BY BUDDY MARTIN GatorBait Editor These kinds of games come along every 25 years or so. In the case of Florida-Auburn, exactly 25 years ago. Two former rivals, both unbeaten and ranked in the Top Ten, locked in a Lollapalooza of college football game. In 1994, with a guy named Spurrier was coaching and a guy named Nix (Patrick) was pitching the winning touchdown in the final ticks. No. 6 Auburn pulled off an epic 36-33 upset over No. 1 ranked Florida in The Swamp. Here we are two and a half decades later with another guy named Nix (Bo) playing quarterback for the Tigers on a field named after Steve Spurrier, two undefeated teams renewing an old rivalry – No. 7 Auburn a field goal favorite over No. 10 Florida. Topped off with the Gators wearing vintage throwback uniforms from the Spurrier Era in a Homecoming setting featuring ESPN Game Day on campus. All of college football could benefit by taking notes and noticing our cover with the Two No. 11s featured over Kassidy Hill’s brilliant headline “Back to the Future.” The perfect Old School/New School blend. This is good for what ails college football. In more ways than one. What beautiful symmetry is spawned by this déjà vu. This game could be epic whether it turns out close or not, just because of the organic spirits which are bound to be stirred up in The Swamp. And it answers two mega-questions: Is Auburn a dilletante masquerading as an emerging No.1, as some so-called experts are saying? On the other side, could the revival of the Florida Gator football brand with the start of a four-game Murderer’s Row of Top Tens: Auburn, LSU and Georgia? Murderer’s Row is not new to Dan Mullen. He’s fought his way out of it before. Remember, he coached in that SEC West division full of Tigers and the Tide. The season was 2014, full of serendipitous success, and the Bulldogs were on top of the world, holding on to the No. 1 ranking for four weeks. First time ever for Mississippi State. Mullen was sashaying down his own Mississippi State Murderer’s Row. “At Mississippi State we played (No.) 2, 4 and 6 in consecutive weeks,” Mullen recalled. “It was actually 6, 4 and 2 in reverse order. We played No. 6, won, we played No. 4, won, played No. 2, won.” Actually, depending on what poll is used and when, it was No. 8 LSU, No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 2 Auburn at the time they played. Still impressive. Nine straight wins by the Bulldogs. The problem is that Mullen’s team couldn’t hold serve and lost three of its last four games to Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia Tech. After a 10-3 record and a No. 11 finish in the final poll, however, Dan Mullen had made his bones. Once again, it’s on. Mullen is 19-3 at Florida with 9 straight wins. The last time his Gator team lost was almost exactly a year ago when it was knocked off by Missouri. Not a ton of love from the national media, but sneaky little building blocks have gotten Florida to the precipice of SEC contention which will be determined after Murder’s Row: No. 7 Auburn, No. 5 LSU in Death Valley, with unranked South Carolina following and then an open date before No. 3 Georgia. The bright lights will be shining on Gainesville this week, conjuring up such a rich history. You can go all the way back to Spurrier’s playing days when he struggled at Auburn in a loss which featured the ballhawking of a linebacker named Bill Cody from Orlando, who picked off one of his passes and caused him to fumble. Or the next year when Spurrier kicked the winning 40-yard field goal on Florida Field to beat Auburn 30-27 which probably won him the Heisman. Then as a coach at Florida Steve beat those Tigers from the Loveliest Village on the Plains like a dusty rug, 10 x 13 times. One of the times he didn’t was that 1994 game when Patrick Nix hit Frank Sanders for the winning touchdown. Now comes another No. 11 to try his hand. Kyle Trask may have to get the ball out quicker against Auburn’s stellar defensive line. Ironically, he’ll be wearing a similar uniform to what Spurrier wore 1964. And the same number. If you can’t get jacked up about this weekend, then have your cardiologist check you for a heartbeat. Nostalgia prevails, but the reality is that the Florida-Auburn is just what the doctor ordered to spice up some feeble cupcake schedules for which fans are sick of buying overpriced tickets. I’ve heard all the yada-yada-yada about scheduling problems and don’t buy it. Still no good reason why they can’t get this rivalry back on the front burner, but the truth is that is must be done now, somehow someway if the SEC is serious about the integrity of the game and getting rid of the ripoff prices for those cupcake games. No wonder CFB attendance is falling like the Dow-Jones of March 2009. Paul Finebaum agrees. “It’s and going to something drastic before somebody does something,” Finebaum told me on the Buddy Martin Show. “It’s like it takes a heart attack sometimes before we start being concerned about our health.” Finebaum has not been on the Gator bandwagon, which is why I was surprised to hear him say Florida has a real shot at Auburn, pointing out that this is the first trip to The Swamp for both Bo Nix and Gus Malzahn. “Of those three big games (Auburn, LSU and Georgia) Florida’s best chance is against Auburn,” he said. Meanwhile, we’ve got this to live for: Lollapalooza definition: A person or thing that is particularly impressive or attractive. Last year’s crowd buzz for LSU was the loudest we’ve heard in a long time. Will Saturday’s game equal it? Even Dan Mullen had a little extra juice this week when he talked about his days of coaching against Auburn – and what life was like in the West when Mississippi State was batting its own version of Murderer’s Row. “I’ve gotten an opportunity to play a lot of top 10 teams. (he laughs). I just wasn’t always Top 10 at the same time as a head coach. But I love them. This is what it’s all about. These are a lot of fun. These are fun games to be a part of.” This being the first time since 2007 that the Tigers have been to The Swamp, Mullen pause to reflect on a return to a regular home-and-home series which he hopes could happen someday. “I think it would be great to get to play for the players,” said Mullen. “I think for the fans and for the players to have these games be played more often would be benefit for everyone. That's why you want to come in the SEC, to play big games and to play other SEC schools. So I think it would be great for these games to be played more often.” And then there is “The Battle of the Visor Coach.” It is believed that Malzahn started wearing his visor when he was a high school coach. Mullen began wearing one as a rookie coach at Wagner College. “I wasn’t really the first one,” Spurrier said. “Maybe the first one in college. The Green Bay Packers were playing the Rams in the Coliseum one hot sunny day. And Vince Lombardi was wearing one. (Bill) Belichick wears one every now and then. Maybe I was the first in college ball.” Somebody noted to Mullen than Malzahn was a “Visor Coach” as well. His inspiration was also Spurrier. “That’s all right,” Mulled wisecracked on the way out of the presser. “We’ve got Coach Spurrier!”

There are only so many opportunities such as these. Only so many Saturday’s, only so many games, only so many moments to create memories. This Saturday is one of those. I don’t have to tell you why this game is important. Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past week, you know. I don’t have to tell you how much this game means to the Florida Gators program. You can feel it in the air in Gainesville. I just want to tell you why you’re important and why you need to be in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium early. Games like this one—Florida versus Auburn—they’re what college football is about. It’s a rivalry that has been ignored for far too long, making it all the sweeter the times it does come around. It’s a Top 10 matchup. It’s the game of the week. There are playoff implications on the line. It's Homecoming. You can go pregame with ESPN's College Gameday at the Plaza of the Americas. These games are special, they’re rare and the kind we tells stories about for years to come. Tell the whole story. "In a game like this, every single moment is going to matter. Be a part of every single moment." There’s no point avoiding the elephant sized gator in the room. If you’re a student reading this, there’s been a contentious relationship between your fellow peers and media/administration/alumni/any opposing fanbase on Twitter and anyone else that got a glimpse of the stadium before kickoff. And I get it; it feels like the utmost disrespect to be called out about attendance. You pack in on the sunny side of the stadium in central Florida, stand in the dead heat and create a deafening wall of sound. You stand behind your team and support your Gators and feel like you give everything within your soul and voice to help impact the course of the game. That's the point. When media or older fans point out the empty student section 15 minutes before kickoff, it’s not a slight or a slap in the face. It’s a plea. When those who drive hours to Gainesville for six to seven weekends each year, pay thousands of dollars in dues and expenses, go into a Gator Boosters meeting and ask Scott Stricklin what can be done about the students, it’s not because they don’t want you there. It’s because they want you to want to be there. When people get upset that you’re not there early for the game, it’s because you ARE the game. Anyone can sit at home and watch the matchup on television, taking in the replays and screaming to their refrigerator when something exciting happens. But being there in the stadium, that’s what you remember most. Being a part of the outcome of the game is the feeling you carry with you when reminiscing on the day some Thanksgiving 30 years from now. “No matter what you do and watch on TV, it's still really exciting and it's a lot of fun. But not like being there, when you can feel the noise, when you can feel the energy, when you can feel the excitement,” head coach Dan Mullen waxes poetic. “I'm sure watching Jarvis Moss block a field goal against South Carolina was pretty cool on TV. But probably felt a little differently if you were in the stadium. Right? You know, I mean, were you there? It was pretty cool to watch Brad Stewart pick off that pass last year against LSU. A little bit different when you were there and saw it and you were in the corner of that end zone.” That Stewart Pick-6 against LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, I’m convinced, was a direct result of the atmosphere the fans—and particularly students—had helped create in the Swamp. It was a cacophony of discordance, pressing down on the Tigers and forcing Burrow into not one, but two bad decisions; the interception to Stewart and then another to Donovan Stiner, effectively ending the game. It’s easy to remember those plays and games and think that’s when the atmosphere is more important. But there’s so much more to a game than just the final moments and the tone can be set from the moment the gates are open. “At the beginning, that's when people will be really spooked,” says corner Marco Wilson. “Usually, towards the end of the game, you're already used to what's going on [but] they come out loud right away, you're going to be worried about this and that because it's loud. The beginning part is really important.” It’s stepping out of the opponents tunnel, according to wide receiver Freddie Swain, that creates the first curl of dread. The visitors enter Steve Spurrier Florida Field from the corner of the southeast endzone, stage right of the Gators tunnel. The visitors first see the alumni side, with its packed fans and windowed boxes reaching into the sky and reflecting back the sun. Then they turn the corner towards the sideline and are met with the students. Corner Trey Dean III thinks that when the Gators can first affect Auburn’s true freshman quarterback, Bo Nix. “It’s very important especially a freshman quarterback coming in, it’s overwhelming. Even me as a freshman playing—and I’m playing defense—I’m like ‘wow this thing rocking’ so I know if a quarterback get behind center, he gonna feel it…especially a freshman quarterback, it’s gonna have a big affect. He hadn't played in the Swamp. He played a lot of different other teams but he hadn't played in the Swamp. Yea they played Texas A&M, but it’s not the Swamp.” “Man we need everybody there. That atmosphere, the crowd yelling, crowd screaming, they can’t hear. It’s going to mess them up. We need everybody there,” pleads defensive lineman Kyree Campbell. The time before the game kicks off is filled with an incredible pregame video and a moving band performance. The Mr. Two Bits Cheer can be chill inducing no matter who the celebrity is donning the seersucker pants that week. It really is something to see, even if just once. It also provides a chance to begin the mental game, using the intimidation factor during pregame warmups. This is something the Rowdy Reptiles do extremely well, so I know this student body is capable. So prepare accordingly, and for the love of all that is good and holy, don’t convince yourself that this is finally going to be the Saturday when everyone shows up at the same time to the gate but there’s somehow magically no line. I didn’t graduate from the University of Florida so I can’t appeal to you as an alumnus. Journalist integrity with an unbiased opinion means I can’t appeal to you as a fellow Gator. But as a college football fan, I do implore you—nay, plead with you, to not let this opportunity pass you by. One of the main things that makes college football so special is the atmosphere. The NFL can’t match it, baseball can’t replicate it and we spend all year waiting for those near spiritual experiences that only come from within these cathedrals. No matter what you do for the rest of the season, don’t let this Saturday be wasted. In a game like this, every single moment is going to matter. Be a part of every single moment.

THE TEAM WITH THE POISED QUARTERBACK WILL WIN THIS ONE Essentially, you can forget everything that's happened in the five weeks leading up to Saturday's Florida-Auburn clash at The Swamp (3:30 p.m., CBS). Consider all those other games preliminaries. This is The Main Event because it's the first Southeastern Conference game that matches unbeaten, top ten teams and it will be played before a frenzied sellout crowd that should easily top 90,000 while millions more watch on national television. As if more hype is necessary, ESPN's College GameDay Crew will be set up on the Plaza of the Americas, meaning this is more than just a football game. It's an event. For all the theories about which team – 10th-ranked Florida (5-0, 2-0 SEC) or 7th-ranked Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC) – has the upper hand, you can almost count on this one being decided by which team's quarterback plays with the most poise. Both Florida's Kyle Trask and Auburn's Bo Nix have come up big in tight situations already. Trask has only two collegiate starts to his name but he came off the bench to rally the Gators to 19 straight fourth quarter points to pull out a 29-21 win on the road at Kentucky. Nix, in his very first college football game, rallied Auburn from a 21-6 deficit to a 27-21 win over Oregon at a neutral site in the season opener. Neither Trask nor Nix, however, has ever played in a college football game of this magnitude and certainly, neither has faced a defense this good. Which one will make the fewest mistakes? And, which one will be able to put mistakes behind him and move on to the next play without reliving the bad plays in his mind over and over? Whoever can do that is going to win this football game for his team. The Sayer Says Sooth: Trask has the home crowd advantage and that's going to be a real factor. For as much poise as Nix has shown so far, he's never been in an environment quite like this. He'll discover what it's like when it's so loud you can't think, which is why he will blink first and blink more often. Trask, meanwhile, is going to get the ball in the hands of Florida's receivers and Auburn will struggle to cover them. When the dust settles it will be FLORIDA 24, Auburn 17. THE SEC SOOTHSAYER #3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC) 37, Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC) 7: This will qualify as one of the great upsets of the 2019 season if Georgia breaks into a sweat Saturday night in Knoxville. #5 LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC) 55, Utah State (3-1) 17: Jeau Burreaux will threaux for at least five touchdowns. Coach Oeaux will crush at least two Red Bull cans against his forehead. This one will be all but over by the end of the first quarter. Ole Miss (2-3, 1-1 SEC) 27, Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC) 17: It's not often we have a “must win” for a couple of teams with losing records, but since there are only a handful of wins remaining on both their schedules, the team that loses this one can almost guarantee a sub-.500 finish. Missouri (3-1, 1-0 SEC) 35, Troy (2-2) 21: Barry Odom needs to send over a case of single malt Scotch to whoever came up with Missouri's October schedule. Unless the Tigers go totally in the tank there isn't a game they can lose until Georgia on November 9. COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: EDITION SIX EXTINCT SPECIES LIST Chris Ash, Rutgers: It was reported that Rutgers is taking a long look at Mississippi State's Joe Moorhead, which raises the question – does he want to start each year battling it out for fifth place in the SEC West or fifth place in the Big Ten East? Now that Dan Mullen is no longer in Starkville, Mississippi State is once again a graveyard. Do you leave one graveyard for another? ON LIFE SUPPORT Phil Montgomery, Tulsa: Other than the fact the academics are tough, the facilities suck and the weather is brutally hot in the summer, colder than a well digger's butt in the winter, this is a wonderful place to coach. All Montgomery has to do is win six games – seven would be really nice – and he'll get to coach another year at this buckle on the tornado belt. Lovie Smith, Illinois: Buzzards are circling the Illini (2-2) football offices. There are exactly two (Rutgers and Purdue) winnable games remaining on the schedule and 4-8 isn't going to cut it. Alums are praying that Army's Jeff Monken, who grew up in Illinois, was dropped on his head as an infant and grew up thinking Illinois is his dream job. Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee: Two things of note happened in the last 48 hours – (1) Phillip Fulmer said he doesn't want to coach the Vols, which means he's going to let Pruitt crash and burn with a 2-10 or 3-9 season; and (2) Fulmer gave Pruitt the dreaded vote of confidence. Translation: Fulmer is going to fire Pruitt but he doesn't have the buyout money (more than $9 million) just yet. Bob Davie, New Mexico: The Bob Davie Farewell Tour stops in San Jose Saturday evening. The Lobos (2-2) have a chance to win this one. Win or lose, however, Davie will be in administration next year and someone else will be head ball coach. ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST Brent Brennan, San Jose State: The euphoria of beating an SEC team didn't last long. A week after beating Arkansas, Brennan and the Spartans crashed and burned against Air Force. They have a chance to win against New Mexico. A loss probably means Brennan goes On Life Support next week. Clay Helton, Southern Cal: Helton deserves better than he's going to get at Southern Cal. They're going to fire him. Not this week because there is an open date, but there's a really good chance it happens next week when the Trojans visit Notre Dame. Randy Edsall, UConn: This should tell you how bad things are at UConn. As bad as South Florida is, the Bulls are still favored by 11 points and that's on the road up at Dysfunction Junction. If they took a vote for the worst HBC in all of Division I, Edsall might win in a landslide. Tony Sanchez, UNLV: About the only thing that can save Sanchez's job would be for UNLV to win six or seven of the remaining eight games. Donkeys might fly first. Matt Luke, Ole Miss: Six wins and Luke coaches the Rebels next year. The big question is where is he going to find four more this season? Mike Bobo, Colorado State: Bobo and the Lambs – sounds like a bubble gum band, doesn't it? – have lost four games and there are at least five more losses on the schedule. This isn't going to end well. Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech: Fuente hasn't hit rock bottom yet but that could happen Saturday at Miami. If the Himmicanes give the Hokies a beatdown like the one they got last week at the hands of the Dookies, BEADS OF SWEAT FORMING Charlie Strong, South Florida: The Bulls (1-3) go on the road to UConn (1-3) Saturday. If they lose, Charlie Strong is as good as gone and he might not make it until Monday. If they win it might simply be a delay of the inevitable. Kilani Sitaki, BYU: Everybody expected the Cougars to lose to Washington and they did. Losing to Holy Toledo last week wasn't expected and isn't acceptable. Sitaki is 2-3 and needs to get to at least seven regular season wins or else he will be going through the Rolodex looking for a friend who could offer an assistant's job. Steve Addazio, Boston College: If the folks who make the decisions in Chestnut Hill are content with 7-6 records, then Addazio will be there for awhile. This season has 7-6 written all over it. If they want more, then Addazio needs to be finding a new place to work. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: With a roadie to Ole Miss Saturday and UNLV coming to town next week, that ever so rare 3-game winning streak is possible for the Dores, who ensured they wouldn't oh-fer the season last week when they beat Northern Illinois. Everybody likes Derek Mason and they really don't want to fire him, but those two straight 9-win seasons for James Franklin convinced Vandy folks they don't have to settle for 3-9 and 4-8 anymore. SAVED BY THE BUYOUT Willie Taggart, Florida State: They won't be screaming for Taggart's scalp this week. That's because the Seminoles have an open date. They will be screaming next Saturday after Clemson decides it's midseason and time to break out of its funk. The screaming won't help, however. Nobody has $17 million to buy Taggart out. Chad Morris, Arkansas: They won't have Chad Morris to kick around this week. That's because the Hogs have an open date. Unless one of the gozillionaire boosters writes a $12 million check, Morris will be back next year even though the Hogs are going to lose eight or more games. Chip Kelly, UCLA: Just when Bruin fans thought Chip Kelly had finally turned the corner with that wild comeback over Washington State, UCLA goes in the tank to lose to Arizona, 20-17. It's entirely possible UCLA could lose to Oregon State this week, which would get Kelly fired except for the $9 million it would cost to fire him. Will Muschamp, South Carolina: The Gamecocks are 2-3 while playing one of college football's most brutal schedules. The win over Kentucky last week was nice for public perceptions but the fact is Muschamp isn't going anywhere. That $18 million buyout ensures he's got at least one more year. GOOD QUOTES FOR FRIDAY Bruce Feldman of The Athletic on Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and why the Buckeyes are one of the best tackling teams in all of college football this year: “Hafley said he learned a lot about the nuances of tackling from (Greg) Schiano, the guy he followed in Columbus and his old boss at Rutgers and with the Tampa Bay Bucs. Schiano taught him that when you wrap and roll, sweep the ankle, and that you should try to put a shoulder pad through the ball carrier’s sternum.” From the San Jose (CA) Mercury-News, San Francisco 49ers corner Richard Sherman opines about California's Fair Play to Pay law and what he hopes it does to the NCAA: "I hope it destroys the NCAA in general because I think it's corrupt and it's a bunch of people taking advantage of kids, and doing it under a mask of 'fair play.' Even the things they're suspending these kids for are ridiculous. You're suspending kids for YouTube channels and they're saying, 'Oh it's because other kids can't do it.'" From Yahoo Sports, Washington State coach Mike Leach on what he sees is the danger to college sports of California's Fair Play to Pay law: “Obviously bigger schools with bigger media bases and richer alums are always going to have the biggest advantage. Because it literally opens the door to buying players without really any salary cap. Even the NFL has a salary cap. This would be openly buying players without any salary cap. None whatsoever. Because virtually anybody can go up to anybody and say ‘Hey, I’ll endorse you for this or that.’” RANDOM THOUGHTS: The New England Patriots signed placekicker Mike Nugent to replace injured Stephen Gostkowski … Prosecutors in Palm Beach County plan to appeal a judge's ruling that blocked use of surveillance video of New England Patriots' owner Robert Kraft visiting the Orchids of Asia Day Spa … The New York Mets fired manager Mickey Callaway after two seasons and an 86-76 record in 2019 that was a 9-game improvement over 2018 … Aurora, the Air Force Academy's falcon mascot, died Wednesday. Aurora suffered injuries to both wings last year when Army cadets abducted the bird in a prank.

Kyree Campbell knows exactly what it’s going to take for the No. 10 Florida Gators to pull off a win against the No. 7 Auburn Tigers. “This week is really about disciplined football.” Sometimes it’s just that simple. Well, maybe. The Tigers come in with arguably the best defensive front seven in college football. If one listens to national conversation, the Gators offense has little to no chance of working around the unit, particularly with a rushing attack that failed to push for lanes against FCS teams like UT Martin and Towson. But the Gus Malzahn run offense is also considered an advantage for the SEC West team, even when run by a true freshman quarterback. Typically in those situations the playbook is dimmed down, sparse for ease on a young mind adapting to the speed of the college game. That should be what the Tigers offense is right now. One could assume Nix would be hampered by inexperience leading to a simplified call sheet. STAR Trey Dean knows otherwise, because what this Tigers offense does is anything but simple and will take every bit of the discipline Campbell mentioned. “They do a lot of stacks and motions, try to get a player out of position so they might send a motion and then another motion and you gotta read your keys. So a dude might be fitting like he blocking but he end up getting the ball. And sometimes they might give the ball to the tailback and the next time they might give the ball to the slot or something.” That’s just before the play even has time to develop. Then comes the curveball, continues Dean. “Then the different things in their different formations, 1, 2 and 3 can run the screen. Usually 1 or 3’s gonna run the screen, we never see 2 run the screen. So it’s just different things they can do, they got a lot of switch motions. “Also when they get, even if they get five yards in the run, they gonna do a hurry up. Usually people do hurry up after they get a big play or something.” So much of this is a result of Malzahn taking back play calling duties. During his first stint in Auburn as offensive coordinator, he and current Gators defensive coordinator Todd Grantham went head to head, with the latter coaching with the Georgia Bulldogs at the time. They split games in 2010 and 2011 with No. 1 Auburn taking the game 49-31 in ’10. The following year, Grantham and the No. 19 Dawgs held Auburn to one score for a 45-7 final. The rubber match came in 2013 when Malzahn returned to Auburn as head coach and the No. 2 Tigers defeated Georgia 43-38. Needles to say, Grantham is aware of what Malzahn can do with a call sheet in his hands. “They do a good job of working to formation you to create softness. And with softness comes seams, and when you have seams, guys that run downhill hard can hit it and make things happen. Then sometimes you lose the edge of the defense and guys can bounce it out and cut it back. That allows the double-digit runs and things like that. Because now you’ve got seams through the defense. [Gus] really stresses you at all levels from a standpoint of making sure that the edges of the defense are set, you’re stout inside building a wall. Then, as you get motions and movement, you can rotate and maintain your edges.” And let’s not forget Bo Nix as a rusher. He’s currently second on the team on the ground with 173 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries. “Anytime your quarterback can run the ball it becomes truly 11-on-11,” explains Grantham. Florida’s defense has been holding teams to 281.2 total yards per game (17th in the country) but how do they stymie an offense racking up an average of 454.4 yards per game? Kyree Campbell said it; discipline, something he admits wasn’t always present during the 38-0 win over Towson last Saturday. “We did some things on our side defensive wise that we could have done a lot better…hand placement, footwork, keeping base, staying in your gap, not getting out of your gap too fast. Simple stuff like that. It’s simple stuff like that that wins you the game.” The Towson Tigers were 8-15 on 3rd down conversions. Auburn is currently converting 49% in that category. The middle of the field has become suspect at times for the Gators who will rush three and leave no help for coverage around middle linebacker David Reese. It’s a risk/reward that has paid off to this point for Grantham and the Florida defense, thanks in large part to the switch flipped within the redzone. “It’s a mindset that you just get prepared,” says Campbell. “It’s a mindset. You just need a blade of grass and we’re going to defend it. Our redzone defense we take very seriously. We want to hold them to three points or nothing.” Adds BUCK Jon Greenard, “It’s hard. You’re tired. You’re sore. All of that plays into it. The momentum’s obviously not going our way; they’re driving. Their offense is clicking, so it’s really easy to give in. If anybody could do it, it would be easy. So, we know we have to take that chip on our shoulder every time we go into a game. "I feel like we pride ourselves on finishing everything. So, no matter how the drive starts or what they’re doing in the middle, we just basically have to stop and put the fire out.” So what will it take for the Florida Gators to defeat the Auburn Tigers? A knowledge of what they’re facing, which Trey Dean proved is not an issue. And a laser focus that never strays from each man’s own job. It will take discipline.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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