The dynasty had been dying a slow death ever since the national championship game in 2000 when Oklahoma and second year head coach Bobby Stoops had shocked the Seminoles 13-2. In the subsequent four years, FSU not only didn’t win the ACC championship but had only one 10th place finish in the final AP poll. This from a program that had finished no worse than fourth nationally for 14 straight years (1987-2000). When the Florida game rolled around Thanksgiving weekend in Gainesville, this was viewed almost in desperation terms by the Seminoles. They needed a win to end an inglorious two-game losing streak that had knocked them all the way down to #23 in the AP poll and to convince recruits that FSU was ever so close to rekindling the dynasty fires. The Seminoles hadn’t cornered the market on desperation. Florida began the 2005 season ranked 10th and made it as high as #5 when the wheels came off at Alabama, a 31-3 loss that felt like the air was coming out of the Urban Meyer balloon. After a 21-17 loss to LSU in Tiger Stadium, Meyer broke down in tears post game because he had players like Dallas Baker, trying to go with broken ribs and a high ankle sprain, while some healthier teammates seemed to mail it in. After a 30-22 loss to South Carolina prior to the open date before the FSU game and with the Florida charter plane on the tarmac at the Gainesville airport, Vernell Brown, Jarvis Herring and Jeremy Mincey made what is best described as their either you’re all in with Coach Meyer or don’t let the screen door hit you on the way out appeal to the team. So when the FSU game rolled around a couple of weeks later, the Gators were every bit as desperate for a program-altering win as Florida State. In many ways, this could have been billed as a winner-take-all steel cage death match for recruits. Florida and FSU were locked in pitched battles for players like Percy Harvin, Marcus Gilbert, Brandon Spikes and Riley Cooper. Whoever won this game would seize the upper hand in landing those guys. Florida was also sweating it out for quarterback Tim Tebow, who was torn between the Gators and Alabama, which had ace recruiter Dabo Swinney appealing to Tebow’s strong Christian faith. Heading into the game, it was thought FSU would have a huge advantage in the passing game with its veteran receivers going against a depleted Florida secondary that would be forced to start true freshman Avery Atkins at one corner and converted wide receiver Reggie Lewis at the other. And how would the Gators counter FSU’s speedy threesome of running backs – Leon Washington, Lorenzo Booker and Antone Smith? Florida’s defensive game plan was stuff the run and protect the corners by subjecting FSU QB Drew Weatherford to a relentless pass rush. FSU managed only 89 rushing yards. Weatherford was sacked five times for -31 yards, threw two interceptions and made at least a dozen bad decisions. For the most part, FSU’s passing game was nickel and dime stuff because Weatherford really didn’t have time to take a deep drop and then launch the ball downfield. The decision to go after Atkins backfired. Atkins more than held his own. He picked off a second quarter pass and in the third quarter recovered a fumble after he and Jarvis Herring made a sandwich out of De’Cody Fagg on a crossing pattern. The turning point of the game was in the second quarter with Florida leading 7-0. Chris Leak threw an interception that gave the Seminoles a first down at the UF 27. On first down, Jarvis Moss corralled Booker for no gain. On second down, Weatherford threw incomplete over the middle and on third down Mincey pressured Weatherford into a horrible throw that landed incomplete, forcing a field goal attempt. Marcus Thomas split the center-guard gap on the right side and blocked the kick, which Lewis scooped up and returned 52 yards for a TD and a 14-0 Florida lead. The blocked field goal left the Seminoles gasping for air. They never recovered. Chris Hetland kicked field goals of 44 and 34 yards and Leak directed scoring drives of 44 and 85 yards as the Gators built a 34-0 lead. FSU scored a meaningless touchdown with 3:39 left, too little, too late to make a difference in the outcome. It was in the Florida locker room post game that the fruits of victory began to pay off. Four recruits including future All-American kick returner Brandon James committed in the locker room that night. Two weeks later, Tim Tebow committed. Six days after that Percy Harvin broke the Seminoles’ hearts and chose Florida. The momentum from that game didn’t end there. Florida finished with the second ranked recruiting class in the country. Of the 24 players the Gators signed, 10 would play in the NFL and four (Tebow, Harvin, Spikes and James) would make All-American. That recruiting class of 2006 had a hand in the 2006 national championship and formed the nucleus of the team that won the 2008 national title. The Gators dominated FSU from 2005-09 as well as dominated recruiting in the state of Florida. * * * Heading into the 2019 matchup between the Seminoles and Gators the circumstances are a bit different. FSU comes to The Swamp Saturday barely bowl eligible and with an interim coach after Willie Taggart was fired a couple of games ago. Florida, on the other hand, comes into the game needing a win to get to 10 in the regular season. A 10-win Florida is almost a lock for the school’s second consecutive New Year’s Six bowl. Just like 2005, however, there is plenty at stake on the recruiting trail. FSU is down and Florida needs to keep the Seminoles down. The best way to do that is a convincing win Saturday evening. A Florida win will give the kids who fill the recruit benches in the South End Zone the distinct feeling that Dan Mullen has the Gators returning to the championship level that hasn’t been seen in Gainesville in ten years. In 2005 there was no early signing period like there is now. That’s another incentive for Florida to win this game decisively. With the ESD less than three weeks away, a big win will be fresh on the minds of kids, all the more reason the Gators need to put the Seminoles out of their misery

By BUDDY MARTIN GatorBait Editor All you loyal, faithful Gator fans who have been on the front lines since Nov. 27, 2017 when Dan Mullen first set foot on Gainesville soil and declared the Gator Nation as sovereign, you’ve been vindicated. And it’s time for you to cash in. Yeah, you! In our wildest dreams I don’t think we could have guessed that Mullen would be this successful or this far along in just 23 months and a few days. He has the Gators knocking on the door of elite status. If Florida beats Florida State Saturday, Nov. 30, it marks the second straight year of double digit wins and another New Year’s Six bowl berth, with a record of 20 wins and 5 losses (so far) and a chance to finish 11-2 and ranked among the nation’s best five or six teams. Which, by the way, puts Mullen in some lofty company as a Florida coach: Winning percentage of all Gator coaches: —Steve Spurrier .817 —Urban Meyer .813 —Dan Mullen .792 Personally, I plan to literally “cash in.” I wagered 100 of my hard earned dollars last summer in Las Vegas -- high roller that I am -- and bet that the Gators would win 9 or more games in the regular season. Do the math: I can’t lose. And I stand to win $225, which will no doubt go on my credit card bill from the Vegas trip – providing I win. And I never gamble on football. The purpose of this column is not to brag on my skills as either handicapper or a visionary. I did this to have some “skin in the game.” I felt since last spring that Mullen would have his team ready compete at a high level. I talk about this kind of stuff multiple times weekly either on my live streaming show or somebody else’s broadcast, so I wanted to back up my conviction. I got tired of hearing the skeptics casting doubt on the Florida program, Mullen’s so-called lackluster recruiting, the lack of a skilled quarterback (in this case it was Feleipe Franks) and all the bragging out of Athens. Also, many of us felt there was a hangover from the Jim McElwain Era and Mullen was such a refreshing relief because he felt it was a privilege to coach at Florida and not a burden. Just Mullen’s attitude was a mood-lifter. Besides, those of us who covered Mullen as Urban Meyer’s play-caller and watched him accomplish so much with so little at Mississippi State felt very good about the choice. Some of you might remember the famous “Night At The Airport” when Brenden Martin and I chased down the “Chip Kelly Plane” which was returning from Hartford with a UF contingent without any news about where Kelly had vanished to (UCLA). It was that night we forged a bond as “Gator Nation Kingdom” which led to all this and eventually brought together 6,000 people, most all of whom cheered the arrival of Dan Mullen a few days later. The circle has now been completed. We have seen the future and it is Dan Mullen. In August this year, I was a guest on Paul Finebaum’s Show and decided to declare myself: Florida would win 10 games this regular season and probably beat Georgia, I predicted. Finebaum virtually snickered at me and Georgia fans bashed him for letting me come on his show with such falderol. Later in October, I returned and appeared on the Finebaum set the Friday before the Florida-Georgia game. I called Finebaum out and announced my 9-wins ticket from Vegas, bragging as if I had hit the lottery. And said, “I didn’t just say it – I put my money where my mouth was.” I appreciated Paul letting me set the record straight and, after all, I am not one of those Finebaum bashers who finds pleasure in accusing him of being “anti-Gator.” In fact I am a frequent viewer, a fan of his show and a friend. Ever since Steve Spurrier was first the coach he’s been somewhat dialed in to the Florida program. In fact, it was Finebaum who struck a discordant note with Jim McElwain right before he was about to exit Florida as coach. You do remember Jim McElwain, right? The other day I was lauding Mullen for his recent success and feeling pretty good about my projections when somebody raised the question “Who’s the last coach to have double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons.” And I wondered…Urban Meyer? Spurrier? “Nope,” said a friend, “Jim McElwain.” True. I’d forgotten. And I wondered, “what ever DID happen to McElwain?” Which conjured up memories of the bizarre interview Finebaum had with him at SEC Media Days in 2017 that would lead to McElwain’s eventual dismissal. I asked Paul to reflect on that day when McElwain had dropped in on SEC Media Days fresh out of his Montana sandbox where he loved to study the skies for formations that might inspire a football play. (For real. He is a bit of an astronomy buff.) This was not a happy time for Mac, who had arrived in Birmingham only to discover Florida had scheduled LSU as a homecoming opponent, claiming he hadn’t known about it. McElwain seem generally unhappy and also often groused about the poor facilities at Florida and the lack of progress in catching up. There were also whispers and nasty rumors about a photo of McElwain on top of a shark, which was most assuredly photo-shopped or totally fake, but it was suggested to the media by Florida people NOT to ask him about it. At the 2017 SEC Media Days, after completing his round of interviews in the big room with reporters, TV, Radio Row and Internet, McElwain’s last stop was at the desk of Finebaum, where he was going to be asked about his day. Right off the bat, noticing lack of energy and apparent disconnect, Finebaum knew it was going to require a quick pivot and change of strategy. “It was one of the most bizarre, surreal interviews in my career,” Finebaum recalled. “I knew he was sensitive about the day and the questions so I veered off script. But I never dreamed we would end up in outer space and have a crash landing on Pluto. The weird part was it was most engaged I had seen Mac at any point in his Florida career -- instead of talking football – talking-out-of-body experiences in the Milky Way.” Apparently McElwain was going to remain out of body for a while, because he never seemed to be able to reconnect or regain focus on the task at hand the remainder of the season. Implying he’d had death threats, none of which could be verified, McElwain had become even more detached and after getting off to a 3-3 start, with 42-7 loss to Georgia, he got the axe in a mercy killing. Finally he was fired. All this after going to the SEC championship game two straight years. Maybe the McElwain Lesson might be a reminder of how quickly success can disappear. One day you’re gone. In Mullen’s case, I don’t see that ever happening because he’s so entrenched. As Steve Spurrier once said, “I think he’ll (Mullen) probably coach here until he beats my all-time record for wins.” (122) Yeah, let’s go with that. Only 103 more!

GATORS TOUGH OUT 70-62 WIN OVER ST. JOSEPH’S For the first half of Florida’s 70-62 win over St. Joseph’s in the Charleston Classic, we saw what the Gators look like when the shots are falling. In the second half when they had to play the last 18:30 without Kerry Blackshear Jr., we saw the Gators dig down deep to stave off a total collapse. The final result was a win and while closer than White probably hoped for, the fact the Gators (3-2) had to battle through so much adversity bodes well for the future. Florida played its best half of basketball of the still young season in racing out to a 41-25 halftime lead, done without much help from Blackshear, who picked up two early fouls. The Gators got excellent spacing, moved the basketball well, hit their open shots and got great contributions off the bench from Omar Payne, Scottie Lewis and Ques Glover. Blackshear was ejected 1:30 into the second half when charged with a flagrant two technical foul, a move that seemed to inspire the Hawks and cause the Gators to lose focus on the offensive end of the court. Instead of constant movement like we saw in the first half, the Gators began standing around a lot with far too much dribbling and one-on-one play. St. Joseph’s didn’t exactly light the Gators up, but the Hawks simply chipped away while the Gators struggled to regain their offensive rhythm. About the only consistency the Gators found on the offensive end in the second half came from Keyontae Johnson, who finished with a career-high 22 points to go with 12 rebounds, an assist and two blocked shots. The persistent Hawks trimmed Florida’s lead to 64-62 with 56 seconds to go but the Gators went 6-6 from the foul line down the stretch including two clutch free throws from Payne to make it a 66-62 game with 32 seconds to go. Andrew Nembhard and Noah Locke hit the final four free throws to provide the final margin. From a defensive standpoint, it was another solid effort by the Gators, who rank 23rd nationally in defensive efficiency. St. Joseph’s came into the game averaging nearly 79 points a game but managed only 62 while hitting 34.8% overall from the field and just 13% (3-23) from the three-point line. When the Gators are sharing the basketball and nobody is standing around, they can get good shots. They got plenty of them in the first half and that’s why they dominated play. Locke, who had struggled mightily with his shot in Florida’s first four games, scored 13 points and hit 3-7 from the three-point line. Nembhard had 16 but was only 6-19 shooting. The Gators got eight points, four rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals from Lewis and Glover scored six in 21 minutes off the bench. The Gators face Miami at noon today in the semifinals of the tournament. THE SEC SOOTHSAYER (College Football Rankings) #1 LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC) 63, Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC) 14: This is a pad your stats game to help the Threauxin’ Jeaux Burreaux for Heisman campaign. This could be a seven TDP game for Jeaux. #4 Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC) 23, Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2 SEC) 14: Will there be a letdown by Georgia the week after the big win over Auburn? This is a game Georgia could actually lose if the Bulldogs don’t bring their A game. This is a chance for Kellen Mond to have a big game against a ranked opponent. If he comes up big the Aggies could be in the hunt for an upset. #5 Alabama (9-1, 6-1 SEC) 49, Western Carolina (3-8) 3: Mac Jones will start at quarterback. The Crimson Tide could score seven touchdowns on this team with Dolly Parton at QB. It is an important game, however, not because Alabama will be challenged but because the offense may have to retool a few things since Jones is the main man and not Tua’s caddy. #15 Auburn (7-3, 4-3 SEC) 44, Samford (5-6) 7: Even if Auburn is still hungover from the loss to Georgia, the Tigers won’t lose this one. They need a get well game before Alabama comes to town next week and this is it. Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC) 20, Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC) 17: Missouri’s offense has gone in the tank. It will stay in the tank Saturday night and the Vols will be bowl eligible. Kentucky (5-5, 3-5 SEC) 35, UT-Martin (7-4) 13: Kentucky is going to become bowl eligible for the fourth straight year, the second longest streak in school history. That the Wildcats have done it with a converted wide receiver at quarterback makes this the best coaching job of Mark Stoops’ career. Mississippi State (4-6, 2-5 SEC) 38, Abilene Christian (4-6) 14: Dan Mullen left a fully stocked roster for Joe Moorhead, who is 12-11 with what was left behind. The nine-year streak of making a bowl game is in jeopardy, too. The Bulldogs need two wins to make a bowl game. They’ll get one this week but if they lose the Egg Bowl to Ole Miss next week the people who send in their money faithfully are going to demand Moorhead burned at the stake. Vanderbilt (2-8, 1-6 SEC) 31, East Tennessee State (3-8) 10: East Tennessee State is so bad that even Vanderbilt can score points and that’s saying something. This is Vandy’s last chance for a win so it’s a good thing the opponent is one with a losing record from D1AA. COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: EDITION 13 Extinct Species List Chris Ash, Rutgers: There is an agreement to hire Greg Schiano but it has to be approved by a board of governors so Rutgers is still coachless. Willie Taggart, Florida State: Now that the Bob Stoops fantasy has more or less died except among a select group of Kool-Aid drinkers, the new targets include Memphis coach Mike Norvell and Kentucky coach Mark Stoops. Chad Morris, Arkansas: Two names to watch very closely in the search to replace Morris – Mike Leach of Washington State and Eli Drinkwitz of Appalachian State. Drinkwitz played college football at Arkansas Tech and was an assistant coach for Gus Malzahn at Springdale High School for three years. On Life Support Clay Helton, Southern Cal: The Trojans play UCLA Saturday, their final regular season game and could finish 8-4. Considering all the injuries, Clay Helton has done an outstanding coaching job but it’s highly doubtful he’ll get another year. The alums and boosters want Urban Meyer and if he’s not available, James Franklin will be the target. Bob Davie, New Mexico: The Lobos will do down in flames against Air Force Saturday. That will be eight losses in a row, dropping New Mexico to 2-9. The good news for Lobo fans is after Saturday there is only one more game and that means they only have to endure one more week with Bob Davie as the head ball coach. Phil Montgomery, Tulsa: The facilities are rotten, the school is hurting financially, the athletic department is getting by on fumes and only UConn has worse talent in the AAC. All that being said, Montgomery is a fairly decent coach but he’s a goner because the Tulsa people think they can do better. Mike Bobo, Colorado State: The Fighting Bobos can save their head coach’s job. All they have to do is kneecap Wyoming this week and then beat Boise State to become bowl eligible. Tony Sanchez, UNLV: Seven of UNLV’s eight losses are by two touchdowns or more. Sanchez might get another year if the Rebels simply played people close. Bobby Wilder, Old Dominion: The Monarchs are 1-9 and likely to finish the season 1-11. Given the abundance of talent in Tidewater Virginia, that should never happen. Wilder is dead man walking. Endangered Species List Mark Dantonio, Michigan State: He says he plans to be back in 2020 but nobody in the admin is saying “Thank God he’ll be back!” Here is why he might not be back. On January 15, 2020, if Dantonio is still gainfully employed, they owe him a $4.3 million longevity bonus and will still owe him a $4.3 million salary. Frank Wilson, Texas-San Antonio: The Roadrunners are 3-3 in their last six games but they really need to win the next two – Florida Atlantic and (at) Louisiana Tech – to save Wilson’s job. Beads of Sweat Forming Charlie Strong, South Florida: It’s going to be dicey for Strong. They really can’t afford to fire him, but they never expected to go 4-8 this season either. That’s what they’re going to do unless they spring upsets the next two weeks over Memphis and UCF. Steve Addazio, Boston College: Addazio needs another win to be bowl eligible. One thing you can count on with Addazio is 6-6 or 7-5. One more win and 6-6 is assured. You have to admire consistency but the BC people might be thinking they could do better. Joe Moorhead, Mississippi State: The Bulldogs will get win #5 Saturday against a D1AA team, but Moorhead better beat Ole Miss next week or he could be in trouble. Saved by the Buyout and Other Teensy Details Matt Luke, Ole Miss: He remains gainfully employed for another year because (a) he’s an Ole Miss legacy and everybody likes him and (b) Ole Miss hasn’t hired a new athletic director. Chip Kelly, UCLA: Chip just about had everybody convinced the corner had been turned at UCLA and then came last week’s disaster against Utah (49-3 loss). Now, everybody realizes the corner is a long way off but they’re still stuck with the Chipster because they can’t afford to buy out his contract. Randy Edsall, UConn: This is a bad athletic department. This is a bad coach. This is a bad football team. Things are so bad they can’t afford to fire Edsall. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: The alumni and boosters want him gone. The athletic director and the interim school prez say he stays. The AD says there are advantages that Mason should be given. The real answer might be the interim school prez doesn’t want to fire a coach and hire someone the new prez might not like. Kilani Sitaki, BYU: He’s been extended to 2023 on the heels of a seriously weak schedule that got the Cougars bowl eligible and likely to finish with eight wins. SEC BASKETBALL STUFF Thursday’s games FLORIDA (3-2) 70, St. Joseph’s 62 Mississippi State (5-0) 80, Tulane 66 Friday’s games FLORIDA (3-2) vs. Miami in Charleston, SC Mississippi State (5-0) vs. #17 Villanova in Myrtle Beach, SC Mt. St. Mary’s at #9 Kentucky (3-1) #15 Utah State vs. LSU (3-1) in Montego Bay, Jamaica Gardner-Webb at South Carolina (3-1) South Carolina State at Vanderbilt (3-1) South Dakota at Arkansas (4-0) GOOD QUOTE FOR FRIDAY American Athletic Conference Mike Aresco on what he perceives as a “double standard” by the College Football Playoff Committee: “Each time I’ve watched the release of the rankings, I’ve seen an unfortunate predictability, and why wouldn’t I be upset? I’m not criticizing the committee personally, I’ve never done that, but what I’m doing is I’m trying to take the committee to task on their methodology and their conclusions. I want to point out the facts. My feeling is this conference has been undervalued and disrespected since the CFP began.” RANDOM THOUGHTS: The NFL upheld the indefinite suspension of Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Garrett tried to play the race card in his appeal, claiming Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph used a racial slur which provoked him. Rudolph denied it and apparently the NFL believed him and not Garrett. Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, who was involved in that same brawl, had his suspension reduced to two games … Memphis coach Mike Norvell reportedly met with Arkansas but is said to be more interested in the Florida State job. Meanwhile, it’s being whispered that Hugh Freeze could be the guy to come try to patch up the wounded football program in Fayette Nam … Oklahoma tight end Grant Calcaterra is retiring because of multiple concussions. He hasn’t played since October 5 … North Carolina State has been given until December 9 to respond to the NCAA notice of allegations against its basketball program. In all probability, the NCAA drops the hammer on NC State and then goes after former coach Mark Gottfried, now coaching at Cal State-Northridge, who was the alleged ringleader for the problems that led to the NCAA investigation.

Lamical Perine gave a hint back in July that this was going to happen. “I always knew in the back of my head I could receive out of the backfield,” he said at the time. He tried to tell us again during fall camp. “During game schemes and things like that, Coach Mullen will have me out there every once in a while, just to show my attributes and things I can do outside of just running the ball. He’s definitely making it effective for me.” Just in case the message wasn’t getting across, running backs coach Greg Knox spent time during camp as well to give a glimpse into the offensive plan coming for the season. “[Lamical is] different because his skill set as far as catching the ball, it totally different. He can play like a receiver because he can catch the ball out in space. That’s a mismatch for ‘backers.” There’s a belief that to win—especially in the SEC—you have to be able to run the ball. Sandra Bullock even put a perfect cadence to football fans favorite plea. “Run the ‘dang’ ball” we like to yell at the sidelines. So to be fair, we couldn’t have imagined a season such as this; one that would essentially dispense of the run game and put the majority of attention in the air. Yet during a season that boasts one of the deepest receiving corps in college football while working around a green offensive line, the No. 11 Florida Gators (9-2) have essentially motioned their leading running back out of the backfield and done just that. And after years of watching teams in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium insist on pounding against lines that weren’t bending, bouncing back over and over akin to someone pounding their head against in brick wall in hopes it will fall over, the change of pace has been an unlikely positive with the 2019 Gators. Related: Emory Jones, Tim Tebow and the Two Quarterback System Around the Beat: Balancing the Two Quarterback System While it’s understandably worrisome—at least on paper—that the Gators have been unable to run the ball with any sort of consistency (Florida has three rushing plays of 75+ yards however) quarterback Kyle Trask thinks the atypical offense is a testament to head coach Dan Mullen. “Coach Mullen, to me, is one of the most brilliant minds in the game of college football. He’s done a great job. He’s always going to play to our strengths. Obviously, if one things not working, you can’t just stick with that. He’s done a great job making stuff that’s going to make us play more efficiently and get guys in good matchups and let our athletes make plays on the ball.” In Mullen’s first season in Gainesville, the rushing attack averaged 213.2 yards per game, with five guys—Lamical Perine, Jordan Scarlett, Dameon Pierce, Feleipe Franks and Kadarius Toney—averaging 20+ yards per game. During the Gators last four games, the ground game averaged 200+ yards a game with three of those four ticking over 250. This came behind an offensive line comprised of all upperclassmen who had found a greater chemistry as the season progressed. When the 2019 season was approaching, Mullen and unit coach John Hevesy both hedged their expectations for the offensive line that was returning one starter and would be piecemealing itself together with freshman and sophomores. Mullen even said he would be ok with bringing in a grad transfer for the unit. The Gators were unable to bring in any such transfer. In the first match of the season, Florida defeated Miami but only rushed for 50 yards. The next game against UT-Martin saw the Gators put up 231 rushing yards on the FCS team. But when the SEC schedule began the following week against Kentucky, UF put up 138 yards on the ground and hasn’t broken 200 since. Against Georgia (21) and Missouri (56), the Gators stayed below 60 yards. It should also be noted that as recent as two weeks ago, Mullen and Hevesy were still checking out new lineups for the trenches. Taking advantage of the receiving corps, the receiving ability of his receivers and a pocket passer with noted accuracy, Mullen has redefined the offense game plan to highlight his personnel as opposed to a ingrained adherence to a rushing identity. “He’s been very creative,” points out receiver Van Jefferson. “[Kadarius Toney], for example, he finds KT the ball all the time, gets him in space so he can do the things that he does. He just puts people in different positions to get the ball. He’ll put Tre Grimes in the slot and Tre Grimes will do like an inside fade going up against the linebacker, just different things to get the matchups. He does a great job of getting his playmakers involved. We just have to go out there and make the play.” “The leadership,” adds receiver Josh Hammond. “Guys understand what we’ve been able to excel at. We’ve been able to put ourselves in a position to be successful at the things we can excel at. We’ve been able to throw the ball all over people this year. Coach Mullen has done a good job of putting people in position to make plays, getting the matchups that we want, and just trying to be successful and put points on the board.” They have in fact been able to “throw the ball all over people this year.” Mullen’s crew is averaging 292.27 yards through the air so far this season with nine different receivers averaging double digit yards per game. This is up 78 yards from last season. The lowest outing of the season was 200 yards against South Carolina, which came in a tropical storm. For comparison, during Steve Spurrier’s 12 years as Florida Gators head coach, the “Fun-and-Gun” offense that turned the SEC trenches league on its head averaged 140.3 rushing yards over 12 years. Through the air, Spurrier’s teams averaged 319.26 yards. Granted the best rushing seasons under Spurrier (173.6 and 170) where when the Gators finished 2nd (1995) and 1st (1996) in the polls respectively. Thanks to the advent of the spread offense in college football, the greater emphasis on the passing game isn’t uncommon. The Gators are 22nd in the country in passing offense currently. But it is still a strange sight in the SEC where only two other teams rank higher than the Gators; LSU at two and Alabama at three. And it’s an even stranger sight to see how the Gators have accomplished this feat. This brings us back to Lamical Perine’s offseason statements and the Gators receiving corps wanting to make the running back an honorary receiver. “He catches the ball very well. He’s always over there catching with us sometimes, you know. He’s been working on it all summer. I think he’s just showing it in games now,” says Jefferson. “He’s very versatile we can put him all kinds of different spots. He’s not afraid to go up and make a big-time play when he has to. He’s been big for us this year,” adds Hammond. With two games to go (FSU and a bowl game) Perine already has nine yards and three touchdowns more than his output last season through the air. He currently sits at 179 receiving yards, four touchdowns and is averaging 5.6 yards per reception. As Mullen points out, it’s setting the senior up for a good chance at the next level. “I think he gets lost, the year he’s having catching the ball and the matchups and the problems he causes coming out the backfield. We run a pro-style offense and if you look at it and you look and say ‘hey’ and I think that’s one of the things that he’s understood and really benefited is ‘hey I’m running the offense that’s gonna be really similar to what I might be doing next year when I get the opportunity to go play in the NFL. Catching balls and doing this and hey I’ll get some carries here and there, gotta take advantage of my carries. But I gotta be a three down, all purpose back to be able to do everything. Gotta be able to catch, protect, run, do it all.’ And he’s done that.” Lamical Perine tried to tell us this summer this would happen. He gave us hints about how his game had changed and as such this offense as a whole. You’re not supposed to be able to win without a run game. But the Florida Gators have figured out a way to do just that.

TIME TO MAKE A FEW SHOTS Defense isn’t the problem for the Florida Gators (2-2) although they’ll get a serious challenge this afternoon when they face St. Joseph’s (2-2) in the Charleston Classic, a three-day event that could see the Gators getting a rematch with UConn on day three. Day three will take care of itself. Today, the Gators have to stop a St. Joseph’s team that lit up UConn, 96-87, last week. That’s the same UConn team that held the Gators to 59 points and dismal 25% shooting from the 3-point line back on Sunday. Florida has played good enough defense in all four games to be 4-0 and the Gators figure to keep the Hawks (four of their five starters average double figures) from reaching their average of 79.8 per game. The question is can the Gators break out of their shooting slump – 38.4% from the field overall and a miserable 24.1% from the 3-point line – well enough to get a win? The signs are there that the Gators are going to break out. There wasn’t a lack of open shots against UConn, just a lack of the ball finding the bottom of the net. Shooting can be contagious and if UF can get Noah Locke or Tre Mann going offensively, it will definitely make things easier around the basket for Kerry Blackshear Jr. (14.5 points, 11 rebounds per game). SOUNDING OFF ABOUT BOWL GAMES There are 130 teams in Division I and in approximately three weeks the bowl season will kick off which means 78 of them – many who barely broke even – will playing football in such exotic locations as Detroit (Quick Lane Bowl), Montgomery (Camellia Bowl) and Boise (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl). Since the advent of the College Football Playoff, fewer people actually attend the games and TV ratings for anything but those rare games that actually pit decent teams against each other are in the tank. I love college football, but I have a hard time getting enthused about watching a couple of mediocre teams squaring off before maybe 8,000 people frying in a soccer stadium in something called the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl. There is this misconception about Makers Wanted. It sounds like a Caribbean rum but it is actually the slogan of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Elk Grove Village is best known for the industrial park that is adjacent to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and they sponsor a bowl game in The Bahamas. Go figure. I bring up the bowls because Paul Finebaum raised a legitimate question a day or so ago when he said the injury to Tua Tagovailoa is going to make a lot of players think seriously about skipping meaningless bowl games and playing only in the playoff and the marquee games like the Rose Bowl. Do you really think players have trouble going to sleep at night thinking about their approaching bowl trip to Shreveport where if you’re on the losing team you’re required to stay an extra week? Reality is most of the bowl games are meaningless. The biggest reason they exist is so (a) ESPN doesn’t bombard us with more X Games coverage and those fabulous college basketball shootouts between Alaska-Fairbanks and Southern Utah State and (b) bowl teams get 15 days of practice, which is the equivalent of a second spring practice. If you’re buying into that tall tale that the schools make money on their bowl trips, then consider yourself duped. Very few actually make money although if you’re from a conference like the SEC which typically sends 8-10 teams to bowl games, the collective payout – split 15 ways of course (14 teams and the SEC gets its cut) – gives everyone a modest profit. Conference USA, the AAC, Mountain West and the like? They lose big time but they get the practices in and they’re on TV. Probably the only time anyone in SEC Country will ever watch a game played by the Fighting Falwells of Liberty U is if they are either total football junkies or don’t wish to watch the Southeast Asia Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships from Kota Kinabalu. Oh, and did you know that the bowls make the schools buy a big block of tickets and then try to unload them on the fan base? I liked it better when there were fewer bowl games and the only teams that got to play had better than average records. I would like to see a rule that you can’t go to a bowl game unless you won seven games against Division I opponents. That would eliminate a bunch of games and put a premium on scheduling decent teams in the regular season instead of loading up on pansies so you can get bowl eligible. My guess is that we’re only a few years from seeing the bowl system as we know it now come to an end. If it survives it will be part of an expanded College Football Playoff. I could live with that. SEC FOOTBALL STUFF (College Football Playoff Rankings) #5 Alabama (9-1, 6-1 SEC): Questionable for Saturday’s game with Western Carolina are wide receiver Henry Ruggs (bruised ribs), nose tackle DJ Dale (twisted knee), defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (sprained ankle). Saturday: vs. Western Carolina (3-8) Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC): Former Arkansas and Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt claims an Arkansas assistant athletic director reached out to gauge his interest in returning as HBC. Nutt compiled a 75-48 record at Arkansas and a 24-26 record at Ole Miss. Saturday: at #1 LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC) #15 Auburn (7-3, 4-3 SEC): Defensive tackle Derrick Brown was named one of the five semifinalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given annually to the nation’s best defensive player. Saturday: vs. Samford (5-6) #11 FLORIDA (9-2, 6-2 SEC): Dan Mullen is a semifinalist for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award. It’s nice that Mullen is being noticed, but it will be shocking if the Coach of the Year isn’t either Coach O or Minnesota’s PJ Fleck. Saturday: Open #4 Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC): Freshman quarterback Austin Kinsley will transfer from Nevada to Georgia where he will walk on. Kinsley took a redshirt in 2019. He is from Marietta. Saturday: vs. Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2 SEC) Kentucky (5-5, 3-5 SEC): Quarterback Lynn Bowden Jr. has run for more than 100 yards in four of his five starts and ranks eighth in the SEC in rushing with 822 yards. There is every good chance he will crack the 1,000-yard barrier Saturday against D1AA UT-Martin. Saturday: vs. UT-Martin (7-4) #1 LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC): The Tigers are mere 44-point favorites over Arkansas but Coach O warns, “Don’t underestimate them. They always play well against LSU.” Arkansas can play lights out against LSU and still lose by six touchdowns. Saturday: vs. Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC) Mississippi State (4-6, 2-5 SEC): Mississippi State is listed as a 37-point favorite over D1AA Abilene Christian Saturday … The Bulldogs have yet to throw for 250 yards in a game this season. Saturday: vs. Abilene Christian (5-6) Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC): Missouri’s defense has held five opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing. The Tigers rank 10th nationally in total defense at 297 yards per game. Saturday: vs. Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC) Ole Miss (4-7, 2-5 SEC): Ole Miss is listed as an early 1-1/2 point underdog to Mississippi State for next week’s Egg Bowl game in Starkville. Saturday: Open South Carolina (4-7, 3-5 SEC): Record setting wide receiver Brian Edwards (256-3,238 and 22 touchdowns) has had arthroscopic surgery on his knee and is considered doubtful for next week’s game with Clemson. Edwards is one touchdown catch short of the school record. Saturday: Open Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC): Running back Carlin Fils-aime will take a redshirt and return for a fifth season next year. Fils-aime has played in three games without any stats and hasn’t seen the field in more than a month. Saturday: at Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC) Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2 SEC): Speaking of quarterback Kellen Mond, HBC Jimbo Fisher said, “He works hard, kids love him, he is very competitive. If he has to take a hit to make a throw he does it. All the great quarterbacks do that.” Mond has thrown for 2,435 yards and 18 touchdowns and run for 400 yards and seven more. Saturday: at #4 Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC) Vanderbilt (2-8, 1-6 SEC): Vanderbilt will do a home and home with Virginia Tech in 2024-25, playing in Nashville in 2024 and in Blacksburg in 2025. Saturday: vs. East Tennessee State (3-8) SEC BASKETBALL STUFF Wednesday’s games #20 Tennessee (4-0) 76, Alabama State 41 Georgia (4-0) 82, Georgia Tech 78 Missouri (4-1) 70, Morehead State 52 Texas A&M (3-1) 56, Troy 52 Vanderbilt (3-1) 90, Austin Peay 72 Thursday’s games FLORIDA (2-2) vs. St. Joseph’s in Charleston, SC Mississippi State (4-0) at Tulane GOOD QUOTES FOR THURSDAY Dennis Dodd of cbssports.com on why Penn State’s James Franklin could become the target coach for Southern Cal if Urban Meyer says no: “Bottom line: The guy is not going to embarrass your school. Franklin’s smoothness, confidence and ability would play well in Southern California. Not to mention, the dude can coach – and recruit – his ass off. There have been five consecutive top 20 recruiting classes at Penn State, per the 247Sports Composite team rankings.” Joe Rexrode of The Athletic quoting Vanderbilt athletic director Malcolm Turner on why he elected to keep HBC Derek Mason for one more year even with fans and boosters demanding change: “I understand that people want a quick and easy fix and, in difficult years, it’s typical to focus on the usual suspect -- a coaching change. But we can’t recycle the same problem and buy yet even more time with the fan base without really addressing core issues. That’s offensive to a fan base that truly cares. Look, this has been a disappointing year without question -- but we are going to focus on root causes. We have had 50 years of routine ‘kick the can’ coaching changes without accompanying fundamental underlying change. Out of respect for all who truly support Vanderbilt football, and with the focus on building a successful and sustainable football program, this is the cycle we need to break. Vanderbilt offers the nation’s best degree, in the nation’s best city, in the nation’s best conference. Now we’re going to provide significant upgrades to what’s currently in place while also keeping laser focus on providing first-class resources for student-athletes.” Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated on a chaos scenario that could see Alabama as the SEC’s only representative in the College Football Playoff: “Jimbo Fisher starts really earning that 10-year, $75-million contract Saturday when his hot Texas A&M team upsets No. 4 Georgia between the hedges. That second loss all but dooms the Bulldogs playoff chances … Jimbo strikes again on Nov. 30, this time upsetting No. 1 LSU in Bator Rouge. (Fisher’s nephew is not involved in postgame altercations this time around at least, as he was after last year’s utterly ridiculous 74-72 Aggies victory.) Also on November 30, Georgia dispatches Georgia Tech and Mac Jones leads No. 5 Alabama past Auburn in the Iron Bowl … On Dec. 7, the Bulldogs also take down LSU in the SEC championship game. Like that, the Tigers dream season dissolves in the final two weeks. And the SEC champ is a team that lost to South Carolina … So the SEC champion has two losses. The SEC runner-up has two losses. And who is still sitting there with one loss, at 11-1, with a win at Auburn and a win at Texas A&M that just skyrocketed in value? America, reintroduce yourself to Alabama.” RANDOM THOUGHTS: The NCAA announced that Memphis 7-1 freshman center James Wiseman will be suspended until January 12, which means he will sit another 11 games. How is it that Hardaway isn’t suspended as the Memphis coach for giving Wiseman’s family more than $11,000 to move into his school district when he was a high school coach and a Memphis booster? … Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown has filed a countersuit against Britney Taylor for defamation. Taylor claims Brown raped and sexually assaulted her on three separate occasions ... Suspended Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett met with NFL officials Wednesday morning to appeal his ban for the remainder of the regular season and any postseason games the Browns might play.

FIVE OPEN WEEK POINTS FROM AN ALREADY BASTED MIND (1) The late, great Satchel Paige once said, “Don’t look back, something might be gaining on you.” So, I’m not going to look back at Florida’s losses to LSU and Georgia and wonder what might have been if the Gators had been healthy on the defensive side of the ball. While I like to think the Gators might have won those games with a healthy Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga bringing the heat off the edge, the Gators had chances to win both those games even without them. It is fair to note that even in an injury-filled year, Todd Grantham’s defense has shown serious improvement over 2018. The Gators are giving up 14.2 points (20.0 last year) and 303.5 yards (343.3 last year) per game. The Gators are giving up 110.45 yards per game rushing (162.54 last year), they’ve picked off 15 passes (14 last year) and gotten to the QB for 38 sacks (37 last year). With the FSU and a bowl game to go, the Gators could improve even more. (2) If Arkansas is serious about getting the program back on a winning foot then it needs to engage The Pirate in some heart-to-heart negotiations. Mike Leach has proven at both Texas Tech and Washington State that he can win with a whole lot less than he would have at Arkansas which has incredible facilities and numerous gozillionaires on speed dial who regularly write big checks to the athletic department. It’s not that far from Texas and Louisiana to Fayette Nam so Leach would have a better talent pool closer to campus than he has at Wazzoo, and he wouldn’t have to worry about being eaten by a bear on his way to and from the practice field. (3) Other than Ohio State, I’m not sold on any team from the Big Ten Plus Four belonging ranked among the top 15 teams in the country. I think you’ll see the Buckeyes destroy Penn State this weekend, do their annual kneecapping of Michigan the following week and then lay waste to either Minnesota or Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. I don’t think Penn State, Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin would be anything more than 7-5 or 8-4 if they were in the SEC and this were a normal SEC year. Top to bottom I think it’s an average SEC year. I believe the five teams at the top of the SEC – LSU, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Auburn – that I think would dominate anyone except maybe Ohio State in the Big Ten Plus Four. (4) Clemson’s run to the ACC championship is an exercise in snoozerobics. If you weren’t already convinced, then 2019 should have made it perfectly clear that the ACC is a basketball league that has maybe three teams – Clemson, Miami and Florida State – capable of consistently playing football at a high level. Emphasis on capable because neither FSU or Miami is very good this year. I’m not at all sure FSU is going to repair the damage done by Willie Taggart anytime soon nor am I convinced that Manny Diaz can breathe life back into Miami. As for Clemson, I could see the Tigers running the table – again – this year and then doing it again next year. Am I the only one who thinks Clemson belongs in the SEC? One more note about the ACC: Other than Clemson there isn’t a single ranked team from the ACC. (5) The Orange Bowl Committee is inching toward widespread panic. In years in which the Orange Bowl is not a part of the College Football Playoff, it’s contracted to match the highest ranked ACC team against a team from either the SEC, Big Ten or Notre Dame. Here’s the kicker. Clemson is the only ranked team and the Tigers are going to be in the College Football Playoff. That means unless a miracle of walking on water proportions, the Orange Bowl will become the first bowl in the CFP era to have an unranked team. GATORS REMAIN #11 IN CFP POLL Florida’s dominant win over Missouri in its final SEC game of the season didn’t impress the committee for the College Football Playoff Poll, but it didn’t hurt, either. The Gators remained at the #11 position and they are still the highest ranked team with two losses. This could be a week in which there isn’t a lot of movement among the teams ranked ahead of the Gators. The marquee matchup is #8 Penn State at #2 Ohio State, a game in which the Buckeyes are favored by 17-1/2 points. A blowout win for Ohio State should move the Gators up at least one notch. Another game to watch will be Texas A&M at #4 Georgia. Georgia is favored by 13-1/2 points but the Bulldogs have had to tough out wins over Florida and Auburn in their last three games. This is a battle of former Nick Saban assistants from his LSU staff (Aggies Jimbo Fisher, Georgia’s Kirby Smart). The other teams ranked ahead of the Gators that play Saturday are all favored by at least double digits. College Football Playoff Top 25 (1) LSU 10-0; (2) Ohio State 10-0; (3) Clemson 10-0; (4) Georgia 9-1; (5) Alabama 9-1; (6) Oregon 9-1; (7) Utah 9-1; (8) Penn State 9-1; (9) Oklahoma 9-1; (10) Minnesota 9-1; (11) FLORIDA 9-2; (12) Wisconsin 8-2; (13) Michigan 8-2; (14) Baylor 9-1; (15) Auburn 7-3; (16) Notre Dame 8-2; (17) Iowa 7-3; (18) Memphis 9-1; (19) Cincinnati 9-1; (20) Boise State 9-1; (21) Oklahoma State 7-3; (22) Iowa State 6-4; (23) Southern Cal 7-4; (24) Appalachian State 9-1; (25) SMU 9-1 SEC FOOTBALL STUFF (College Football Playoff Rankings) #5 Alabama (9-1, 6-1 SEC): Nick Saban wasn’t afraid to show his emotions when talking about Tua Tagovailoa. “I’m hurting,” Saban said. “I call him on Saturday night to cheer him up, he cheers me up. I call him last night because I’ve been in that room watching film … I call him up, he cheers me up ... The first thing he says to me last night when I tell him good luck with your surgery tomorrow, he said, ‘I just can’t wait to get back and see the game on Saturday.’” Saturday: vs. Western Carolina (3-8) Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC): Arkansas has been established as a 44-point underdog Saturday when the Hogs visit LSU. Saturday: at #1 LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC) #15 Auburn (7-3, 4-3 SEC): Criticized that Auburn threw 50 passes in its loss to Georgia, HBC Gus Malzahn explained that it was almost a 50/50 balance threw the first three quarters “but you get in the fourth quarter and you’re down 21 points …” Saturday: vs. Samford (5-6) #4 Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC): Georgia’s offensive line is a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s top offensive line. The other semifinalists are LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Washington and Kentucky. Saturday: vs. Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2 SEC) Kentucky (5-5, 3-5 SEC): Punter Max Duffy has been named a semifinalist for the Ray guy Award. Duffy ranks first in the SEC and second nationally with an average of 48.3 yards per punt. Saturday: vs. UT-Martin (7-4) #1 LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC): Regarding the return of linebacker Michael Divinity Jr. to the team after tending to some personal matters for a couple of weeks, Coach O said, “We love Michael being back on the team. Michael is a great member of our football team, brings a lot of energy, brings a lot of things to our practice. He is still unable to play but he is able to practice with the team as of now.” Expect Divinity to sit this week against lowly Arkansas but be back in uniform ready to play in two weeks against Texas A&M. Saturday: vs. Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC) Mississippi State (4-6, 2-5 SEC): Nowhere is the drop-off on defense more evident than in the sacks category. The Bulldogs got to opposing quarterbacks 39 times last year. This year they have 14 sacks. Saturday: vs. Abilene Christian (5-6) Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC): Describing what’s going on with the offense, coordinator Derek Dooley said, “We’re kind of in a little bit of a football Hell right now.” Saturday: vs. Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC) Ole Miss (4-7, 2-5 SEC): Ole Miss has added Georgia Southern of the Sun Belt Conference to its 2024. The other non-conference teams on the schedule are Furman, Middle Tennessee and (at) Wake Forest. Saturday: Open South Carolina (4-7, 3-5 SEC): It is speculated that Will Muschamp will make significant changes to his offensive staff in the offseason. If he changes offensive coordinators it will be his sixth since becoming a head coach in 2011. Saturday: Open Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC): At the end of Monday’s practice, HBC Jeremy Pruitt awarded scholarships to three walk-ons – corner Kenny Solomon, wide receiver Isaiah Montgomery and defensive back Kwauze Garland. Saturday: at Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC) Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2 SEC): The Aggies have completed their 2023 non-conference schedule by adding games with Louisiana-Monroe and Abilene Christian. ULM will get a $1.6 million guarantee and Abilene Christian a $550,000 guarantee. The Aggies also added New Mexico State to the 2024 schedule, offering a $1.6 million guarantee. Saturday: at #4 Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC) Vanderbilt (2-8, 1-6 SEC): To the groans of alumni and boosters, it was announced that HBC Derek Mason will return in 2020. As bad as Vandy is this year, the Commodores should be worse next when they lose their three best players – RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, WR Kalijah Lipscomb and TE Jared Pinkney, all three of whom will be paid to play football on Sundays next fall. Saturday: vs. East Tennessee State (3-8) SEC BASKETBALL STUFF Tuesday’s Games Boston University 78, South Carolina (3-1) 70 LSU (3-1) 77, Maryland-Baltimore County 50 Alabama (1-2) 79, Furman 73 Arkansas (4-0) 82, Texas Southern 51 Wednesday’s Games Georgia Tech at Georgia (3-0) Alabama State at Tennessee (3-0) Morehead State at Missouri (3-1) Troy at Texas A&M (2-1) Austin Peay at Vanderbilt (2-1) GOOD QUOTES FOR WEDNESDAY Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network on the potential effect of Tua Tagovailoa’s injury on college football players in the future: “There isn’t a college player in America who watched what we all saw Saturday and didn’t start thinking about their own mortality. I think you’ll start seeing it very soon here, especially when we get to the bowl games … when players say, ‘You know what, I’m not playing in some [minor] bowl. It’s just not worth it. Maybe for the national championship or the Rose Bowl, but of these meaningless bowls, players are not going to participate, especially the elite athletes.” Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated on the state of football at the University of Texas: “Texas is not back, not close to back, and there is no reason to believe it will be back until proving it in games that actually matter.” Stewart Mandel of The Athletic on what Bama fans would consider a fate worse than death: “In cruel irony for Alabama fans, Jalen Hurts in a year’s time might go from rescuing the Tide in a conference championship game to vanquishing them by winning another … Simply put, Alabama at 11-1 is not going to beat out any potential 12-1 Power 5 champions beside Baylor, who the committee clearly doesn’t respect and seems unlikely to jump from No. 14 to No. 4 over the next three weeks.” RANDOM THOUGHTS: Michigan State HBC Mark Dantonio says he intends to return in 2020. The Spartans need two wins to be bowl eligible and the natives are restless, particularly since Dantonio gets a $4.3 million longevity bonus on January 15. Let’s see if MSU says, yeppers, he’ll be our coach one more year … Former New England Patriots all-interplanetary tight end and Tom Brady best bud Rob Gronkowski hasn’t ruled out a return to the NFL although he points out it won’t be this year … Rutgers wants Greg Schiano to return as its head football coach, but it will take a vote of the school’s 14-member Board of Governors to approve the hire.

THINKING DURING AN OPEN WEEK: A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO BASTE (1) With one regular season game to go and a probable New Year’s Six bowl game for a second straight year if the Gators take care of business against Florida State on November 30, Dan Mullen is 19-5 as Florida’s head coach. He has the Gators a full year ahead of schedule in restoring Florida football back to a championship level, evidence of which is the only two losses this year are to the nation’s #1 and #4 teams and both games were winnable. Meanwhile, Chip Kelly is 6-14 at UCLA and instead of mounting a challenge for supremacy over cross-town rival Southern Cal, the Bruins have taken steps backward. Up at Nebraska, Scott Frost is 8-12. The athletic director says Frost will need two or three more recruiting classes before the Cornhuskers are serious challengers to win the Big Ten. I just thought I would remind any doubters out there who are still unconvinced that Mullen was, is and will be the right man for the Florida job. (2) Georgia is 9-1 and has won the SEC East. Am I the only one who isn’t sold on the Poodles? They have an exceptional defense and some great athletes but I question they could have beaten Florida with a healthy Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga. I think Gus Malzahn wants to kick himself in the butt because Auburn had a number of chances to win Saturday. But, woulda, coulda, shoulda doesn’t count. Georgia won those games and goes to Atlanta. I still don’t think the Poodles are that good, however. (3) In my occasionally lucid mind, the top five stories of the college football year are: (1) Joe Burrow emerging as the Heisman front runner while taking LSU to the #1 ranking; (2) Tua Tagovailoa going down with a season ending injury against Mississippi State; (3) Florida State and Arkansas firing head coaches who haven’t even made it all the way through their second seasons; (4) Kyle Trask finally getting his chance to start football games for the first time since he was a high school freshman and throwing multiple touchdown passes in eight consecutive games; and (5) Minnesota and Baylor making it to week 10 before suffering their first losses of the season. (4) I’ve thought all season long that Penn State is overrated. Obviously, the people who set the point spreads in Las Vegas think so too. They’ve made Ohio State an 18-point favorite in Saturday’s Big Ten East showdown. I think Ohio State covers the spread and that James Franklin will be the next head football coach at Southern Cal. It’s a lot easier to win the Pac-12 South than it is to beat the Buckeyes in the Big Ten East. (5) My all too early picks to make the College Football Playoff are LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Oregon. I think LSU will dispose of Georgia in the SEC title game. Although I think Ohio State will win the Big Ten, I’m not as sold on the Buckeyes as some folks. I’m shocked that Clemson is playing at such a high level considering the ACC is top to bottom weaker than the Mountain West. The Tigers have won 26 straight games and that streak will be 28 when the playoff semifinals are played. Oregon could lose to Utah which could create an opening for Oklahoma to sneak in, providing, of course, the Sooners can beat Baylor a second time. (6) Since donkeys might fly before a Group of Five school makes the final four of the College Football Playoff, I think it’s high time they establish their own national championship playoff. Why not? We have Division IAA, Division II and Division III all with their own playoffs. The only ones without a shot at a playoff are the Group of Five schools. Give UCF a chance to claim a national championship without claiming a piece of one won by Alabama. (7) I’ve watched the replay several times of Myles Garrett swinging a helmet and hitting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head. That’s inexcusable. What’s even more inexcusable is for Garrett’s Cleveland Browns teammate Sheldon Richards onto claim Garrett was “defending himself” from Rudolph. I guess everybody has to be a victim these days and times. (8) Kansas basketball has been served with its notice of allegations by the NCAA. I keep waiting on the hammer to drop on Arizona, LSU, Southern Cal and Louisville. Even if the NCAA hits all five of these schools hard, it will only be scratching the surface of the corruption in college basketball. SEC FOOTBALL STUFF (Associated Press rankings) #5 Alabama (9-1, 6-1 SEC): Tua Tagovailoa is reported resting comfortably at a Houston hospital after undergoing surgery to repair his dislocated hip and posterior wall fracture ... Defensive back Scooby Carter, formerly a four-star recruit, has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal. Carter has one tackle this season and was suspended for the Mississippi State game. Saturday: vs. Western Carolina (3-8) Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC): Besides the three candidates for the new HBC with Arkansas roots who are thought to be atop the Arkansas wish list – Gus Malzahn (Auburn), Mike Novell (Memphis) and Eli Drinkwitz (Appalachian State) – keep an eye on Washington State’s Mike Leach. He’s won with a whole lot less than he would have at Arkansas at both his previous head coaching outposts and if offered, it’s probably 90% certain he’d take the job. Saturday: at #1 LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC) #16 Auburn (7-3, 4-3 SEC): In the Tigers’ loss to Georgia the Tigers were 36-84 rushing the football. Freshman QB Bo Nix, who threw 50 passes, was the leading rusher with 13 carries for 42 yards. Saturday: vs. Samford (5-6) #4 Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC): Georgia is the first team from the SEC East to make it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game since the Gators went there five straight times from 1992-96. Saturday: vs. #24 Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2 SEC) Kentucky (5-5, 3-5 SEC): The Wildcats rank second in the SEC and 16th nationally in rushing offense at 231.4 yards per game. In their last three games (two wins and a loss), the Wildcats have run for 1,000 yards and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground. Saturday: vs. UT-Martin (7-4) #1 LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC): Linebacker Michael Divinity Jr., who left the team two weeks ago for personal reasons, has returned to practice. In that the Tigers gave up 614 yards (402 on the ground) and 37 points in their win over Ole Miss, Divinity’s timing seems rather good. Saturday: vs. Arkansas (2-8. 0-6 SEC) Mississippi State (4-6, 2-5 SEC): A year ago the Bulldogs gave up 13.2 points and 263.1 yards per game. Following their blowout loss to Alabama, Mississippi State is giving up 31 points and 401.3 yards per game. They rank 11th in total defense, 12th in scoring defense in the SEC. Saturday: vs. Abilene Christian (5-6) Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC): Missouri fans calling for offensive coordinator Derek Dooley’s head on a pike point to the Florida game as the reason why HBC Barry Odom needs to find someone new to design the offense and call the plays. Against Florida, the Tigers punted 10 times, threw an interception and had two field goals. Saturday: vs. Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC) Ole Miss (4-7, 2-5 SEC): Now that the Rebels are eliminated from going to a bowl game, HBC Matt Luke is calling the Egg Bowl in two weeks “a one game season.” Saturday: Open South Carolina (4-7, 3-5 SEC): South Carolina school prez Robert Caslen said Monday, “Listen, for the record, [Will Muschamp] is my coach, period. And he’ll remain my coach, just for the record. If you look at the athletic director’s statement, that’s the same that I endorse.” Saturday: Open Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC): The Vols would like to clinch bowl eligibility this week but that might be tough against Missouri’s defense, which ranks second in the SEC (297.6 yards per game allowed). The Vols are #13 in the SEC and #109 nationally in total offense at 343.5 yards per game. Saturday: at Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC) #24 Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2 SEC): When the Aggies travel to Athens Saturday it will be just the sixth time the two teams have ever faced off and the first since A&M joined the SEC back in 2012. The last time Texas A&M and Georgia met was in a bowl game in 2009. Saturday: at #4 Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC) Vanderbilt (2-8, 1-6 SEC): After losing to Kentucky Saturday, embattled Vandy coach Derek Mason didn’t exactly win friends and influence neighbors among the boosters and alums when he said, “There’s going to be cycles of bowl teams and opportunities. It’s not going to be an every year opportunity unless these guys get it young and we hit it hot. I mean there’s going to be waves and cycles in this deal, and I’m just in a wave right now, just a wave and cycle where we’re not where we wanna be.” Saturday: vs. East Tennessee State (3-8) SEC BASKETBALL STUFF Monday’s games #9 Kentucky (3-1) 82, Utah Valley 74 #19 Auburn (5-0) 91, Colgate 62 Missouri (3-1) 75, Wofford 56 Tuesday’s games Boston University at South Carolina (3-0) UM-Baltimore County at LSU (2-1) Seattle at Ole Miss (3-0) Furman at Alabama (1-2) Texas Southern at Arkansas (3-0) GOOD QUOTES FOR TUESDAY Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network on why Auburn coach Gus Malzahn ought to take the Arkansas job – or some other Power 5 job – if offered: “Listen, we can whisper this, or we can scream it at the top of our lungs, if Gus Malzahn finishes the season 8-4, the appetite for him to return is going to be fairly muted at Auburn. I will be below 50 percent. Gus Malzahn needs to leave. He needs to find somewhere else to go because he can continue, it’s like banging your head against the wall, you’re going to get the same result. You’re going to have a headache and you’re going to feel terrible. You can quote Einstein or you can quote me, but I don’t see much of a path forward for him.” Former Tampa Bay Bucs and Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy on Colin Kaepernick, on what was and wasn’t answered by Colin Kaepernick’s Saturday workout: “If I was coaching, my big question would be, Colin Kaepernick is a good quarterback. He’s a good athlete. I know he can throw the ball. I know he is one of the top 100 quarterbacks playing. But what I don’t know is how badly he wants to play and I didn’t get that answered.” Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated on why Tua Tagovailoa was in the game late in the second quarter when he suffered the dislocated and fractured hip against Mississippi State: “Saban told CBS at halftime that the series in which he was hurt was going to be Tagovailoa’s final one for the day. They wanted him to get some reps running the two-minute offense, which is actually understandable given the catastrophic interception he threw the previous week against LSU near the end of the half. Why not try to establish some success to build confidence in that area and flush the memory of a pick that played a significant role in Alabama losing its biggest game of the year.” RANDOM THOUGHTS: Florida State wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator David Kelly has been canned, replaced by former D-lineman and analyst Mario Edwards. Should this be read as a sign that Florida State is going to hire interim coach Odell Haggins as its permanent coach? … Now that Kilani Sitaki has BYU bowl eligible, he’s been given a contract extension. Boosters and alums wanted him gone about a month ago … Even though we’re only a handful of games into the college basketball season, there isn’t a super team on the horizon which means this could end up one of the most wide open NCAA Tournaments in memory.

THE DEFENSE IS GOOD, THE OFFENSE WILL COME AROUND Step back off the ledge. Take a deep breath, then after you exhale, take another deep breath. Now repeat after me: Don't worry about the Florida basketball team and by all means, don't worry about Mike White. The Gators will be just fine. Mike White is going to get this team to a very good place. It might take a few more games, but the Gators will get there and when they do they will be formidable. The Gators are 2-2. I know everyone expected 4-0 at this point and from a defensive standpoint, that's where they should be. In the last three games the Gators have allowed 63, 60 and 62 points and held them to 15-58 from the three-point line. That's a dismal 25.8%. That is winning defensive basketball. The defense is good. It's Florida's offense that has to come around and it's getting there. Really. The shots will start to fall and these guys will start getting a feel for each other, one you can't get in the practice gym. The shots that fall in the practice gym are against your buddies and there aren't 10,000 or more people watching. In real games with all those people watching, you're going against guys you don't know and that's a problem for young guys. Young guys. In case you haven't checked the roster, Florida is almost all young guys. So far this season one grad transfer (Kerry Blackshear Jr.) has played and we've had a token appearance from Gorjok Gak, who will play more and more now that he's healthy again. After that it's three sophomores and five freshmen. Do you expect these guys to play as a cohesive unit when they are just getting to know and understand each other? When these guys grow comfortable with each other in game situations the shots will fall. Right now, they've been working harder to get their defense to a winning level so the offense is a bit behind, but it will happen. The defense is there. The shots will start to fall. The Gators will win a lot of games and the Fire Mike White folks can rest their calloused typing fingers. So here are the magic words for today regarding Florida basketball: Patience Grasshopper! GATORS MOVE UP TO #10 IN AP, COACHES POLLS The combination of Florida's 23- 6 win over Missouri on the road and Minnesota dropping its first game of the season to Iowa elevated the Gators back into the top 10 in both the Associated Press and Coaches top 25 polls. Florida moved up to #10, from #11 in last week's AP and from #12 in the Coaches. LSU remained #1 in both polls and Georgia and Alabama swapped places (#4 and #5) in both polls. The Associated Press Top 25 Poll (1) LSU 10-0; (2) Ohio State 10-0; (3) Clemson 11-0; (4) Georgia 9-1; (5) Alabama 9-1; (6) Oregon 9-1; (7) Utah 9-1; (8) Oklahoma 9-1; (9) Penn State 9-1; (10) FLORIDA 9-2; (11) Minnesota 9-1; (12) Michigan 8-2; (13) Baylor 9-1; (14) Wisconsin 8-2; (15) Notre Dame 8-2; (16) Auburn 7-3; (17) Cincinnati 9-1; (18) Memphis 9-1; (19) Iowa 7-3; (20) Boise State 9-1; (21) SMU 9-1; (22) Oklahoma State 7-3; (23) Appalachian State 9-1; (24) Texas A&M 7-3; (25) Virginia Tech 7-3 The Coaches Top 25 Poll (1) LSU 10-0; (2) Ohio State 10-0; (3) Clemson 11-0; (4) Georgia 9-1; (5) Alabama 9-1; (6) Oregon 9-1; (7) Oklahoma 9-1; (8) Utah 9-1; (9) Penn State 9-1; (10) FLORIDA 9-2; (11) Minnesota 9-1; (12) Michigan 8-2; (13) Baylor 9-1; (14) Wisconsin 8-2; (15) Notre Dame 8-2; (16) Auburn 7-3; (17) Cincinnati 9-1; (18) Memphis 9-1; (19) Boise State 9-1; (20) Iowa 7-3; (21) SMU 9-1; (22) Appalachian State 9-1; (23) Oklahoma State 7-3; (24) Texas A&M 7-3; (25) San Diego State 8-2 RANKING THE SEC TOP TO BOTTOM (1) LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC): Was it hangover from the win over Alabama or a serious flaw exposed in the LSU defense? It's a legitimate question after the Tigers allowed 402 rushing yards in their win over Ole Miss. Next Saturday: vs. Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC) (2) Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC): Georgia's offense may have sputtered (314.5 yards per game) since its loss to South Carolina, but the defense has made the difference, allowing just 245.5 yards per game and only 31 points with two shutouts. Next Saturday: vs. Texas A&M (3) Alabama (9-1, 6-1 SEC): With Tua done for the year with that dislocated and fractured hip, can Mac Jones (45-65 passing for 566 yards and four touchdowns) keep the Crimson Tide in the hunt for the College Football Playoff? … Tua will have hip surgery in Houston and is expected to have a full recovery. Next Saturday: vs. Western Carolina (3-8) (4) FLORIDA (9-2, 6-2 SEC): With two touchdown passes against Missouri, Kyle Trask has eight consecutive games with at least two touchdown passes and 21 for the season ... The Gators now have five receivers with at least 30 catches – Kyle Pitts (46), Van Jefferson (38), Lamical Perine (32) Trevon Grimes (30), Freddie Swain (30) … In the last two games, the Florida defense has given up a combined 384 yards and six points. Next Saturday: Open (5) Auburn (7-3, 4-3 SEC): Auburn's chances to tie Georgia and send the game into overtime died Saturday when quarterback Bo Nix threw behind Harold Joiner, who had only green grass ahead of him, on fourth down from the Georgia 34. Next Saturday: vs. Samford (5-6) (6) Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2 SEC): The Aggies tuned up for their roadie with Georgia next week with 540 yards of offense (319 rushing, 221 passing) and allowing 260 yards on defense. Next Saturday: at Georgia (9-1, 6-1 SEC) (7) Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC): The Vols were given up for dead after a 1-4 start but they're within one win of bowl eligibility and they go into Missouri Saturday on a three-game winning streak. Next Saturday: at Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC) (8) Kentucky (5-5, 3-5 SEC): With a win over D1AA UT-Martin Saturday, the Wildcats will be bowl eligible for the fourth straight year … Converted wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. has adapted well as an option QB. With 822 rushing yards he's within striking distance of a 1,000-yard season. Next Saturday: vs. UT-Martin (7-4) (9) Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC): After four straight games in which the Tigers have (a) lost and (b) haven't gained 300 yards, fans, boosters and alums are calling for HBC Barry Odom to jettison offensive coordinator Derek Dooley. The Tigers were held to two field goals and 256 total yards by Florida. Next Saturday: vs. Tennessee (5-5, 3-3 SEC) (10) South Carolina (4-7, 3-5 SEC): The injury-decimated Gamecocks were blown out by the Aggies Saturday night, after which HBC Will Muschamp stated, “I plan on taking this program, really, where it hasn't been before.” He will be the coach in 2020 no matter what happens against Clemson in a couple of weeks. Next Saturday: Open (11) Mississippi State (4-6, 2-5 SEC): HBC Joe Moorhead, who said after the Bulldogs 38-7 blowout loss to Alabama that he doesn't “necessarily see a step back,” needs two wins to be bowl eligible. That might calm a growing tide of boosters and alums calling for his head on a pike. Next Saturday: vs. Abilene Christian (5-6) (12) Ole Miss (4-7, 2-5 SEC): Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks ninth nationally in rushing, averaging 261.45 yards per game. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee isn't much of a threat throwing the ball but he has run for 989 yards and 11 touchdowns, 213 yards and four touchdowns against LSU. Next Saturday: Open (13) Vanderbilt (2-8, 1-6 SEC): Since their stunning win over Missouri, the Commodores are 0-3 and have been outscored 118-21 and outgained 1,528-515. That might have a little something to do with why alums and boosters have lost patience with HBC Derek Mason. Next Saturday: vs. East Tennessee State (3-8) (14) Arkansas (2-8, 0-6 SEC): To compete in the SEC West the Razorbacks probably need a head coach accustomed to winning in remote locales. Will they be smart enough to lure Mike Leach from Washington State? If you can win big at Texas Tech and then Wazzoo you can probably win anywhere. Next Saturday: at #1 LSU (10-0, 6-0 SEC) ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL The clock struck midnight for the Cinderella dreams of unbeaten seasons for both Minnesota (9-1) and Baylor (9-1) Saturday. Minnesota, which lost to Iowa 23-19, can still win the Big Ten West if it wins its final two games (at Northwestern, Wisconsin). Baylor blew a 25-point halftime lead and lost to Oklahoma. With one more win (Texas, at Kansas) the Bears will make the Big 12 Championship game and most likely face Oklahoma in a rematch. Southern Cal blasted California, 41-17, Saturday night to improve to 7-4. The Trojans have only one remaining game with UCLA, which was destroyed by Utah, 49-3. If somehow Utah slips up in one of its two remaining games, Southern Cal would win the Pac-12 South and would get a rematch with Oregon, a team it's already beaten, in the Pac-12 Championship Game. So the question is this: Will Southern Cal jettison HBC Clay Helton if he goes 8-4? What if he goes 9-4 with the Pac-12 championship? Since UCLA was mentioned, the Bruins three-game win streak was ended by Utah and now they have to beat both Southern Cal and California to go 6-6 to become bowl-eligible. Chip Kelly is now 7-15 in just less than two seasons. He has lost more games at UCLA than he did in his four seasons (7) at Oregon. By winning his seventh game, Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain got a $7,500 bonus. By winning the Pac-12 North, Mario Cristobal of Oregon got a $350,000 bonus. GOOD QUOTES FOR MONDAY From Aaron Suttles of The Athletic on Nick Saban who has been criticized for playing Tua Tagovailoa against Mississippi State: “If he is physically able to play, we want him to play in the game. That is what he wanted to do. That is what our team wanted to do. If I would have known if anything bad was going to happen I certainly would not have put him in that situation. We are a team. We are a team that is trying to get better in the long term and the long run to see if we can finish the season the way we want. I hated that the guy got hurt.” From Pete Thamel of YahooSports on how Tua Tagovailoa should be remembered: “Off the field, he'll be remembered for carrying himself with real grace. How many players have defining moments that come with cheering on a teammate who has replaced them because of injury. That's exactly what happened in the SEC title game in 2018, as Tagovailoa emanated joy as Jalen Hurts rescued the Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter to topple Georgia. From monster start to painful finish, Tagovailoa has remained as classy as any star in the sport's recent history.” RANDOM THOUGHTS: Every time I see Alvin Kamara with the football in his hands I find it hard to believe Butch Jones didn't make him his feature back at Tennessee. In the New Orleans Saints 34-17 win over the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday, Kamara had 13-75 rushing, 10-47 receiving and 3-32 on punt returns … Colin Kaepernick worked out Saturday in Riverdale, Georgia in front of representatives from eight NFL teams. After the workout, Kaepernick told the NFL to “stop running.” Given the nature of NFL owners, who would sign a mullah from Tehran if they thought he could win for them, if Kaepernick were good enough to be playing in the NFL as anything more than a high priced backup he would be there right now … The Detroit Lions lost to the Dallas Cowboys 35-27, a game that was close thanks to former Gator QB Jeff Driskel, who was 15-26 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns and 8-51 rushing for another TD … There isn't a more exciting player in the NFL than Lamar Jackson who passed for 222 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 86 more as the Baltimore Ravens hammered the Houston Texans, 41-7. He is on the short list for AFC MVP.

ADJUSTING AND ADAPTING, WHAT A CONCEPT! It was an inability to adapt and adjust that helped do in the previous head football coach at the University of Florida. Perhaps he thought he had all the answers and didn't need to change anything but had that been true, he probably would still be coaching the Gators. What we've seen in the 24 games that Dan Mullen has been Florida's head coach is constant adaptation to the personnel he has available and on the fly adjustments during games. What a concept. The 2019 season is a perfect example of adapting to the personnel. Florida came into the season lacking experience on the offensive line and with an abundance of fast, talented wide receivers. Mullen probably figured out back in the spring that unless this group of O-linemen morphed over the summer into one capable of going belly-to-belly with the big, quick defensive lines you find at nearly every outpost in the Southeastern Conference that he was going to go top heavy with the passing game. The question was could these guys protect well enough that Feleipe Franks could get the ball to the receivers? The answer to that has been a yes. More on Franks in just a bit. Pass protection is like a hybrid of sumo and ballet. Sure, you've got to be strong enough to deal with bull rushers, but you've also got to be quick enough to slide your feet and stay in front of people, many of whom come off the edge with blurring quickness. There isn't nearly as much strength-on-strength as there is in the running game and because opposing defensive coordinators play games with their front seven, the mental aspect of pass blocking is as difficult as the part about keeping in front of the bad guys with hands in their chests. What do you do if the defensive end you're supposed to block loops to the middle or drops in coverage and then some linebacker or safety comes full speed, attempting to roar past? What if three of the four down linemen rush, one drops back and a corner comes off the edge and a linebacker or safety does a delay or sugar blitz? What happens if they show they're bringing seven but three drop and it's a straight four-man rush? Those are the questions that have to be answered on almost every snap of the ball in pass protection. The one starter Mullen had returning on his O-line for 2019 was center Nick Buchanan, not exactly one of the real physical specimens at the position in the SEC, but maybe one of the most cerebral at his position. Buchanan was so smart at reading what the opponents were going to do and then communicating it to his mates on the O-line that he won the starting center job in the spring of 2018 even though he had (a) never played the position and (b) really hadn't played more than a handful of snaps anywhere on the offensive line his entire career. Buchanan learned on the fly, well enough last year that virtually the same group that gave up 37 sacks in 2017 allowed only 18. This year, working with four new starters and with an offense that has gone from 60-40 run in 2018 to pass heavy this year, Buchanan has once again consistently gotten the Gators in the right protections. Florida has given up 24 sacks in 11 games, but the Gators are averaging 6.5 more pass attempts per game. A year ago the Gators average 40.5 running plays and 28 pass plays per game. This year, it's 34.5 pass plays and 30.8 running plays. A year ago the Gators averaged 213.5 rushing yards per game and 5.27 per play. This year it's 124.18 and 4.03 per play. The running game hasn't been abandoned, but in part because run blocking isn't the strength of the O-line, the emphasis is different. Third-and-three was a running down last year. Third-and-three in 2019 might be two receivers running vertical routes, two running slants and the running back dragging across the middle. This where having one of the nation's best receiving corps comes into play to go with a strong element of trust between Mullen, his quarterback and his receivers. Florida has five receivers with 20 or more catches and two within three of grabbing their 20th catch. Led by tight end Kyle Pitts (46-566, five touchdowns), who leads all SEC tight ends in receiving stats and should earn first team All-SEC honors, Florida's receivers force opposing defensive coordinators to play pick and choose when it comes to doubling up. Whoever they double leaves someone else with single coverage and that works to the advantage of Van Jefferson (38-480, four touchdowns), Trevon Grimes (30-470, three touchdowns), Freddie Swain (40-434, five touchdowns) and Josh Hammond (24-307, two touchdowns). Throw in running back Lamical Perine, who not only leads the Gators in rushing (520 yards, four touchdowns) but has caught 32 passes for 179 yards and another four, and it is a lethal bunch. Mullen has never had a group of receivers this deep and he's tailored the offense to take advantage. Again, it's about adapting and adjusting. The previous coach tried to run what worked at Alabama for three years and the result was a stagnant offense that never cracked the top 100 nationally. Mullen readily admits he loves running the football, but he's pragmatic enough to know that you go with your strength and Florida's strength is its passing game. Here is where another adjustment and adaptation took place. With Feleipe Franks, Mullen had a quarterback with the big arm who could escape pressure and turn a potential sack into a 20-yard run. Once Franks figured out when and where it was best to run in 2018, he became a legitimate dual threat guy who burned opponents for 177 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the four-game winning streak that ended the season on such a high note. That's what Mullen figured to have this year and he expected Franks to carry some of the rushing load by being that guy defenses can't account for as a runner. When Franks went down against Kentucky, Kyle Trask had to take over. While Franks can turn a potential sack into a first down run, Trask lacks that kind of mobility. Trask can get some yards when defenses least expect it but he doesn't have the kind of speed Franks has. Franks can get you 20. Trask can get you five. Maybe. So an offense that was already going to be more pass heavy than the year before adapted to what Trask does best, which is stand in the pocket, see the field and the ball to the open man. A year ago Franks completed 58.4% of his passes for 2,457 yards and 24 touchdowns in 13 games, an average of 7.6 yards per pass attempt. Since taking over and leading the Gators to 19 straight points and a come from behind win at Kentucky following the Franks injury, Trask is hitting 66.8% of his passes for 2,293 yards and 21 touchdowns, an average of 8.4 per attempt. Trask has thrown for two or more touchdowns in eight consecutive games, the longest streak for a Florida quarterback since Tim Tebow led the Gators to the national championship in 2008. Between Trask and Mullen we also see a very strong element of trust. Despite his overall lack of experience prior to becoming Florida's starting QB, Trask has shown the ability to make good decisions and get the ball accurately where it's supposed to be on a consistent basis. Mullen can make an initial play call, see something different when the Gators get ready to snap the ball and then signal in a new play. Evidence that he trusts Trask to understand the new play and get the offense adjusted is evident in the few times UF has been called for delay of game when a play is changed at the line of scrimmage. Trask is a more accurate passer for sure, but here is what has really separated him from Franks – Franks too often ignores a five-yard dump off and goes for the big play even if it means fitting the football into a very tight window in which there is very little margin for error. Trask will occasionally try to fit the ball into a tight window but it's more of a calculated throw with him. More often than not, if the throw he was looking for isn't there, Trask will find a check-down receiver and will be happy to move the sticks flipping the ball to the safety valve receiver. * * * The past three games have been all about halftime adjustments for Mullen. Even in the loss to Georgia, he adjusted the offense and got the Gators within a couple of defensive stops away from a shot at winning the game. Florida was down 16-3 at the half, but the Gators put together two second half touchdowns and had the Georgia defense on its heels. Against Vanderbilt, the Gators led 14-0 at the half but they exploded for 35 points in the third quarter – 28 on the offensive end – on their way to a 56-0 win. In that impressive third quarter, every single play call resulted in either a first down or a touchdown. Vanderbilt was doing the same things it did in the first half but the difference was Mullen adjusted to how he was going to attack. Saturday against Missouri, which has one of the better defensive units in the SEC, the Gators led 6-3 at the half. Mullen once again adjusted what the Gators were doing and the result was two third quarter touchdowns. Florida's 23-6 win wasn't fancy by any stretch, but it was a rock solid win, the kind that probably wouldn't have happened from 2015-17. For the previous coach to win, the Gators usually had to take the initiative from the start and hold it the entire game. With Mullen, it's figure it out on the fly and adapt as you go. The Gators are 9-2 with the only losses to the nation's first and fourth ranked teams. In both losses, the Gators were a handful of plays away from either sending the games into overtime or winning outright. A year ago, Florida's three losses weren't even close. The Gators lost to Kentucky 27-16, a game not nearly as close as the score might indicate. They lost 36-17 to Georgia and 38-17 to Missouri. A year ago, Mullen was learning what his troops could do as the season progressed. This year he knows what the capabilities are and he's adjusted his offense accordingly. When you add the in-game adjustments into the mix, you have a Florida team that is more capable of dealing with adversity than in 2018. With a win over Florida State in a couple of weeks, the Gators will finish the regular season 10-2 with a chance to get to 11 wins for the first time since 2012 in what is likely to be their second straight New Year's Six bowl game. When the previous coach won 19 games in his first two seasons, the Gators seemed to be spinning their wheels, which became abundantly clear in season three when everything fell apart. Mullen is at 19 wins and has a chance to finish with 21 in his first two seasons. He hasn't won the SEC East in either year, which the previous coach did, but the previous coach didn't have to deal with such a vastly improved Georgia team either. We see with Mullen a coach who has the Florida program making the right kind of progress in large part because he's not afraid to adjust what he's doing to fit the personnel on hand and knows how to adjust in game.

Emory Jones has become a lesson in patience. The No. 11 Florida Gators redshirt freshman quarterback is the prototypical Dan Mullen quarterback, a running passer with open field elusiveness that helps open up his passing game. He harkens back to Mullen quarterbacks of old: Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott, Nick Fitzgerald. As such, the anticipation for his full implementation into this offense has always simmered and reached a fever pitch at other times. So when starter Feleipe Franks went down with a season ending injury versus Kentucky, the question that had been whispered on the wind for a year was suddenly being yelled from the mountain tops. What does this mean for Emory Jones? For his part, Emory Jones admits he had an idea of what would become of the quarterback position between he and Kyle Trask following Franks’ injury. “I kind of like knew how it was already. [Mullen] just told us, told both of us you know, 'Just stay ready', like exactly when he went down he came to both of us, like 'both of y'all are probably going to play the rest of this game', Kyle went in, he was hot.” Trask was hot, and took over the reins to the starting role, a position in which he has flourished since. Jones has seen his role increase as well, compared to his redshirt season in 2018 at least. Not long after Franks’ injury, Dan Mullen sat down with Jones and Trask and outlined his vision for the two of them moving forward. He talked about Chris Leak, Tim Tebow and the two quarterback system that changed the game. He talked about the duo that worked together, selflessly sharing snaps within a game and with Trask and Jones “how we can be something similar to that sometimes.” When Mullen was the Gators offensive coordinator in 2006, he shucked the restricting rule that having two quarterbacks means having none and instead won a National Championship with the two sharing the role. As such, the rotating passers has become a romanticized concept that other schools have tried to emulate and the Florida fan base has been hoping to replicate since. When Trask—the pocket passer—and Jones—the duel threat—took over for Franks’, fans thought it would finally happen again. In the games since, Jones hasn’t received a bulk share of snaps in any game. He’s been used for plays here and there, typically only playing for extended drives when the score was firmly in hand. It’s never easy for a competitor, having to stand on the sideline while those around you are playing. As Mullen has pointed out more than once, every other position on the field can have multiple guys play the entire game. The scope for quarterback is much more limited. Jones has elected to use the experience from which to learn. “I feel like, like me getting better is like the biggest thing to me anyways, just getting better day by day, so I mean if I'm playing or not, I'm still bettering myself… patience it's kind of hard for anybody, especially in my position. So I mean, but having [Mullen] around, I mean he always comes and pulls me to the side, tells me 'It's a process', tells me 'Just patience', and tell me one thing I need to work on. So I just focus on those things more.” Perhaps, we look back at that 2006 season with rose colored glasses; we remember the jump pass and think the entire season was made up of moments like that and that the two quarterbacks took an exactly equal number of snaps. To better understand how Dan Mullen has used Emory Jones along with Kyle Trask this season, we revisited that 2006 season to see exactly how the coach used Leak and Tebow and examined just how much it might or might not mirror Trask and Jones. Statistically, Tebow had a more productive freshman season within the two quarterback system than Emory has been so far this season. Granted, we are accounting for all 14 of the games in Tebow’s 2006 season whereas Jones’ season with the Gators thus far has only been 11 games. Tebow was used for 18% of Florida’s offensive plays the 2006 season. Comparatively, Jones’ has been used for 15% of the Gators offensive plays so far this 2019 season. The Breakdown 2006: Total offensive plays: 875 Total plays Tebow was on the field for as quarterback: 155 Total Tebow passing stats: 22-33-1, 339 yards, 5TD Total Tebow rushing stats: 89 rushes, 474 yards, 8TD The Breakdown 2019: Total offensive plays: 719 Total plays Emory was on the field for as quarterback: 105 Total Emory passing stats: 20-31, 220 yards, 2TD Total Emory rushing stats: 34 rushes, 191 yards, 4TD First appearances in each game (+ any notable appearances) Game 1 2006 vs Southern Miss: 3rd quarter, up 21-7…had five plays total 2019 vs. Miami: no Emory plays Game 2 2006 vs. UCF: 2nd quarter, up 13-0, took over completely in the 3rd quarter up 42-0...had 29 plays total 2019 vs. UT Martin: 3rd quarter, up 24-0, came in mid drive on a 1st-and-10. Had two plays, then Feleipe Franks came back…had 14 plays total Game 3 2006 vs. Tennessee: 1st quarter on the second drive, all snaps taken essentially as a wildcat...had seven plays total 2019 vs. Kentucky: no Emory plays Game 4 2006 vs. Kentucky: 3rd quarter, up 19-7…had nine plays total 2019 vs. Tennessee: 1st quarter, second drive, up 7-0. Had a handoff which was fumbled by Malik Davis. Came back in the 2nd quarter up 10-0…had 16 plays total Game 5 2006 vs. Alabama: 2nd quarter, down 10-0. The first scoring drive was 12 plays; nine-Leak, three-Tebow. Tebow came in when the drive was on the 2-yard line and rushed for a touchdown…had 10 plays total 2019 vs. Towson: 4th quarter, up 31-0, came in for first drive of the quarter and played the remainder of the game Game 6 2006 vs. LSU: 1st quarter, 3rd drive, down 7-0. The scoring drive was 11 plays; eight-Leak, three-Tebow. This was the jump pass…had 14 plays total 2019 vs. Auburn: 1st quarter, up 7-6, started the drive for two plays then Trask came back...15 plays total, 13 of which were why Trask was hurt Game 7 2006 vs. Auburn: 2nd quarter, up 10-8. Entered in the middle of the drive for one play. Rushed for a 16-yard touchdown…had three plays total 2019 vs. LSU: 1st quarter, second drive, came in mid drive on 1st down, rushed for 12 yards…the first scoring drive of 2nd quarter was 13 plays; eight-Trask, five-Jones...had 17 plays total Game 8 2006 vs. Georgia: 1st quarter, first drive, midway through the drive and ran one play in that drive, a rush for 20 yards…had seven plays total 2019 vs. South Carolina: 2nd quarter, down 10-3, came in mid drive for a rush...had 1 play total Game 9 2006 vs. Vanderbilt: 2nd quarter, up 15-6 and was given all three plays in the drive…had 10 plays total 2019 vs. Georgia: 2nd quarter, down 10-0, came in mid drive for a rush...had 1 play total Game 10 2006 vs. South Carolina: 1st quarter, first drive, seventh play; a one-yard run…had seven plays total 2019 vs. Vanderbilt: 1st quarter, second drive, 0-0. Came in mid drive on 2nd and 4 for a handoff then rush. In 4th quarter, Trask took drive down to 1-yard line, then Emory came in for the touchdown...had 14 plays total Game 11 2006 vs. Western Carolina: 2nd quarter, up 27-0…had 30 plays total 2019 vs. Missouri: 1st quarter, 3rd drive, up 3-0. Rotated Emory with Kadarius Toney at quarterback for four plays then brought Trask in for 3rd down. Also let Emory throw deep to Toney for a 48 yard completion...had seven plays total Game 12 2006 vs. Florida State: 1st quarter, first drive, play nullified with a flag, then returned the next drive for one play, a quarterback sneak…had five plays total Game 13 2006 vs. Arkansas (SEC Championship): 2nd quarter, came in for a rush…had eight plays total Game 14 2006 vs. Ohio State (National Championship: 1st quarter, first offensive drive, down 0-7 came in for a rush…had 11 plays total The Gators still have at least three more games this season (two regular season, one bowl game) which leaves more possibilities for Emory Jones to take advantage of each and any opportunity. And if you ask him, he’ll be more than ready. “Rest of the season I just want to focus on taking advantage of my opportunities because I know they are limited, so when I get in there, I have to make something happen.”

For too long there has been a monkey on the Florida Gators back, and its name was Missouri. Finally, after two straight years of losses and five losses overall since 2012, the No. 11 Florida Gators (9-2, 6-2) defeated the Missouri Tigers 23-6. It was Missouri’s first loss at home this season. The win keeps the Gators hopes alive for a SEC Championship appearance, albeit dependent on Georgia losing to Auburn this afternoon and Texas A&M next week. “Overall great win, defense did a great job. You’re looking, playing a team here at Missouri that’s averaging over 40 points a game at home. A team that’s blown out everybody they’ve played at home. To come in and hold them to six points I think was fantastic effort by our defense. Thought we played really, really hard defensively,” said head coach For the seniors, like receiver Josh Hammond (2-45yds-1TD), this win has been a long time coming. “It’s good. I haven’t beaten them since my freshman year, so it felt good to finally come out with a win against them. It’s been a long time since we beat the Tigers.” Given the time—noon ET, 11am CT—the away game and the cold weather, it was expected the Gators would start a little slow. Instead they started with whiplash; a fast get off on each offensive drive only for the brakes to be slammed on for an even quicker stop. Florida and quarterback Kyle Trask (23-35, 282 yards, 2TDs) went to the cold air right away with a 20-yard sideline completion to Van Jefferson. Trask would find the senior again on the drive for 19-yards to keep the chains moving. Then the Gators patchwork offensive line was beat for the first time on the day by Kobie Whiteside. The defensive lineman sacked Trask for a loss eight yards. Whiteside would do the same the next drive, just one play after a Kadarius Toney jet sweep picked up 25 yards. Thus was much the case for the offense the entire first half and well into the 3rd quarter. An Emory Jones package saw the redshirt freshman pick up 25 yards with his legs (on two plays) but a Toney sweep and miscommunication between Trask and Lamical Perine stalled the drive again. The unflappable Trask though kept his offense centered and let the game come to them. “We made the game plan for a reason. Eventually, it should start working. A little slow start, but obviously if we stick with it it should be good for us.” Said Mullen, “Offensively you can see we were moving the ball. It was kind of, big forward, big forward, big forward, big loss, drive killer, had to punt. So it wasn’t like we aren’t moving the ball at all, we were moving it probably in both directions, forward and backwards in chunks. So it was one of those things that it wasn’t like, ‘oh, oh what do we do? We got to change everything at half time.’ We just had to clean up to some little things and we did that in the second half." The offense was able to take their time and get to the second half largely because of the near knockout performance from the defense just a week after their SEC shutout. They came out with quick punches that put some detrimental bruises on the Tigers. “It was a slow start, we never want to do that but things happen in football. But that just means that the defense has got to come out there more and keep stopping them,” pointed out BUCK Jon Greenard. “If they don't score, we win. That's what happened. Defense did our job, offense, like I said, as long as we keep giving them the ball they're going to make something happen. We've got too many athletes on that side for it not to happen. We trust in them, they trust in us and it just all plays together." Missouri quarterback Kelly Bryant was returning after being injured at Kentucky and missing last week against Georgia (both losses for the Tigers). He went 25-39, 204 yards, one interceptions with no touchdowns but flashed the elusiveness and Houdini ability that made him such a hot commodity on the transfer portal last offseason. Several times he bounced off Gator defenders like he was in a pinball machine, scrambling for those extra blades of grass. The Gators defense though put up walls when needed and sacked Bryant three times, with two coming from Jon Greenard, who called it “a really good day at the office.” The Gators BUCK played against Bryant when Greenard was at Louisville and Bryant was slinging it for Clemson. That means Greenard knew coming in what it would take to bring him down. "I played him back at Louisville with Clemson, and I knew what type of player he was then. He's basically a running back that can throw. He's built pretty strong and he's very strong in his lower body. So getting him down on the ground is going to be very difficult but I said if we keep sending guys at home and get guys on him we'll be victorious in what we want to do." Todd Grantham’s defense held the Tigers to 5-18 on 3rd down, with four coming in 4th quarter garbage minutes. The defense gave up three chunk plays to Missouri but kept the Tigers out of the endzone all day while holding them to 256 total yards. With both defenses having dominated the first half, the Gators came into the second half with only a 6-3 lead. But much like the 3rd quarter explosion that happened last week against Vanderbilt, the Gators found the right matchups on their first drive of the quarter and took advantage. “You just gotta believe in yourself and believe in the guys around you,” commented receiver Van Jefferson (6-82yards). “Everybody just came together and was like, let’s get it done. It wasn’t pretty the first half but they’re not always pretty. We got the W. that’s all that matters.” The Gators offensive line was suspect at times on Saturday but as has been the case much of the season, when needed they really stepped up in pass protection. Trask had time to stand back in the pocket and launch one deep down the sideline towards the endzone. Josh Hammond, on his first target of the day, turned his body around in the shadows and tracked the long ball. He pulled it in and fell into the endzone for the first touchdown from either team on the day. “Beautiful catch, beautiful catch. Josh’s catch, you know amazing,” said Mullen. For Trask, the 34-yard pass was about trusting his receiver. “It was a little bit of a split-second decision, but obviously, it’s always one-on-one. I tried to put it where only he could get it and he made a great play on it.” After Missouri crossed midfield for only the second time on the day, the Gators defense held the Tigers to a field goal. On the ensuing drive, Florida was the beneficiary of some fortuitous officiating. Tight end Kyle Pitts came down with a 25-yard pass alongside Missouri defensive back Khalil Oliver. Both guys appeared to have possession when they hit the ground. Those 50/50 catches are given to the offense which is why, despite Oliver coming up with the ball like an interceptions, Pitts was given the reception on the field. It then went under review, but there was not enough evident to overturn the call on the field and the Gators kept moving towards the redzone. Three plays later, out of a staggered formation that had the running back Lamical Perine out wide, Trask found the senior in the endzone. Perine brought his toe down in time to get the call and the Gators were up two scores. On a day when the rushing game only picked up 56 yards (79 gained), the play calling like the throw to Perine only reinforces what Trask has always believed. “Coach Mullen, to me, is one of the most brilliant minds in the game of college football. He’s done a great job. He’s always going to play to our strengths. Obviously, if one things not working, you can’t just stick with that. He’s done a great job making stuff that’s going to make us play more efficiently and get guys in good matchups and let our athletes make plays on the ball.” Now the Gators, who admit they’re watching the Auburn-Georgia game on the plane ride home while praying for another shot at Atlanta, will return to Gainesville for a rare third bye week. Then, with the SEC slate wrapped up, they face FSU the week of Thanksgiving. But as Josh Hammond pointed out, getting past this Missouri block, finally atoning for the last two years, means this win will be sweeter for just a bit longer. "It felt good to come back here after what happened two years ago. We came here and got blown out with coaches getting fired. It felt good to come here and end on the right note.”

By BUDDY MARTIN There was a pervading feeling that with a noon start, a cold weather game on the road and nemesis Missouri, that trouble was looming for the 7-point favorites. The Gators had 98 yards of offense and only 3 points in the first quarter because of two sacks allowed and a tackle for loss on a reverse. Some good news: Finally a successful QB sneak for the first down. But two drops already in first half by the usually reliable Van Jefferson and Jacob Copeland slowed down the offense. The longer the game went on without a Gator touchdown, the more worrisome it was for Dan Mullen. Especially when the breaks started going the Tigers’ way with Kelly Bryant’s poorly thrown pass being completed and a Mizzou field goal bouncing off the upright and falling through for three points. Big negative plays kept offsetting Florida’s long gainers, like back-to-back catches by Tre Grimes. McPherson’s second field goal gave Florida the 6-3 lead. However, Grimes cost his team good field position for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by an inexplicable head-butting a Missouri player right before the half. Uncharacteristically, the Gator offense was abused for four sacks in the first two quarters. And once again, the UF running game was non-existent in the first half.