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  • Grading the Gators: Georgia

    Grading the Gators: Georgia

    Photo by Alex de la Osa / Getty Images


    Florida finally got over the hump with its win over Georgia on Saturday. The proverbial pressure to beat Kirby Smart is released for at least a year. But, that doesn’t mean Florida can’t be evaluated.

    The issue is, though, that game was so hilariously dumb at times it makes assessing Florida’s performance just all that more difficult. But, let’s give it a go anyway.

    Offense: A

    I grappled with giving an “A” to the Gator offense because someone could look at it and see definite good and bad aspects. But, put it in the context of throwing up those numbers against one of the nation’s toughest defenses and it makes the production even more impressive. The Gators passed Alabama (41) with the most points scored against the Dawgs defense this season (44). However, 38 of those came in the first half. Obviously teams make adjustments at halftime but multiple drives poised to put the game away ended in either punts or field goals. That’s not conducive to a winning formula.

    Stop me if you heard this before: Kyle Trask had a great game. He finished 30-for-43 for 474 yards and four touchdowns. At one point he was converting nearly 80 percent of his passes. He still made some bad decisions (throwing to covered, standing receivers along with a pick six plus he nearly threw a second one). But the man provided his team a performance Florida needed to beat a big-time opponent. My favorite part of the whole thing? His connection with the backs. Malik Davis led all backs and receivers with 100 yards on five catches. But the law firm of Davis, Pierce and Wright combined for 212 on 10 grabs. Those catches came in clutch situations whether for first downs, big gains or to bail out Trask facing pressure. The wheel route was undefeated Saturday.

    Also, they did all this and Kyle Pitts wasn’t even in the whole game. Kemore Gamble stepped big with some catches in Pitts’s spot along with a wide open touchdown on a, you guessed it, wheel route.

    Defense: B+

    You can separate the Florida defensive effort between “Before 14-0” and “After 14-0.” That’s how unalike they were.

    After that 75-yarder by Georgia to start the game I didn’t think this grade would appear. However, the Bulldogs’ next offensive touchdown wasn’t until D’Wan Mathis hit Kearis Jackson over the middle with 00:41 left in the third quarter. In fact, Georgia only gained 90 yards on the ground after Zamir White housed it from his own 25 on the first play from scrimmage. In fact, he only had 32 the rest of the game. The defensive line made a great effort to stop the Georgia run game despite some lapses (you’ll have those) along with being able to harass Mathis and Stetson Bennett in the pocket.

    Let’s not forget the secondary. The DBs posted their first turnovers of the season through the air with two interceptions plus a pick by linebacker Amari Burney. The first one by Kaiir Elam put an end to Georgia’s first possession of the second half. The final one by Shawn Davis ended Georgia’s last gasp to add to the scoreboard total. They definitely benefited from UGA’s shaky quarterback play because several times Georgia QBs missed wide open receivers. Although, they say it’s better to be lucky than good. Not to sound like a downer, opposing receivers get open from time to time, it just means the secondary needs a little fine tuning.

    Special Teams: C

    A surprising lackluster performance from the Gators special teamers Saturday. Evan McPherson missed a field goal well within his range (although he finished 3-for-4) and Jacob Finn shanked his first punt of the game. Not to mention McPherson sending the kickoff out-of-bounds in the third quarter to give the Bulldogs good field position to start their eventual touchdown drive.

    Let’s look at some return gaffes. On kickoff, Kearis Jackson almost broke a return open for six in the first quarter but a tackle by Justin Shorter helped prevent that. Plus, Kadarius Toney fielded a punt inside the 10 sticking Florida with a drive starting on its own five. It was surprising given Toney’s maturity in punt return this season. Special teams is still a good unit for the Gators. It just struggled a bit. It’ll bounce back.

    In conclusion:

    Look, Florida beat Georgia for the first time since 2016 and fans will take that no matter how the team played. It’s just apparent, like other teams, the Gators are still living with some weaknesses. But they continue to win and impress now on both sides of the football.

    The road gets a little weirder now as the prodigal son, Feleipe Franks, returns with an incredibly stubborn Arkansas Razorbacks teams.

  • Gators Roll to 44-28 Win Over Georgia

    Gators Roll to 44-28 Win Over Georgia

    Photo by Adler Garfield / Getty Images

    JACKSONVILLE, FL- This year’s showdown in Jacksonville had massive implications. With both Florida and Gerogia entering Saturday’s contest with a mark in the loss column already, the matchup presented a disqualifier of sorts. Whichever team ended up taking the loss in Jacksonville would be eliminated from the national title picture.

    Despite a slow start, Florida sent a message to their rivals from Athens, defeating the Bulldgos 44-28.

    The game started as bad for the Gators as it could have. On the very first play from scrimmage, Georgia tailback Zamir White took a sweep to the left and raced past the Florida defenders for a 75-yard score. Florida quickly went three and out, and the Bulldogs capitalized with a six play, 61 yard drive to take a 14-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.

    The Gators wouldn’t go down without a fight, however. Florida scored 14 straight to tie the game up before a pick six by UGA’s Eric Stokes put the Bulldogs back on top.

    Kyle Trask rebounded in a big way after the interception finding TE Kyle Pitts for a 25 yard score followed by a 24-yard touchdown pass to TE Kemore Gable that put the Gators ahead by a 28-21 halfway through the second quarter.

    Florida wasn’t finished, though. K Evan McPherson knocked in a 50-yard field goal with 1:44 to play in the half. After a quick Georgia three-and-out, Trask connected with WR Trevon Grimes for a 14-yard score. The Gators took a 38-21 lead into the half.

    Florida received possession to open the second half and added three points quickly, increasing the lead to 41-21.

    A pick by Kaiir Elam ended Stetson Benett’s day, as Kirby Smart elected to bench the redshirt senior for D’wan Mathis. On his second drive, Mathis led the Bulldogs to a touchdown as he connected with Kearis Jackson late in the third quarter to bring Georgia to within two score as the period ended.

    The Gators offense struggled thereafter to gain any traction, putting gooseeggs on the scoreboard until McPherson hit from 34-yards out to reach the final score of 44-28.

    Key Stats:

    • Trask: 30-43, 474 yards, 4 TD, INT
    • Trask: first QB in SEC history with 4 TDs in five straight games
    • Davis: 5 rec, 100 yards
    • N. Wright: 3 rec, 71 yards, 15 rush yards
    • Elam, S. Davis, Burney: INT each
    • UGA: 2-13 on 3rd Down

    Implications:
    • The SEC East now has a direct path through Gainesville
    • Georgia is essentially eliminated from CFP contention
    • Kyle Trask is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate

    Whats next:

    Florida will face Arkansas in Gainesville next week in a game that will feature the return of Feleipe Franks. The game is slated for a 7:00 start time and will air on ESPN.

  • Staff Predictions: Gators vs Georgia

    Staff Predictions: Gators vs Georgia

    Photo by Rob Foldy / Getty Images

    After a two week hiatus, the Gators put on a show against Missouri a week ago. Both the offense and defense were clicking for the first time this season. That happened just in time for the rivalry showdown with Georgia in Jacksonville.

    The following are our staff’s predictions for the 2020 version of The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

    Ainslie Lee:

    *sigh* This prediction is never easy. And with all of the other moving parts involved in this strange season, it makes it that much harder. I believe that if Florida’s defense can match the intensity it showed against Missouri, the Gators might escape Jacksonville with a victory. When Florida’s offense and Georgia’s defense share the field, I think it’s safe to assume a stalemate for most of the game. Whether a Florida turnover or Georgia lapsing and getting lost in a blown coverage, I see this one coming down to one major swing of momentum. Fortunately for the Gators, Dan Mullen has the playbook to make the Bulldogs’ defense’s head spin and the likelihood of a UGA miscue is greater than a UF turnover. For that reason, I see Florida finally knocking off Georgia and later claiming the East. 34-28, Gators on top.

    Brian Fox:

    The Florida offense vs the Georgia defense. This should be fun. The strengths of the two teams will go directly against each other. While Florida’s offense is averaging 42 points a game, the Bulldogs’ defense might actually be performing better. Georgia will lean heavy on the run game and the Florida D-Line will have to be up to the task. In the end, I just think that UGA is too good along the lines of scrimmage (offensive and defensive lines), Georgia, 28-24.

    David Soderquist:

    I have to thank Jacquie Francuilli for having the exact same score prediction I did. Dan Mullen needs this victory. As a matter or fact, Dan Mullen has NO EXCUSES to lose this game. With Georgia’s bad quarterback play and key defensive starters out for Georgia, there’s no excuse. I think Florida tries to start off fast, but I don’t see Georgia not scoring any points either. I think Florida gives up a few yards in the running game. I see Florida playing more zone and loading the box as well. Florida gives up some plays on defense but Florida’s offense proves to be too much for a Georgia depleted defense and defensive line. Trask throws for another 300 yards. It’s do or die time for Dan Mullen if he loses this game the narrative on Dan getting it done in Jacksonville eventually changes. But I think he succeeds this year. Dan Mullen needs to win this game but he has to prove to me and the fans that he can. I want to pick the Bulldogs just based on the fact that Dan still has to prove it to me, but I also want to be modest with my prediction. Georgia beats Florida in rushing, but not passing and I also think Bennett commits a turnover or 2. The score could be flipped either way in this prediction based on how the game goes. But i think Florida has more experienced talent on both sides of the field to not give it away to a quarterback throwing 58% for 5 interceptions and barely 1000 yards. Florida wins 31-20.

    Jake Hitt:

    Here we go again, another battle for f UI irst place in the SEC East (and possibly a ticket to the ATL) on the line in Jacksonville. There is a key difference other than the COVID-19 of it all: Kyle Trask. It’ll be his 15th start with a much-improved rapport with his receivers as opposed to just his sixth start after rarely seeing the field in three years. That makes Florida dangerous against this Georgia defense. The only great offense it faced was Alabama and got torched. Florida’s got plenty of firepower but it’s not the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, Georgia suffered a huge blow to its defense with Richard LeCounte III’s motorcycle accident. Also, the Dawgs’lll be without defensive lineman Julian Rochester plus Jordan Davis might be a little banged up after the Kentucky game. That could cause more attention for linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who leads the SEC in sacks and TFLs. The man doesn’t have those numbers for no reason though. Florida showed improvement on defense against Missouri but the Bulldogs’ running game is a whole other thing. The absence of Zachary Carter at defensive in the first half could prove to be huge in stopping that running game. For me, Florida hasn’t shown its capability to beat Georgia yet. That makes it hard to pick against the Bulldogs although the margin for both teams is thin. If the Gators can pull it off, I’ll happily eat my crow with a side of fries. Georgia 28-24.

    Michael Pfeffer:

    I think Florida has a similar matchup advantage as what Alabama had against Georgia. Possibly even better since they will face a Bulldogs secondary that will be without it’s leader in Richard LeCounte. It will truly be good against good when it comes to the Florida offense versus the Georgia defense. However, I believe that Kyle Trask is just too good and Florida has too many weapons for the Dawgs to keep a leash on them. Combine that with a renewed energy on the defensive side of the ball and Florida can enter Saturday’s contest feeling very confident. In the end, I believe that the Gators will build on last week’s defensive performance and the offense will continue to hum. I’m flipping my preseason prediction. I like the Gators to win and to beat the +3.5 spread. Gators win 38 – 28.

    Florida and Georgia are scheduled to kickoff at 3:30 PM from Everbank Field in Jacksonville. The game will be broadcast live on CBS.

  • Gators land commitment from 4-star OT Yousef Mugharbil

    Gators land commitment from 4-star OT Yousef Mugharbil

    Photo by Don Callahan / 247Sports

    Florida landed their 26th commitment in the 2021 recruiting cycle as 4-star OT Yousef Mugharbil committed to the Gators on Friday.

    Mugharbil committed to Florida over offers from Arkansas, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Appalachian State, among others. The Gators offered the North Carolina prospect back in April.

    The 6’5, 305 lb prospect is rated as an offensive tackle, but Barton Simmons of 247Sports believes that he will eventually play along the interior offensive line.

    Mugharbil is the No. 15 OG in the class and the No. 266 player overall in the 247 composite rankings.

  • The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Florida – Georgia Preview

    The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Florida – Georgia Preview

    On a special edition of The Gridiron Growl Podcast, Davis Soderquist, Brian Fox, and Jake Hitt preview the showdown between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs.

    The trio discuss their expectations and predictions and even play a game of “Buy or Sell” as it pertains to the game.

    Florida and Georgia kickoff at 3:30 PM from Jacksonville, FL on Saturday.

    Click play on the following audio player to listen to this episode:

    You can also follow The Gridiron Growl Podcast on these platforms:

  • SEC announces men’s basketball schedule

    SEC announces men’s basketball schedule

    Photo by Joel Auerbach / Getty Images

    The Florida Gators now have a complete schedule. The Southeastern Conference announced its 2020-21 league schedule on Friday.

    Florida opens conference play in Nashville against Vanderbilt on December 30. The conference slate leaves an open week at the end of the season prior to the start of the SEC Tournament in Nashville on March 10.

    The Gators will face Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt twice in the 18-game conference schedule.

    Florida’s 2020-21 Schedule:

    • Nov 25: v Maine (Mohegan Sun)
    • Nov 27: v Virginia (Mohegan Sun)
    • Dec 2: at Oklahoma
    • Dec 6: v Stetson
    • Dec 12: at FSU
    • Dec 16: v North Florida
    • Dec 19: v Florida Atlantic
    • Dec 22: v James Madison
    • Dec 30: at Vanderbilt
    • Jan 2: v LSU
    • Jan 5: at Alabama
    • Jan 9: v Kentucky
    • Jan 12: v Ole Miss
    • Jan 16: at Mississippi State
    • Jan 19: v Tennessee
    • Jan 23: at Georgia
    • Jan 27: v Vanderbilt
    • Jan 30: at West Virginia (SEC/Big 12)
    • Feb 3: v South Carolina
    • Feb 6: at LSU
    • Feb 10: at Tennessee
    • Feb 13: v Texas A&M
    • Feb 16: at Arkansas
    • Feb 20: v Georgia
    • Feb 23: at Auburn
    • Feb 27: at Kentucky
    • Mar 3: v Missouri
    • March 6: OPEN DATE
    • March 10-14: SEC Tournament (Nashville)
  • Preview: Florida vs Georgia

    Preview: Florida vs Georgia

    Gators looking to make a statement in Jacksonville

    Photo by Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images
    Jacksonville, FL – The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is this Saturday. Although the annual event won’t be as large as it usually is, you can guarantee that the rivalry will be just as intense. The 8th ranked Florida Gators will take on the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs in the 97th edition of the game. Georgia holds the edge right now with a 52-43-2 all-time record against the Gators, including the last three meetings.

    Since his arrival, Dan Mullen has done many great things in Gainesville. He has taken a 4-7 program to a 24-6 record with back-to-back New Year’s Six bowl victories and consecutive top ten finishes. Along the way, he has brought some of the excitement and swagger back to the Gators’ football program. But he has yet to defeat Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, something that has caused the Gators’ fan base to grow restless.

    However, Mullen has steadily closed the talent gap and has proven to have a talent for doing more with less. As if this wasn’t a big enough storyline for this game, Saturday’s contest will feature one of the nation’s best offenses going head-to-head with one of the nation’s best defenses. Conversely, the Bulldogs’ offense, who has been relatively average, will take on a Florida defense that has not lived up to its usual standard.

    With that said, the Gators’ defense played their best game of the season last Saturday in a rout of SEC East foe, Mizzou. The unit held Mizzou to just 3 third down conversions on 15 attempts, marking a vast improvement in an area where they have struggled all season. Additionally, they allowed just 248 yards of total offense, most of which came during garbage time. And the most impressive part? They did all of this while being extremely shorthanded and having just come off of a two-week hiatus from all football activities, due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

    Meanwhile, Georgia found themselves in a dogfight with the Kentucky Wildcats, winning a game that was much closer than the 14-3 final score might indicate. Not only did Stetson Bennett IV throw his fifth interception in his last two games, but Georgia lost several key contributors to injury. The Bulldogs will be without Julian Rochester, Richard LeCounte, and Jordan Davis is listed as day-to-day. However, even if he is able to play on Saturday, it will be a very limited role.

    The loss of Davis and Rochester is a huge blow to the Bulldogs’ defensive line, and will likely impact their usually stellar run defense. But it’s the absence of LeCounte that could be the real backbreaker. LeCounte was in a motorcycle accident last Saturday night and suffered a concussion and some bruised ribs, and a shoulder injury. In last year’s meeting, LeCounte was the only player that seemed to be able to put a leash on Florida’s Kyle Pitts. Without LeCounte, it’s likely that the Bulldogs will need to double team the star tight end, leaving one of Florida’s other weapons (looking at you Kadarius Toney) unchecked.

    With all of their goals still in front of them, the Gators will be looking to make a statement on Saturday afternoon. They will need to play mistake free football and hope to have a defensive showing that’s at least 75% as good as last week’s, if they intend to get the Georgia monkey off of their backs and contend for an SEC championship. Even though they will be facing a very talented defense, there is reason to believe that Florida could come away with a victory in Jacksonville.

    Kyle Trask has been excellent this season. Better yet, Kyle Trask has played Heisman caliber football this season. Even in Florida’s sole loss, Trask was magnificent, throwing for 312 yards and 4 touchdowns. Not only that, the senior from Manvel, TX is averaging 9.8 yards per completion and boasts a 90.4 QBR. He is also surrounded by a variety of weapons. Ultimately, Trask and this Florida receiving corps is the reason that I think they can topple Georgia this year. Florida already presents a similar matchup problem as Alabama did when facing Georgia. Pair that with the fact that the Bulldogs will be missing several key contributors on defense, and this just feels like it’s Florida’s time.

    This is the third year in a row that these two teams will be ranked in the top ten when they take the field on Saturday. But something feels a little different about this year. Despite missing Zach Carter for the first half, I think we will see a similar defensive performance to the one we saw against Mizzou, last week. This leaves the question, can Georgia score 40+ in order to outpace a Florida offense that is averaging 42 points per game? I say, it’s doubtful. I like Florida to win this one and to beat the spread. Florida wins 38 – 28.

    Florida will take on No. 5 Georgia, in Jacksonville, FL, at 3:30 EST on CBS.

  • Freshman Nnedi Okammor named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

    Freshman Nnedi Okammor named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

    After leading Florida’s record setting defensive effort last weekend, freshman MB Nnedi Okammor was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday.

    This is the first SEC honor for the talented freshman from Carrollton, Texas.

    Per the SEC release:

    SEC Co-Defensive Players of the Week – Florida’s Nnedi Okammor, a freshman middle blocker from Carrollton, Texas, averaged 2.33 blocks per set in the two wins over Alabama. Okammor recorded a career-five blocks on Friday night, and then surpassed that mark with nine on Saturday. Her nine blocks is the sixth highest total in a three-set match in program history.

    Florida swept a pair of matches from Alabama at Exactach Arena last week to improve to 4-0 in their fall season.

    Okammor was credited with a then- career high five blocks in the first match against the Crimson Tide, but followed that performance up with a nine block effort the next night. The nine blocks represent the sixth highest total in a three-set match in program history.

    The Gators will travel to South Carolina for a matchup with the Gamecocks on Wednesday, November 11 and the doing night as well.

  • The Gridiron Growl Podcast, Episode 1.14

    The Gridiron Growl Podcast, Episode 1.14


    David Soderquist and Brian Fox, Jr recap Florida’s dominating 41-17 win over the Missouri Tigers as both sides of the football looked very impressive in this game. The pair also cover other games around the SEC and discuss their early thoughts on next week’s World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

    Also, on this week’s segment of The Gainesville Beat we are joined by Chris Clark, Chairman of The Board of Directors for the Gainesville Chain Hawks Disc Golf Club another great attraction and interesting sporting event that won’t cost you much to play either in the city of Gainesville while you can still be socially distanced as well.

    Give us a listen folks and tell us what you think.

    If you have any questions or something you would like to get off your chest about the football team you can call 352-888-4687 and we will put your voice message on the next episode of the Gridiron Growl Podcast!

    Click play on the following audio player to listen to this week’s episode:

    You can also check us out on the following podcast platforms:
    Anchor
    Apple Podcasts
    Breaker
    Google Podcasts
    Overcast
    RadioPublic
    SoundCloud
    Spotify

  • Grading the Gators: Missouri

    Grading the Gators: Missouri

    Photo by Alex de la Osa / Getty Images


    Offense: B
    Kyle Trask and Co. clearly shook some cobwebs off the offensive unit this game. Florida might’ve been 6-for-6 in the redzone but it settled for field goals on the first two drives. The third drive of the game ended with a pick six that seemed to have more to do with pass blocking than Trask’s decision making. Plus, freshman Anthony Richardson nearly turned the ball over during a designed quarterback run. The Gators also gained 25 first downs but posted a 4-for-13 performance on third down. Despite some rust Florida still threw up 41 points, Kyle Trask posted four touchdowns again and the Gators outgained Missouri 514 to 248 on just eight more plays. However, Trask did force/miss some throws but quarterbacks will have those moments. Trask was the lesding rusher but Dameon Pierce once again provided some tough carries and great catch-and-runs out of the backfield.

    Also how about the play of Kadarius Toney? Three touchdowns in one game including two remarkable ones definitely fueled the Gator offense. Check out his first touchdown below.

    https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1322708162194100224?s=19



    Defense: B
    Possibly Florida’s best game on defense this season. And it coincidentally came when shorthanded. The Gators forced seven punts and allowed only three first down conversions on 15 third down attempts. Missouri possessed the ball for six fewer minutes than Florida but accrued just half the offensive yardage and scored only 10 points. Florida still benefited from some Missouri miscues but one could tell this defensive performance was different from the others. For example, the Gators had more influence on the defensive line of scrimmage against the Tigers. I mean Mizzou only netted 40 yards rushing on 23 attempts compared to 169 on 35 for Florida. A key contributor to the defensive front’s night was the return of senior defensive tackle Kyree Campbell. He certainly made a difference eating up Missouri blocks and giving other Gators opportunities to make plays. Florida’s pass rush seemed to help that short-staffed secondary. Not to mention some key tackles for loss and a fumble recovery to end a few Missouri drives allowed Florida with chances to pull away on the scoreboard.

    Special Teams: A-
    This unit obviously performed well Saturday given the letter grade. Chris Howard filled in admirably for the absent Evan McPherson at kicker. The redshirt junior made all five of his PAT attempts and went 2-for-2 on field goals. Plus he limited the Tigers to just three returns on eight kickoffs. The punt unit didn’t allow a single return on Jacob Finn’s three attempts. Finn averaged 43 yards a punt plus he had a fantastic 60-yarder downed at the one at the end of the first half that unfortunately never counted due to a penalty. Kadarius Toney only had two returns on punt team but still pulled off a good 19-yard return. The one glaring issue was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on freshman corner Kamar Wilcoxson on one of Finn’s punts.

    Overall, Florida had probably as good a return as possible from its two-week hiatus. The question now is can it string together good games on both sides of the ball? The Gators will need to next week if they want any shot at making it to Atlanta as the Georgia Bulldogs and the Cocktail Party await.