Franks not finished yet
But QB’s benching could open path for Trask to start
GAINESVILLE — The Florida Gators suffered a frustrating 38-17 home loss to the Missouri Tigers Saturday. Check out the top three things we learned from the game. ended against Missouri.
Mullen said his team still has plenty at stake during the coming weeks. Win totals and bowl bids aside, Mullen challenged his players as competitors following a one-sided loss during which the Gators did not show up.
“We get to go see what we’re all about as a team and what this team is made of and where the program is at a little bit, with all of us pushing and moving forward,” Mullen said. “Everybody in that locker room, hopefully, gotta play for each other, play for the Gators, play for our team.’
If that is not enough motivation, Mullen boiled it down to each individual player’s level of pride and competitive fire. The 46-year-old Mullen himself said he would take on all-comers in anything from thumb-wrestling to running stadium stairs to football.
“If you wanna come on up, I got you,” he said. “If you’re gonna keep score, and someone’s gonna win and someone’s gonna lose, I wanna beat your ass.”
Mullen said he would be disappointed if his Gators are not on the same page.
“Man, either you’re a competitor or you’re not,” Mullen said. “That’s all I need. Right? That is all I need. Certainly I hope that rubs off and that’s the attitude of every single guy in the locker room.” the Gators’ sluggish attack, Florida is not doing anything right on the other side of the football, either.
“We have to play a lot better defense,” Mullen said. Consider: UF cannot stop teams on third down, allowing Missouri to convert 11 of 17 times a week after Georgia was 8-of-14 on the so-called “money down.”
The Gators are not pressuring the quarterback, a recipe for disaster Saturday against Missouri’s Drew Lock. The projected firstround draft pick finished 24-of-32 passing (75 percent completion percentage) for 250 yards and three scores, tripling his season output in SEC play.
The Gators are not forcing turnovers. With 17 takeaways after six games, UF was among the nation’s leaders. Opponents have committed one turnover during the past three games.
Explosive plays have been an issue all season, but lately it has been epidemic. The Gators have allowed 13 plays of 20 yards or longer the past two weeks, including seven against Missouri.
Put it together and it’s little surprise the Gators have given up 900 yards during a pair of lopsided defeats.