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

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

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

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

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

By: Franz Beard As good as Florida's defense was in the Gators' 34-3 win over Tennessee, Jonathan Greenard knows things can be better. "The crazy part is we're only scratching the surface of what we really can do,” says Greenard, a 6-3, 265-pound athletic freak of a grad transfer who came to Florida from Louisville where he was originally recruited by current UF defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. “Just with that happening, I'm excited about where we are right now. It's still somewhat early, midway through the season. It's not our best performance. We've got a lot of things to work on still.” The Tennessee win was Florida's most complete defensive effort of the season as the Gators held the Vols to zero touchdowns, 239 total yards (88 rushing, 251 passing), forced a fumble, picked off three passes and sacked the quarterbacks four times. Through four games, the Gators ranked 23rd nationally in total defense (285.3 yards per game) and 10th in scoring defense (11.0 points per game). The Gators are tied for the national lead in sacks with 20 (for 101 yards in losses) and they are tied for second in interceptions with seven. All this for a defense that has been missing critical players due to injuries and suspensions in all four games. Barring injuries in this week's game with D1AA Towson, the Gators will begin the murderer's row portion of their schedule (#7 Auburn, #4 LSU on the road and #3 Georgia in Jacksonville in the next four) as healthy as they've been all year. It might take a full complement of players at their physical peak for the Gators to continue their winning ways with a chance to equal or improve on last year's 10-3 record. One thing that seems certain is that for Florida to score 10 or more wins, the defense can't afford to rest. This has the feel of a season in which close encounters decided late by the defense will be the rule, not the exception. That the Gators seem destined to a year of living dangerously has everything to do with an offense that hasn't quite caught fire and has had to change starting quarterbacks due to a dislocated/fractured ankle suffered by incumbent Feleipe Franks. Kyle Trask has more than exceeded next man up expectations the way he's led the Gators to a fourth quarter comeback against Kentucky (19 straight points for a 29-21 win) and 293 passing yards in his first start since he was a high school freshman in the win over Tennessee. While it appears Trask has a very high ceiling and that the offense has the potential to become explosive with him making the throws, it is the Florida defense that is going to have to show up every ball game. If the defense can shut opponents down, it lowers the pressure on Trask to deliver. Even though it's only four games into the season, the way things have played out so far conjures up memories of a couple of other Florida seasons in which the offense never set the world on fire and the defense more often than not had to carry the day. Dan Mullen called the plays for the 2006 Gators who won the national championship with a 13-1 record. The Gators averaged 29.7 points and 396.1 yards per game that year, allowing 13.5 points and 255.4 yards per game. There were great escapes like the 21-20 win over Tennessee in Knoxville and the 17-16 win over South Carolina in Gainesville. In the win over the Vols, the Gators rallied for the go-ahead touchdown then got a game-saving interception from Reggie Nelson. The defense came up with two fourth quarter stops against South Carolina to force field goals, which the Gators blocked. The second field goal block was by Jarvis Moss on the last play of the game. The Gators won by six at Vanderbilt and by seven each in wins over Georgia and FSU. In Florida's 28-13 win over Alabama, Nelson ran back an interception 70 yards for a fourth quarter touchdown to seal the win. Florida's 2012 Gators were a goal line fumble against Georgia away from a possible unbeaten regular season. The Gators averaged 26.5 points and 334.4 yards per game while giving up 14.4 points and 287.5 yards. The great escape of that season was against Louisiana-Lafayette when the Gators blocked a punt that Jelani Jenkins returned 36 yards for a touchdown with two seconds remaining for a 27-20 win. The Gators won by three against Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M on the road and they pulled out a 14-6 win over LSU and a 14-7 win over Missouri. In the win over LSU, the Gators forced a fumble by Odell Beckham to seal that win and in the win over Missouri, the Gators had two interceptions in the final five minutes to preserve a victory. So if it seems the Gators have been down this road before, there is a very good reason. Can the Gators survive with an offense whose running game may not ever come around? Can they win just by throwing the ball and if required, can they put three or four touchdowns on the scoreboard late in the game? We have no way to know those answers in advance, but it seems clear at this point that the defense has to be prepared to carry the load. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Florida's 34-3 win over Tennessee wasn't just the most complete game turned in by the defense, but for the entire team in every phase. Mullen saw a good game coming in the way the Gators prepared for the Vols in practice. “I thought we played a lot better against Tennessee than we had in the previous weeks,” Mullen said at his Monday press conference. “That had a lot to do with because we practiced better. Our scout teams executed a little bit cleaner, the defense finished plays at practice a little bit better. Thought we did an amazing job of our Friday night and early Saturday morning … it was a quick turnaround and preparation going into the game, of guys really honing into their routine and getting ready to go perform on a Saturday. If we don't continue to take a step forward with that this week, it'll show. And it'll show not just this week, it'll show the next week and the week after that and the week after that as you continue to move forward.” Mullen is a firm believer that great teams are ones who focus in on the things they can control and that begins with practice. “What's important is, 'Am I getting better as a player?'” Mullen said. “And I don't want to downplay this week's game or next week's game, because if you ask me that question next week saying, 'You're a week off from another Top 10 matchup, this one on the road, is it harder to stay focused?' No, it's on our exact attention to detail and our development and our improvement from one day to the next of getting better. And that's what we can control and that's what we need to worry about. If we're worried about other things, we're worried about the wrong thing and we're not going to be able to accomplish the goals we have as a team."

We found out what we needed to know. Kyle Trask was ready for his first start, as reflected his box score: 20x28, 293 yards and two touchdowns. It was no fluke. He can run Dan Mullen’s offense. Run it really well. Maybe as well as Feleipe Franks. Maybe better. He has the arm strength, knowledge, leadership and poise. Here’s the only question from Gator fans for their new starting quarterback: What have you done for us lately, Kyle Trask? Now that Gator fans know he’s the real deal, they also want to know if he’s good enough to carry their team to the Promised Land. They want him to be Moses. And they want it now. Welcome to the world of starting quarterbacks at Florida. As Dan Mullen says, it’s different around here. Some cannibalistic Gator fans have been known to eat their young for breakfast. Ask the three statues: Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow. Ask others who don’t have statues, even though they helped put trophies in the case – namely Shane Matthews and Chris Leak. The good news is that Trask looks unflappable so far. No moment is likely to ever going to be too big for him. In two games he has two W’s over SEC teams. He appears equal to any occasion, as proven when he came off the bench in Lexington and pitched his team to a fourth-quarter comeback victory with 19 points. But can he make the title run? Against Tennessee, Dan Mullen praised Trask’s calm demeanor and good decision-making. On his first drive as a starter, his passes were crisp, on time and thrown confidently. Because of his vision and room-service delivery, suddenly the whole middle of the field came into play. This bodes well in the future because Trask finds open receivers. He found 10 different ones in the Vols secondary. Can he help his team find 10 wins? They only need six more, but three of the next eight are currently Top Ten teams. Without question, Kyle Trask looks the part. Does he have the chops? *** If you like style points, you’re going to love watching the new No. 11 in a Gator uniform. Standing tall and purposeful in the pocket, no happy feet, surveying the secondary and the patterns of his talented receivers, always in rhythm -- even if he occasionally holds the ball a smidgen too long – and delivering it with the grace of a knockdown three-point shooter, dispatching the football into the bottom of their breadbaskets. In the trade it’s known as a “catchable ball,” which is how Steve Spurrier described Danny Wuerffel’s projectiles. It beholds the eyes of coaches and receivers of all ages. “Man, I want to catch one of those balls – they’re so pretty!,” Gator Radio Network broadcaster Lee McGriff blurted out on the air, after having watched the touchdown pass he feathered to Freddie Swain. Keep in mind, McGriff was a very good catcher of footballs in high school, college and pro ball and has been on the receiving end of some delicious connections. Watching Trask’s pitches makes him hungry for the touch of football again. McGriff has been a Trask admirer going back two years ago as began expressing his admiration – careful never to disrespect Mullen’s choice of Feleipe Franks as the starter. Pretty much all the things McGriff have been saying off the mic have come true. In just over two minutes against Tennessee, Trask posted his first touchdown with a 19-yard pass to Kyle Pitts in what may be henceforth known as the Kyle-to-Kyle connection. Even McGriff’s radio partner has even bought in. Right away, it became clear that the Florida offense didn’t seem to be struggling anymore as the timely passes of Trask garnered big chunks of yardage. "I don't know how to say this," admitted Mick Hubert, "but why does it seem so much easier?" To curb the enthusiasm just a little, we should offset the praise with a little reality. There are still plenty of things for Trask to work on. 1. Turnovers. Interceptions sometimes happen because receivers run wrong routes or the ball is tipped, etc. Also when I say he throws a “catchable ball,” remember it’s catchable by the other side, too. Mullen said the two interceptions don’t bother him that much -- but he can’t have the fumbles. Trask has to protect the ball. Steve Spurrier says a QB has to hang on the football with two hands. That wasn’t the case when Trask fumbled to Tennessee. 2. Trask is a very accurate passer, which is the apparent reason they allow him to throw more over the middle. He’s got to be cautious throwing too many high balls, however, because too-tall passes over the middle can be tipped and become Pick City. 3. Timing routes can be a beautiful thing, but the slightest margin of error can lead to a drastic outcome going the other way. 4. We admire quarterbacks who stand in the pocket courageously, willing to take the hit, however Trask has a tendency to hold the ball a little too long. 5. Up until now, opposing teams haven’t had film on Trask. The more games he plays the better body of work defensive coordinators have to study. In the SEC, those guys are good. Finally, in coming weeks the play-calling will have to mesh better with Trask’s skills, the rest of the offense has to keep improving – the bright light was Brett Heggie being named SEC offensive lineman of the week – and the tepid running game needs to perk up. The nuances of playing the position will be essential to becoming a more polished quarterback. “And decision making,” said Mullen. “’When I'm going to take a sack,‘ ‘I'm going to throw this away,’ ‘this play's not there so I'm not going to try to make something happen that's not there.’ All of those things are a lot of experience things so the more experience you get the better you're going to be.” If planning will make it happen, Mullen has the best quarterback eligible in college football right now. “You always want to be prepared but three of our next five games against top six teams, top seven teams in the country,” Mullen said. “I don't know many people have that sort of stretch going now. But that's part of being in the Southeastern Conference and that's what's fun to go play in. I think Kyle just needs to continue on the path that he's on. “Everybody has seen his preparation. He prepares the right way getting into a game and he's going to be ready for that moment. The biggest thing to build on is experience, him being out there in every situation – managing the clock, managing the play clock, making sure he's getting the right checks, being comfortable in how he's using cadence to his advantage, making sure he's got communication with the receivers and offensive line.” Big Boy Football is coming soon to a neighborhood near us soon. I think Kyle Trask is ready. Bring it.

A NO NONSENSE WIN IS NEEDED The oddsmakers in Las Vegas make 9th-ranked Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC) a 28-1/2 point favorite against D1AA Towson (3-1) Saturday (4 p.m., SEC Network) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Dan Mullen's not the least bit interested in the point spread, but he definitely needs the Gators to win this one by four or more touchdowns. A show of force Saturday probably isn't necessary from the standpoint of winning the game. Florida has way too much talent and as long as the Gators play with a reasonable amount of effort, they should win. But the Gators need more than reasonable effort. They need a game in which they flex their muscles and dominate on both sides of the ball. With 7th-ranked Auburn due in Gainesville a week from Saturday, Mullen needs his team to send a clear message that he's got a team capable of focusing in on the task at hand, no matter the caliber of the opponent. Through four games, the Gators have shown what they're capable of in spurts but they have yet to play anything close to a complete game. With six straight SEC opponents on the schedule after Saturday's game, the time is now to start playing with maximum effort on every play and in every phase of the game. A no nonsense win will send out the right kind of message to the rest of the SEC. The Sayer Says Sooth: The Tigers are averaging 40 points per game, but it's one thing to light up North Carolina Central, another thing altogether to move the football and score on a defense that is tied for the Division I lead in sacks (20) and second in interceptions (7). If your defense can't stop Villanova's offense (52 points, 574 yards including 295 on the ground, how do you expect to stop Florida's gifted wide receivers. Figure Kyle Trask will throw for 300 yards and four touchdowns and turn it over to Emory Jones, who we'll see taking shots downfield with his arm. I like it something like FLORIDA 52, Towson 13. DONTAY BASSETT CHAIR OF SEC MEN'S BASKETBALL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL At a recent meeting of the SEC Basketball Leadership Council in Birmingham, Florida forward Dontay Bassett was chosen chairman by his peers. This is Bassett's first year on the Leadership Council, replacing Kevarrius Hayes, who graduated. The leadership council is made up of one male and one female player from each of the Southeastern Conference's 14 schools. Kristina Moore is Florida's female representative. THE SEC SOOTHSAYER #2 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) 54, Ole Miss (2-2, 0-1 SEC) 10: The big question is can Tua throw for five touchdown passes for a third consecutive game? #7 Auburn (4-0, 1-0 SEC) 23, Mississippi State (3-1, 1-0 SEC) 21: Mississippi State is good enough to scare the bejabbers out of Auburn. Are the Bulldogs good enough to upset Auburn the week before the Tigers have to travel to Gainesville? #23 Texas A&M (2-2, 0-1 SEC) 45, Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC) 17: The Aggies need to win this one by at least three touchdowns to calm the boosters, who are stressed out over the losses to Clemson and Auburn. South Carolina (1-3, 0-2 SEC) 24, Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC) 20: Ryan Hilinski is healthy. Sawyer Smith is not. South Carolina will get this win because they have a healthy quarterback who has actually played. If Smith can't go, Kentucky will be down to a guy who was the fourth stringer when spring football ended back in April. Vanderbilt (0-3, 0-2 SEC) 35, Northern Illinois (1-2) 21: Finally, a game that Vandy is capable of winning and they should unless the Commodores are still in shell shock after the way Joe Burrow passed them silly last week. COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: EDITION FIVE ON LIFE SUPPORT Phil Montgomery, Tulsa: He's 2-2 with an open date this week but that's followed up with consecutive games against (at) SMU, Navy, (at) Cincinnati, Memphis, (at) Tulane and UCF. If, as expected, he's 2-8 after that stretch, he might as well turn in a forwarding address so they can mail him his severance checks. Lovie Smith, Illinois: Lovie said his defense was making progress after the loss to Nebraska last week. Okay, you give up 42 points and you're making progress? Chris Ash, Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are 1-2. There are two winnable games remaining on the schedule – Liberty and Illinois. Ash needs to be calling old buddies to see who may need a defensive coordinator next year. Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee: Folks are saying if Pruitt is fired it will set the program back five years. Some other folks are saying if Pruitt is still the coach next year the program will be set back five years. Tennessee can't afford to fire him but when has something like fiscal responsibility ever stood in the way of an irrational decision that can be made in Knoxville? Bob Davie, New Mexico: The Bob Davie Farewell Tour begins Saturday when the Lobos travel to Liberty. New Mexico might win this game, but it won't help Davie's long term prospects. He's expected to “retire” for health reasons and take an administrative job in the athletic department. ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST Brent Brennan, San Jose State: He was On Life Support last week but then he did the unthinkable and beat an SEC team on the road. Okay, it was Arkansas so it wasn't like it was a real SEC team, but it still bought some time. Clay Helton, Southern Cal: Will the folks who make the decisions take into account that the Trojans are 3-1 with guys who were the third and fourth string quarterbacks just a month ago and the guy who led the win over Utah had thrown all of 19 passes in the four previous years? Randy Edsall, UConn: A bad coach with an even worse team, so UCF at the Bounce House on the Saturday following the first regular season loss in three years is not conducive to convincing people that it's only a matter of time before good things happen. Tony Sanchez, UNLV: The only win so far is over a bad D1AA team. Barring a miracle of changing the water into wine proportions, he's a goner. Matt Luke, Ole Miss: Saturday won't be pretty. The Rebels are playing Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Figure Bama will have the spread covered (38-1/2 points) by halftime, which is not going to help long term perceptions about Matt Luke. Mike Bobo, Colorado State: The Rams are giving up 40.3 points per game and things aren't going to get easier. Bobo is a very nice guy who's had a bad run of buzzard's luck keeping players healthy but he'll be gone, maybe before November. Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech: Folks up in the Old Dominion State are looking at Fuente adding former Northern Illinois/Minnesota HBC to his staff as a special assistant is a sign that desperation isn't far away. BEADS OF SWEAT FORMING Charlie Strong, South Florida: If the Bulls can win at home Saturday against unbeaten SMU – a game that is actually winnable – it will ease the pressure for at least a couple of weeks. Kilani Sitaki, BYU: The euphoria of the Southern Cal win was replaced by the frustration of a blowout loss to Washington. Anything less than 7-8 wins and he'll be sweating profusely. Steve Addazio, Boston College: Fortunately, he bounced back from that shocking loss to Kansas with a win over Rutgers, otherwise he would already be gone. Addazio has to wonder how much longer they'll be happy with 7-win seasons. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: He will go to the Endangered Species List if he loses to Northern Illinois this week. SAVED BY THE BUYOUT Willie Taggart, Florida State: The ACC is so bad that Taggart might actually get the Seminoles to a bowl game. That doesn't mean he's actually a good football coach, however. Since there aren't enough bake sales in the world to raise the buyout money they'll need for their Free Willie campaign, they're stuck with him awhile. Chad Morris, Arkansas: He lost to San Jose State. At home. One of the multi-gozillionaire boosters might just write a check for $12.5 million. Chip Kelly, UCLA: How did Washington State throw for nine touchdown passes and still lose to UCLA? Was that a sign that the Chipster finally has figured out offense and the Bruins will win again? They better hope so. They can't afford the $9 million buyout. Will Muschamp, South Carolina: He got the dreaded vote of confidence from the athletic director this week. Ray Tanner does like Will and he also doesn't have $18.5 million, which he would need if he didn't like him. NCAA HAMMERS GEORGIA TECH BASKETBALL The NCAA dropped the hammer on Georgia Tech basketball Thursday, announcing that it has banned the Yellow Jackets from the 2019-20 post season. Additionally, the program was put on four years probation, lost one scholarship for each year of the four years, was forced to vacate wins, had recruiting restrictions placed on the coaching staff and was fined a yet to be revealed amount of money. One of the violations involved a former Georgia Tech assistant, who arranged for recruit Wendell Carter (he ended up going to Duke) to go to a booster's home (reportedly former Tech star and NBA player Jarrett Jack) and then on to a strip cub owned by a local NBA player. Carter and his host (Georgia Tech player) were each given $300 to spend at the strip club. The NCAA came down hard on Tech coach Josh Pastner's friend Ron Bell, who was ruled to be a booster. Bell was found to have provided players and a potential transfer with $2,424 of shoes, clothing, meals, transportation and lodging. Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury says the school will appeal the sanctions and plans to stand by Pastner. GOOD QUOTES FOR A FRIDAY From Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com on how the NCAA sanctions against Georgia Tech basketball might spell doomsday for Kansas: “This development also isn't good for Kansas, which was charged by the NCAA with more serious violations than Georgia Tech earlier this week. If the NCAA shows any kind of consistency, it's reasonable to assume KU will get at least what Georgia Tech just got -- and probably more -- unless it can successfully argue that Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola was not a Kansas booster. Good luck, as they say, with that.” From Scott Dotcherman and Max Olson of The Athletic, Nebraska has added a “Life Skills Kitchen” where players can cook their own food if they want: “The Huskers converted an office space next to the training table into a small prep kitchen, complete with butcher block and fridge. Now athletes can venture away from the buffet line and cook their own damn eggs for breakfast, rice or noodle stir fry bowls at lunch and pasta bowls at dinner. Dietetic student works who run the station offer them answers and advice. When parents see this on recruiting visit tours, [Dave] Ellis (Director of Sports Nutrition)said, they tend to ask with amazement:'You’re gonna teach my kid how to cook?'” RANDOM THOUGHTS: Kedon Slovis remains in concussion protocol so Matt Fink will get the start for Southern Cal against #17 Washington Saturday. Fink came off the bench last week to complete 21-30 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns in the Trojans' upset of Utah last week … Archie Manning says Peyton will return to the NFL soon, either in ownership or another front office position … Just because the New England Patriots released Antonio Brown doesn't mean they aren't obligated to pay him the $9 million signing bonus.

JUST CALL THIS GRAD TRANSFER U Perhaps the only thing missing from the Florida basketball complex is a flashing neon sign that reads “Grad Transfer U: Open for Business.” Mike White grins at the mention of the success he's had with two previous graduate transfers. Canyon Barry was the SEC Sixth Man of the Year while helping the Gators make the Elite Eight in the 2016-17 season and Egor Koulechov led the team in rebounding and finished second in scoring in 2017-18. Both Barry and Koulechov made the Gators a better basketball team in their one year in Gainesville and they remain close to White – “two of my favorite guys that we've had.” The latest member of the Florida Graduate Transfer Club could very well be the best yet and could take the Gators to places they haven't been since the Billy Donovan-coached 2013-14 Gators reached the Final Four. Kerry Blackshear Jr. arrives on campus with second team All-ACC credentials after a season in which he averaged 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds at Virginia Tech, which was a missed shot at the buzzer from knocking off Duke and making the Elite Eight last year. Blackshear is a 6-10, 250-pounder with dancer's feet and the ability to score from the foul line on in. When he announced that he was leaving Virginia Tech, Blackshear was viewed as a near guarantor of a very deep run in the NCAA Tournament in 2019-20, which is why schools like Kentucky and Michigan State went so hard after him. He chose Florida, in part because Orlando is his home town and he grew up a Gator fan, but also because he had inside information regarding the Florida coaching staff, future teammates, the school and the social environment. As he was narrowing down his choices, Blackshear spoke regularly with former Virginia Tech teammate Jalen Hudson, who spent his final two seasons of eligibility playing for the Gators. “He told me this was a great opportunity,” Blackshear said at Florida's media day. “He told me what I would be getting into and how it's different than what I experienced at Virginia Tech. He's a really good guy who is in a good place. I leaned on him for advice and he was someone who helped lead me to a very good place.” If Blackshear's one-and-done year at Florida gets the Gators to the NCAA promised land, it might make this the ideal landing spot for the next great grad transfer. “Grad Transfer U, put that out there!” White says. “See who's available in the spring!” BALANCE IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE If you go strictly by yardage, then you might think Dan Mullen is channeling his inner Mike Leach. Through four games the Gators are averaging 294.75 yards per game through the air and just 136.8 on the ground, but a closer examination shows it is nearly 50-50 balance. The Gators have actually run more plays (130) than passes (127) so the yardage discrepancy is a bit deceiving. We've heard so much talk that Florida's offensive line is young (four new starters) and hasn't gotten to a point that it can dominate in the run game for four quarters, but for all their youth, they've only given up five sacks in four games. Last year's O-line, which had four veteran starters, gave up 18 sacks in 13 games. That's 1.38 sacks per game last year, just 1.25 per game this year. Because opponents run such sophisticated pass rushing and blitz schemes, pass protection takes up far more practice time than is devoted to run blocking. Given Florida's talent, speed and depth at wide receiver, it only figures that Mullen is going to emphasize timing and protection throwing the ball far more than he does the running game in practice. It might also be noted that the Gators have had more success running the ball in the fourth quarters of the last two games. That might have something to do with the fact that opponents are worn down after spending so much time rushing the passer, but it might also mean that after spending so much effort pass protection that the O-line is ready to do some mashing and mauling in the fourth quarter. SEC FOOTBALL STUFF #2 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Deonte Brown, back from NCAA suspension, has been practicing with the second team O-line. He started last year … Outside linebacker Terrell Lewis (hyperextended knee) participated in some drills. Nose tackle DJ Dale (strained patellar tendon) was seen going through drills with the D-linemen. Saturday: vs. Ole Miss (2-2, 1-0 SEC) Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC): Running back T.J. Hammonds will return from a four-game suspension this week when the Hogs play Texas A&M. Saturday: vs. #23 Texas A&M (2-2, 0-1 SEC) at Arlington, TX #7 Auburn (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Last year Auburn gave up 349 rushing yards to Mississippi State. This year the Tigers are allowing only 89.5 per game and they're coming off a game against Texas A&M when they allowed only 56 yards. Saturday: vs. Mississippi State (3-1, 1-0 SEC) #3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Georgia is resting defensive end David Marshall (foot) all week with the hope of getting him back in time for the Tennessee game. Saturday: Open Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC): It's still day-to-day on quarterback Sawyer Smith and his injured shoulder. If he can't go Saturday at South Carolina, Walker Wood, who was the #4 quarterback during spring practice, will get the start. Saturday: at South Carolina (1-3, 0-2 SEC) #4 LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Coach O on the future of offense in the SEC: “I don’t know if we will go back to the wishbone, those days are over … the spread, the tempo, it’s the defense that has to catch up. We have to make adjustments.” Saturday: Open Mississippi State (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback Tommy Stevens could be back in the lineup Saturday at Auburn. HBC Joe Moorhead said, “He threw in practice yesterday like he had been throwing in camp. I don’t want to say he’s completely healed, but this is as good as he’s looked since the injury.” Saturday: at #7 Auburn (4-0, 1-0 SEC) Missouri (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Left tackle Yasir Durant is still trying to come back from a neck injury suffered a couple of weeks ago against Southeast Missouri State. He didn't play against South Carolina last week but has been practicing in the last couple of days. Saturday: Open Ole Miss (2-2, 1-0 SEC): HBC Matt Luke is hoping quarterback Matt Corrall will be healthy by the time the Rebels make the trip to Alabama Saturday. Luke said, “We are trying to get him back, he was very limited yesterday. We are trying to get him ready, John Rhys (Plumlee) is very different, so we would like to have both ready to play and make them prepare for them both.” Saturday: at #2 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) South Carolina (1-3, 0-2 SEC): Asked if he has any doubts about HBC Will Muschamp and staff, athletic director Ray Tanner said, “I believe in them now as much as when they came here.” Saturday: vs. Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC) Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC): Three more players have left the team – wide receiver Jacquez Jones and linebackers Will Ignont and Shannon Reid. Five players have left the team since the start of the season. Saturday: Open #23 Texas A&M (2-2, 0-1 SEC): It is being reported that redshirt freshman quarterback James Foster entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal only to withdraw it approximately one hour later. Saturday: vs. Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC) at Arlington, TX Vanderbilt (0-3, 0-2 SEC): During the first half of their loss to LSU last week, LSU fans had apparently drunk Vanderbilt Stadium dry. When beer trucks arrived at halftime, the delivery men were given a standing ovation. Said Vandy coach Derek Mason, “This is Nashville. No stadium should run out of beer.” Saturday: vs. Northern Illinois (1-2) GOOD QUOTES FOR THURSDAY From Jim Bowden of The Athletic, New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen talks about the impact of rookie first baseman and former Gator Pete “Polar Bear” Alonso: “Pete challenges himself and his teammates to get better each day. He is not content with what he has done; rather, his focus is on what he can do next. With all of his accomplishments and personal pursuits, it is clear the helping his team win remains his priority. These are all qualities of a leader, regardless of age or service time.” From Dan Patrick, Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin (formerly Alabama offensive coordinator) speaks about what Tua Tagovailoa would have done if he hadn't been inserted into the 2017 national championship game with Georgia in the second half: “If this second half doesn’t flip like this, and Alabama is moving the ball and doesn’t change (quarterbacks), people that really know what’s going on would tell you that Tua was leaving. Because Tua thought that he should be the starting quarterback and had outperformed him in practice and coach never gave him an opportunity.” From Adam Rittenberg of ESPN on if Michigan is disgruntled enough with Jim Harbaugh to fire him: “Harbaugh isn't getting fired. While the dismissal door is never completely closed for coaches, Michigan doesn't seem eager to boot a decorated alum who still boasts a 40-15 record, not to mention an eight-figure guarantee if fired this season. A more likely outcome is Harbaugh leaving on his own, as he annually receives NFL overtures. But the prospect of departing his alma mater without a Big Ten title or a win against Ohio State would permanently blotch his Michigan legacy.” From Bob McGinn of The Athletic on the six quarterbacks that were taken ahead of the New England Patriots' Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft: “The six quarterbacks taken ahead of Brady – Chad Pennington, Giovanni Carmazzi, Chris Redman, Tee Martin, Marc Bulger and Spergon Wynn – are all out of the league. Besides Brady, nine quarterbacks from 2000 (six draft choices, three free agents) started at least one game. They totaled 233 starts, 36 fewer than Brady.” From Shalise Manza Young of Yahoo Sports on Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield responding to criticism by Rex Ryan, who got fired from his last NFL job back in 2016: “In the wise words of [Browns head coach] Freddie Kitchens, if you don’t wear orange and brown, you don’t matter, and Rex Ryan doesn’t have any colors right now for a reason.” RANDOM THOUGHTS: It is being reported that Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon will end his holdout and report to the Los Angeles Chargers … Zac Clark, a 16-year-old high school football player in Ohio saved the life of one of his neighbors when he lifted a Volkswagen off the man's chest …Urban Meyer says that if he were to return to coaching football there's no way it would be at Michigan. Meyer says he has no plan whatsoever to return to coaching because he likes what he's doing as a Fox Sports college football analyst and as an assistant athletic director at Ohio State ... Former Gator Pete Alonso padded his Major League leading home run total Wednesday night with a three-run blast in the bottom of the second against the Miami Marlins that traveled a mere 437 feet. Alonso his 51 homers and 118 RBI this season. He's got one more game to hit another homer to tie Aaron Judge for the all-time rookie record for home runs in a season.

Andrew Nembhard and Noah Locke are haunted still. Only sophomores, they’ve taken on the memory of a seasoned veteran, bearing scars that beget lessons. On a team of 14 with only four upperclassmen, these two returning starters have willingly said to their teammates, look at me, I’ll guide you through this season. They’ve done so motivated by a desire to rid the demons they perceive hindered their freshmen campaign. For Nembhard, the All-SEC freshman guard who spent the summer playing with his home country Team Canada, it’s all 16 of the losses compared to the 20 wins that have stuck with him, ending in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 49-64 loss to Michigan. Related: Andrew Nembhard says playing for Canada sets him up for NCAA season "Just I think, we lost a bunch of games last year that I feel like we shouldn’t have lost and the season didn’t go as I would like it to go and I think I could’ve stepped up in a bigger role last year and I think I want to change that this year. And since we have such a great team, I think it’s a great opportunity for me to kind of develop in that area.” “It took him time to develop as a leader,” says head coach Mike White. “He [was] a true freshman starting point guard in the SEC, so he led a lot more as a freshman than most freshmen do, and I think he's got that in him. We've challenged him since he's been here, but he's a really, really smart kid, and he gets it. He knows the game, and I think that he sees an opportunity there for himself and for his teammates to gain from that, from his leadership.” Right after the season ended, Nembhard decided to take the next step and went to the coaches directly to let them know his plan. H'e's got leadership capability and qualities. He's gifted in that regard,” continues White. "He became a lot more demonstrative late season. He became more vocal, became a little bit harder on his teammates late season, and really was a big reason, along with Kevarrius Hayes that we got into that tournament and won a game. And he wants to take it to the next level, and that's not—I didn't have to beg that out of him. He approached myself and our staff with that right when the season was over with.” Noah Locke, the Maryland native guard, has found fuel in the 55-61 March 2 loss at home to Georgia. “We weren’t supposed to lose that game,” he clearly states. "I mean that game, we were just supposed to win. We beat them back at their place. And I just felt like we weren’t locked in…We couldn’t find ourselves. It was a terrible loss for us and I mean that hit me, I was like, I felt like I didn’t do enough to help and me being hurt too, it was just definitely a lot going on in my head. I’ll learn from it, for sure.” Now Locke and Nembhard know what it’ll take to avoid those losses an White will be looking to them for guidance on this team that boasts six freshmen. “We'll use those guys a lot,” admits White. “I don't know what our leadership is going to be, but I think we have more potential leaders on this team than any team that I've coached. I think we have four, five, six, maybe seven guys that have a chance to lead in some capacity, Noah being one of those guys. We were talking [Tuesday], and he said, ‘Coach, some of these freshmen don't know what they're getting into, do they?’ I said, ‘Friday is going to be rough for them.’ Friday is our first big one. I said, ‘it's going to be shocking for some of these guys Noah,’ and he said, ‘I know, it's been funny in the locker room, a few of them have been talking about the fact that this isn't as bad as you guys said it was going to be,’ and Noah and I's stance, of course, is that these guys have been going through our half practices, most of it not even contact.” Locke, for his part, isn’t holding any punches on what the team needs to do to improve, even a month and a half away from their first tip-off; November 5 against North Florida. “I think it’s a lot that we gotta, it’s a lot that we gotta learn, it’s a lot that we gotta do to become a better team. It’s a lot of things that Coach White is trying to help us with. It’s a lot of things, we just gotta listen more. Some guys on the team right now aren’t really locking in and listening good enough. But once we all get that together, we’ll be fine.” All getting together will come, thanks in large part to two veteran sophomores who refuse to accept anything less. They’ve got some demons to exorcise and some different memories to make. It’ll be the entire preseason No. 4 Florida Gators team who benefits.

TWO MORE O-LINEMEN NEEDED The goal all along has been to find eight offensive linemen who can be trusted to get the Gators through the 2019 season. A third of the way through the season, Dan Mullen and his offensive line coach John Hevesy are still searching for two more guys to go with a starting five of tackles Stone Forsythe and Jean Delance, guards Brett Heggie and Chris Bleich, center Nick Buchanan and redshirt freshman Richard Gouraige, who Mullen says could actually play both tackles and both guards. “I don't get into starting, I get into the total number of reps,” Mullen said at his Monday press conference. “Starting is the first play and that's just one play of the game. Right now there are six we feel really good about and we're still working on getting the younger guys developed and ready to go. Obviously you want that for depth purposes to get through the rest of the year.” Saturday's game with Division IAA Towson will be the last non-conference opportunity for Mullen and Hevesy to evaluate some of the younger offensive linemen before the Southeastern Conference portion of the schedule begins in earnest next week with 7th-ranked Auburn the first of six straight SEC opponents. Although the Tigers aren't as big and strong as your typical SEC opponent, it's still different than going head-to-head in practice against the scout team. “It’s just going at a different speed during the course of the games,” Mullen said. “You look at where we’re at and you try to simulate as best you can at practice, it’s just not gonna be the same simulation with the speed, the quickness, the size and the physicality within the run game in practice right now with our O-line going against the scout D-line.” Defense has helped the running game: The fourth quarters of the wins over Kentucky and Tennessee have seen the Gators pick up a good bit of slack in the running game after tough going in the first three quarters. Mullen believes the Florida running game has gotten a boost from the defensive effort in both games. “All of a sudden, the 2-, 3- and 4-yard gains became 7-, 8- 9-yard gains, and then the running game starts to click,” Mullen said. “I think it was the patience and the fact that we had the lead and we were playing great defense allowed us to be patient with that and stick with it, and it finally started to kind of wear them down in the fourth quarter." Heggie SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week: Left guard Brett Heggie, who graded out 95% in the Gators' 34-3 win over Tennessee, was selected SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Others honored by the SEC were: LSU QB Joe Burrown (Offensive Player of the Week); Missouri DB Cale Garrett (Defensive Player of the Week); Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship (Special Teams Player of the Week); Auburn DT Derrick Brown (Defensive Lineman of the Week); and Mississippi State QB Garrett Shrader (Freshman of the Week). SEC FOOTBALL STUFF #2 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Nose tackle D.J. Dale (strained patellar tendon) and linebacker Terrell Lewis (hyper-extended knee) didn't practice Monday but both are expected to play Saturday against Ole Miss … OG Deonte Brown's NCAA suspension has been lifted but Nick Saban says he will have to earn his starting job back. Saturday: vs. Ole Miss (2-2, 1-0 SEC) Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC): HBC Chad Morris said the loss to Mountain West bottom feeder San Jose State is “unacceptable and it's embarrassing.” Saturday: vs. #22 Texas A&M (2-2, 0-1 SEC) at Arlington, TX #7 Auburn (4-0, 1-0 SEC): ESPN college football analyst Marcus Spears says the 2019 version of Auburn HBC Gus Malzahn is someone the rest of the SEC needs to be very afraid of. Spears says, “That is the swagger he had when they were ripping off wins against Georgia and Alabama two years ago. He feels like he has the team he needs to shock people.” Saturday: vs. Mississippi State (3-1, 1-0 SEC) #3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Georgia ranks #19 nationally in total offense at 508.8 yards per game and #11 in total defense at 262.5 yards per game. Saturday: Open Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC): Quarterback Sawyer Smith suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to Mississippi State. His status for Saturday is up in the air. Walker Wood could get the start although it's possible wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr., a high school quarterback, could take some or all of the snaps against South Carolina. Saturday: at South Carolina (1-3, 0-1 SEC) LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback Joe Burrow is hitting an astonishing 80.6% of his passes (100-124) and averaging 12.3 yards per attempt. His quarterback efficiency rating is 225.6 … Wide receiver Terrence Marshall (20-304 with six touchdowns) had surgery to repair a stress fracture Monday. He could miss six or more weeks. Saturday: Open Mississippi State (3-1, 1-0 SEC): With Tommy Stevens' status still up in the air, it's likely true freshman Garrett Shrader will get a second straight start Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to Auburn. Shrader has passed for 302 yards and run for 223 so far this season. Saturday: at #7 Auburn (4-0, 1-0 SEC) Missouri (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Defensive back Chris Mills had surgery to repair a torn ACL so he's out for the season … The Tigers rank sixth nationally in total defense at 231.3 yards per game. Saturday: Open Ole Miss (2-2, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback Matt Corrall, who suffered bruised ribs in the loss to California, is listed day-to-day by HBC Matt Luke. Saturday: at #2 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) South Carolina (1-3, 0-1 SEC): South Carolina safety Jamyest Williams, who started the first three games and played a backup role in the loss to Missouri, is leaving the team to save a year of eligibility so he can enter the NCAA transfer portal. Saturday: vs. Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC) Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC): Addressing the precarious job status of HBC Jeremy Pruitt, Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network said, “I think what you have to evaluate at some point this year, is whether or not it looks like Jeremy Pruitt has a clue. Right now, I think most people don’t think he does. If he can weather the storm and push the rock up the hill so to speak, then you have to stay with him.” Saturday: Open Texas A&M (2-2, 0-1 SEC): When the Aggies face Arkansas at Jerry's World Saturday, they will be going against last year's backup QB Nick Starkel, who is a grad transfer. Saturday: vs. Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC) at Arlington, TX Vanderbilt (0-3, 0-2 SEC): In rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns against LSU, Ke'Shawn Vaughn ripped off runs of 52 and 41 yards. Saturday: vs. Northern Illinois (1-2) GOOD QUOTES FOR TUESDAY From Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh on his Monday night radio show on WQAN 99.3: “Game's not over until it's over just like you're not dead until you're dead.” From Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the Georgia Bulldogs four games into the 2019 season: “With a month gone, Georgia is as we figured. It’s the third-best team in the land, still behind Clemson and Alabama, a hair ahead of LSU. There’s every reason to believe the Bulldogs can make the playoff, be it as the SEC champ or a one-loss conference runner-up. They can learn from what didn’t work against Notre Dame, but this lesson wasn’t the painful sort that comes with an “L” attached. They’re 4-0. They’re in good shape.” From Matt Hayes, writing for Saturday Down South, regarding Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and his guaranteed $75 million contract: “When you’re spending that kind of capital, you want return on your investment. So far, the Jimbo Fisher experiment at Texas A&M has been like one of those fancy, big-name mutual funds that looks good – until you delve into its history and uncover the inconsistencies.” KANSAS HOOPS GETS HIT WITH NCAA NOTICE OF ALLEGATIONS Yahoo Sports is reporting that Kansas basketball and football have both received a notice of allegations from the NCAA. The football violations both occurred under the former head coach and involved assistant coaches no longer with the program. The basketball violations are serious and an offshoot of the college basketball corruption trials. Reportedly, Kansas has been hit with a lack of institutional control, three Level I violations and a charge of head coach responsibility against Bill Self. Per NCAA bylaw 11.1.11, “An institution's head coach is presumed to be responsible for the actions of all institutional staff members who report, directly or indirectly, to the head coach.” Kansas is the second of at least six schools that the NCAA said would get hit with a notice of allegations. Among the other schools that could get bad news from the Men in Blue Suits are Arizona, Auburn, LSU, South Carolina, Louisville and Southern Cal. HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM Apparently Dana Holgorsen isn't exactly winning friends and influencing people, at least on his University of Houston football team. Quarterback D'Eriq King and wide receiver Keith Corbin have announced they'll take a redshirt the rest of the season. King's dad said his son plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal although some sources are saying he doesn't plan to transfer, just take the rest of the 2019 season off. Now, if you are Holgorsen, would you let a guy who quits on the team after four games come back the next season? Holgorsen is noted for his weirdness so maybe he would say it's all fine and dandy, but most coaches who think with a measure of logic would say see ya! Holgorsen's son Logan is the only QB on the Houston roster who has thrown a pass in a game (1-1 for five yards). King, who threw for 36 touchdowns and ran for 14 last season before he was injured and missed the last two games, passed for 663 yards and six touchdowns while running for 312 and six more in the Cougars 1-3 start. Corbin, who caught 40 passes for 691 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, caught 11 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns in the first four games. If you are one who wagers on such things, put your money transferring with Florida State University as a highly possible destination if Kendal Briles elects to remain on Willie Taggart's staff beyond the end of this season. Briles was the offensive coordinator last year at Houston when Major Applewhite was the head coach. RANDOM THOUGHTS: Former Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead has passed away. Snead, who played high school football in Stephenville, Texas for Chad Morris, currently the head coach at Arkansas, was committed to the Gators until Tim Tebow committed to the Gators in December of 2006. At that point, Snead pulled his Florida commitment and went to Texas. After a year at Texas he transferred to Ole Miss, where, in two seasons he threw for 5,394 yards and 46 touchdowns … We've had our first head coach firing in college football although it wasn't from Division I. Tim Chavous of Division II Saint Augustine was canned Monday after an 0-3 start … Now that he is through with the NFL, Antonio Brown has re-enrolled in school at Central Michigan, taking four classes, all of them offered online.

The No. 9 Florida Gators (4-0, 2-0) have every reason to be distracted this week. There’s a playoff implication game next Saturday with Auburn. And a date with FCS Towson on Saturday means that the HBO cameras in head coach Dan Mullen’s Monday afternoon press conference got a lot of attention. “I’m a huge ‘Game of Thrones’ guy. I was huge ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Veep.’ I loved ‘Veep,’ ‘Game of Thrones.’ We’ve got to ask them what they’ve got new coming out. You know, old-school, ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘Boardwalk Empire.’ I can keep going. I’ve watched most of the shows on HBO. So, we need to ask them really, what’s replacing Game of Thrones for us now?” As Mullen joked and showed his extensive knowledge of the HBO catalogue, the multiple cameras in the room caught every reaction. The network is airing a new docuseries focusing on four college teams during a game week. The Gators are the first up, airing Wednesday, October 1. The cameras caught Mullen recapping quarterback Kyle Trask’s first start, going 20-28 for 293 yards and two touchdowns (along with two interceptions) in the 34-3 win over Tennessee. They caught his explanation of about BUCK Jon Greenard making such a quick impact on the locker room and on the field with his six tackles, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. They picked up his bragging on tight end Kyle Pitts who has become a threat like with his four receptions for 62 yards and touchdown on Saturday along with his improved blocking skills. The cameras made sure to catch Mullen sharing his fashion tips—or lack thereof. “I’m not a skinny jean, skinny-type clothing, European-cut type of guy. That’s not my deal. I have the physique, I think, probably, for it, but that’s just not my style. I’m no [former Gator quarterback] Jesse Palmer. I’ll get a text later this afternoon [for that].” But only twice did the cameras and media venture into the Gators upcoming opponent, the Towson Tigers. A lot of that is due to the languid nature of the week sandwiched between the Tennessee game and a (potential) Top 10 showdown next week with No. 7 Auburn that has already been tapped as the CBS 3:30et game of the week. When asked to break down Florida’s next opponent, Mullen began with the basics, filling in a room of reporters who are currently learning everything about the FCS team along with him. "Well, they're a school in Maryland. Baltimore area.” A pause there made this statement unwittingly ironic. Most of the Gators coaching staff and fans can break down every aspect of the Georgia football program. This week, simply learning the school’s location is of first priority. Mullen, in true coach speak, did however give the Tigers ample credit. “They're a very good football team when you look at them. Obviously playing in one of the best conferences in their division, the Colonial Athletic Association. I mean got a lot of great football teams and a lot of depth. Really similar, probably, to the SEC, with the depth their conference has, of great football teams. “When you look at them, very, very sound football team. Solid football team, back to front…they can put up numbers now. They are an explosive offense. They do a good job. They mix up personnel. They give you different looks. They have yet to play a game this year when they didn't put up big numbers. It is a group that understands their system, understands their offense and executes it very well. They distribute the ball around. They are a very good football team.” The Tigers are 3-1 and have outscored their opponents 160-99 thus far, with 52 of that 99 coming in an overtime loss to Villanova. In FCS rankings, Towson is currently ranked No. 10. This means technically, if want to embellish a bit and ignore only the FBS Top 25 holding weight, the Gators will face a Top 10 team in four of their next five games. No. 10 Towson, No. 7 Auburn, No. 3 LSU, South Carolina then No. 3 Georgia. The Gators are bigger, faster and stronger than Towson. They should handle this Saturday easily. But it’s a trap game. It’s the definition of a trap game. It’s Admiral Ackbar screaming from the deck that’s it’s a trap, type of game. But the force may just be with the Gators thanks to a mindset that refuses to overlook Towson, simply because of what it can mean for Auburn and beyond. As linebacker Jon Greenard said following the Tennessee win, “I'm excited about where we are right now. It's still somewhat early, midway through the season. It's not our best performance. We've got a lot of things to work on still. That's not our best performance. It was a greater performance than what we did and we had some pretty good numbers, but I just know what we're capable of and what we can do." Mullen is using those leaders and a pointed message to remind the Florida Gators there is a lot to play for and don’t get caught in the trap. “We talked to the team this week. Obviously, there will be a lot more hype on next weeks’ game [against Auburn], national hype, it will be the CBS game of the week. But for us to even have an opportunity to win that game, we have got to improve this week. It’s one of those things, you look at the steps we took, I thought we took some really good steps. I thought we played a lot better against Tennessee than we had in the previous weeks. That had a lot to do with because we practiced better. Our scout teams executed a little bit cleaner, the defense finished plays at practice a little bit better. Thought we did an amazing job of our Friday night and early Saturday morning, it was a quick turnaround and preparation going into the game, of guys really honing into their routine and getting ready to go perform on a Saturday. “If we don't continue to take a step forward with that this week, it'll show. And it'll show not just this week, it'll show the next week and the week after that and the week after that as you continue to move forward. So I think that's the message for the guys, is you can't, I mean we have great goals for this season, for the team. And they all include continually improving from one week to the next. And that's got to be the focus. On focusing on what's important. Right? What's important is, 'Am I getting better as a player?' And I don't want to downplay this week's game or next week's game, because if you ask me that question next week saying, 'You're a week off from another Top 10 matchup, this one on the road [against LSU], is it harder to stay focused?' No, it's on our exact attention to detail and our development and our improvement from one day to the next of getting better. And that's what we can control and that's what we need to worry about. If we're worried about other things, we're worried about the wrong thing and we're not going to be able to accomplish the goals we have as a team.”