Gators rest during bye week before showdown with Georgia

GAINESVILLE — And after Week 7 of the 2018 season, the Florida Gators rested.

The nation’s 11th-ranked team is going to need it.

As the Gators (6-1, 4-1 SEC) continue to win, the stakes continue to rise for coach Dan Mullen’s squad.

The Florida-Georgia game on Oct. 27 will be the season’s biggest game for the Gators, but they will have to win to make the following games even bigger.

“You love as the season goes on to be playing in big games,” Mullen said during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference. “When you’re playing in big games in the second half of the season, the reason they’re big games is you’ve made them big games. The fun part is that you’ve made them those big games. I think if you want to continue to play in them, you’ve got to continue to succeed and make the next game even bigger than the last one.

“That’s one of the things that we talk to the team about.”

Big games can take their toll.

With the No. 8 Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1) serving as the Gators’ third ranked opponent in four games, this week is the perfect time for a bye.

“That’s why we’re trying to give them some rest this week,” Mullen said. “Not just get a good week, but also the mental rest to also get a break, get away from some things this coming weekend so that they’re ready to come back and work at the level necessary to finish the season the way we want to.”

Coaches gave younger, less experienced players more snaps at Tuesday’s practice while allowing UF’s starters to rest and work on fine-tuning their craft.

“Getting the young guys right, so the veterans can get their bodies back,” linebacker Rayshad Jackson said.

The Gators have remained remarkably injuryfree this season.

“Yeah, knock on wood,” quarterback Feleipe Franks said.

Even so, a break from the physical demands of SEC football is welcomed by Franks and his teammates.

“I’m not feeling awesome,” he said. “That’s why we get the bye week — for a bunch of guys to get their body back right. If it’s not feeling good, you’ve got all the time in the world to get in the training room and get it back right.”

Mullen will expect his players to be ready for a demanding week of practice beginning Monday.

UF’s coach blamed a lack of intensity at practices last week for the 18-point hole the Gators dug during their comeback win at Vanderbilt, losers of 26 of the previous 27 meetings in the series.

“I think it’s just Vanderbilt,” Jackson said. “Every year, we always think it’s just Vanderbilt. We can’t sleep on no teams.”

The Bulldogs are sure to have the Gators’ attention despite losing 36-16 at LSU a week after UF beat the Tigers 27-19.

Georgia jumped to a 21-0 lead on UF to win last season’s meeting 42-7 on the way to the SEC title.

“I was on the sideline with Zach [Carter],” sophomore defensive tackle Elijah Conliffe recalled. “At first, we were just talking and then looked back at the scoreboard and it just increased so fast. I was like, ‘Dang.’”

A day later, UF coach Jim McElwain was let go, paving the way for Mullen’s hiring away from Mississippi State.

Mullen has not watched the 2017 Florida-Gators game and said he took “nothing” from last season’s lopsided result.

“They’re a different team than they were last year,” Mullen said.

The Gators are a much different group, too. Mullen said a big key has been the contribution of all three phases of the game most weeks.

At Vanderbilt, UF’s offense gained a season-high 577 yards, the defense held the Commodores to just six second-half points and punter Tommy Townsend’s fake punt was the game’s turning point.

“I like how we’ve come together as a team,” Mullen said. “Our guys are learning how to go play the team game. If you look at how we’ve won football games, we haven’t won it with just defense, we haven’t won it with just offense.

“We’ve found several different ways to win games, and we’ve done it as a full team.”

It has added up to five consecutive wins a season after UF won just four times, as well as the Gators’ highest ranking since 2015.

Mullen hopes it is just a sign of bigger things — and games — to come.

“There’s so many firsts for us as a team and as a program and all the guys together that are here, I’m not disappointed with where we are,” Mullen said. “I still think there’s a lot of things we have to get better at in every phase of the game, and as the program as a whole. But I’m certainly not disappointed with how the team’s progressing.”