Michael Pfeffer lives in Knoxville, TN with his wife and daughter. Growing up in South Florida, he has been a lifelong Florida Gators fan. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his family and volunteering at church and with a prison ministry.
Well, it’s a new week and a new opportunity for Dan Mullen and his Gators to get back on the right side of the win/loss column. On Monday afternoon, coach Mullen addressed the press and expounded on several hot topics.
First up, he mentioned that the Gators have several guys banged up but that nobody should miss any playing time. This is good news as there have been images of CB Chauncey Gardener-Johnson in a boot, making their way across the internet.
WR Jacob Copeland was also brought up. He has fully recovered from his injury and is available for the final 4 games (bowl game included) of the season. Expect him to be used in a limited capacity however, since he missed much of training camp and just hasn’t been able to really learn the system.
With the humbling loss to Mizzou behind them, Mullen and the team look to learn from the lackluster performance. With the new culture, the Gators are still learning how to prepare and how to win.
“We got a noon kickoff this week. ‘We’ll be ready at noon, coach!’ We ain’t gonna be ready at noon unless we compete every single snap of practice during the week, either. You can’t just turn it on and off.” Mullen, said of his team.
When a team encounters adversity the way Florida has in each of the last two weeks, it is often the leadership of other players that make the biggest difference in turning things around. Mullen was asked if there were any such leaders on this team and he opened up, allowing a glimpse of where they really are.
“No. I think guys are… we have the potential to. I don’t know that we do, right now. It’s also first year within the program and I think there’s a lot of guys that’ll learn to lead. You know, I think we have guys that potentially, could be leaders. You know, one of the things guys gotta figure out is how to do it. You know, ’cause there’s guys that you know, maybe wanna do the right thing but haven’t always during their career. You know? So, their kinda like, ‘I wanna speak up about doing the right thing but also guys are gonna look at me and be like, ‘You were the leader of doing things wrong your whole career. Now all of a sudden, you’re the leader of trying to do things right.’ But I think as guys grow and mature within the program, they’re gonna be more comfortable in how to present that and how to lead.”
“We might play two quarterbacks. Might play three.”
-Florida head coach Dan Mullen speaking about the quarterback battle.
Obviously, the internet has been abuzz with calls for Kyle Trask to take over at the quarterback position, following a solid showing in the second half of Saturday’s game. Mullen was pressed to give an evaluation of what Trask brings to the table that is different from Feleipe Franks.
“He throws a nice ball. He runs hard. He’s got good size. You know? Very similar to Feleipe’s. Feleipe might have a little bit stronger arm and a little more athletic. Trask might be a little more physical when he runs the ball.” replied Mullen.
This opened the door to ask exactly what it would take for the staff to make a change at this point in the season. Mullen responded in much the same way he has throughout the year.
“We’ll look to see how practice goes. I mean, we might play two quarterbacks. Might play three. I wanna see… we’re still putting the game plan together and I wanna just see, as we put the game plan together and we go out and practice it, you know? Who gives us the best chance to win? That’s kind of how we’ve done it all along throughout the year.”
With such a let down over the last two weeks, it is normal to wonder if this is just a hitch in the road or if this weekend’s performance is more indicative of where the team really is at this point. Mullen gave his honest assessment.
“I’m gonna say it’s probably where we are as a team. If we don’t play well, we’re not… if you look at how we’ve been so far this year, if we came out and play and execute at a high level in all three phases, we’re a pretty darn good football team. If we don’t, we’re not at the point where we can just not play well and cover that up with just like, phenomenal playmakers. Or just a light comes on and all of a sudden we hit a switch and we can just, you know, shift to a whole ‘nother gear of performance.”
This team has accomplished great things this year and is ahead of schedule. It is clear however, that there is still much to be learned.
Florida closes out SEC play this weekend at home against South Carolina. The game is set for a noon kickoff and will be televised on ESPN. Be sure to look for the ChompTalk.com game preview later in the week.
The Florida volleyball team has a lot to smile about tonight after topping the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Exactech Arena. The Hogs took set one, but the Gators came back and won the next three. The team is now 20-5 overall and 11-2 in the conference.
Set 1
Arkansas took this set 25-20. After the game was tied up at 17 apiece, the Razorbacks pushed ahead for the win. The Gators looked shaky, managing only 11 kills on a .194 clip. Six of those kills came from Paige Hammons and Taelor Kellum.
Set 2
The Hogs were Gator bait, as Florida controlled the court and won the frame 25-15. A 16-10 lead was extended to 20 after a four point service ace run by Holly Carlton.
Coach Mary Wise says consistent serving is one of the keys to this team. The Gators did not fail her, as a service ace by Allie Monserez quickly pushed the match to set three.
Hitting was much stronger (.542), even though just five Florida kills came in the frame. Arkansas was held to a hitting percentage of .074.
Set 3
The Gators were up early (7-1) after a five-point service ace run from Hammons. Florida held a 17-10 lead and maintained it, despite Arkansas coming within three for a score of 23-20. Back-to-back Hammons kills took the match to the fourth and final set of the day.
This frame was highlighted by .407 clip matched with 15 kills by the Gators.
Set 4
Florida held a slight 13-10 lead in this set. But, a kill streak (7) and a flurry of forced errors (4) gave the Gators their 11th conference win.
There were nine total kills in the set, with Hammons, Kellum, and Carlton each logging three. Florida hit .333 as a squad.
Gator Notables
Gators volleyball now has its 1000th program win. Let’s see how the players made it happen.
Paige Hammons had herself a night, breaking her career-high number of kills. Her 16 led the team. Hammons recorded a double-double, pairing 10 digs with her kills. Taelor Kellum (12), Rachael Kramer (10), and Mia Sokolowski (10) also killed in double-figures.
Allie Monserez notched a staggering 44 assists in four sets. She added two kills, blocks, and service aces to her stat sheet as well.
Once again, Allie Gregory led the team in digs with 15.
Up Next
The team gets a weeklong break before heading to Auburn, Alabama to take on the Tigers. This match will be the first meeting of the season between Auburn and Florida.
Gainesville, FL- Homecoming games are supposed to be fun. They are a time for the alumni to congregate on their old stomping grounds, cheer on the home team, and relive fond memories. Yes, homecoming games are supposed to be fun only, someone forgot to tell the Gators.
On an afternoon that was meant for celebrating and revelry, the Gators didn’t have much to celebrate. It was noticeable at kickoff that the stands were not full and as the game went on, they became even more vacant.
The Gators have now lost in consecutive weeks by a combined margin of 40 points. A fact made worse by the fact that the combined betting lines for those two games equaled a push. This loss however, might be the hardest one yet.
For much of the game, it appeared that the Gators had regressed to their pre-Dan Mullen days. The defense was consistently gashed and burned while the offense was mired in ineptitude. Even special teams seemed to fall apart as Tommy Townsend was penalized for unnecessary roughness on two consecutive punts. Yes, that Tommy Townsend, the punter!
On the opposite side of the field, the fans could see a team that was celebrating. A team that was having fun and accomplishing everything it set out to do. Drew Lock was superb in his performance as he picked apart the Gators secondary on the way to his first career win over a top 25 opponent.
Meanwhile, Feleipe Franks appeared to be unable to throw a catchable ball. For all of the improvements that he has made, this showing was a massive step backwards. In fact, it is possible that he has played his way out of the starting job.
Kyle Trask entered the game midway through the third quarter and immediately led the Gators on a 13 play 75 yard touchdown drive, converting two 4th downs along the way. Trask showed confidence and the team showed some life with him at the helm. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.
It remains to be seen, whether the change will stick or if this was just an opportunity to get some experience while also giving a new look to the Tigers defense. The Gators are already bowl eligible but there is a chance at being invited to a good bowl game if they can win out.
After tonight’s performance, next week’s game against South Carolina doesn’t look like a guaranteed win. Dan Mullen and company are going to have to find a way to get the team refocused and motivated to finish the season on a high note.
Passing Leaders
Florida
Trask: 10/18 126 YDS 1 TD
Mizzou
Lock: 24/32 250 YDS 3 TD
Rushing Leaders
Florida
Perine: 10 CAR, 42 YDS
Mizzou
Crockett: 21 CAR, 114 YDS 1 TD
Receiving Leaders
Florida
Toney: 2 REC, 72 YDS
Mizzou
Hall: 4 REC, 77 YDS 1 TD
1st Downs
Florida: 17
Mizzou: 22
Total Plays
Florida: 68
Mizzou: 74
Time of Possession
Florida: 25:24
Mizzou: 34:36
Passing
Florida: 210
Mizzou: 250
Rushing
Florida: 113
Mizzou: 221
Penalties
Florida: 8-66
Mizzou: 11-84
Total Yards
Florida: 323
Mizzou: 471
Turnovers
Florida: 0
Mizzou: 0
SEC East Standings
Georgia 6-1 8-1
Kentucky 5-2 7-2
Florida 4-3 6-3
South Carolina 3-3 4-3
Tennessee 1-3 4-4
Vandy 1-4 4-5
Mizzou 1-4 5-4
*Some games may still be in progress
What’s next? Florida will host South Carolina for their final SEC game of the season. Broadcast info will be given later in the week.
It is homecoming week and the Gator faithful will be making the pilgrimage to the Swamp this Saturday with the hopes of erasing the pain of a tough loss last week. Head coach Dan Mullen has high expectations for how the fans and the team respond to disappointment and adversity.
“Our first loss of the season, I think we handled it really well. Then we started handling success pretty well and now we want to see how we handle this adversity.”
Florida will face an offense lead by arguably the best quarterback in the league, Drew Lock. Lock is capable of making every throw and shows poise in the pocket. Despite this, Mizzou has a Jekkyl and Hyde personality on offense.
After putting up 646 yards and 63 points on Memphis, Mizzou could only muster 14 against Kentucky last week. In their fourth SEC loss this season, the offense was held to 8 consecutive three and outs. In fact, the same Mizzou offense that has averaged 35.5 points per game, has only scored just 24 total points in their last 2 SEC games.
Regardless of their offensive struggles against in conference opponents, Mizzou can put up points in wholesale. Their offensive attack centers around Lock, Emmanuel Hall, and Larry Rountree III.
Hall has missed some time recently while recovering from a groin injury but the Tigers are hopeful that he will be ready to go come game time. He currently leads their receiving corps with 18 receptions for 430 yards and a trifecta of touchdowns.
When the Tigers go to the ground game, they rely heavily on Rountree. He has contributed 594 yards and 8 touchdowns on 108 carries and adds a nice counter balance to the passing game.
At a glance:
Missouri Tigers
Columbia, MO
Enrollment: 23,817
2018 record: 4-4, 0-4 SEC
For Lock’s part, he has put up pretty decent numbers this year and is considered the top rated senior quarterback prospect for the NFL draft. With that said, he struggles when heavily pressured and it would be a safe bet that Todd Grantham will send a variety of blitz packages. Especially with the return of C.J. Henderson in the Gators secondary.
Lock will be forced to try to find the open man in the midst of relentless pressure, against the nation’s 12th ranked pass defense. A defense that also ranks 20th in points allowed per game with a 19.0 per game average.
While the quarterbacks that will face each other are quite different, both in play style and in national perception, they actually aren’t so far apart in their individual stat lines this year.
Lock has completed 169/279 for 2,144 yards and has 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Feleipe Franks checks in with 116 completions on 203 attempts for 1,511 yards. He also has 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
Florida will need Franks to come out confident, clean, and focused on Saturday. If he can leave the ghosts in the shadows and play in the moment, there is a potential for the Gators to put up some points against a Missouri defense that gives up an average of 28.9 points per game.
As is usually the case, the passing game of Florida needs to come through the running game. Lamical Perine and Jordan Scarlett will need to run downhill with a chip on their shoulders and remain conscientious of ball security.
This is a game that the Gators need to dominate in all three phases in order to gain a full head of steam for their final three games. There is still much that can be accomplished if the Gators can win out and the remaining schedule favors such a scenario.
A New Years Six bowl game is well within reach. Along with that? Recruiting momentum and the potential to finish a season that began unranked, in the top 5. Not a bad haul for year one of the Dan Mullen era.
Saturday’s game will be broadcast live from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on the SEC Network at 4 p.m. EST. Be sure to follow along with all of the action on the ChompTalk.com Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The Florida Gators are at an impasse. Dan Mullen’s squad sits at 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC. Florida will not represent the East in the SEC title game this year.
And that’s fine. This is the first year of a complete rebuild. Mullen has overachieved with a group of athletes that (mostly) were recruited to play an entirely different scheme, both offensively and defensively.
While Feleipe Franks has statistically had a fine season, there is much debate amongst The Gator Nation as to whether the program would be better served to start true freshman Emory Jones, who received his first significant touches of the season in Saturday’s loss to Georgia.
Michael Pfeffer and I have differing opinions on the subject and have elected to take part in a fact-based, but respectful debate.
We also want to hear from you! What do you think Dan Mullen should do at the quarterback position? Feel free to read each argument to help make your decision.
Michael Pfeffer: This season is far from over and all is not lost. While the goal of winning the East is unattainable after Saturday’s loss, the potential for a good bowl game and significant recruiting momentum is still very much within reach.
The next four games are very winnable. In fact, Florida will likely be favored to win in each of them. Benching Franks at this point in the season would be disruptive on several levels.
The offense has outperformed every Gators offensive unit since 2009 and that is with Franks at quarterback, not in spite of him. To get an idea of how much he has improved, let’s look at the numbers.
In 2017, Franks played in 11 games and started in 8 of them. So far, Franks has started all 8 games of the 2018 season as well.
2017
CMP ATT PCT YDS Y/A AY/A TD INT RTG
125 229 54.6% 1,438 6.3 5.5 9 8 113.3
2018
CMP ATT PCT YDS Y/A AY/A TD INT RTG
116 203 57.1% 1,511 7.4 7.7 16 6 139.8
When comparing these numbers, keep in mind that 2017 shows stats for all 11 games. It should also be noted that the level of competition has been greater in 2018 as well. The final strength of schedule rating for the 2017 season was 45th. This season, the Gators currently rank 21st in the same category.
If Mullen were to bench Franks, it would send a resounding message to the entire team. One that says, he is giving up on this season and in turn, this team.
It is likely that Franks returns next season as a redshirt junior. With a full year of this system under his belt and another fall camp under such a proven quarterback whisperer, it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that Franks takes another giant step forward. His teammates believe in him and he is believing in himself now as well.
Photo via Getty Images
Brian Fox: One drive told me more about Feleipe Franks and this offense than any other game or drive this season.
Florida was trailing by six points when Franks fumbled the ball on the one yard line to give Georgia three-plus chances to essentially put the game away. Instead, the Gators defense took over. The Bulldogs had six (seven if you include the first play which was negated by a penalty) chances to get into the endzone and were unable to do so. It was a huge stop that signaled a turn in the momentum.
The next drive started at the 25 after a touchback on the kickoff. After Scarlett failed to gain any yardage on first and ten, Franks ran for 20 yards and a first down. Then Dan Mullen made the move to Emory Jones. Jones rushed for 8 yards to move Florida into Georgia territory, then we saw Jones’ arm on a downfield throw to Van Jefferson that was just a tad underthrown, but forced a pass interference to move the Gators to the UGA 32. Mullen then went back to Franks who allowed the drive to stall for a field goal attempt.
The significance of this drive is two fold. Mullen allowed the freshman to enter at perhaps the most crucial point of the game and had the confidence to allow him to throw downfield, something that Franks hadn’t done since overthrowing Jefferson on the game’s opening play. It also put into my mind that a change was needed. The way the drive stalled, the way Florida didn’t attempt a single downfield pass after this, it became clear. It’s time to see Emory Jones in action.
So I decided to look into some stats. With Franks at the helm, Florida has been atrocious at the start of games. The Gators haven’t scored in the first quarter in four straight contests, and without the help of the defense, that streak may be longer (think: Tennessee).
Against Colorado State, who has the nation’s 78th ranked pass defense, Franks finished the opening quarter 0-6 with an interception. What gets overlooked because of the blowout final score, is just how bad Franks played in that game. Franks finished 8-15 for 119 yards. Clearly, Mullen had to adjust the game plan because of what he had standing behind center.
Furthermore, if Jones puts that ball on the money (against UGA, it was pretty close anyway), is there even a debate here? Mullen put Jones in that situation knowing the potential controversy it would create if completed. There would be no turning back at that point. The entire situation would be reminiscent of Alabama in the National Championship game. Jalen Hurts struggled, but Tua entered and immediately made an impact. Since then, it’s been all Tua at Alabama (except in the fourth quarter).
Mullen has exceeded everyone’s expectations already this season and no matter how this season finishes, no one will call this year a disappointment. Florida absolutely can make a major bowl game this year, but what harm is it to (potentially) take a small step back this season to ensure a large step forward next year?
Mullen’s choice to use Jones tells me that he understands Jones is the future of the program and that Franks is not. I believe that starting Jones would allow Franks the opportunity to transfer (if he wanted to) and give Mullen the option of adding a second QB in the 2019 class that would fit his system better than Franks.
Photo via The Associated Press
MP: If you’re going to use stats to tell your story, then tell the entire story. Many great teams and indeed, great quarterbacks benefit from short field situations created by their defense. That doesn’t discredit the quarterback when he leads the offense to capitalize on the situation.
Since we’re talking about scoring, let’s look at the entire picture. The Gators have scored 258 points this year. 223 of those have been scored while Franks was on the field. The team has scored exactly 0 points while Emory Jones has been in the game.
With the new redshirt rule, it is already possible for him to get live game experience without starting and without burning an entire year of eligibility for four games. He has played in two so far and has eligibility to play in two more without impacting his redshirt.
The entire argument for Emory Jones is based on a sample size of 9 plays. Jones has 7 carries and 2 pass attempts. He is 0-2 passing and has amassed a whopping 8 yards on his 7 carries.
Everybody loves the backup quarterback when the team loses. Changing signal callers at this point in the season would set the team all the way back to week one. Chemistry, knowledge, experience, all of that is gone when you bring in the third string QB to prepare him for a future that isn’t even guaranteed.
The wise thing to do would be to use him in package situations in two of the next five games (bowl included) and open the competition for next year after this season concludes. Don’t lose out on the momentum this team still has or on the recruiting benefits it will bring.
Dan Mullen cannot send a message of giving up on this season and this team after preaching relentless effort all year.
BF: See, this is where you and I differ the most. I want to enter spring camp with a clear #1. I want to enter fall camp with a known starter getting all the first team reps. In case you didn’t realize, Florida opens the season against Miami on a neutral field. This team can’t enter next season splitting training camp reps and expect to win. However, maybe by giving Jones the necessary experience against SEC defenses this season sets the offense up better for next year.
The redshirt doesn’t matter to me. If Jones is a star, he won’t last four full seasons anyway. Also, the way Mullen is recruiting the quarterback position, there should be no fear about the future of the program once Jones exits the program.
And why would Mullen be sending a negative message to the team by benching a QB that has performed (at-best) average, for the potential of Jones? No one criticized Dabo Swinney when he chose to start true freshman Trevor Lawrence over senior QB Kelly Bryant. It was the right move.
I’m not saying that Jones is in Lawrence’s league yet, but I also would suggest we don’t know that he isn’t. I do know that Franks isn’t.
Jones is going to be the starter next season, the writing is on the wall. Dan Mullen even said, ” the plan is to redshirt (Jones), but we will see how it goes moving forward.” That’s a big BUT that tells me something. Clearly, Jones is pushing Franks on the depth chart already. If that is the case, then maybe there wouldn’t be such a drop off. Maybe the team can accomplish all their goals, regardless who is behind center.
And Jones has the locker room. Freshman WR Jacob Copeland tweeted support to Jones following the game. During the Monday media session stud WR Van Jefferson stated, “I feel like he’s going to lead this team to a National Championship.”
MP: Perhaps he will one day lead Florida to a national championship. The talent is there. But for now, he still takes third string reps. Hard to say that he’s pushing Franks until he begins to split first team reps in practice.
*Florida released the official depth chart for the upcoming Missouri game and Feleipe Franks was listed as the starting QB with RS-SO Kyle Trask listed as the backup. This has been the case all season, even prior to the Georgia game.
On Tuesday night, the Gators took on Florida Southern in an exhibition game at Exactech Arena in Gainesville. Florida won 95-70.
The starters for Mike White’s team were Andrew Nembhard, KeVaughn Allen, Jalen Hudson, Kevarrius Hayes, and Keith Stone. All fifteen players saw action, so court time for starters was limited.
The Gators took a commanding 20 point lead at the break. They shot 54.3% from the field. The Gators followed that up by outscoring the Mocs 41-36 in the second half to with 95-70.
My three biggest take aways
1) Turnovers – Florida turned it over 15 times against a Division II team. Now, it’s not that big of a deal considering it’s a practice game, but if this team wants to compete for an SEC Championship then limiting turnovers has to be a priority. Of the 15 turnovers, ten came from the starting unit, and six of them came from point guards, Nembhard and Mike Okauru, who had three each.
2) Rebounding – Florida really struggled last year with rebounding, and was one of my biggest question marks heading into the season. The Gators pulled down 48 boards on Tuesday night, leading the way was Stone with 10, and 6’5 freshman Keyontae Johnson with 8. Both played 20 minutes.
3) Three point shooting – As a team, UF shot 51.9% from downtown, going 14/27. Five Gators made multiple treys; Hudson shot 3-6, Allen was 2-2, Noah Locke and Deaundre Ballard were also 3-6, while Dontay Bassett shot 2-2 from deep.
ORANGE BEACH, AL- The Gators soccer team has advanced to the SEC Tournament semi-finals after narrowly defeating #1 seed Vanderbilt, 1-0. The Commodores (15-3-1) entered the game having only lost two games all season, but had lost their most recent contest at Ole Miss. The Gators (7-9-4) struck early and hung on, largely thanks to the superb play of senior goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese.
Game Trends
Florida scored early when Madison Alexander flicked a touch over the reach of Vanderbilt GK Lauren Demarchi who had cheated out to cut down the angle. Alexander’s goal was assisted by Lais Araujo and Mayra Pelayo.
The Commodores’ Grace Jackson had an opportunity in the 42nd minute but was turned away by a spectacular save by Marckese.
Marckese was called on again early in the second half when Vanderbilt’s Kaylann Boyd teed one up after a corner and Marckese made a strong save, standing tall in the net
Jackson had another opportunity in the 68th minute, but Marckese slid over and punched the ball over the net for a Vandy corner.
Florida completed the upset with Marckese holding the ball after a last second effort by Vanderbilt went awry.
Marckese made three saves in the shootout and also scored on Florida’s first attempt to lead the Gators to the dramatic victory.
Fast Facts
This is the second time this season that Alexander has scored in consecutive games, and her sixth goal of the season gives her sole possession of the team lead.
Despite making only four official saves, Marckese played an important role in preserving the win as each save rated a high difficulty.
Marckese recorded her 29th career shutout, adding to her program record that was set in Florida’s final home match (on senior day).
Sammie Betters picked up a yellow card late in the second half and was substituted out shortly after.
The Gators played without senior captain Sarah Troccoli due to her ejection from the previous match for a red card.
What’s Next
Florida will face the winner of the 4-5 matchup that took place immediately after their match. Ole Miss faces Arkansas in that contest. The Gators defeated Arkansas (11-4-3) 3-0 in perhaps their most complete game in the regular season finale, but did not face the Rebels (12-6-1) in regular season play.
The Southeastern Conference announced it’s yearly awards on Sunday. Despite a disappointing season record-wise, the Gators were represented on the All-Conference first team by senior midfielder Lais Araujo.
Araujo led Florida in scoring with five goals and thirteen total points.
Araujo recorded a first half hat-trick at Kentucky in September and earned the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts.
Florida opened the SEC Tournament on Sunday with a thrilling victory over Auburn. The Gators will face #1 seed Vanderbilt on Tuesday at 6:00 PM, with a chance to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume.
First Team All-SEC Forward: Sarah Luebbert, Missouri Forward: Bunny Shaw, Tennessee Forward: Ally Watt, Texas A&M Forward: Haley Hopkins, Vanderbilt Midfielder: Bri Folds, Auburn Midfielder: Lais Araujo, Florida Midfielder: CeCe Kizer, Ole Miss Midfielder: Katie Cousins, Tennessee Defender: Haley VanFossen, Arkansas Defender: Lucy Parker, LSU Defender: Maya Neal, Tennessee Defender: Grace Fisk, South Carolina Goalkeeper: Mikayla Kreczowski, South Carolina At-Large: Grace Jackson, Vanderbilt
Florida begins preparation for homecoming week where they will take on the Missouri Tigers. On Monday afternoon, Dan Mullen held his weekly press conference.
The topics? The performances and development of Feleipe Franks and Emory Jones, how the team will respond to last weekend’s loss, and the importance of home field advantage.
Leading off, Mullen addressed the latest developments in the team’s injury report. After exiting the game early on Saturday, C.J. Henderson looks to be available for this weekend’s matchup. This is great news for a depleted secondary as they will face one of the best quarterbacks in the conference, in Drew Lock.
Freshman quarterback Emory Jones had a solid showing against Georgia, in limited reps. Mullen was asked about his development up to this point in the season. “Well, I think he’s really going through the steps of learning what it’s all about.” Mullen, said.
“We’ve seen it in flashes with him. I mean obviously, with how he grows. And I think he’s grown in learning how to prepare within a game. I think earlier in the season you come out, you’re just… you think you know the offense and you think you know how to game plan each week. I don’t know that you really do as a freshman. You know? And all of a sudden, I think he’s seen, as the season’s gone on, ‘I understand the different checks and the different looks and how plays… how you apply plays from one week to the next.”
Feleipe Franks had a mixed bag of successes and failures throughout the game on Saturday. Now that the staff has had an opportunity to review the game film, Mullen was able to identify the good and the bad of not just Franks but of the entire team.
He stated that there were sections of the game where he looked at his team and thought that they looked like a great football team. He continued by assessing Franks, specifically.
“I thought he did some really good things, I think uh… during the game. I think, you know… there are some throws he missed I think he wished he had back. But you know, I’m not… I don’t think he played bad. I don’t think he lit it up and played a big time performance. But I thought he… you know, I don’t know that he took a huge step backwards in his growth and development. I just think he missed some throws.”
Mullen went on to say, “Obviously, the fumble was a bad play. But there are also a lot of things he did pretty well throughout the course of the game. You know, his touchdown pass was a big time throw. We asked him to be a willing runner on the goalline. He was a willing runner. In a couple of short yardage situations, he ran the ball and got some first downs for us.”
Anytime a team loses a game like this, the response is crucial. Mullen couldn’t wait to see how the team and the coaches would respond and react this week.
“I think we handled the first loss, excellent. You know? Everybody was here for the meeting this morning, ready to go. I gotta see how they respond outta practice a little bit. You know what I mean? Do we come out with… I always think there’s two ways you can respond. Well, there’s probably more than two but there, you know… The bad one is you’ve got the, ‘woe is me attitude.’ And the other one, youve got the… ‘I’m a little annoyed that that happened and I can’t wait to get out there to go fix it.’ I hope we’re the second with this one. We certainly, were with the first one. I hope we are with the second.”
Florida has played just one home game in the last four weeks. Saturday afternoon, they will begin a three game home stretch. The last home game for the Gators was against LSU and the Swamp was sold out. Dan Mullen is hoping for a similar result this weekend.
When he was asked about how big of an impact the fans can make in a home field advantage situation, Mullen was quick to answer.
“Everything! I mean, the performance I think, you know when… one, when you have a packed stadium that’s going crazy, it’s… I mean, it’s hard on the other team. That’s why home games are so important in this league. I mean, there’s so many… We go out to practice today and we’ll have music going on the defensive field for them to just kinda make their signals but that’s okay. But we’re not working silent cadence and timing, and this, and communicating, and all the just different things that you’ve gotta spend extra time on when you’re on the road. You can really work on the game plan. So that’s an advantage if the stadium’s that way. If it’s a frenzy in that way.”
Florida will try to rebound this weekend against Mizzou. The game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network at 4 p.m. EST. Be sure to look for the game preview from ChompTalk.com later this week.
GAINESVILLE, FL- Florida soccer is moving on to the SEC Tournament’s quarterfinals after a thrilling victory over Auburn in the opening round. Florida’s senior GK Kaylan Marckese etched her place in Gators lore after leading the team to the win.
The Gators will now face #1 see Vanderbilt while trying to improve their resume for the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Game Trends
Auburn controlled possession for much of the opening ten minutes forcing UF GK Kaylan Marckese to make a couple big saves to keep Florida even on the scoreboard.
Following several Gators chances, Madison Alexander connected on a penalty kick to put Florida ahead. Alexander was tackled inside the box by an Auburn defender and was awarded the PK attempt, much to the dismay of the Tigers coaching staff.
Florida midfielder Sarah Troccoli was ejected in the 57th minute after a hard tackle to an Auburn player. Troccoli retaliated to an instigation and was caught taking a slight jab at the defender as they were attempting to get up.
Despite being armed with a 1-0 advantage, the Gators were forced to take a defensive approach and try to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard.
Unfortunately, in the 74th minute, Auburn’s Taylor Troutman headed in a corner attempt that squeaked past Marckese.
The Tigers controlled the momentum and the possession for the remainder of regulation, but often saw their shots go either wide or well over the Florida net.
The two teams traded chances in the overtime periods, but nothing prevailed setting up a penalty kick shootout.
Marckese made three saves in the shootout and also scored on Florida’s first attempt to lead the Gators to the dramatic victory. Auburn attempted 25 shots in the contest and Marckese made five saves (not including the shootout).
Fast Facts
Alexander’s first half PK attempt was the first UF attempt of the season. The Gators were the only SEC team not to attempt a PK in the regular season.
The score was Alexander’s fifth of 2018 after registering three in her freshman campaign.
Senior captain Sarah Troccoli received a red card in the 57th minute after a hard tackle. Troccoli took an additional jab at her opponent to earn the ejection.
In the 74th minute Auburn’s Taylor Troutman scored via a header off a Tiger corner kick.
Florida weathered 53 minutes of action playing a man down and got the game to a shootout where Marckese was able to play hero.
What’s Next
Florida will take on #1 seed Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. The game is slated for a 6:00 PM start and will air on SEC Network.
The Gators will likely need to win for a realistic chance at an NCAA tournament berth.
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