Gators, Hurricanes and Knights move up in top 25 polls
The Florida Gators rose two spots to No. 3 in the Associated Press and coaches’ top 25s, their highest ranking since the 2012 season.
The UCF Knights, meanwhile, rose two spots to No. 11 in the AP poll and three spots to No. 12 in the coaches’ poll released Sunday.
Elsewhere, Miami was ranked No. 8 in both polls following the Hurricanes’ blowout win over struggling rival Florida State.
Voters were allowed to include the Big Ten and Pac-12 in their rankings even though the leagues have not kicked off the 2020 season yet.
Last week, UCF dropped two spots in the coaches’ poll despite routing Georgia Tech in the season opener. This week, the Knights moved up after a 51-28 win over East Carolina.
The No. 11 ranking is the highest the Knights have been in the AP poll since the final ranking of the 2018 season after the team finished 12-1 following a loss to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. It’s the fourth consecutive week the team has been ranked.
UF coach Dan Mullen’s squad leapfrogged Georgia to reach No. 3 for the first time since October 2012. The Bulldogs, the threetime reigning SEC East champions, are No. 4 in both polls.
Florida opened the 2020 season with a 51-35 win at Ole Miss behind six touchdown passes from Kyle Trask, including four to tight end Kyle Pitts, as the Gators totaled 642 yards — a school record during an SEC game.
Following the game, Mullen was quick to acknowledge much work that lies ahead for his team.
Ole Miss behind first-year coach Lane Kiffin gained 613 yards, including 443 passing, leaving the Gators ranked 70th of 72 teams nationally in pass defense.
The Gators host South Carolina at noon Saturday in the Swamp. Coming off a 31-27 loss to Tennessee, the Gamecocks are in their fifth season under coach Will Muschamp, the Gators’ coach in 2012 when the program reached No. 3 for two weeks until losing to Georgia.