1st impression: Gators hired right man for job

GAINESVILLE — UF coach Dan Mullen inherited a mess.

In just seven games, the 46-year-old has made a strong case for engineering the biggest turnaround in college football.

If the Gators keep it up, beginning Saturday against Georgia, Mullen could end the season the SEC’s Coach of the Year, perhaps even national coach of the year.

Kentucky’s Mark Stoops enters the weekend with a slight edge in the SEC, given his Wildcats beat the Gators and also sit atop the East Division along with Georgia.

Alabama’s Nick Saban, Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, Texas’ Tom Herman and UCF’s Josh Heupel join Stoops and Mullen on the national Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year award short list.

But no head coach in Year 1 at a new program has worked wonders like Mullen.

The No. 9 Gators (6-1, 4-1 SEC) are the only top 25 team that finished last season at or below .500.

Of 21 first-year Football Bowl Division coaches, only Mullen, No. 10 UCF’s Heupel, No. 15 Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher and No. 19 Oregon’s Mario Cristobal are first-year coaches with ranked teams.

The offensive-minded Mullen still would like to see more consistency from his attack. But based on recent seasons at UF, the Gators are well on their way.

The Gators have not finished in the top 100 in scoring offense since 2014, and tied for 108th last season with an average of 22.1 points. UF currently ranks 35th with an average of 34.4 points.

Routs of 53-6 against Charleston Southern and 48-10 against Colorado State certainly bolstered UF’s numbers. The Gators, though, average 28 points in SEC play, seven points higher than a season ago.

A season after finishing 110th in total offense (335.9 yards per game), UF is 67th (408.3 ypg) and coming off a season-high 576 yards against Vanderbilt.

With 26 touchdowns from scrimmage, UF already has scored one more than a season ago. The Gators had 18 30-yard pass plays in 2017 and already have 16 in 2018.

Nowhere has UF improved more than protecting quarterback Feleipe Franks. The 2017 Gators ranked 124th nationally in sacks allowed, with an average of 3.36, but are tied for 19th, allowing an average of 1.29 sacks.

These eye-popping numbers, courtesy of Will Pantages and Zach Dirlam at UF’s sports information office, strengthen Mullen’s case.

More impressive to Mullen is the way the Gators have evolved as a team and embraced his approach during a current five-game winning streak.

“They’re a team that is learning how to play together and finding ways to win,” Mullen said. “I don’t think they’re a team you point at and say, wow, they are just this smothering, dominating defense or this explosive, high-scoring offense.

“They’re a team that plays together as a team and does what they need to do to win, and we play that way.”

MARK HUMPHREY/AP In seven games, the Gators have 26 touchdowns from scrimmage under new coach Dan Mullen, center, one more than all of last year.