THE SUNDAY EVENING QUARTERBACK: SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 The obvious story of the day Saturday was Kyle Trask, who made a rather smooth transition from backup to starter. If he was nervous, he certainly didn't show it the way he led the Gators down the field for a touchdown on the opening drive. It wasn't anywhere close to a perfect performance, but it was good enough to offer the promise that things will get better as he grows more comfortable in game situations. He finished 20-28 passing for 293 yards. Dan Mullen joked post game that Trask really only threw six incompletions since he completed two to the Tennessee Vols but even those interceptions weren't terrible throws. Were there open receivers elsewhere on both of them? The answer to that is yes, but on both interceptions if it's a perfect throw, it's a completion and one of them is for a touchdown. In assessing the two interceptions, Mullen called them both “coachable moments” and offered up the fact that neither of the picks hit an opposing DB in the chest, the sure sign of a bad throw and an even worse decision. At best, Trask is an adequate runner so it's unlikely he's going to be able to take off and pick up 20 yards when the field opens up in front of him. On Florida's first drive, he made a nice eight-yard run on an RPO that showed he's enough of a threat to keep defenses honest. It's entirely possible that Feleipe Franks would have gotten deep into the secondary on the same play but consider it a tradeoff. What Trask may lack in running skills, he will make up by spreading the football around and getting big plays in the passing game without a high risk factor. Unlike Franks, who tends to let his emotions sometimes carry the moment, Trask is more of an even keel. He won't get too high when he makes the good play nor too angry with himself when something doesn't go his way. He has a short term memory which enables him to move on to the next play almost immediately. Franks has such a big arm that he sometimes will try to fit a football into a very small window. When it works, it can be spectacular but if it doesn't it can be borderline disastrous. Other than the two interceptions Trask threw, there was only one other pass well defended by the Vols. That's because rather than try to make the big throw, he was quite content to find who was open and get the ball to him. Maybe the best compliment paid to Trask was that you would have never guessed by his play Saturday that the last time he started a game at quarterback was when he was in the ninth grade. He wasn't perfect but didn't have to be. What he needed most was experience and he got that, put up very good stats and did it all against an SEC team. Yes, it was Tennessee, but still it's an SEC team and that does count for something. SOME GOOD THINGS Ten different receivers caught at least one pass and seven caught two or more. The Gators averaged 9.2 yards per pass attempt and 13 yards per completion. Defensively, the Gators held Tennessee to 239 total yards. The Vols averaged just 5.3 yards per pass attempt and only 3.3 per rush. The Gators snuffed out a Tennessee drive inside the UF five when Jonathan Greenard batted down the first of the three passes he deflected. On the next play Trey Dean made a nice diving interception of a ball that was thrown too high and too hard for Tennessee's Jauan Jennings to catch. In addition to the three passes he batted down at the line of scrimmage, Greenard also forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that Amari Burney recovered. Burney also got an interception off a pass that Marco Wilson deflected in the third quarter. The drive at the end of the first half that resulted in a Lamical Perine touchdown on the very last play was outstanding. The Gators used all 4:56 of the clock, overcame a holding penalty, moved the football 61 yards on nine plays and wound up with a touchdown. When Tennessee drove for a field goal on its opening drive of the third quarter, the Gators did a great job answering with a touchdown to make the score 24-3. The 29-yard touchdown pass from Trask to Freddie Swain on a post pattern was as pretty a pass as you'll see. Kyle Pitts is going to be the weapon in the middle of the field the Gators haven't had in a long time. He's as fast as a lot of wide receivers and at 6-6, 240 too big and physical for the safeties. Saturday he caught four passes for 62 yards and spent the day running wide open in the middle. For the second straight game, the O-line had a better than average game in pass protection (only two sacks allowed) and did a good job run blocking in the fourth quarter. The Gators were flagged for only five penalties for -44 yards. There were no personal fouls or pass interference calls and only one false start. Marco Wilson had his best game with a tackle for loss, an interception and the deflection that Amari Burney turned into an interception. SOME NOT SO GOOD THINGS The Gators let too many scoring opportunities slip away. Realistically, the Gators should have scored somewhere between 49-60 points. There was the sack and fumble by Trask at the Tennessee 30 on Florida's second drive. That drive should have gotten at least three points. The right side of the O-line totally collapsed on that one. Maybe Trask should have unloaded the ball but his O-line didn't give him any help. There was the fourth and three at the Tennessee 30 on the next drive that the Gators didn't convert because the right side of the O-line didn't move anyone. I don't necessarily disagree with the choice to go for it on fourth down, but the way Florida's receivers were getting open, a throw was called for. Points avoided. The Gators settled for a field goal on their next drive when Trask was hurried on third-and-goal from the Tennessee five. Kyle Pitts basically whiffed on a chip block so Trask had a defender in his face. On the play prior to Trask's first interception in the third quarter, Trask was sacked for a 4-yard loss because he held the ball far too long. On the next play Trask underthrew Lucas Krull on the sideline and was picked at the UT 15. There was an open receiver short and over the middle. Trask took a shot at the end zone on the next Florida series but the Vols had safety help so Trevon Grimes was sandwiched and the ball picked. Had Trask looked underneath he would have found an open receiver about the 15. On Florida's first play of the fourth quarter, Trask got perfect protection and let fly with a ball that should have been an easy catch for Jacob Copeland but instead of a 69-yard touchdown pass, Copeland let the ball slide off his fingertips at the Tennessee 24. PARTING SHOTS There was a time when Florida-Tennessee was the hottest ticket in town whether the game was played in Gainesville or in Knoxville. Saturday, some of the few Vol fans who made the journey to Gainesville hawking tickets for $5. A best guess estimate is there were fewer than 1,200 in the entire stadium. When the Vols played the Gators in Gainesville in 2007 they sold their entire ticket allotment and there were probably 5,000 UT fans looking for tickets outside the stadium in the hours before the game. It's also disturbing to see big gaps in the East stands of BHG where the students sit. There were places where you could fire a shotgun with very little chance of actually hitting someone. NEXT SATURDAY The timing of an opponent from D1AA couldn't be more opportune as it will give the Gators an opportunity to rest some banged up guys while getting more experience for some of the younger guys who are going to be increasingly a part of the rotation as we get into the meat of the schedule. Trask will get the start at QB and will have a chance to get more comfortable in that role, while Emory Jones should get extended playing time in the second half. We know he can run the football and has good timing on the option, but this game should allow him to throw more and that's a necessity. It will be important for the second unit offensive linemen to get as many snaps as they can. The Gators haven't had to deal with an injury to the starting five so as many reps as the second unit can get in real game situations could prove helpful down the line.

The No. 8 Florida Gators defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 34-3 in what has become par for the course in this “rivalry” of late. It was behind an offensive line still gelling and with a redshirt junior backup quarterback making his first start since his freshman year of high school. While Kyle Trask was the obvious story on the day, there are still ample other topics to brag on and a few to worry about as the Gators face the middle of their schedule. So as you head back to work this week, study up first with these watercooler topics from the Gators win over the Vols. The Pass Protection is Becoming Elite It’s a little hard to stomach where the run game is through four games but in the meantime, let’s just sit back and enjoy the return of the fun-and-gun. Steve Spurrier said on Saturday that watching Kyle Trask at quarterback reminded him of Danny Wuerffel, the highest of compliments. With Feleipe Franks at the helm to start the season (before injured) and Trask taking over on Saturday, the Gators have now thrown for 250+ yards in four straight games. The last time that happened was a November stretch of games in 2007; yes when Dan Mullen was offensive coordinator. While credit is due to Franks and Trask, the time they’ve received in the pocket has been noticeably extended. While Trask gets the ball out a bit quicker than Franks, the line has given both QB’s close to four seconds to throw if they want it. This allows receivers time to break free on their routes and the passers time to let plays develop. So props to John Hevesy and this starting five (with Richard Gouraige as first guy in) for putting up a stiff front on pass protection. They’ve given up five sacks through four games, one less through this point last season, against lesser defensive lines. The Run Protection Isn’t…but Saw Flashes No, the run protection isn’t great. The run game is averaging 52.25 less yards per game than through four in 2018. The line has provided little to no lanes up the middle and running between the tackles only saw success on Saturday towards the end of the 3rd quarter (and beyond) after the Vols were wore down. Since the passing game has been clicking, the offense could arguably rely on that through the first half until they are able to wear down the defense enough to start to run more. But that’s a risky game to play. The best moments on Saturday were when Lamical Perine and Dameon Pierce went to the left tackle, bounced from there and got around the defense on the outside. This happened more than once when Chris Bleich and Kyle Pitts combined for blocks that gave Perine a seam. From there his vision took over and he took advantage. The senior had his best performance—62 yards and a touchdown on 14 touches—yet this season. With Jean Delance still nursing a foot injury, coaches were forced to bring him out at times and move Stone Forsythe from left tackle to right and have Richard Gouriage in at left. This beget some of the better run plays on the day and could be a possible lineup against Towson, giving Delance more time to rest his foot. The Sack Count is Ridiculous The Gators defense leads the country with 20 sacks through four games (well technically, they’re tied with Ohio State and Virginia but the number is at the top of the list). That means they’re on pace for 60 this season, a number that would bypass the 54 tallied by National Champion Clemson last season. That number is slightly inflated, thanks in large part to the 10 that was laid on Jarren Williams in the win against Miami. BUCK Jon Greenard is tied for 19th in the nation with his personal 3.5 sacks. When defensive end Jabari Zuniga returns from a nagging ankle injury, he’ll join Greenard and second BUCK Jeremiah Moon (who lines up at end to play with Greenard at times) and will look to create a trio that actually chases that statistical pinnacle. Can they actually reach 60 sacks? Probably not. But if they continue to get anywhere close to the push they’ve had in their first four games, then it could easily be the best sack showing in recent years. _____________________________________ Related: Spectacular it Wasn't; Solid it Was Related: Gators Will Remember 21st Night of September _____________________________________ The Turnover Count is (also) Ridiculous Tip drill for the win! Wow, what a turnover performance by the Gators defense on Saturday. It helped Florida win the turnover margin as there were some hiccups in Trask otherwise efficient first start (fumble and two interceptions). But Todd Grantham’s guys pulled in four of their own to win the margin and keep the Vols from scoring a touchdown all day. One interception by Marco Wilson looked as if UT quarterback Jarrett Guarantano intended the pass for the Florida corner it was so on the money. Wilson made arguably an even better play midway through the 3rd quarter. At midfield, Brian Maurer (who came in for a benched Guarantano) scrambled and looked to dump it off to a receiver at the sideline. Wilson tipped it back and Amari Burney was there waiting to pull in the ball. It was the second tip interception of the day. The first came when the Vols took what should have been a chip shot to the endzone. From the 3-yard line, Guarantano tried to fit one in double coverage to UT’s best receiver, Jauan Jennings. But Gators safety Shawn Davis got a hand in and tipped it backwards over the receivers head, where STAR Trey Dean III was waiting. Those are the plays that some would see and say “well it’s good to be lucky too” but the defense practice often those tip drills and are in place for those moments. Yea it’s good to be lucky. But the defense isn’t lucky on these turnovers; they’re prepared. And it’s paying off. Florida will next face Towson on Saturday at 4pm, kickoff on SEC Network. Broadcast information hasn’t been announced yet for the following Saturday against Auburn, but given the slate of games that day, it should be the 3:30 CBS game of the week.

Spectacular it wasn't but spectacular wasn't necessary Saturday afternoon at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. If you're looking to attach a label to 9th-ranked Florida's 34-3 win over the Tennessee Vols (1-3, 0-1 SEC) then maybe workmanlike fits best. The Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) came to work and did all the things that were necessary to make Kyle Trask's first start at quarterback since he was in the ninth grade in Manvel, Texas a success. Trask made his share of good plays, completing 20-28 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns, but he also fumbled the ball away once when sacked and he threw a couple of interceptions, the first he's thrown since that freshman year in Texas some six years ago. Trask did enough good things to give the impression that he will get better with experience. Although he didn't make all that many mistakes, the ones he did make were the kind that Dan Mullen believes can be corrected. Mullen's assessment went like this: “The only play that matters is the next play. Don't worry about all the other things, just worry about being prepared and he did that.” Trask obviously spent the week leading up to the Tennessee game having to deal with media, something he never had to do as the backup, but he handled that well enough that he didn't feel particularly distracted. Essentially he just tuned out everything and everybody while doing what he's been doing every week since he arrived in Gainesville and that's preparing to play as if he's the starting quarterback. Instead of worrying that maybe he would never get a chance to prove he could get the job done, Trask never lost faith in himself and was willing to wait his turn. Perhaps that seems a little silly for a guy who didn't even start for his high school team. Prior to last week when he came off the bench to lead the Gators on a 19-0 run that turned a 21-10 deficit into a 29-21 SEC win, Trask had thrown fewer than 30 passes in three years at UF. That might have discouraged some people and convinced them that a transfer was in the cards. For others it might have been a slacker's approach of merely going through the motions but Trask took his role as the Florida backup quite seriously. That explains why he played with such poise when he had to take over for injured Feleipe Franks up in Lexington. It also goes a long way explaining why Trask was more than adequate Saturday when he not only became 1-0 as a Division I college football starting quarterback but notched a Southeastern Conference win to boot. In explaining how he felt about that accomplishment post game, Trask modestly deferred praise to his teammates and said for him it was simply a matter of being ready when his number was finally called. For the most part, Trask's first start was filled with made good decisions and accurate throws. He marched the Gators down the field on Florida's first possession of the game, hitting both his passes for 62 of the 75 yards on the scoring drive and converting a run pass option into an eight-yard gain on the ground. As for the rest of the game, he wore the Vols out in the middle of the field and showed the patience necessary to let his receivers make their breaks and get separation into the soft spot of the Tennessee two-deep coverage. The touchdowns covered 19 yards to Kyle Pitts and 29 yards to Freddie Swain. He spread the ball around to nine different receivers. If Trask had it all to do over again, he wouldn't have made the two throws that resulted in interceptions. Neither of the throws was particularly bad but they were both made against tight coverage. Trask explained that he thought on both throws he had a good matchup so he tried to fit the ball in and got burned. Mullen hates turnovers but the two picks he can live with. Mullen called them coachable moments, explaining, “I'm upset about an interception if he throws it and hits a DB in the chest because that's like, 'you know, he was standing there?'” The fumble? That's another story altogether. Maybe Mullen lives with a pick when it actually has a chance for a completion, but fumbles are all about protecting the football and mistakes caused by an inability to protect the football will be dealt with in practice. It won't be pleasant. If there is one thing that the stats don't tell but was obvious about Trask it is that he doesn't seem to get caught up in the moment. He's neither too high when he does something well or too low when he makes a mistake. It's that move on to the next play attitude, something you'll find in the better quarterbacks. They tend to have short term memories when it comes to their mistakes and long term memories when it comes to exploiting mistakes and matchups by the other guys. The running game didn't exactly conjure up memories of the day when the Gators had Neal Anderson, John L. Williams and Lorenzo Hampton wearing people out but it showed the most positive signs of life this season in the fourth quarter when the Gators ran for 71 of the 135 yards they gained on the ground agaisnt the Vols. A 135-yard game might not seem like much, but when you've struggled as much as the Gators have with the ground game this year, that is a very positive development. Over on the defensive side, the Gators kept the Vols out of the end zone and offset their own three turnovers by picking off three Tennessee passes and recovering a fumble. The Gators held Tennessee to 239 total yards, only 88 on the ground. If there was a real star on the defensive side of the ball it was Louisville grad transfer Jonathan Greenard, who had a sack, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and three passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. As much as Tennessee tried to scheme around Greenard, he was still able to make plays and was a constant thorn in Tennessee's side. While no one will ever mistake this as spectacular, it's a good solid win, filled with more good plays than bad and of the bad plays, nothing so glaring to create a red flag signaling that something very seriously is wrong. When you consider the Gators are unbeaten and have a 2-0 start in the Southeastern Conference, solid is something you can live with, especially with a quarterback who's made his first start and with a defense that held an SEC opponent without a touchdown.

The No. 9 Florida Gators will remember the 21st night of September. It wasn’t mistake free and it wasn’t blemish free but it was perfectly imperfect. The No. 9 Florida Gators (4-0, 2-0) defeated the Tennessee Volunteers (1-3, 0-1) by a score of 34-3 on a near perfect afternoon. The defense played as ball hawks, forcing four turnovers and held the Vols to 239 total yards; and that was without starting corner CJ Henderson or starting defensive end Jabari Zuniga, both still out with injury. The offense clicked along, giving up three turnovers of their own but making up for it with 441 total yards and scoring on six of their 11 drives. The story of the day though was Kyle Trask (20-28, 293 yards, 2TD, 2INT). To be fair, the story was always going to be about Kyle Trask, just with the narrative dependent on his performance. Despite giving up the aforementioned three turnovers, Trask came away from his first start since his 9th grade year with momentum and the best passing performance by a Gators quarterback since Austin Appleby threw for 296 yards against these Tennessee Vols in 2016. "I thought he played solid,” said head coach Dan Mullen. “Even both interceptions, I mean he kind of threw in coverage but he kind of threw to guys. It wasn't like he threw to a guy and hit a defender in the chest. I mean he took a shot on two plays and gave receivers a chance. Got to make good decisions into taking those chances, but I thought he really managed the game well. He was sharp, good decisions all day long. I think the fumble, that's just one he's trying to hold the ball, hold the ball, hold the ball, hold the ball and make a play. Hey, if it's not there, just burn it and let's play the next play. That comes with experience. But overall I thought he played really well.” Given that Trask hasn’t started a game in such a long time, Mullen admittedly changed up his approach during the week. "I thought he was relaxed. You know, he'd never been in that situation before, in a long time. I kind of always was joking with him, 'Make sure you have fun. You've prepared for this. You've prepared the right way, make sure you have fun,' instead of my normal deal, 'If you're really nervous, you can go out there and throw a bunch of picks and you won't be nervous anymore. We'll fix that problem.' But just go out there and relax and have fun. But I think he prepared the right way. He's been preparing the right way, and so he got his opportunity and it's kind of what I would have expected.” For the kid who grew up in Texas with a tire in his backyard for passing practice, this past week has been a bit surreal. The scenery has changed as his media responsibilities have increased, he was pushed onto the national stage overnight and his chance to take over the Florida Gators following starter Feleipe Franks season ending injury has been a bit like a movie. The constant through it all has been the football field. “It's been pretty surreal but I feel I've done a great job of staying focused and locked in on the task at hand…there was a little bit of nerves going into any game just like anybody. Once you're preparing all week you feel confident so once you go out on the field you get locked in. You don't think about anything else. The crowd may be pretty loud but all you hear is silence when you focus on the task at hand.” “It’s an honor to be able to go out there and say that’s my quarterback now,” bragged receiver Tre Grimes (two receptions for 60 yards). “It’s kind of like a movie. He’s been through so much and had to overcome so much adversity, but he’s still stood strong and shows why he’s Kyle Trask and who he is today. It made him who he is, and now he’s our quarterback and doing really, really well.” Trask’s day started early due to the noon kickoff. He found a way into that silent bubble, coming through his first Gator Walk as a starter, completely locked in, eyes up, head forward, focusing only on the stadium he was walking into, not the thousands of screaming fans flanking his either side. Once in the stadium, the calm before the storm allowed him to walk across the field in that same silence and begin to imagine the noise. He came onto the field for warmups and was joined by Franks, who used his scooter (needed for his casted ankle until his Monday surgery) as a chair and was there for support as Trask began his pregame drills. The Gators offense received the ball first, so as the units prepared to take the field, Trask stood in the middle of that group of 11, just off the sideline, delivered the play call, clapped once and led the team to the line of scrimmage. It was a mild 81 degrees, a slight breeze and perfect football weather, primed for a perfect football story. A quick rush by Lamical Perine (14 carries, 62 yards, one touchdown) set him up for a 2nd and seven from their own 28-yard line. With Antonio Callaway, hero of the 2015 Tennessee game, watching from the sidelines, Trask took the snap in shotgun, dropped back and the crowd of 82,776 audibly drew in a breath. The ball sailed in a perfect arc, harkening back to former corner Jalen “Teez” Tabor in 2016 saying “he has the prettiest ball, Kyle Trask has the prettiest ball.” Then the crowd erupted as Tre Grimes hauled in the spot on 43-yard post pass. Two rushes later, tight end Kyle Pitts came across on a slant and pulled in the easy 19-yard throw from Trask for the touchdown. On the sideline, teammates celebrated but Mullen immediately pulled Trask and redshirt freshman quarterback Emory Jones (4-6, 20 yards) over for a meeting. As he went down the call sheet, the head coach asked what Trask had seen on each play. "I thought, especially early in the game, they were trying to give some different looks, coverages,” explained Mullen. “You know, show one thing but play something else, something opposite than what they’ve shown us on film…I thought [Kyle] did a really good job on those reads and those first few drives and managing what they were giving us. I’m on the sidelines here, going ok he’s going to go here with the ball, uh-oh, they’ve rolled it completely different than what they showed, then he goes to where he should have gone before.” From then on, the noise was often too deafening for Trask to block it out, but it was encouraging he and the offense on as they posted the fourth straight Gator game with 250+ passing yards. This is the first time Florida has had four straight with 250+ passing since 2007. Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt acknowledged Trask’s impact afterwards saying, “this kid played last week too and he played good last week and played good today. And we hit him a little bit today, too. But bottom line is we let them create too many explosive plays.” Those explosive plays, 15 in all with 10 coming on Trask throws of 15+ yards, were a result of a poise in the pocket and a command on the sideline. Nearly each time Trask came to the sideline he was met by Franks who went over the previous drive with him on the bench. Then he went and took over the huddle like he had from the beginning. “He came through like he’d been starting every game,” remarked receiver Freddie Swain (three receptions, 67 yards, one touchdown). “He’s comes and taps you on the butt and, ‘hey, let's go, we pick it up.’ You know, tap the O-line, you know. That's the kind of thing you need out of a quarterback, and he has good traits, so I think we’re pretty good.” Pretty good? That’s fair to say. Sitting at 2-0 in their division and undefeated overall, the Gators have a game against FCS Towson before hitting their brutal October slate—Auburn, LSU, South Carolina and Georgia (technically the first weekend of November). But they’ve found a way to rally around Feleipe Franks and if Saturday is any indication, they’ve found their next quarterback to lead the way. The rest of the Florida Gators season began today, meaning by this season’s end—no matter the outcome—we’ll remember the 21st night of September.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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