech football coaching career almost bought the ranch last week when the Hokies had to rally past D1AA Furman. He needs seven wins at a minimum or he's a goner. Mike Bobo, Colorado State: In getting blown out last week by Arkansas, Bobo may have saved his job, all because of a late and dirty hit on his QB. The QB tore the same ACL for the third time. There's a lot of sympathy to keep Bobo now. Tony Sanchez, UNLV: With Wyoming, Boise State, Vanderbilt, Fresno and San Diego State in the next five games, it's a matter of when not if Sanchez gets fired. He's probably On Life Support after this week. Matt Luke, Ole Miss: Luke really needs to beat California Saturday because he's got Alabama next week and that beatdown isn't going to be pretty. BEADS OF SWEAT FORMING Charlie Strong, South Florida: The good news for Charlie and the Fighting Strongs is that the next five games are very winnable starting with SMU a week from Saturday. Kalani Sitake, Brigham Young: Wins over Tennessee and Southern Cal made everyone happy, but folks will have a very short term memory if the Cougars get poleaxed by Washington this week. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: His career record is 24-40. He really can't afford another losing season. Steve Addazio, Boston College: When you get your doors blown off by Kansas, of all people, folks tend to forget that you whacked Virginia Tech. BC olks are used to “Old 7-6 Steve” but he might need an extra win to make up for losing to Kansas. SAVED BY THE BUYOUT Willie Taggart, Florida State: A Tallahassee 4-year-old set up a lemonade stand with the promise to donate all the profits to the buyout of Taggart. FSU is so strapped for cash they will need bake sales and car washes galore to raise the $17 million it will take to make this the Willie Taggart Error. Chad Morris, Arkansas: When the Hogs beat Do You Know the Way to San Jose this week, they'll be 3-1. Fans need to savor the moment because there is only one more winnable game (Western Kentucky) on the schedule after that. Unless one of the billionaire boosters feels like parting with $12.5 million yankee dollars, Morris will be back next year. Chip Kelly, UCLA: Folks are starting to figure out that the Chip Kelly they got isn't the same Chip Kelly that coached Oregon six years ago. Being that this is California, it's only a matter of time before someone theorizes that Chip was abducted by aliens and this is his alien replacement on the UCLA sideline. Will Muschamp, South Carolina: The Gamecocks scored 24 on Alabama last week and didn't let Bama score 50. That's progress. Muschamp isn't going anywhere this year and probably not for the two years after this. Ryan Hilinski is a very real deal at QB. Jake Bentley needs to start sizing up his grad transfer options now. GOOD QUOTE FOR FRIDAY From Emily Caron of Sports Illustrated, testimony at the trial of Austen Robertson reveals that Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio was warned that Robertson had a history of sexual assault before signing his MSU scholarship: “Former Michigan State recruiting director Curtis Blackwell said under oath that three Michigan State football staff members, including defensive tackles coach and former defensive line coach Ron Burton, and current quarterbacks coach and former offensive coordinator Dave Warner, warned head coach Mark Dantonio about a recruit with a history of troubling behavior and sexual assault before he was charged with sexual assault while on the team, according to a deposition by Blackwell that was recently made public." RANDOM THOUGHTS:Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves hit his 40thhome run Thursday. With three more stolen bases he will be the first player in Major League Baseball history with 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. Not bad for a 21-year-old … UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero will retire, which could be bad news for football coach Chip Kelly ... The New York Yankees clinched the American League East Division title Thursday with a 9-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. It was the Yankees 100thwin of the season. The Houston Astros got their 100thwin Wednesday ... All eyes in the Pac-12 will be on Los Angeles tonight where Southern Cal (2-1) plays host to 10th-ranked Utah (3-0). A win and Clay Helton will be off the hotseat (again). Lose and Helton might not survive another week.

A TIME FOR TOUGHNESS “If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS” – W.C. Fields When he was Nick Saban's defensive coordinator back in 2016-17, Jeremy Pruitt wasn't required to rely on exotic schemes and blitz packages to get the job done. When you have an entire stable of future first rounders at your disposal, you pretty much just give your guys a basic assignment, line them up and cut them loose. That was then. This is now and now as Tennessee's head coach, Pruitt doesn't have a slew of 4- and 5-star athletes at his disposal, all of them drooling at the mere thought of overwhelming whoever is playing quarterback on the other team. The Crimson Tide combined for 94 sacks, 35 interceptions and 13 turnover returned for touchdowns in those two years. Last year in his first season at Tennessee, the Vols had a fairly average 25 sacks, only nine interceptions and three turnovers returned for touchdowns. Through three games this year, Tennessee has six sacks, four interceptions and hasn't registered a defensive touchdown. When you have athletes, you turn them loose and let them make plays. When you have the athletes Pruitt is working with at Tennessee, you probably have to scheme and disguise every step of the way. Considering Tennesseee (1-2, 0-0 SEC) will be facing a Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) team led by a quarterback who hasn't started a game since he led the freshman A team at Manvel High in Texas a few years back, you can almost expect the baffle them with BS approach in an attempt to daze and confuse Kyle Trask. Whether it's bringing the heat from new angles to pressure Trask into bad reads and errant throws or showing blitz then dropping eight into coverage, Pruitt will try to exploit Trask's inexperience. It sounds good on paper, but the guy who Trask backed up three years on the Manvel High varsity would probably tell you such an approach would be a mistake. D'Eriq King, who threw for 36 touchdowns and ran for 14 last season as the starting QB at the University of Houston, remains close with Trask and he will tell you his old buddy isn't going to be rattled no matter what Pruitt elects to throw at him. Speaking to reporters on Monday, King said, “Kyle is probably the most mentally strong guy I know.” If there is one thing the Gators need to notch their second SEC win in as many weeks, it's for Pruitt to show his mental toughness Saturday afternoon. We saw in the Kentucky game that Trask had a bit of unexpected moxie about him when he led the Gators from 11 down to a 29-21 win after Feleipe Franks went down with a dislocated/fractured ankle. But that was off the bench in a nothing to lose situation. Had Trask failed to lead the Gators to 19 straight points to win the game, it would have been dismissed as an inexperienced guy thrust into an untenable situation in a very hostile road environment except that he delivered. He made the smart decisions, the tough throws and the big plays. He had the confidence and swag to stick his head in the defense's sideline huddle after the Kentucky lead was cut to 21-16 to tell his teammates to get the ball back because the Gators were going to score again. Not we'll try to score. Not we hope we'll score. Trask told them “we're going to score.” And they did. Twice more, in fact. Trask passed that first test against a Kentucky defense that has far better personnel than what Jeremy Pruitt will send out Saturday afternoon. Pruitt knows he can't match Florida's speed and athleticism at the skill positions so he's going to have to try to neutralize them with schemes that get into and stay in Kyle Trask's head. If Trask's confidence is shaken early on, the Vols will have a shot. If Trask is the same tough guy that handled Kentucky las week in Lexington, then Florida might just win this in a rout. SEC FOOTBALL STUFF #2 Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC):Nick Saban says freshman D-lineman Antonio Alfano “basically quit … quit going to class, quit coming here [to practice].” Alfano has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal … Defensive end LaBryan Ray (ankle/foot) will miss at least six weeks. Saturday: vs. Southern Miss (2-1) Arkansas (2-1, 0-1 SEC):Colorado State quarterback Collin Hill is lost for the season with an ACL tear, the third he's suffered in the same knee. That is significant because he was injured by a deliberate low hit by Arkansas safety last Saturday. Foucha got a roughing the passer penalty but stayed in the game. Saturday: vs. San Jose State (1-1) #8 Auburn (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Offensive lineman Prince Tega Wanogho and wide receiver Seth Williams are expected to go against Texas A&M Saturday night but neither one is at 100%. Saturday: at #17 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC) #3 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Kirby Smart might not know until Saturday if wide receiver Demetris Robertson (6-44 receiving for two touchdowns) is able to go. Robertson has been trying to play through a couple of nagging injuries. Saturday: vs. #7 Notre Dame (1-1) Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC):Linebacker Kash Daniel denies that he was trying to twist Florida quarterback Kyle Trask's ankle with intent to hurt. Daniel said, “I’ve kept my mouth shut about it and I’ve been biting my tongue as long as I can, because that’s something I actually hold close to me. I was the victim of a dirty play, and if you don’t believe me, I have a plate of screws in my right ankle to prove that. I’ve got a scar halfway down my right leg. I’m not out there to hurt anybody.” Saturday: at Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC) #4 LSU (3-0, 0-0 SEC):Defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence won't play Saturday against Vandy while outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson is listed as doubtful. Saturday: at Vanderbilt (0-2, 0-1 SEC) Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC):Quarterback Tommy Stevens is still in doubt for Saturday's matchup with Kentucky, but says he's feeling okay. Stevens said, “Feeling good, just taking it day-by-day and continuing to do the things that I can to give myself a chance to play.” Saturday: vs. Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC) Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Corner Richaud Floyd says when Mizzou and South Carolina meet up, “You better have your chinstrap buckled. It's going to be a grown man's game.” Saturday: vs. South Carolina (1-2, 0-1 SEC) Ole Miss (2-1, 1-0 SEC): Through three games the Rebels have shown significant improvement on defense. They're allowing just 20.3 points (36.2 last year) and 366.7 yards per game (483.4 last year). Saturday: vs. #23 California (3-0) South Carolina (1-2, 0-1 SEC): HBC Will Muschamp is familiar with Mizzou grad transfer QB Kelly Bryant, who he faced when Bryant was the QB at Clemson. “He's a winner,” Muschamp said. “That's the one thing that stands out to you. He eludes and evades more to throw the ball than run the ball. I have tremendous respect for him.” Saturday: at Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC) Tennessee (1-2, 0-0 SEC): Cornerback Bryce Thompson will make the trip to Gainesville but HBC Jeremy Pruitt says he hasn't guaranteed any playing time against the Gators. “He's got to earn his way back out there,” Pruitt said. Thompson was only recently reinstated to the team after getting suspended for threatening to shoot up the school during an altercation with his girlfriend. Saturday: at #9 FLORIDA (3-0, 1-0 SEC) #17 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Jimbo Fisher expects defensive lineman Jayden Peevy and corner Elijah Blades to be healthy enough to play Saturday when Auburn comes to Kyle Field. Saturday: vs. #8 Auburn (3-0, 0-0 SEC) Vanderbilt (0-2, 0-1 SEC):Injured and out for the season are running back Jamauri Wakefield (leg), wide receiver Amir Abdur-Rahman (knee) and linebacker Colin Anderson (knee). Saturday: vs. #4 LSU (3-0, 0-0 SEC) GOOD QUOTES FOR THURSDAY From Chris Low of ESPN, Lane Kiffin talks about his year as Tennessee's head coach and who he tried to emulate with his brash words and predictions: “A lot of the things I was saying, that's straight out of Steve Spurrier 101, and people loved Coach Spurrier, taking a shot at someone else and making a joke. That's who I grew up idolizing, Steve Spurrier. That's why I wear a visor and why I run a wide-open offense. I grew up wanting to be Steve Spurrier. And that's why it was so cool to beat him that season.” From Laken Litman on UCF's chances to crash the College Football Playoff even if the Knights run the regular season for a third straight season: “The unfortunate reality is that even if the Knights win every game, they’re not going to make the Playoff. Strength of schedule matters and has been the primary reason UCF has never seriously been considered one of the four best teams—despite those consecutive perfect regular seasons. The selection committee has made that clear. It’s especially unfortunate this year that Stanford, ranked No. 25 in preseason polls, was fresh off a 45-20 loss to USC. In order to beef up their credentials, UCF needed Stanford to be one of (if not the) top teams in the Pac 12, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case. The Cardinal have their own problems this season, and even them winning out might not help the Knights’ resume enough. UCF is at the mercy of top dogs Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State, etc. having underwhelming seasons, which seems unlikely.” From ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay on Florida corner CJ Henderson, who he rates as the #11 prospect for the 2020 draft: “Primarily an outside corner who is at his best in man-to-man coverage, Henderson possesses smooth hips and easy speed -- he doesn't stress to stay in stride with receivers going vertical. Henderson locates the ball well and displays good ball skills, breaking up two passes this season. Run support and physicality at the line of scrimmage are his weaknesses, but those will improve as he gets stronger.” From Ian O'Connor of ESPN, Hall of Fame running back and Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown on Browns' second year quarterback Baker Mayfield: “He's going to be a superstar. He's the real deal. He has the physical skills, but more than the physical skills he has a great attitude toward his position, toward his responsibility ... He's the firstquarterback I've seen the Browns come up with that I really believe can truly do the job." RANDOM THOUGHTS: Towson State, whom the Gators will play on September 27 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, has lost its best player for the season. Senior running back Shane Simpson suffered an ACL tear in the Tigers win over Maine last Saturday. Simpson has 4,751 all-purpose yards in his Towson career, 337 this season … Former West Virginia running back Justin Crawford has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for having sex with a 12-year-old girl … With Drew Brees out for at least six weeks after undergoing surgery on his thumb, the New Orleans Saints plan to use both Teddy Bridgewater and dual threat Taysom Hill … Former Gator Pete Alonso is within three of tying Aaron Judge's all-time rookie record for home runs in a season. Alonso hit his 49thWednesday afternoon when the New York Mets rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth for a 7-4 win over the Colorado Rockies. Alonso leads the majors in homers and is seventh in RBI with 113.

Release from UF, University Athletic Association: NEW YORK, N.Y. – The University Athletic Association has partnered with HBO Sports’ landmark franchise 24/7 to break ground on the company’s first all-access college football series next month. This show, which airs on Oct. 2 at 10 p.m., will document the life of head coach Dan Mullen, Florida’s student-athletes, assistant coaches and more during the Gators preparations for Towson on Sept. 28. Fans can expect an in-depth look at daily meetings, practices, meals and everything that goes into a typical game week in Gainesville. The series, 24/7 COLLEGE FOOTBALL, is a collaboration between HBO Sports and Lucky 27 Media and Sport & Story. It will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and partners’ streaming/ The series will be narrated by Liev Schreiber, the voice of HBO Sports’ Emmy award-winning documentaries and the 24/7 and HARD KNOCKS franchises. Quotes: Head Coach Dan Mullen:“We are excited to have this opportunity to be the first college football program to be showcased on HBO’s 24/7 franchise. I am a big fan of Hard Knocks and I look forward to working with some of the best in the business.” Executive Producer, HBO Sports Rick Bernstein:“For many years, we have been enamored with the storylines and unrivaled traditions of college football, and we’re excited for the opportunity to expand the 24/7 franchise into the realm of college sports. Viewers will feel the tremendous electricity of some of the best atmospheres in the country, and see the meticulous preparation and challenges facing these programs in the build-up to gameday and during the game action. We are excited for the challenge of delivering a four-part series of four different college programs over a four-week period with the production values and storytelling associated with our 24/7 franchise.” Sport & Story’s Bo Mattingly:“We are thrilled to be a part of such a prestigious and award-winning HBO franchise, and work with some of the most talented people in the industry. This is a great opportunity to showcase college football and we appreciate the access these schools have given us for this landmark series.” Vice President & Senior Producer Bentley Weiner:“This is an exciting new chapter for 24/7. We will have camera crews embedded with each team for one week of their respective seasons, with edit rooms running simultaneously in New York, to give viewers a revealing and timely look at what goes on behind the scenes at some of the most interesting programs in college football. We’re thrilled to have a representative from the SEC, Big Ten and two Pac-12 schools as part of this new initiative.” In addition to Florida, HBO Sports will be chronicling Penn State, Arizona State and Washington State. Broadcast Schedule: Episode 1 – 24/7 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FLORIDA GATORS Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 10 pm ET – Chronicling Towson @ Florida (9/28) Game Week Episode 2 – 24/7 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Penn State Wednesday, October 9 at 10 pm ET – Chronicling Purdue @ Penn State (10/5) Game Week Episode 3 – 24/7 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Arizona State Wednesday, October 16 at 10 pm ET – Chronicling Washington State @ Arizona State (10/12) Game Week Episode 4 – 24/7 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Washington State Wednesday, October 23 at 10 pm ET – Chronicling Colorado @ Washington State (10/19) Game Week

Through three games in 2019, the No. 9 Florida Gators run game has been three yards and a cloud of dust. With a running back unit that boast senior Lamical Perine, redshirt sophomore Malik Davis and sophomore Dameon Pierce, there was a perception coming into the season that this would be a strength for the offense. The Gators averaged 213.2 rushing yards per game last season with a combination of the running backs and quarterback Feleipe Franks. Thus far this season, that number has floated instead around 139.7 per game. It’s easy to look at Perine and ask what happened? It’s understandable that the question is asked, why not use Pierce and his wide frame more? These are cop outs. Just ask head coach Dan Mullen. “We got a young O-line and as things change, especially see people are gonna load the line of scrimmage with different looks, they’ve gotta get used to doing that and making those blocks…but you know I think for [Perine], he’s running the ball, I haven’t had many negatives. He’s graded out just about every week.” And just ask the offensive line. “Looking back at film we’re one block away from a big play,” explains left guard Brett Heggie. “It’s frustrating to see, but really just moving on and get it right for this game we’re playing against Tennessee and again just focusing on the small things. We’re close to breaking big plays and we just have to put it all together. “It’s just something we have to take mentally, come out every single day and work on it…we were one block here, one block there, myself included, from making big plays. We just gotta put it all together and we’ll make big plays.” “They gotta be able to communicate better up front to do that. It's not that anybody got physically beat. It's a communication error,” explains line coach John Hevesy. The offensive line does get some lee-way here after losing four starters from the 2018 unit. With only center Nick Buchanan the only returner, Hevesy and head coach Dan Mullen were tasked with pulling from within their unit to cobble together a starting five. Heggie had previous starting experience which helped. But Mullen admitted after spring practice that they were looking for more. “Not that I don’t like our young players and where they’re coming in their development, but when you’re looking at all these guys we’d love to get a grad transfer come in and add somebody that can come in and we’d feel comfortable that has that experience and can come in and play immediately for us.” That didn’t happen. It should be noted that the offensive line in 2018, even with more experience, did start off struggling as well. And the unit’s pass protection through three games so far this year has been phenomenal. But there’s an aspect to the game missing and it’s clearly in the run blocking. Blame does has to be shared with tight ends here as well. As Buchanan explains, some of that is also the incredible talent faced in two of the first three games; Miami Hurricanes and Kentucky Wildcats. ______________________________________ Related: Gators Pull Out Gritty Win Against Kentucky Related: Watercooler Topics: Florida-Kentucky ______________________________________ “Kentucky is a good team. It’s an SEC team. They’ve got guys up front, we’ve got guys up front. Sometimes that’s how it is in the running game, you’ve got to keep pounding and pounding and pounding until you break one. That’s just how it is. Some games you’re going to run for 1,000 yards, some games you’re going to pass for 1,000 yards. Whatever it takes to win, we want to do it.” Adds Hevesy, “[Kentucky] came out a little different. They played a lot more four-down than we thought, but to me it's how fast can we adjust to it. And then for us, in the first half we just gotta take care of the ball better. “The biggest for us is just the game situations. Going back to the first half, the Miami game and the Kentucky game we didn’t have a whole lot of possessions in the first half. A) because of turnovers, which is killing us along the way is getting turnovers and getting possessions to be able to run the ball. Then last week being down 21-10, you’re going, how much time can we spend running the ball. But to me we got to be able to, A) hold onto the ball and be able to be effective early to put that part of the game.” Within the running back room, Dameon Pierce says guys are just staying focused on what they can do on their part to be ready for that big play Heggie referenced. “We all gotta stay within our system, stay within our play calls and just execute at a high level. It’s not the fact that they can’t do it, it’s the fact that we making little mistakes and we’d rather fix the little mistakes than the big mistakes so we go in to film every day, we coaching them guys up and we’re gonna get better.” As the game progressed against Kentucky, the run blocking built steam. The blocks laid—especially by tight ends Lucas Krull and Kyle Pitts—on Josh Hammond's 76-yard jet sweep were crucial. Hevesy is doing extra coaching as well. Monday’s practice went 40 minutes over, for the entire team. On Tuesday, the position coach was seen staying back with several starters, walking them through certain blocks and situations. And when looking back at the Miami and Kentucky game—especially the aforementioned miscommunication he pinpointed as an issue—Hevesy feels everything is fixable. "The greatest thing is it's correctable. We just gotta do a better job, especially in a situation when they're moving in and out of things. It will be no different this week. We're home, so it's a little easier. But to me, it's constant communication of five guys. I've said before if we're all wrong, we're right. And to me, we were wrong. Protection wise, five guys was right and one guy was wrong. But that to me is not his fault, it's everyone's fault for not communication." While the run blocking continues to develop, Mullen and the offensive coordinators are taking advantage of the pass protection the unit has cultivated and what defenses are letting them throw. This means that Perine, instead of having to watch his senior season start with little production as the blocking comes together, is working on another part of his game that will translate at the next level. “We’re getting him the ball on the pass game as well. And I think that’s a big part to it. I think he knew, especially one of the things was, he made a really smart decision to come back for his senior year and to work on certain things and I think to highlight certain things and one of those—to me—was gonna be his ability in the pass game which translates a lot at the next level.” Perine is currently tied with Van Jefferson for a team high 12 receptions. He has 63 yards and a touchdown through the air. He’s also the leading rusher with 34 touches for 120 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Both of those things could grow according to Mullen, as this Florida Gators offense—and whatever state of run blocking appears each week—creates its 2019 identity. “Obviously I’d like to run the ball better. I love running the ball, a little bit better than we’ve run it. But we’ve also thrown it pretty darn well this year. And so if teams are gonna try to make sure the run’s taken away, I mean I’m not gonna just sit there and keep slamming my head in the wall; we’re gonna, we’ll go and throw it and he’ll get touches in the pass game.”

The No. 9 Florida Gators have started a new streak against the Kentucky Wildcats, beating them 29-21 in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday night. It took a 19-0 4th quarter run from the Gators to make the comeback and lost starting quarterback Feleipe Franks for the year to a dislocated ankle and fracture during the matchup. While the quarterback change from Franks to Kyle Trask has understandably dominated the conversation since—and will continue to for the foreseeable future—there are ample topics to cover from the whiplash win on Saturday. As you head back to work this week—and before kicking up the Tennessee trash talk—catch up with these notes for your watercooler topics. The Jet Sweep Josh Hammond's jet sweep at the end of the game was mesmerizing. When the call was made, Mullen simply told him, get the first down, stay in bounds. Hammond did more than that. On a play that the receiver revealed would normally be called for the injured Kadarius Toney, Hammond took the handoff from Kyle Trask and hoofed it 76-yards for the dagger with 0:33 seconds left in the game. Both the coach and Hammond point out if he'd gone down at the one yard line, the offense would have been able to kneel out the game in victory formation with a 1-point win. But not only did Hammond's score help deliver a bad beat to those who had Kentucky with the 10-point spread, it gave a moment of celebration to a team reeling from losing their emotional leader in Franks. The run blocking. Eesh The run blocking is greatly suspect due to both the inexperienced offensive line and lack of blocking production from the tight ends. Both have proven to improve as games progressed, but for a Top 10 team gearing up for a gauntlet stretch that includes three matchups against Top 8 teams within the next six weeks, there’s a lot left to be desired. The tight ends are a greater receiving threat in this Dan Mullen offense, but has it come at the expense of bringing in those with greater blocking skills? This means senior running back Lamical Perine has been hampered with what he’s able to do on the ground. Through three games in 2018, Perine was averaging 9.26 yards per carry. Through the first three games in 2019, he has averaged 3.53. The senior has incredible vision but hasn’t been given lanes to work within. As such the staff has sent him more towards the edge and decided to utilize him more in the passing game. The running back is currently tied with Van Jefferson for a team high 12 receptions. Mullen says the plan for the run game moving forward will depend not only on the blocking ability, but also what the defense is giving: “What we've got to do is just take what they give us. As you get into the flow of the game, [Kentucky was] going to let us throw it. We threw it. And so sometimes that's just how it goes. You've got to adapt. I mean I love being balanced, right? We threw it 30 times, ran it 27. Somewhat balanced. Obviously you always like to tip the scales on the side of the run, that's me, I love to run the ball. But if you're going to sit there and let us throw it and say, 'We're not going to let you run it,' we'll throw it.” The passing game. Whoa On the flip side of that, as Mullen mentioned, teams are letting the Gators throw the rock. A lot of this had to do with the thinking that if they forced Feleipe Franks to stand in the pocket and make throws, that his accuracy—or perceived lack thereof—would bail out the defense. Instead, Franks and the receivers revealed a much more pinpoint passing game with the ability to make everything from short slants to deep balls. Through the first three games in 2018—against arguably a weaker slate of opponents with Charleston Southern, Kentucky and Colorado St.—the passing game averaged 197.3 yards per game. This season—against Miami, UT-Martin and Kentucky—the passing game has averaged 288.7 yards per game with the last two each bringing 300+ passing yards. And Kyle Trask is more of a pure passer than Franks, the latter of who thrived outside the pocket. There shouldn’t be much of, if any, drop off with Trask passing. So just sit back and enjoy the return of the fun-and-gun, featuring new receiver Lamical Perine. Third and Grantham Todd Grantham’s defense is a gridiron version of Jekyll and Hyde. A large part of that is because of the aggressive style that allows big plays early on before adjustments are made. The Gators defense gave up 5-7 to Kentucky on 3rd down in the first half. Big ones, like a 3rd and 21 that saw Sawyer Smith bring Ahmad Wagner over to the sideline and deliver one in under Marco Wilson. Then they gave up the first three 3rd downs out of halftime. But Grantham’s halftime adjustments have become something of lore and we saw it again in Lexington. After the first three out of the half, the Gators stopped the Cats on the next five. In total the defense held UK to 3-8 on 3rd down in the 2nd half. But those in the first half are not forgivable, as both Mullen and defensive veterans David Reese II and Jon Greenard said over the weekend. Said Greenard: “I gotta do better. It seems our defense as a whole has gotta get better as far as me getting to the quarterback, the guys up front getting to the quarterback and making him feel uncomfortable. There are some things, a couple of issues in the back end. There are some minor issues that will cost us later on, on the road, if we play a bigger opponent. Overall we’ll just continue to practice and I feel like credit to UK as far as calling the right plays just to find our weak spots and plays where it helped to a first down and be successful.” But as Mullen pointed out—and the stats confirm—when the Gators had to be tough on 3rd down, they were. "We weren’t very good on third down, we did a lot of things poorly, really bad on third down all night long on defense until we found a way to be good and then we were good until the end." STAR Trey Dean III says even when big plays are being given up in the first half, it's all part of the game long plan of Todd Grantham. "He’s great. A lot of people think we’re gonna run the same calls but when we go into the locker room, we gonna change it up. Offensive coordinators can’t plan for him cause he got so much stuff in the bag so he’s just a great defensive coordinator all around so he’s gonna call different plays to see what the offense is gonna bring to him." Defensive Shuffling With corner CJ Henderson and money linebacker/STAR nickel backup Amari Burney both out, the Gators started with Trey Dean III opposite Marco Wilson at corner. It looked at first like Grantham was lining up outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon at the STAR nickel position—something they mentioned in fall camp as a possibility—but the University Athletic Association clarified that the Gators actually started two outside linebackers: Moon and Greenard. They ended up playing this front a lot, especially after end Jabari Zuniga went out after the first series with an injury. The defensive line became Adam Shuler and Kyree Campbell -or- TJ Slaton with Zachary Carter lining up at defensive end but with a hand in the ground. Moon and Greenard both lined up at outside linebacker with Greenard rushing and Moon dropping into coverage. Ventrell Miller played the majority of snaps at money linebacker. In the secondary, when Kaiir Elam would come in at corner, Trey Dean would move back to STAR and Moon would rest. Shawn Davis and Brad Stewart played the entire first quarter at safety. Targeting Calls On a night when the officials were quick to draw flags, Kentucky lost two players to ejection following targeting calls but so did the Gators. Safety Donovan Stiner was ejected during the second half for targeting, meaning he will also have to miss the first half of the game this coming Saturday against Tennessee. Cats receiver Ahmad Wagner was deep on the sideline and hauled in a 21-yard completion from Sawyer Smith. Gators corner Marco Wilson was on the coverage and got his hands in to try to break up the pass, meaning Wagner and the play stayed in bounds for a second longer than a normal sideline pass would. This meant Stiner saw a possible need to come over and make a play in case Wagner stepped out of Wilson’s hold. He went for Wagner’s upper body but with his head slightly lowered, the officials saw fit to call targeting, a call that was upheld. Mullen said all three calls fit the criteria for the penalty but credited Stiner for doing what he’s asked to do on a tackle to keep it safe for both him and the receiver, while not drawing a foul. Sometimes though, as Mullen explained, it can be a difference of just a couple of centimeters in the head position that will cause a crew to make the controversial call: “From my coaching point Stiner there, he didn’t go high, he didn’t hit him in the head. Watch me here,” he paused, mimicking his head bobbing slightly up and down. “That’s the difference. That’s what I told him, ‘hey, you did what [we] asked you, want to do and it was just this much. But that’s for him, that’s protection of him as much as the other player, of keeping that head up.” The Gators stayed steady in both polls; No. 9 in the A.P. and No. 8 in the Coaches Poll. They will kick off at Noon ET on Saturday against the Tennessee Volunteers. The game is set to broadcast on ESPN.

EGOS ASIDE; MULLEN WILL USE TWO QUARTERBACKS The Kyle Trask that answered questions Monday afternoon at Florida's weekly press conference was ever so polite. He spoke softly in a most unassuming manner, content to praise his teammates and coaches without drawing attention to himself. If you only go by his press conference demeanor, you'd never guess that he's now the Gators' starting quarterback. Starting quarterbacks tend to have an edge about them, a rather discernible ego. As Dan Mullen pointed out earlier in the afternoon, Chris Leak had one. So did Tim Tebow. Rather big ones, in fact. Mullen said try playing quarterback in the Southeastern Conference if you don't have a healthy ego. The Trask of Monday afternoon was a real contrast to the Kyle Trask of Saturday night, the one who stuck his head into a fourth quarter defensive huddle at Kroger Field in Lexington where the Gators were trailing the Kentucky Wildcats 21-16. That Kyle Trask told his teammates from the other side of the ball to get the football back because “we're going to score.” A couple minutes later, almost as if Trask had willed it to happen, Shawn Davis intercepted a Sawyer Smith pass to get the ball back for the Gators. And, sure enough, Trask led the Gators to the go-ahead touchdown. You only do that if you have a combination of confidence in your skills and the ego to know you're just the right guy to get the job done. Then there was the Kyle Trask who so perfectly executed a jet sweep that at least eight of the 11 Kentucky defenders thought he had the football. By the time they figured out that Josh Hammond had it, Kyle Pitts and Lucas Krull were sealing off a nice alley through which Hammond sprinted, sucking a little more air out of the stadium with every stride while Kentucky's too late to catch him defenders gave chase. As Hammond streaked toward the end zone, Trask sprinted about 40 yards behind him. His arms were raised high above his head. He had a finger raised toward the heavens on each hand. Purists might say that Trask should have simply trotted to the sideline and allowed teammates to smother him with praise and adulation, but quarterback is the ultimate ego position in all of sports. When you execute a play so perfectly and you carry out the fake after handing the ball off so well that 90% of the folks in the ball yard are fooled, then you deserve to unchain your ego, especially after waiting so patiently for your turn. Think of Saturday night as the coming out party for Kyle Trask's ego. He will need lots of ego moving forward because he is going to be Florida's starting quarterback against Tennessee (1-2, 0-0 SEC) Saturday due to the horrendous injury (dislocated and fractured ankle) Feleipe Franks suffered against Kentucky. But there is a minor little detail about taking over as the starter. Per Mullen, Emory Jones is also going to play so while Trask may start, he might have to share some of the QB load. Asked if that is a problem, replied, “We’re here to do what’s best for the team. Whatever we need to do, we’ll do whatever the coaches ask. When our number’s called, I’m sure we’ll produce.” That wasn't an ego-less answer but the answer of a player who has framed his ego by what the team needs to win, which is a good thing considering Mullen seems to believe a two-headed monster at QB might be just what the Gators need to remain in contention in the SEC East. With Trask Mullen gets a pure passer who has adequate but not spectacular running skills. EJ is an adequate passer who has speed and make-you-miss elusiveness as a runner. If Mullen can somehow find balance in the way he uses the two, he might be able to force opposing defensive coordinators to spend sleepless nights on the sofa preparing for quarterbacks with different skill sets sort of the way he did back in 2006 when he was Florida's offensive coordinator using both Leak and Tebow. It's not like they were without egos. “We handled it in 2006 with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow,” Mullen said. “I mean great people. I mean really great guys and good people but they both have pretty big egos. To do what they do out there, if you don't, you're not going to survive.” Florida not only survived accommodating Leak's passing and Tebow's Csonka-like blasts between the tackles in the running game, but the Gators won a national championship. This isn't to say the Gators are going to win the 2019 national championship with Trask and EJ splitting up time at QB, but Mullen thinks it will give the Gators their best chance to win with nine regular season games remaining on the schedule. As for any criticism he might get from playing two quarterbacks, Mullen said the only real downside is if Trask and Jones start listening to too many people on the outside. “The key is that everybody knows what's going on,” Mullen said. “Unfortunately, people outside of the room don't know what's going on or don't know the plan so they can say 'oh this' or 'oh that!' Or 'boy you should have done this' or 'boy you should have done that.' How do you know what we're supposed to do. I never saw you in our game planning meetings. That's kind of how it goes. As long as we're all on the same page, we're good.” SEC FOOTBALL STUFF #2 Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Alabama is awaiting further testing to determine if D-lineman LaBryan Ray will be able to return this season. He's dealing with a foot/ankle injury. Saturday: vs. Southern Miss (2-1) Arkansas (2-0, 0-1 SEC): Center Zach Williams will miss a couple of games with a knee injury and linebacker Bumper Pool is listed day-to-day with an injured clavicle. D-lineman Jamario Bell should be back Saturday for San Jose State. Saturday: vs. San Jose State (1-1) #8 Auburn (3-0, 0-0 SEC): When Patrick Nix, dad of Auburn freshman QB Bo Nix, played quarterback at Auburn, his position coach was current Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher … Auburn is a 4-point underdog Saturday in College Station against the Aggies. Saturday: at #16 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC) #3 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC):It's still day-to-day for offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson (6-7, 340), who has missed the last two games after spraining his ankle against Vandy. Saturday: vs. #7 Notre Dame (2-0) Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC): Asked if he would comment on having two players ejected from the loss to Florida due to targeting calls, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops replied, “No, I don't want to part with $50,000.” That's the fine for coaches publicly complaining about officials in the Southeastern Conference. Saturday: at Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC) #4 LSU (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Safety Todd Harris will miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury in the Tigers' win over Northwestern State … LSU expects to have offensive lineman Ed Ingram cleared to return to football in the next couple of days. He's been suspended since last season after a sexual assault accusation. Saturday: at Vanderbilt (0-2) Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Quarterback Tommy Stevens (shoulder) is listed day-to-day. If he can't go Saturday, true freshman Garrett Shrader will get the start. Keytaon Thompson is injured and won't be able to go. Saturday: vs. Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC) Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Are the numbers from last Saturday's win over Southeast Missouri State subliminally telling us something? The 50-0 win was Mizzou's 500thwin at Memorial Stadium. Saturday: vs. South Carolina (1-2, 0-1 SEC) Ole Miss (2-1, 1-0 SEC): Expect freshman running back Jerrion Ealy to see the ball more in the offense Saturday. He had nine carried (95 yards) and two receptions (21 yards) in the win over Southeastern Louisiana. Saturday: vs. #23 California (3-0) South Carolina (1-2, 0-1 SEC): In the loss to Alabama, South Carolina attempted a fake punt, a fake field goal and an onsides kick. Saturday: at Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC) Tennessee (1-2, 0-0 SEC): Corner Bryce Thompson, arrested during the summer after making threats to “shoot up the school” during an altercation with his girlfriend, is practicing but HBC Jeremy Pruitt says he is undecided whether or not Thompson will play Saturday against the Gators. Saturday: at #9 FLORIDA (3-0, 1-0 SEC) #16 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Running back Deneric Pierce, who has yet to carry the ball this season, has reportedly entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal. Saturday: vs. #8 Auburn (3-0, 0-0 SEC) Vanderbilt (0-2, 0-1 SEC):The Vanderbilt pass defense, which was torched for 509 yards and five touchdowns in the loss to Purdue a couple of weeks ago, will be tasked with trying to stop LSU QB Joe Burrow Saturday. All Burrow has done is throw for 1,122 yards and 11 touchdowns in three games so far. Saturday: vs. #4 LSU (3-0, 0-0 SEC) ALL TOO EARLY HEISMAN CONTENDERS Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma: 49-61 passing for 880 yards (14.4 per attempt), nine TDPs, 0 picks; 38-373 rushing (9.82 per carry) for four touchdowns. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama: 70-91 passing for 1,007 yards (11.1 per attempt), 12 TDPs, 0 picks; one rushing TD. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin: 35-237 rushing (6.77 per carry) for five touchdowns; 5-65 receiving for three touchdowns. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU: 70-95 passing for 1,122 yards (12.5 per attempt), 11 TDPs, two picks; one rushing TD. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson: 59-97 passing for 831 yards (8.6 per attempt), five TDPs, five picks; three rushing touchdowns. Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia: 42-56 passing for 601 yards (10.7 per attempt); five TDPs, 0 picks. Sam Ehlinger, QB, Texas: 82-112 passing for 956 yards (8.5 per attempt), 11 TDPs, 0 picks; 32-121 rushing (3.78 per carry) for one touchdown; one reception for eight yards. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State: 52-74 passing for 657 yards (8.9 per attempt), nine TDPs, 0 picks; 25-114 rushing (4.56 per carry) for four touchdowns. Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon: 77-105 passing for 868 yards (8.3 per attempt) for 11 TDPs, 0 picks. GOOD QUOTES FOR TUESDAY From Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network on Saturday's Notre Dame-Georgia game in Athens: “I don’t know how anyone in their right mind believes Notre Dame can win this game. Georgia is one of the more complete teams in the country, Notre Dame is not. They have a good quarterback, but they have so many missing aspects, and again the Notre Dame fans want to tilt their collective nose toward the sky, and act like the world of college football revolves around them, it doesn’t. Notre Dame is barely relevant in the conversation of college football powers.” From Robert Klemko of Sports Illustrated on the investigation into wide receiver Antonio Brown's long list of off the field problems: “SI conducted interviews with more than two dozen people who have employed, worked for, coached, or played alongside Brown – some who have taken legal action against him, and others who have not – and reviewed police and court documents from jurisdictions ranging from Miami to Pittsburgh to Oakland. In a half-dozen lawsuits, he is accused of refusal to pay wages to former assistants and part-time employees. Court documents and interviews also suggest a pattern of disturbing, sometimes bizarre behavior – including, SI has learned, a second woman’s allegations of sexual misconduct by Brown.” From Stewart Mandel of The Athletic on Georgia as the Bulldogs prep for Saturday night's matchup with Notre Dame in Athens: “Though Georgia doesn’t face nearly the degree of skepticism Notre Dame does, a large segment of the public is still waiting to be convinced. They’ve watched the otherwise dominant Dawgs lose to Alabama in excruciating fashion two seasons in a row, while also laying the occasional egg against an Auburn (40-17 loss in 2017) or Texas (last year’s 28-21 Sugar Bowl loss). Oh, and also, they haven’t won a national title since 1980 – eight years farther back than even Notre Dame.” RANDOM THOUGHTS:At halftime of last Saturday night's loss to Texas, the Rice marching band trolled the Texas team GPA by forming a 2.89 on the field. Rice is one of the more difficult schools to get into and out of in all of Division I football with an average freshman SAT score of 1535 … Ben Roethlisberger will have elbow surgery so his season is over. The Pittsburgh Steelers will turn QB over to Mason Rudolph … Drew Brees will have surgery on his thumb and will miss six weeks. The New Orleans Saints will rely on Teddy Bridgewater … The Miami Dolphins traded DB Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers for a 2020 first round draft pick. For Fitzpatrick it must seem like being delivered from hell … Former Gator Alex Anzalone will miss a minimum of eight weeks after the Saints put him on injured reserve Monday.

TRASK WASN'T CONSUMED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES Rather than a baptism by fire in his first legitimate game on the line opportunity Saturday night in Lexington, we saw a very calm, very much in charge Kyle Trask who wasn't the least bit consumed by his circumstances. Trask acted like he'd been doing this all his life as he gave the Gators the shot in the arm they needed to rally from 11 down to a 29-21 win over the Kentucky Wildcats. In reality, it might be the first time since junior high that Trask has been in a situation like this. After all, he was a backup in high school, too. If unflappable at Kentucky translates to a quarterback that won't be overwhelmed by either circumstances or opponents the rest of the way, then Florida still has a legitimate shot at a 9-10 win (or more) season. Two plays in particular showed us what Trask is capable of doing. The first was on the option toss to Lamical Perine for Florida's first TD after he came in to replace Feleipe Franks. On that play, Trask not only had the presence to make the toss when he absorbed the first contact but to make certain he pitched it behind him so there was no chance of an illegal forward pass. The second play was the jet sweep that Josh Hammond turned into a 76-yard game-sealing touchdown. Trask made the handoff to Hammond but continued to carry out the fake so well that he got hit by two UK linemen. By the time three back end defenders figured out Hammond had the ball, Hammond had his shoulders squared and was going north-south, too late to get caught. What do these two plays tell us? They tell us that Trask is a QB who has worked hard to be ready when his number got called. He wasn't rusty. He wasn't the least bit apprehensive. He was ready to step in and make plays and did them in a Win One for the Gipper moment when the entire Florida team needed a spark after Franks went down. That says something about the kid and the coaching he's received. GATORS REMAIN IN THE TOP TEN IN BOTH POLLS The Associated Press Top 25 Poll Clemson 3-0; (2) Alabama 3-0; (3) Georgia 3-0; (4) LSU 3-0; (5) Oklahoma 4-0; (6) Ohio State 3-0; (7) Notre Dame 2-0; (8) Auburn 3-0; (9) FLORIDA 3-0; (10) Utah 3-0; (11) Michigan 2-0; (12) Texas 2-1; (13; tie) Wisconsin 2-0 and Penn State 3-0; (15) UCF 3-0; (16) Oregon 2-1; (17) Texas A&M 2-1; (18) Iowa 3-0; (19) Washington State 3-0; (20) Boise State 3-0; (21) Virginia 3-0; (22) Washington 2-1; (23) California 3-0; (24) Arizona State 3-0; (25) TCU 2-0 The Coaches Top 25 Top 25 Poll Clemson 3-0; (2) Alabama 3-0; (3) Georgia 3-0; (4) Oklahoma 3-0; (5) LSU 3-0; (6) Ohio State 3-0; (7) Notre Dame 2-0; (8) FLORIDA 3-0; (9) Auburn 3-0; (10) Michigan 3-0; (11) Utah 3-0; (12) Penn State 3-0; (13) Texas 2-1; (14) Wisconsin 2-0; (15) Texas A&M 2-1; (16) UCF 3-0; (17) Oregon 2-1; (18) Iowa 3-0; (19) Washington State 3-0; (20) Boise State 3-0; (21) Washington 2-1; (22) Virginia 3-0; (23) California 3-0; (24) Arizona State 3-0; (25) Kansas State 3-0 RANKING THE SEC TOP TO BOTTOM (1) Alabama (3-0, 1-0 SEC): All Tua did was hit 28-36 passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns in the win over South Carolina. So far he's just 70-91 for 1,007 yards (11.1 per attempt) and 12 touchdowns without a pick. Next week: vs. Southern Mississippi (2-1) (2) LSU (3-0, 0-0 SEC): LSU played like a bored team yet they still scored 65 points and ran up and down the field for 620 yards. Joe Burrow still hit 21-24 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns, plus he scored one on the ground. He's hit 75-90 passes for 1,122 yards (12.5 per attempt) and 11 touchdowns in three games. Next week: at Vanderbilt (0-2, 0-1 SEC) (3) Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Georgia has blown out three consecutive opponents. Are the Bulldogs that good or have they played three straight cupcakes? We find out this week when Notre Dame comes to Athens. Through three games, Jake Fromm is 42-64 passing for 601 yards (10.7 per attempt) and five touchdowns without a pick. Next week: vs. Notre Dame (2-0) (4) Auburn (3-0, 0-0 SEC): In blowing out Kent State, 55-16, Auburn ran for six touchdowns and had three 100-yard plus rushers in Boobie Whitlow (17-138, two touchdowns), Joey Gatewood (12-102, two touchdowns) and Shaun Shivers (12-102). Next week: at Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC) (5) FLORIDA (3-0, 1-0 SEC):The Gators rank 59thin total offense (428.3 yards per game) and 33rdin total defense (300.7 yards per game). Next week: vs. Tennessee (1-2, 0-0 SEC) (6) Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC): In his first game after being thrust into the starting lineup due to an injury, freshman running back Isaiah Spiller carried 14 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns plus caught two passes for 21 yards. Next week: vs. Auburn (3-0, 0-0 SEC) (7) Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC): Mark Stoops was seriously upset with the officiating, particularly about a fourth quarter targeting call on D-Lineman T.J. Carter. Replays did show that Carter led with the crown of his helmet, which, according to the rules, is an automatic targeting flag. Next week: at Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC) (8) Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Missouri scored 50 points but that wasn't the story in Saturday's 50-0 win over D1AA Southeast Missouri State. The big story was a defense that pitched a shutout while giving up only 94 total yards. Next week: vs. South Carolina (9) Mississippi State (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Tommy Stevens got hurt again and that didn't help matters much. Neither did Joe Moorhead getting his coaching butt handed to him on a platter by K-State's Chris Kliemann. This is a game that Mississippi State should have but didn't win. Next week: vs. Kentucky (2-1, 0-1 SEC) (10) South Carolina (1-2, 0-1 SEC): Even though the Gamecocks got their doors blown off by Alabama, 47-23, Ryan Hilinski played so well (36-57 for 324 yards and two touchdowns) that Jake Bentley would be wise to start looking into graduate transfer options. Hilinski is the real deal. Next week: at Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC) (11) Ole Miss (2-1, 1-0 SEC): The defense that looked so good in games one and two looked like the one last year that was so bad against D1AA Southeastern Louisiana. The Rebels were saved by super freshman Jerion Ealy, who ran for 95 yards and a TD, caught a pass for six yards and returned six kickoffs for 172 yards including taking one 94 yards to the house. Next week: vs. California (3-0) (12) Vanderbilt (0-2, 0-1 SEC): The Commodores got the week off which meant they didn't lose. The Commodores get back to their losing ways this week when LSU comes to town. This will get ugly early. Next week: vs. LSU (3-0, 0-0 SEC) (13) Arkansas (2-1, 0-1 SEC): The switch to Texas A&M grad transfer QB Nick Starkel paid off for the Hogs in their 55-34 win over Colorado State. Starkel completed 20-35 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns without throwing a pick. Next week: vs. San Jose State (1-1) (14) Tennessee (1-2, 0-0 SEC): The Vols got a win. Sure, it was only Chattanooga from D1AA but when you've been as bad as the Vols have been in their first two games, you wear your win proudly. Next week: at FLORIDA (3-0, 1-0 SEC) ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL File this under the category “If you always do what you've always done, you'll always be what you've always been.” For the third straight game Florida State was owned in the fourth quarter, this time by Virginia, which scored the game's final 21 points to beat the Seminoles, 31-24. Florida State gave up 21 fourth quarter points and lost to Virginia, 31-24. If games were decided by who wins the first half, FSU would be 3-0 right now. Instead the Seminoles are 1-2 and should be 0-3. Just when we were thinking the Pac-12 is the worst of the Power 5 Conferences along comes the Atlantic Coast Conference. Among other things, Boston College got its doors blown off – at home no less – by Les Miles and the Kansas Jayhawks. Georgia Tech lost to D1AA The Citadel. Virginia Tech barely escaped with a win over D1AA Furman. Pitt was down 17-10 to Penn State with 4:54 to go and facing fourth-and-goal at the Penn State one. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi elected to go for a field goal (missed from 19 yards) and then after the game claimed he opted for a FG because it was a 2-score game. North Carolina State got poleaxed by the same West Virginia team that Missouri stomped the week before. So much for all this talk about Maryland and how Mike Locksley regained his coaching mojo while working for Nick Saban. The Locksley that coached the Fighting Turtles to a loss against Shirley Temple looked exactly like the Locksley that was 3-31 as a head coach heading into the season. Southern Cal created this incredible mess following Pete Carroll by the way it fired Lane Kiffin and then hired Steve Sarkisian. What Clay Helton has done to rehab the image of Southern Cal by playing by the rules and cleaning things up deserves better than what he's probably going to get. After losing to BYU, 30-27, in overtime in Provo when his true freshman quarterback threw an interception, the Southern Cal boosters want Helton's scalp and they want him replaced with Urban Meyer. With Utah next followed by roadies to Notre Dame and Washington, the only way Helton will silence the critics is to win all three. And then you wonder will even that be enough? As Left Coasters and Power 5 elites try to make excuses for Stanford getting torched by UCF at the Bounce House, 45-27 – a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score might indicate – consider this: The Knights have won 28 of their last 29 games. They have scored 30 or more points in 30 consecutive games. Maybe it's time to admit that UCF is really, really good. GOOD QUOTES FOR MONDAY From David Schoenfeld of ESPN on how former Gator Pete Alonso has become an almost bigger than life figure and the face of the New York Mets in his rookie year: “The other day to honor the 9/11 anniversary, Alonso had petitioned MLB to let the Mets wear first responder caps during the game, like they had back in 2001 in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. When MLB denied the request, Alonso wore special first responder cleats – and then gave the entire team a pair.” From Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, on the doom and gloom at Boston College after the Eagles got pillaged and plundered by Les Miles and Kansas: “The only good thing for Boston College was that this game was broadcast on the ACC Network, which meant limited viewership. This will go down as the most dispiriting loss of Steve Addazio’s seven seasons at BC, as the Eagles’ defensive front got consistently mauled and the backend missed tackle after tackle. The offense disappeared. Addazio used the phrase 'my responsibility' three times in his postgame news conference.” From Nate Scott of USA Today on Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi's decision to kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal at the Penn State one when trailing the Nittany Lions, 17-10, with less than five minutes remaining in the game: “It wasn’t just spectacularly cowardly. It was spectacularly stupid.It was stupid before his kicker missed and it was just as stupid after his kicker missed, but it had the added thing of being hilarious.” From Michelle Martinelli on Maryland's inept offense, particularly after taking over on the Temple 10 following a 7-yard punt, then failing to score: “The Terps failed to score twice from Temple’s one-yard line and turned the ball over on downs with about five minutes left in the game. And when their defense forced Temple to go three-and-out on the next possession (which led to the seven-yard punt), they, once again, failed to score when the drive started at the Owls’ 10-yard line. How do you start a drive at first-and-goal and not score?” RANDOM THOUGHTS: Charlie Culbertson of the Atlanta Braves suffered multiple facial fractures Saturday after he was hit in the face by a 91 mph fast ball by Fernando Rodney of the Washington Nationals ... When ESPN rated the top players at the FIBA World Cup in China, not a single player from Team USA made its list of most impactful … Former Gator Demarcus Robinson had the best game of his NFL career Sunday when he caught six passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns for the Kansas City Chiefs. His TD catches were 44 and 39 yards … Former Gator Eddy Pineiro's third field goal of the game, a 53-yarder as time expired gave the Chicago Bears a 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos.