Gators show potential
GAINESVILLE— The Florida Gators earned a 44-28 win over the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday in Jacksonville, touching off a celebration among UF players and fans. Check out three things we learned from the contest.
1. It was an emotional yet flawed win: UF coach Dan Mullen enjoys taking a victory lap.
Like he said, “We got to have some fun and enjoy this, too .”
Rarely, though, does Mullen savor a win quite like he did Saturday night. The 48- year-old climbed into the stands to share in the revelry with the crowd, who delivered some slaps on the back and shot a few selfies with Florida’s coach.
Beating Georgia is a big deal for Mullen and the Gators program. The significance of beating Saturday’s version of the Bulldogs remains to be seen.
Mullen’s first win during three seasons at UF against a top-five team cannot be minimized. But Georgia’s shortcomings cannot be ignored.
Coach Kirby Smart’s squad has been hit hard by injuries and has major issues at quarter back. Meanwhile, the Gators were scorching hot and ice cold on both side soft he football.
Mullen’s team needs to be more consistent and continue to build toward a likely trip to the SEC title game against either SEC standard-bearer Alabama or a Texas A&M team that dealt UF its only loss.
Saturday’s visit from Arkansas and former QB Feleipe Franks will not be the stroll it appeared to be when scheduled. UF is an 18-point favorite, but the Razorbacks are no pushover. Up-and-down Kentucky is a physical team and a spoiler threat on Nov. 28.
With one loss in hand, there’s really no room to celebrate Saturday’ s win against an undermanned and underwhelming Georgia team.
2. Kyle Pitts was missed: On his way to a record-setting 471-yard day, quarter back Kyle Trask threw passes to 10 different receivers.
Five Gators ended up with more catches than Kyle Pitts, who finished with two. UF’s running backs combined for 10 receptions for 212 yards, led by a five-catch 100- yard day from Malik Davis.
No Florida pass catcher made a bigger impact than Pit ts.
Thiswas clear once the Gators did not have him on the field following a vicious helmet-to-helmet collision during the second quarter sent him to the locker room.
Before Georgia safety Lewis Cine’s hit and subsequent ejection for targeting, Pitts showed why he is one of college football’s most difficult players to defend.
The Gators star tight end soared over a helpless Bulldogs defensive back for a 34-yard gain to the Georgia 5-yard line, setting up a touchdown to tie the game 14-14.
Pitts out muscled a Georgia defensive back along the sideline and corralled the football for a 25-yard score to knot the game at 21-21.
A Georgia defense ranked a top the SEC had no answers for the 6- foot -6, 240-pound junior until Cine delivered a hit heard around the college football world and a textbookwhy the targeting call exists.
Pit ts took awhile to get to his feet, and then made his way to the locker room—done for the day.
The Gators’ offense would not recover, either.
Tight end Kemore Gamble, Pitts’ backup, scored two plays later on a 24-yard catch, but Florida did not march up and down the field at will without Tr ask’ stop weapon.
Trask finished the first half a Heisman-worthy 20-of-26 passing for 341 yards and four scores despite a pick-six. Trask was a pedestrian 10-of-17 for 133 yards during the second half while making a few ill-advised throws into traffic.
Mullen did not specify the nature of Pitts’ injury or a timetable for his return. The Gators hope it’ s soon.
Trask clearly missed his go-to target once he was gone Saturday.
3. Gators becoming a more complete team.: Mullen’s crew took turns shining in all three phases of the game.
Trask and Co. were unstoppable as the Gators grabbed a commanding 38-21 halftime lead despite an awful defensive start put UF in a quick 14-0 hole. When the offense slowed down, the defense rose up and dominated.
Placekicker Evan McPherson pitched in with three field goals, including a 51-yard effort.
Together, it was the Gators’ most complete performance of 2020 and biggest win under Mullen. It could prove to be a critical step for a team with championship aspirations.
The Gators beat Ole Miss in spite of giving explosive plays by the R eb els.UF handled South Carolina while struggling to get off the field against the Game cocks.
The Gators defense finally showed up Oct .31 against Missouri. But the notion embattled defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s group had turned the corner was knocked upside down on the first play against Georgia — a 75-yard touchdown scamper by Zamir White, whose previous career-long run was 29 yards.
The breakdown immediately led to a coaching pow-wow between Mullen and Grant ham.
“We get it drawn and figure out what they’re in and how they did it,” Mullen said. “We had a misalignment.”
Following a 32-yard touchdown pass by Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on quarterback playing like one of late, the Bulldogs led 14-0 less than four minutes into the game.
Mullen said the Gators sideline was “a little shell-shocked,” but ultimately did not succumb.
Trask threw four touchdown passes on the next five possessions — shaking off a pick-six on the third series of downs — and the Gators were off and running.
With Pitts out following a vicious hit, the Gators’ offense cooled off. But the Gators defense then caught fire.