The Will Muschamp Debate: Should He Be Given One More Year?

by | Jan 23, 2014 | Gator Football

Now that the season’s over, and the anger, frustration and other emotions that have been possibly affecting my judgment on Will Muschamp are gone, I thought it would be a good idea to sit down and discuss whether or not he should come back next year from an objective standpoint.

I still think he should’ve been fired after last year’s debacle, while Neil Blackmon says he should be given another year. So here’s our full email discussion:

ME: My personal opinion is that Muschamp should not be given 2014, and I have several reasons for this.

-One, his teams commit lots of turnovers at most inopportune times (FSU 2011, Georgia 2012, Louisville in the 2013 Sugar Bowl, Miami 2013). It’s directly cost Florida those rivalry games, and I feel that the Gators were definitely the better team in all three of those games, except for maybe the FSU game. He’s been here three years now- if he can’t fix this in three years… when are we supposed to ever get this fixed?

-Two, his teams are extremely undisciplined and frequently get caught doing silly things, such as Clay Burton’s personal foul against Miami, Solomon Patton’s against Georgia, Keanu Neal’s against GSU. You could even say his Gators have earned a reputation for being downright unsportsmanlike at times, like when Ronald Powell spat at a Florida State player, Dante Fowler seemingly attempting to gouge Todd Gurley’s eyes and Marcus Maye doing something similar against GSU. Again, Muschamp has now been here three years… how much longer are we supposed to give him to clean this up?

-Three, the offense is anemic, and has been throughout his time in Gainesville. In each of Muschamp’s three years, the offense has ranked worse than 100 out of 123 FBS teams. You can blame it on the coordinators (Charlie Weis, Brent Pease), but Muschamp hired both of them. Sure, Roper seems like a good hire, but Gator fans were jumping up and down at the last two, and both failed miserably. Why should I believe this one will work out? Third time’s a charm, maybe?

-Four, Florida lost a football game to Georgia Southern, a team that was not only in the FCS, but went just 6-4 in the FCS… at home in the Swamp. No further explanation required.

-Five, Muschamp’s record at Florida is 22-16. That’s worse than Ron Zook. Also, before Muschamp came along, Florida had not lost more than five games in one season since 1979. They’ve now lost six or more games in two out of Muschamp’s three years.

Your thoughts?

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NEIL BLACKMON: Jeremy Foley isn’t ready to fire Will Muschamp yet and neither am I.

That said, I’m not as convinced as Foley is (at least in his public statements) that Muschamp is the right guy to fix the football program. I just think that the optics of firing him at this point are dreadful (more on that below), and I believe he deserves one more year to prove he’s the guy.
Maybe the best thing to do here is to respond to some of your points- because I think you lay out the case for moving on as well as anyone I’ve read.
A couple of your points are simply inarguable. Yes, Muschamp’s teams are woefully undisciplined and it does seem like the penalties (and to some extent, the turnovers) come at inopportune times. And inopportune is being friendly.
And you didn’t even mention the Chris Johnson personal fouls and ejection in the Sugar Bowl– all coming at the only moment in the football game when Florida had any semblance of momentum.
Screen Shot 2013-11-24 at 4.10.02 PMThere is also no question that Florida simply can’t lose to Georgia Southern. That should never happen at Florida. I’m of the mind that losing seasons shouldn’t really happen at Florida either, if you are recruiting properly and execute even reasonably well, there is no reason Florida shouldn’t limp to 7-6 in any given bad year. Think of that this way: Florida State was 6-6 a couple of times under Bowden at the end of his tenure– and those teams had markedly less talent than this year’s Florida team entered training camp with. Yes, they played in the ACC, but there was never a Georgia Southern moment. They did get shut out at home by Wake Forest. But that was as bad as it got. Florida probably shouldn’t ever lose to Vanderbilt, James Franklin or no- they certainly shouldn’t lose to Georgia Southern.
That said, I think there is a reasonably strong case for keeping Muschamp now. The best argument, in my view, looks like this:
1) There aren’t many historical parallels for the type of injury-riddled season UF suffered this year. Florida lost double-digit starters for multiple games, and at least three of those players: Dominique Easley, Marcus Roberson and Chaz Green, were All-SEC caliber type talents. Jeff Driskel’s loss was also very difficult to swallow, if only because Driskel left no heir with any game experience and Muschamp specifically had Brent Pease tweak the offense to protect him better in the summer, understanding the Gators might be sunk if he were injured. The great irony there, of course, is Driskel was injured in the pocket, not running, which is what Muschamp was afraid of in the first place.
2) The injuries were worse because Florida lost SIX players to the NFL who now start or play regularly in that league: Caleb Sturgis (starter, great year), Matt Elam (starter), Jelani Jenkins (regular contributor), Jon Bostic (spot starter after Lance Briggs injury), Jordan Reed (viable offensive rookie of the year candidate until concussion ended season) and Shariff Floyd (starter by season’s end, great second half). Now, for whatever reason, not too many writers were concerned about that attrition at the beginning of the year. I thought they should have been, particularly at PK, LB and TE. I think there was some feeling that Austin Hardin would be ready because, well, he was highly touted and UF always has a good kicker, save 1998, and there was comfort at LB because, well, Antonio Morrison made a nice play in the FSU game. That proved to all be false. Yes, Muschamp has to develop players better– but you develop slowly in any program, and injuries accelerated that process and the warts showed.
3) Will Muschamp went to the Sugar Bowl last year. This is partly the optics argument: Florida hired the Texas coach-in-waiting in late December 2010. He was the hottest young coaching prospect available. If he’s fired after an injury-decimated year one year removed from leading the program to its ninth Sugar Bowl– well, who the hell wants that job? Foley understood this, and I think it was heavily influential in his decision process. I do not deny the fact that Florida was embarrassed in that game, but I also remember Florida beating four top ten ranked teams to get there. There’s something that should be said about that.
4) There are indicators that Muschamp can coach, and do it well. He’s the last head coach to defeat Florida State in a game of football. Before Michigan State beat Urban Meyer, he was the last head coach to defeat Ohio State in a game of football. This afternoon, Steve Spurrier won 11 games in a season  for the third year in a row, at a place where they often didn’t do that over two years. His worst defeat in that time span? A blowout defeat to Will Muschamp. Muschamp has proven adept at halftime adjustments in all three of his years– which raises questions about why his teams start so slow– but it remains true that wins over LSU in 2012, Tennessee in 2012 and 2013, FSU in 2012, and Texas A & M in 2012 were largely about Muschamp making great adjustments at halftime.
4) Finally, his defenses have always been competitive: 8th in Total Defense despite injuries in 2013; 5th in 2012; and 8th in 2011. To me, that suggests that if Kurt Roper can make the offense competitive, Will Muschamp, who no one doubts is a defensive guru, should succeed.
Are there questions? Yes. But I think Muschamp should get 2014 to answer them.
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ME: I’m glad to see you can look at it from my side. That’s respectable of you, but it also raises the question: if even Muschamp’s supporters are wavering in their support, what’s left? How many people are going to fill the seats next year? I’m assuming only the most loyal fans- the Muschamp apologists- would even bother buying tickets, and if those same people admit that there’s an excellent case for him to be fired… my voice trails off and most people can finish the sentence for me.
Screen Shot 2013-11-24 at 4.05.14 PMI didn’t even mention the Sugar Bowl at all, because… why bother? Everybody already knows the Gators didn’t show up that day, but gave Muschamp a reprieve because of crunch time wins at Texas A&M, at FSU, and against LSU at home. But now, I think maybe it’s worth another mention because, well, if you can’t get your team excited and ready to play in the Sugar Bowl, one of the great stages in all of college football, there’s a problem. But a lot of Muschamp apologists are using it as supporting evidence nonetheless. So yes, Muschamp did guide Florida to the Sugar Bowl, but I’m wondering if other people remember what actually happened once Florida got there and the game started.
Louisville scored more points than Florida, yes, but 3 turnovers and 9 penalties was the final score I’ll always remember, along with the single dumbest penalty I’d ever seen on Chris Johnson that you mentioned (Clay Burton v. Miami and Solomon Patton v. Georgia have subsequently earned a tie for the dumbest in my mind) and a general apathy of being in the SUGAR BOWL. In the biggest game of these kids’ lives… that just can’t happen.
Also, I’m not sure if anybody can really grasp just how bad that Louisville team was. They lost to an 8-5 Syracuse team and a UConn team (at home, no less) that was 5-7 and didn’t even go bowling. Problem is, Florida made them look like All-Americans, especially Teddy Bridgewater. Thanks to Florida sleepwalking through that game, Bridgewater’s stock soared, and now appears to be the #1 pick in the Draft. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a very good QB, but had Florida played defense the way they had on Johnny Manziel, Aaron Murray, EJ Manuel and Zach Mettenberger, he would be a second to third round pick. I’ve never bought into one game being make or break for a player’s draft stock, but I think the Sugar Bowl did just that for Bridgewater. Is that really what Florida has disintegrated to? Playing the part of big name opponent for teams to get a huge win against and then party all night, and then raise the national perception of the opponent?
The injuries excuse would be fine if Florida had finished 8-4. I’m totally OK with going 8-4 with the amount of injuries Florida had, I really am. Had Florida lost to Missouri, LSU, South Carolina, and FSU, and won the other four games they actually lost, I would have absolutely no problem with it. But of course, that didn’t happen. And even with the injuries that Florida did have, they still should have won more than four games.
First of all, when Florida lost to Miami, they were nearly fully healthy. They still had Driskel, Matt Jones (albeit only at about 75%, but that’s better than not having him at all), Solomon Patton, Quinton Dunbar, Trey Burton, and most of their starting defense. They even had Antonio Morrison back from a suspension that day. In other words, enough of a team to win the game- easily- barring mistakes. So did they? Nein, herr: Florida turned it over 5 times and committed 10 penalties in a 21-16 loss- which just so happened to be the last time Florida and Miami would ever play each other in the foreseeable future. That really pisses me off, and a lot of other Gator fans to boot, and again, the fans are the ones that buy tickets and generate revenue. Make those people unhappy, and only the most loyal and wealthy of folks are going to spend the money and time to go to the games.
The other three losses- to Vanderbilt, Georgia and Georgia Southern- are all completely unacceptable. I don’t want to hear “injuries” when discussing those games. Let’s start with Georgia. This is the game Muschamp is 0-7 in. Doesn’t that make you want to put more time in at the office? Doesn’t that grind your competitive spirit, get your juices flowing, and become that much more determined to win that game? No, says Muschamp. He even went on College GameDay last year and announced to the whole world that he didn’t care about the fact that it’s a rivalry, he wasn’t going to spend any more time on UGA than he would on, say an FCS team like Georgia Southern. That’s pretty evident by looking at his 0-3 record as Florida’s coach against Georgia- he’s a loser in this game, and probably always will be until he figures out that this game is simply more important than his stubborn mind will let him admit.
Anyway, Georgia runs out to a 23-3 halftime lead. Really? A team you’ve never beaten, that’s coming into this game 4-3, same as yourself, that you’ve GOT to believe you’re better than- and you let them walk all over you like that? It didn’t matter that Florida’s defense played much better in the second half, or that Muschamp made adjustments, as you said because they put themselves in too deep a hole for the now famously anemic offense to dig out of. Sure, he’s good at making adjustments, but why does he have to every single game? Shouldn’t there be even some games where Florida doesn’t have to make adjustments because Muschamp and the team prepared well enough to run them out of the Swamp before halftime? (And please don’t say Kentucky. Everybody beats Kentucky easily).
Then there’s Vandy. I know the Commodores are better on the football field than their name brand, but there is absolutely no excuse for letting them walk into the Swamp and go up 24-3. There’s really no excuse for letting any team do that, outside of maybe Alabama, Auburn or FSU last year. The Gators got dominated, on their home field, by freaking Vanderbilt. And after going up 10-0 on Georgia Southern- who was so badly dinged up as a team that they could only dress up 46 players for the game- the same thing happened again.
Bottom line: Florida was dominated by an FCS team in the Swamp. You’ve admitted that should never happen, so I won’t harp on again like I’m just making the point for the first time. However, reading or listening to that sentence makes a lot of Gator fans feel sick, and while that may sound like the reignited emotions talking, it’s going to show when the time comes to buy tickets for next year. Honestly, who wants to pay money to get in their car, or in a lot of cases, on a plane, and travel to Gainesville, just to pay more money to get into the Swamp… to watch this?
Screen Shot 2013-11-24 at 4.05.53 PMHis defenses have generally been good, albeit in spots: Georgia Southern’s 429 yards of offense was more than they’d put on six of their ten FCS opponents. In other words, more than half of the FCS teams GSU played did a better job stopping the triple option than Florida, and while Florida doesn’t ever see it, none of the FCS teams GSU played see it either, other than once a year. Then there was the 500 mark Missouri put on Florida. Say what you want about Maty Mauk, but at least this year, Missouri is a better team with James Franklin at QB (I do think Mauk can grow and become better than Franklin in time). There is no way in hell that Florida should be giving up half a thousand yards to anybody, much less a team with a backup QB. How about the 414 yards allowed to an equally injury-riddled Georgia team? No Malcolm Mitchell, no Keith Marshall, a banged up Todd Gurley, and you give up 414 yards of offense? I mean… is this a bad dream?
I’d be willing to give Muschamp another year if I thought there was legitimate evidence to believe there will be improvement. I’m not willing to give him another year to toy around, and blindly try to figure things out. Yes, he hired Kurt Roper, and he looked good in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl… against a Texas A&M defense that gave up 37 points a game against BCS competition. Why am I supposed to believe he’ll fix anything? Then there’s the schedule. With Missouri, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, LSU and FSU on the schedule, can you promise me we’ll win more than 6 games? For me personally, it would take 10 wins total, a win over Georgia and a trip to ATL for the SEC Championship Game to want him back- because that’s what it would take for me to believe he’s a good enough coach to be worthy of leading the Florida Gators after the worst season of my lifetime, and well before that.
What reason is there to believe that this will happen?
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NEIL BLACKMON: Will Muschamp will win at least six games, because never in the history of college football, according to Phil Steele, has a team finished with a top ten defense in consecutive years and had losing records in each. So I expect that despite a brutal schedule (again) Muschamp will get it done.
Here’s another fact: Florida is 19-1 under Muschamp when it has scored 21 points. That’s mind-boggling! So Kurt Roper get his shot. Duke’s David Cutcliffe is a coach no one can question, and he has brought Roper everywhere with him, from Tennessee to Ole Miss and so forth.
I’m convinced if he can score 21 points a game, Florida is in business under Muschamp, with one caveat: Muschamp, as you noted, has to beat Georgia. It took twenty years for Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook and Urban Meyer to change the fortune of that rivalry game. In just three short years, Muschamp may have flipped the psychological edge back to the Dawgs. That’s a devastating thing, because the Georgia game is the most important game Florida plays all year. It’s the oldest, biggest, most hated rival and it is a divisional game. Muschamp can say every game should be treated the same and that might fly in Saban-land– but it doesn’t in Gatorland and it is time Will figured that out and won that football game.
So it’s really a question, to me, of whether Roper can fix the offense or not. And some of that has to do with players, which is where I think Muschamp must get it right and fast. There’s no real evidence he’s brought anyone in on offense, outside of Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor, that has made a significant impact on Florida offensively. DJ Humphries is a nice prospect. Ahmad Fullwood has the body of an SEC receiver and started to get it in November. Chris Thompson has SEC track speed and developed in November too– and he’s a Muschamp diamond in the rought. But who else that Will has brought in makes you think Roper has any personnel to do what needs to be done?
That’s why this recruiting class is so critical. Dalvin Cook hurts because he was instant “go-the-distance” playmaker. Florida fans that don’t want to admit that are fooling themselves. Ermon Lane is less crucial but sure, we all like five star receivers. Let’s see what happens.
I talked to Corey Long, my friend and longtime high-school recruiting analyst and he told me that he liked the tight end from Alabama and he also liked pieces in the class like Chris Lammons, and potentially, Jeff Jones. But again, he told me, there aren’t any lightning-rod instant impact offense guys.
I think Muschamp coaches just fine– Foley knows this– and a great deal of Will’s problem are about offense and sadly, offensive personnel, which is hard to recruit when you don’t have any positive film.
Last thing, because it’s important. The Louisville loss to Bridgewater wasn’t a “bad loss” in the sense that Louisville was bad. Everyone knew Bridgewater was good, he was the #1 QB out of high school. And of course his draft stock improved against UF– that Gator D started 10 NFL players if you include the underclassman. Should Muschamp have had UF more prepared? Sure. But it isn’t like UF lost to a redshirt freshmen quarterback and surrendered seven sacks to a team that couldn’t dial up pressure on St. Katherine’s heading into the game… and by the way- that’s the only loss in the Muschamp era where Florida scored more than 21 points.
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ME: I don’t pay much attention to history when thinking about how things will turn out in the future. There’s always a first time for everything.

Unfortunately for Muschamp, Roper has quite a bit of work to do. I’m not sure Roper can get the offense to be good enough to win a lot of games next year, though, and I think that’s about as long as Jeremy Foley’s willing to give Muschamp. The thing is, Florida was so historically awful last year- particularly on offense- that going 8-4 and scoring 21 a game- hell, even 31 when you consider that Florida has four cupcake defenses on the schedule- probably won’t be enough to save his job next year, and it really shouldn’t be, in my opinion.  Hitting 21 may be enough some days, and other days, it may not be, and I think when you split those “maybe” games, you come out with something right around 8-4- which, as I’ve said, is no bueno. Not after going 4-8 and losing to an FCS team the year before.
I sort of disagree with the Cutcliffe statement; there’s plenty to question, such as his 25-23 SEC record at Ole Miss even with Eli Manning (who was as sure a bet to go there as any, so please don’t credit Cutcliffe with “recruiting” him; his family and friends did that), but we’ll just have to see what he does without Cutcliffe looking over his shoulder.
www.allgatorzone.com_wp-content_uploads_2011_07_will-muschampI’ll preface this comment by admitting that this may sound a little greedy, and possibly even immature, but: not only does Will Muschamp have to beat Georgia; he has to dominate them, crush them and pound them into the ground for 60 minutes. Otherwise it’s “Well, he’s 1-3 as a coach; he’s got to win sometime, right?” Dismantle them, however, and leave no mistake, and he can shatter the curse for good. The idea is to make an everlasting visual impression on recruits considering both schools. If they see a close, last minute Florida win, it may not be enough to sway them, and it certainly won’t reverse the national perception of the Gators in this series. A beatdown, whether on the scoreboard or a beat-you-up-and-wear-you-down type win like the win we had over LSU in 2012. Again, this may seem sort of childish, and greedy, but remember the audience he’s got to appeal to: 17 year old kids and a fan base that’s suffering a serious success drought in football.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take a win, and you know, probably celebrate in style, but it won’t change my mind about Muschamp as a coach. Even broken clocks are right twice a day. I will pause to add that if Florida exceeds expectations on the year, and goes unbeaten or has one loss, and they win this game in any fashion, then discount this statement. But that’s just not likely with the gauntlet they face.
To me, Louisville was a bad loss because Florida simply was not ready to play. At all. In the Sugar Bowl. That’s never good, so I think that deserves the “bad loss” label, especially since Florida got beaten down and made a good team look like world beaters.
I pretty much agree with the rest of your response, though: most of Muschamp’s fate will be decided by the success or failure of Kurt Roper, and he’s got his work cut out for him since the talent level on offense is below average. To sum everything up: I think Muschamp could be a serviceable defensive coordinator for Florida, and a solid coach at a Bowling Green type school, but I just don’t think he’s going to be able to work enough magic in the W/L department to keep his job. He’s already lost a lot of support, and there’s only so much more he can afford to lose and still keep his job.
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NEIL BLACKMON: Some of that is history, sure, but the “21 point” thing is more of a target number for the future and the Kurt Roper era. Like most “looks into the future”, history serves as a benchmark suggesting success. As noted, Florida is 20-1 under Will Muschamp when they’ve scored 21 points or more. (I was off one win in my previous count!) Considering Muschamp is 23-16 overall, that’s mind-boggling. But let’s run with your 21 points a game might be good enough some days theory, just for a moment, because I think at first glance you might be right. Here’s a chart of the records of SEC Teams over the last three seasons when they’ve scored 21 points or more. I’ve also included the three schools Florida competes with for players in the state- as it is difficult to argue UF doesn’t compete with UCF now that O’Leary has won a BCS bowl game. I’ve put the teams in order of winning percentage when scoring 21 points or more. Keep in mind 8-4 is a 75 percent winning percentage…

School                Games With 21 or More    Record       Winning Percentage          Notes
 
Florida                     21                                  20-1                 95%                             Only loss to Louisville; garbage TD gets UF over 21
Alabama                  37                                  34-3                 92%                            3-1 in that span when not scoring 21 or more
Florida State            37                                  34-3                 92%                            1-3 in that span when under 21 or more; scored on last play vs UF in 2012 to get over 21
LSU                          31                                  28-3                 90%
South Carolina        32                                  28-4                  88%
Auburn                     25                                  21-4                 84%                             Over 21 every game in 2013
Miss State                24                                  20-4                  83%                            Mullen 2-13 when they don’t get there
Central Florida        30                                  24-6                  80%                             3-6 in the span when not reaching 21
UGA                         36                                  28-8                  78%                             Testament to how bad Grantham’s defenses are…
Arkansas                  22                                  17-5                  77%
Texas A & M             36                                  27-9                  75%                             Have not won in 3 year span when scoring less than 21
Miami, FL                 28                                  21-7                  75%                             1-8 under Al Golden when scoring less than 21 points
Missouri                    31                                  23-8                  74%
Vanderbilt                 29                                  20-9                  69%
Ole Miss                    25                                   17-8                 68%                             One victory in 3 year span when scoring less than 21
Tennessee                22                                   15-7                 68%                              Have not won in three year span when scoring less than 21
Kentucky                  11                                    6-5                  55%                              3-22 in three year span when scoring less than 21
A couple of things stand out about this:
1) Florida has the best winning percentage of any of these football teams, including the last three national champions, when scoring 21 or more. 2) Of all the teams on this lis- only Kentucky…let that sink in… has scored 21 points or more fewer times than Florida. That’s a horrific statistic, and it is one that is even worse at Florida, where Steve Spurrier has a statute outside and scored a zillion points in his reign as coach and Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin lit up scoreboards while winning two national titles. The good news? Florida tends to always have playmakers on defense.
To me, this suggests if Kurt Roper can get to 21, Will Muschamp’s defense will be in a position to help Florida win the football game. Again, I think Roper is a fine hire from a great pedigree– Cutcliffe’s 25-23 mark in SEC play at Ole Miss is superior to every Rebels coach other than Johnny Vaught– and he swears by the Broyles Award winner. But can Roper do it in one year? The deck is stacked.
Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 4.28.06 PMUnfortunately, the 21 point statistic also suggests that the problems Florida has on offense have not been fixed under Will Muschamp, and part of the problem, now that he has had two full recruiting classes, is he simply hasn’t done a good job evaluating and bringing in dynamic game-changing talent on offense. Kelvin Taylor is an All-American caliber piece. Beyond that, what do you have? Ahmad Fullwood? Okay, decent start. But no one else at a difference making position scares you. Kurt Roper will have to get to 21 with what, by SEC standards, and certainly by Florida standards, is subpar talent. This is why folks can talk all they want about how great it is to flip Jalen Tabor and to get a commit from Gerald Willis– but Will needs more guys like Brandon Powell, the tailback from Broward County, and he needs them immediately.
Beyond that, I stand by what I thought to begin with: Will Muschamp saves his gig next year by going 9-3 with a win over Georgia. If he’s 9-3 with a loss to Georgia, he is fired. And he should be. There is never any reason at the University of Florida since Steve Spurrier arrived on campus to lose to UGA four years in a row. That sort of atrocity versus your archrival gets you fired at Michigan, gets you fired at Ohio State (John Cooper), gets you fired at Georgia (Jim Donnan- and he BEAT UF once), and it should get you fired at Florida.

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ME: This is an awesome chart, but you’re banking on Florida scoring 21 points routinely under Roper. I agree with pretty much all you’ve said about Florida being in great shape if they score 21, and the chart admittedly makes me feel more confident in those chances, but how do we know they will routinely score 21? Especially with teams like Alabama, LSU and FSU on the schedule. That’s three losses right there, and leaves Muschamp with absolutely no margin for error.
I’ll also remind you that Roper has a very short leash, not so much because he’s expected to make the offense explosive so quickly but more because Muschamp’s leash is even shorter in Gainesville, whether Jeremy Foley wants to admit it publicly or not. I do honestly believe Roper could be a decent offensive coordinator if given time, but he may not be if the offense sputters in year one, and Muschamp gets fired because of that, and then the new head coach doesn’t retain him.
Yet, as you pointed out, he doesn’t have the pieces in place to do it. Other than Kelvin Taylor, who can Roper possibly expect to generate a huge spark into the offense? I do believe Driskel is better than some fans give him credit for, but with no receivers of good quality to help him out, he’s going to be rendered useless. So Roper’s going to have to try to force some round pegs into square holes and desperately try to manufacture some points. Not that this is his fault, of course; that’s what happens when you go work for a coach who refused to fire his previous offensive coordinator until it was way too late, and that’s also what happens when you work for a team that was 4-8 the year before. But he took the job, and- right or wrong (and I believe it’s wrong)- that’s the set of expectations he’s got to deal with.
So to recap that: Roper, through no fault of his own, is in a position where he has to create an explosive offense in year one, but he doesn’t have nearly enough playmakers to do it. This absurd Catch-22 pretty much ensures he’s not going to be very successful. Again, I’ll reiterate: I’m not saying he’s a bad coordinator, or that he couldn’t be successful if given time to build the offense with his own recruits, but he just doesn’t have that time because of the perilous position of Will Muschamp’s job security at the moment.
I suppose it’s possible Florida could win 8 games, but that’s not going to be enough. With the hole Muschamp dug for himself in 2013, he’s going to have to go 10-2 with a mandatory win over Georgia, and win the SEC East to keep his job, or 9-3 at the absolute worst with a win over Georgia. I just don’t see that happening.
________________________________________________________________
NEIL BLACKMON: As noted: I think Roper does enough to go 9-3 with a win over Georgia. I think Florida loses @ Alabama, at home to South Carolina and @ FSU.
I think 8-4 with an “L” to UGA should mean Muschamp leaves town.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ME: You think Florida loses to South Carolina? Funny, that’s the one game I think Florida will be the underdog in and win.
A couple weeks ago, I did my game by game picks and had Florida at 6-6, losing to Alabama, LSU, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Missouri and FSU. I’ll keep everything the same, except I’ll change Vanderbilt to a win because of the departure of James Franklin. I’m not sure if Vandy can get somebody with as much energy and talent as Franklin, though since he raised the brand name of Vanderbilt, maybe they can.
Having said that, I can easily see Florida losing on the road to a much improved Tennessee team. But I’ll stay with 7-5 for now as my official prediction.
LB Ventrell Miller will return to Gators in 2022

LB Ventrell Miller will return to Gators in 2022

Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller was supposed to be a key piece on the Gators' 2021 defense. But before he'd even played a conference game, he suffered an injury that prematurely pulled the plug on his season. It appears as though he's set to make up for that lost...

WR Justin Shorter to return to Florida in 2022

WR Justin Shorter to return to Florida in 2022

Florida's offense may be losing some skill position players, but now we know that at least one of them with an ambivalent future is coming back: Justin Shorter. Shorter announced on twitter that he plans to return in 2022, simply stating: "Unfinished business....

Ohio State QB Jack Miller transfers to Florida

Ohio State QB Jack Miller transfers to Florida

Florida lost a prospective member of its QB room when Nick Evers decommitted, but made up for that loss today with the addition of Jack Miller. Miller, who signed with Ohio State out of high school as a member of the Buckeyes' 2020 recruiting class, entered the...

What does Kamari Wilson bring to the table for Florida?

What does Kamari Wilson bring to the table for Florida?

Yesterday, Kamari Wilson made waves throughout the recruiting world when he decommitted from Georgia and flipped to Florida on Signing Day. Yes, there's an element of head-to-head victory for Gator fans, who can now boast to Georgia fans about how they are now a real...

Four star safety Devin Moore commits to Florida

Four star safety Devin Moore commits to Florida

Arguably by design, the Florida Gators’ 2022 recruiting class came apart at the seams in the wake of Dan Mullen’s firing. As the sun rose on Early Signing Day, the first major piece of Billy Napier’s transition class fell into place with Devin Moore. Moore, a four...

Class of 2022 Early Signing Day Tracker

Class of 2022 Early Signing Day Tracker

Welcome to our Class of 2022 Early Signing Day tracker! As we have done in previous years, this page will serve as a hub of activity for the Florida Gators on the first day of the Early Signing Period for the 2022 recruiting cycle. In contrast to previous years,...

Florida Gators hire Billy Napier as head football coach

Florida Gators hire Billy Napier as head football coach

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It’s over: Dan Mullen is out as Florida’s head coach

It’s over: Dan Mullen is out as Florida’s head coach

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An Open Letter To Dan Mullen: This Is Your Last Shot

An Open Letter To Dan Mullen: This Is Your Last Shot

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It’s time for the Florida Gators to fire Dan Mullen

It’s time for the Florida Gators to fire Dan Mullen

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Dear Dan Mullen: Show Me

Dear Dan Mullen: Show Me

The Florida Gators are set to do battle with archrival Georgia once again, but the script to this year's Cocktail Party seems eerily familiar. And the onus is on Dan Mullen to deviate from that script. Remember? Four years ago, speculation was swirling about the job...

Four star WR Jayden Gibson commits to Florida

Four star WR Jayden Gibson commits to Florida

Dan Mullen and the Gators have just picked up a commitment from wide receiver Jayden Gibson, a consensus four star wide receiver from West Orange, FL. And thus, the Gators' 2022 recruiting class is really starting to come along. Gibson announced his decision on CBS...

Gameday Tidbits: Florida Gators vs. Vanderbilt

Gameday Tidbits: Florida Gators vs. Vanderbilt

The Florida Gators, who are coming off a heartbreaking 13-20 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats need to bounce back this weekend in the Swamp.  Quite frankly, it should be very difficult for Florida to not bounce back against a very bad Vanderbilt football team. To put...

2022 DT Jamari Lyons commits to Florida

2022 DT Jamari Lyons commits to Florida

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Gameday: Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats

Gameday: Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats

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Emory Jones deserves respect. Period.

Emory Jones deserves respect. Period.

  We are now just a few days from Emory Jones’ first true road test as a starting quarterback. And though the concept is fairly obvious to some, it's not to others, so it's worth diving into in more depth: he deserves respect for how far he’s come from the...

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Tonight, the Florida Gators face the Tennessee Volunteers in a primetime showdown in the Swamp. This time, the Gators look to bounce back from a narrow defeat by the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. Though Tennessee is not the Tennessee of Old, we still expect this to be an...

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Finally, the day has come! Today the #11 Florida Gators will battle the #1 Alabama Crimson tide in a matchup of epic proportions. Florida fans circled this game in anticipation since the announcement came that Alabama would once again return to the Swamp. This is a...

Florida LB Ventrell Miller out for the season

Florida LB Ventrell Miller out for the season

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Game day: Florida Gators at South Florida Bulls Preview

Game day: Florida Gators at South Florida Bulls Preview

Gameday is once again upon us! This time, the Florida Gators will face the South Florida Bulls in a quasi-road game where the stands promise to feature as much orange and blue as green and gold- if not more. Amidst what some people deem to be a quarterback controversy...

Five takeaways from Florida Gators’ 35-14 win over FAU

Five takeaways from Florida Gators’ 35-14 win over FAU

The Florida Gators knocked off FAU 35-14 to begin the 2021 season, but left much to be desired. So: what stuck out along the way? (Aside: I'll be keeping these "five takeaways" pieces short and sweet throughout the season in order to get more stuff written each week.)...

It’s Emory Jones’ turn. His time. And his team.

It’s Emory Jones’ turn. His time. And his team.

Photo credit: USA Today Flash back to almost four years ago, December 20, 2017. It's the day that Emory Jones signed with the Florida Gators, which planted a seed for a career that has, for the most part, remained dormant- until now. Not too long before a letter of...

Florida’s Andrew Chatfield enters transfer portal

Florida’s Andrew Chatfield enters transfer portal

Photo credit: Evan Lepak, UAA Communications Florida linebacker/defensive end Andrew Chatfield has decided to enter the transfer portal. In doing so, he becomes the third Gators defender who has logged reps at linebacker to do so this offseason after James Houston IV...

Snapshot: 2021 Florida-FSU chart

Snapshot: 2021 Florida-FSU chart

Happy Chart Day! Yep, it's that time of year again. The annual In All Kinds Of Weather tradition of "The Florida FSU chart" is back in 2021. For those who are not familiar with "The Chart," every year since 2014, I have been laying out all the dizzying array of ways...

OT David Conner commits to Florida

OT David Conner commits to Florida

Photo via David Conner Florida’s offensive line play has been suspect at best these past few years, and the Gators’ 2022 recruiting class has been somewhat stuck in reverse so far. Both of those things got a nice boost today with the commitment of offensive tackle...

LB EJ Lightsey commits to Florida

LB EJ Lightsey commits to Florida

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Florida CB Jaydon Hill tears ACL, will miss 2021 season

Florida CB Jaydon Hill tears ACL, will miss 2021 season

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Four star RB Terrance Gibbs commits to Florida

Four star RB Terrance Gibbs commits to Florida

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2023 TE Mac Markway commits to Florida

2023 TE Mac Markway commits to Florida

Photo via Mac Markway Tim Brewster has landed another one for the Florida Gators, raiding the Show Me State for a Mac Markway, tight end that schools across the country wanted. Markway, a consensus four star target from St. Louis, chose Florida over Ohio State and...

ATH Jamarrien Burt commits to Florida

ATH Jamarrien Burt commits to Florida

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Athletic four star LB Shemar James commits to Florida

Athletic four star LB Shemar James commits to Florida

Photo credit: Scott Donaldson, preps@al.com Florida's 2022 recruiting class just gained perhaps its most highly touted piece yet, as consensus four star linebacker Shemar James announced his commitment this afternoon. James- out of Mobile, AL/Faith Academy- was...

Four star DB Julian Humphrey commits to Florida

Four star DB Julian Humphrey commits to Florida

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Underrated three star WR Isaiah Bond commits to Florida

Underrated three star WR Isaiah Bond commits to Florida

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Florida Gators 2021 NFL Draft primer

Florida Gators 2021 NFL Draft primer

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(Unofficial) results from Florida’s NFL Pro Day

(Unofficial) results from Florida’s NFL Pro Day

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Who should replace Mike White at Florida? (2021 version)

Who should replace Mike White at Florida? (2021 version)

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TE CJ Hawkins commits to Florida

TE CJ Hawkins commits to Florida

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Athletic OT Tony Livingston commits to Florida

Athletic OT Tony Livingston commits to Florida

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2022 QB Nick Evers commits to Florida

2022 QB Nick Evers commits to Florida

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Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 3/2 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 3/2 practice

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Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/26 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/26 practice

Day five of full pads. (Image via Florida Gators.) For the third time this week, the Florida Gators football team held a virtual open practice, streaming most of the day's work on Instagram live for all to see. Here are all the videos I managed to capture from Friday...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/24 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/24 practice

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Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/22 practice

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Kicker Adam Mihalek commits to Florida

Kicker Adam Mihalek commits to Florida

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Four star 2022 DE Francois Nolton commits to Florida

Four star 2022 DE Francois Nolton commits to Florida

With the Gators' 2021 recruiting class all wrapped up, Dan Mullen and his staff have gone to work setting up their 2022 class. https://twitter.com/99_nolton/status/1357739221822418945?s=20 Francois Nolton, a 6'4, 225 lb. four star defensive end from Miami, has...

Gators land former LSU five star TE Arik Gilbert

Gators land former LSU five star TE Arik Gilbert

Dan Mullen remains undefeated in the NCAA transfer portal with the addition of Arik Gilbert. And now, a year after Florida lost unanimous All-American tight end Kyle Pitts to the NFL, the Gators may not miss a beat at that position. Gilbert, a former five star tight...

Florida Gators’ 2021 football schedule revealed

Florida Gators’ 2021 football schedule revealed

When the SEC first pieced together a twelve year football schedule rotation in 2014 that dictated which teams would play who from the other division, the Florida Gators knew that they'd be hosting Alabama as their cross-division opponent in 2021. But now, following...

Gators complete coaching staff with Jules Montinar

Gators complete coaching staff with Jules Montinar

UPDATE: Florida has officially announced Jules Montinar as the newest member of the Gator football staff. https://twitter.com/GatorsFB/status/1353802427313618945?s=20 (Initial story begins below.) With linebackers coach Christian Robinson presumably staying at...

Auburn DL Daquan Newkirk transfers to Florida

Auburn DL Daquan Newkirk transfers to Florida

DaQuan Newkirk is coming home. Daquan Newkirk has decided to return home (or close to it) for his final year of eligibility. And thus, Florida's shaky offseason took a step in the right direction. https://twitter.com/holdthat_2/status/1349757297782829056?s=20 Once a...

Florida LB James Houston to enter transfer portal

Florida LB James Houston to enter transfer portal

Best of luck to James Houston as he searches for a new home. James Houston IV, a junior linebacker from Fort Lauderdale, has told me that he will be entering the transfer portal. Houston was known for making a few of the bigger defensive plays of the last couple of...

Keyontae Johnson placed into medically induced coma

Keyontae Johnson placed into medically induced coma

Keyontae Johnson has been placed into a medically induced coma, according to the USA Today, who spoke with Johnson's grandfather. His grandfather, Larry DeJarnett said in a phone interview that his grandson was transported to Gainesville earlier today after receiving...

Florida vs Tennessee: Film Review – Defense

Florida’s 2020 season has overall been a successful one by most measures. The Gators are 8-1, ranked in the top ten in every major poll and are four wins away from securing the program’s fourth national title. But in order to obtain that national title, there’s a lot...

Several Gators listed as national award semifinalists

Florida's efforts on the field have been rewarded in the sense that the Gators now control their own destiny to SEC and national championships. But for several players, their efforts are being rewarded in more individual manners, too. Four Gators have been listed as...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 31-19 win over Tennessee

Florida didn't play especially well, but did more than enough to beat Tennessee and wrap up the SEC East for the first time since 2016. What were the major takeaways from the game? Florida simply does not have a running game Tennessee came into the game with a five...

Photo Gallery from Florida’s 34-10 win over Kentucky

As we anticipate tomorrow's road matchup with Tennessee,  let’s take one more look back at last week’s game against Kentucky. Our podcast host, Dustin Smith, happens to also be a fantastic photographer. He was at the game last Saturday, and got some great photos of...

Florida RB Iverson Clement will transfer

Florida's deep stable of running backs has just gotten a little thinner. Iverson Clement, a junior tailback from Mount Holly, NJ, has decided to transfer. He departs from Florida having carried the ball twelve times for 94 yards. He nearly scored a touchdown against...

Gators make belated Thanksgiving feast out of Wildcats

Florida was missing key pieces on both sides of the ball a week ago in a sluggish 38-17 win over Vanderbilt. The Gators got them both back today, and the result was fairly similar: Florida struggled for a half against a historically inferior divisional opponent,...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 34-10 win over Kentucky

It took awhile for Florida to get itself going, but they eventually did do exactly that and rolled away from Kentucky. What stood out in the victory? A tale of two halves Florida's offense was stuck in reverse for most of the first half, mustering a grand total of...

No. 6 Gators overcome sluggish start to run past Vandy

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Five Takeaways from Florida’s 38-17 win over Vanderbilt

It wasn’t pretty, but Florida fought off a tough challenge from Vanderbilt and got out of Nashville with a 38-17 win. What stuck out in the victory? The defense is still a problem. Yes, Florida played better on defense after a miserable first quarter, and sure,...

Photo Gallery from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Before we look ahead to Vanderbilt tomorrow, let's take one more look back at last week's game against Arkansas. Our podcast host, Dustin Smith, happens to also be a fantastic photographer. He was at the game last Saturday night, and got some great photos of various...

Trask, Gators run Hogwild in blowout of Arkansas

Trask, Gators run Hogwild in blowout of Arkansas

Feleipe Franks’ dramatic return to the Swamp was the story of the day when his Arkansas Razorbacks faced off against #6 Florida in the Swamp. But it was his long-time understudy, Kyle Trask, who dominated the night. Trask continued his push for a Heisman Trophy by...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Florida earned its most lopsided win of the season over Arkansas, and former quarterback Feleipe Franks, 63-35. What stood out most along the way? Kyle Trask is now the Heisman frontrunner After several years of hyping up various quarterbacks as Heisman Trophy...

A Tribute to Feleipe Franks: I Will Remember You

A Tribute to Feleipe Franks: I Will Remember You

Hello again, Feleipe Franks. It's been about fourteen months since your Gator career ended in a particularly gruesome fashion. Tomorrow, we meet again. Only this time, your job will be to ruin Florida's season, not enhance it, and our job will be to make you...

Gators kick Georgia out of Cocktail Party

Gators kick Georgia out of Cocktail Party

Throughout Dan Mullen’s short tenure at Florida, Kirby Smart has had Mullen’s number.  And three minutes into their third meeting in Jacksonville, it looked like that would continue. But then Florida flipped the script and turned the game— and the rivalry— on its...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 44-28 win over Georgia

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 44-28 win over Georgia

WE DID IT!!! Yes, at long last, Florida has gotten the Georgia monkey off its back and toppled the Bulldogs to take control of the SEC East. What did we learn along the way? Kyle Trask is officially a Heisman Trophy frontrunner He may not win the award, but he has to...

2021 OL Yousef Mugharbil commits to Florida

2021 OL Yousef Mugharbil commits to Florida

A day before the Gators take on Georgia in the Cocktail Party, Yousef Mugharbil kicked off their weekend the right way. Mugharbil, a consensus four star offensive lineman from Murphy, NC/Murphy HS, has committed to Florida. He also had offers from Penn State, Virginia...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-17 win over Missouri

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-17 win over Missouri

Florida bounced back from a rough loss to Texas A&M three weeks ago with a statement win against Missouri. What stood out in the process? The defense isn't great, but it's getting better. Even without three starters in the secondary (and without Zachary Carter in...

For Gators, a new season begins against Missouri

For Gators, a new season begins against Missouri

Three weeks ago, Florida completed its preseason portion of the 2020 schedule with a good deal of promise, but well aware of what it had to work on. One ugly COVID outbreak and three weeks later, and the Gators begin the meat of their schedule- a seven game stretch...

2022 Safety Sam McCall commits to Florida

2022 Safety Sam McCall commits to Florida

Just as things are getting back into full swing for the Gator football team, things are heating up on the recruiting trail, too. Florida has nabbed a commitment from 2022 athlete Sam McCall, a consensus five star recruit from Lakeland, FL/Lake Gibson HS. He chose...

2021 Edge rusher Jeremiah Williams commits to Florida

2021 Edge rusher Jeremiah Williams commits to Florida

Defensive end Jeremiah Williams, a consensus four star prospect out of Birmingham, AL/Ramsay HS, has committed to Florida, giving the Gators yet another dynamic piece for their 2021 recruiting class. Signs were pointing towards Gainesville for the highly touted edge...

Florida-Missouri game postponed to October 31

Florida-Missouri game postponed to October 31

According to multiple sources close to the team, the Florida-Missouri game scheduled to take place on October 24th will now be pushed back one week, to Halloween on October 31st. In All Kinds of Weather first reported yesterday that the game was extremely likely to be...

Florida-LSU game postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak

Florida-LSU game postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak

Multiple sources have confirmed that the Florida-LSU game scheduled for this Saturday is going to be postponed. An announcement could come as early as Wednesday afternoon. The news comes less than 24 hours after an outbreak of COVID-19 within the Gators' football...

COVID-19 outbreak places Florida-LSU game in jeopardy

After just three games, the novel coronavirus that has wreaked havoc on pretty much everything in 2020 appears to have found its way into the Gator football program. And predictably, the COVID-19 outbreak has thrown up a blockade in front of the season. A few days...

Texas A&M forces Florida to address defensive issues

Texas A&M forces Florida to address defensive issues

Throughout the game on Saturday in College Station, Florida seemed to be one step ahead of Texas A&M. Until they weren't. And then it was too late to do anything about it as the Florida program trudged off the field following a familiar fate- a loss to Jimbo...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M

Florida suffered its first loss of the season against Texas A&M today, an ugly 41-38 setback that’s far more irritating than damaging— but one that exposed a great deal of Gator shortcomings. What stood out in particular? (Spoiler alert: a lot of them are...

Imperfect Gators outlast South Carolina to start 2-0

Imperfect Gators outlast South Carolina to start 2-0

The various struggles the Florida Gators have endured on defense didn’t matter too much in their first two games against Mississippi and South Carolina. They might in their next game. And they almost certainly will later in the season. Kyle Trask tossed four touchdown...

Clemson RB Demarkcus Bowman to transfer to Florida

Clemson RB Demarkcus Bowman to transfer to Florida

The Lakeland-to-Gainesville pipeline has continued, albeit via a detour. Demarkcus Bowman has chosen to transfer to Florida. Mere days after announcing his decision to enter the transfer portal, Bowman told Gators Territory of his decision. Bowman, a former five star...

Trask’s career day propels Florida past Mississippi

Trask’s career day propels Florida past Mississippi

Dan Mullen returned to the place he once called “The School Up North” in his new set of colors for the first time. And he provided that school up north with a first class education in just how lethal his new offense is. Kyle Trask went wild, completing 30 of his 42...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 51-35 win at Ole Miss

Five takeaways from Florida’s 51-35 win at Ole Miss

The Gators opened their 2020 season with a somewhat convincing 51-35 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford. In doing so, Florida knotted the all time series score against the Rebels at twelve wins apiece. Here are my five initial takeaways from the game: Kyle Trask is...

2020 Gator football position preview: secondary

2020 Gator football position preview: secondary

Our position previews of the 2020 Gator football team conclude today with a look at the defensive backfield. Can the unit colloquially known as "DBU" move forward without CJ Henderson? Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight ends |...

2020 Gator football position previews: linebackers

2020 Gator football position previews: linebackers

The penultimate piece of our position preview segment takes us to the Florida linebackers- a unit that was very good in 2019, but will look a bit different in 2020. Let's get right into it. Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight...

2020 Gator football position preview: defensive line

2020 Gator football position preview: defensive line

Having completed our offensive position previews, today we move to the defensive side of the ball. And as is the case everywhere in the SEC, it starts up front. Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight ends | offensive line The...

2020 Gator football position preview: offensive line

2020 Gator football position preview: offensive line

Fresh off our preview of Florida's tight ends, our 2020 Gator football position preview rolls on with a look at perhaps the key to the entire team: the offensive line. Last year, was so-so a year ago in pass protection, but really let the team down in the ground game....

2020 Gator football position preview: tight ends

2020 Gator football position preview: tight ends

With kickoff just around the corner, our position by position previews of the 2020 Gator football team are about to start hitting the presses rapid-fire. Having already published our previews on Florida's quarterback, running back and wide receiver rooms, the first of...

2020 Gator football position preview: wide receivers

2020 Gator football position preview: wide receivers

Having previously broken down Florida's quarterbacks and running backs, our position preview segment moves along today with a look at Florida's receivers. It's a unit that lost four of its top playmakers from 2019 (Van Jefferson, Freddie Swain, Josh Hammond and Tyrie...

2020 Gator football position preview: running backs

2020 Gator football position preview: running backs

After a bit longer of a gap between position breakdowns than I intended, the series rolls on today with a look at Florida's running backs. What do the Gators have in stock in their RB room this year? The leader: Dameon Pierce The leading returning rusher from 2019 has...

Snapshot: the 2020 Florida-FSU chart

Snapshot: the 2020 Florida-FSU chart

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to present to you, the 2020 Florida-FSU chart. Many of you already know what I'm referring too. For those who don't, "The Chart" is an annual In All Kinds Of Weather tradition that compares the Florida Gators...

2020 Gator football position preview: quarterbacks

2020 Gator football position preview: quarterbacks

With kickoff at long last in sight, it's time to break down the 2020 Gator football roster, position by position. Who's back, who's going to start, how good are they, and so on. Man, it's great to finally be talking about that again. So with that said, let's start...

Gators learn four of ten kickoff times for 2020 season

Gators learn four of ten kickoff times for 2020 season

Three of Florida's first four games of the 2020 season carry the potential to be broilers. The Gators' season opener against Mississippi in Oxford on September 26th will kick off at noon, and air on ESPN. The following week, Florida will return home and again play in...

#GreatestGatorEver Sweet 16 bracket breakdown

#GreatestGatorEver Sweet 16 bracket breakdown

Having announced the tentative plans for the schedule of the remainder of the #GreatestGatorEver fan voting tournament (update; the tournament resumes tomorrow on twitter and Instagram stories), it's time to refresh our memories regarding the final sixteen contestants...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament schedule update

#GreatestGatorEver tournament schedule update

For those who have been keeping track of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament, the excitement level has reached yet another all time high, as it does with the completion of each round. For those who haven't, it's not too late to be introduced to the event. Here's (a very...

Gators’ 2020 football schedule unveiled

Gators’ 2020 football schedule unveiled

At long last, the Florida Gators 2020 football schedule has been released. Here it is, in full. Florida Gators 2020 football schedule Week Date Opponent 1 9/26 @ Mississippi 2 10/3 S CAROLINA 3 10/10 @ Texas A&M 4 10/17 LSU 5 10/24 MISSOURI 6 --- BYE 7 11/7...

Four key Gators sit out first fall practice

Four key Gators sit out first fall practice

For the time being, it looks as though the SEC is going to give its college football season a go in 2020. But at least for today's inaugural practice, the Florida Gators football team launched its fall season down four critical pieces. As first reported by Sports...

DT Desmond Watson commits to Florida

DT Desmond Watson commits to Florida

Florida had been suffering through a bit of a lull on the recruiting trail earlier this month, a period that was low lighted by Clinton Burton flipping his commitment from Florida to Boston College. But if the past couple of weeks didn't vault Florida out of that rut,...

Gators flip OL recruit Jake Slaughter from FSU

After a bit of a lull on the recruiting trail, Florida has suddenly picked it up over the course of the last week. Last Saturday, safety Donovan McMillon committed; less than 48 hours later, receiver Marcus Burke followed suit to rev the engine a little bit on a 2021...

Top Jacksonville WR Marcus Burke commits to Florida

Top Jacksonville WR Marcus Burke commits to Florida

The Gators' 2021 recruiting class got a boost Saturday with the addition of Donovan McMillon. Today, Dan Mullen & Co. built on that momentum with the addition of receiver Marcus Burke. https://twitter.com/CERTIFIED_MB4/status/1285296008747003904?s=20 Burke, a...

Safety Donovan McMillon commits to Florida

Safety Donovan McMillon commits to Florida

Clinton Burton out, Donovan McMillon in. McMillon, a borderline three/four star safety from McMurray, PA/Peters Township High School, has committed to the Gators. The move provides Florida fans with a bit of relief following the decommitment of fellow defensive back...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

Welcome to the part of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament where things really start to get interesting. For those who are just catching wind of the tournament, a quick explanation of how it works. Created with the goal of deciding the greatest Florida Gator athlete of...

Gators announce six new positive COVID tests within football program

UF confirms 11 positive COVID-19 cases since April

The University of Florida has acknowledged that eleven different positive tests for COVID-19 have taken place since April. The news comes a week and a half after the announcement that no returning Gator football player had tested positive. From Florida senior...

2021 CB Jordan Young commits to Florida

2021 CB Jordan Young commits to Florida

It may be one of the slowest times for sports in recent memory, but the inverse has been the case in the world of Gator football recruiting. 2021 cornerback Jordan Young (Tampa, FL/Gaither) has committed to Florida. A consensus three star prospect with offers from...

Kamar Wilcoxson re-commits to Florida for a third time

Kamar Wilcoxson re-commits to Florida for a third time

Kamar Wilcoxson is back on the Gators' commitment list- and he says this time, it's for good. https://twitter.com/KamarWilcoxson4/status/1274100941369806850?s=20 I think at this point, most Gator fans are familiar with who he is, and if you're not, I'll explain why I...

Safety Dakota Mitchell commits to Florida

Safety Dakota Mitchell commits to Florida

It probably got lost in the news of yesterday’s news that the Florida band will stop cueing up the “Gator bait” chant due to the term’s racist history, but while Florida football lost a ritual, it gained a commit. Safety Dakota Mitchell (Winter Park, FL/Winter Park)...

Gator baseball pitcher Tommy Mace to return in 2021

Gator baseball pitcher Tommy Mace to return in 2021

Tommy Mace has just pulled perhaps the biggest offseason surprise in the world of Florida Gator athletics. Mace, the ace of the Gator baseball pitching staff, has decided to return to Gainesville for another season after going undrafted in the MLB Draft. Per...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 15 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 15 Regional

The sixteenth and final Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament gets underway later tonight. Thus, our Regional previews conclude with a look at the 15 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1)...

Lorenzo Lingard granted immediate eligibility for Florida

Lorenzo Lingard granted immediate eligibility for Florida

Happy birthday, Lorenzo Lingard. Florida's newest running back addition has announced on twitter that his waiver to be able to play in 2020 has been granted: https://twitter.com/d1champ99/status/1266464118950723584?s=20 Florida's running back room wasn't bad to begin...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 2

The penultimate Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament is just about set to get underway. As is customary by now, let's acquaint ourselves with the sixteen player field a little more first. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 10 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 10 Regional

Round one of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament is drawing to a close. Today, we take a look at the third-to-last of the sixteen Regional brackets to be played: the 10 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.)...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 7 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 7 Regional

We are officially three quarters of the way through of the first round of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Tomorrow morning, we begin the first round of the fourth quarter of the bracket- the 7 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order...

Class of 2021 RB/WR Charles Montgomery commits to Florida

Class of 2021 RB/WR Charles Montgomery commits to Florida

Charles Montgomery will be suiting up in orange and blue on Saturdays. On an instagram live feed, Montgomery announced that he was choosing Florida over Maryland. A consensus four star prospect out of Seffner, FL/Armwood, Montgomery also had offers from Alabama,...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 14

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 14

Time to complete the upper right hand corner of the #GreatestGatorEver bracket with the 14 Regional. Y'all know the drill by now; let's get to it. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Kelly Barnhill (softball,...

Florida unveils plan to bring athletes back to campus

Florida unveils plan to bring athletes back to campus

Photo credit: University of Florida COVID-19 has pretty much shut down college athletics since it made its way over to the United States a couple of months ago. Now, the first steps are being taken to see their resumption. Earlier today, SEC school presidents have...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 3

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 3

Up next in our #GreatestGatorEver tournament is the 3 Regional. Before voting gets underway, let's take a closer look at the field. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Al Horford (basketball, C/F-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 11

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 11

Eight Regionals down, one underway, and seven more to go in Round One of our #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Next up is the 11 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Jack Youngblood (football, DE/DT/K-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 6

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 6

We're halfway through the opening round of our summer long #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Now, we shift to the right side of the bracket, and start at the top with the 6 Regional, which gets underway tomorrow morning. The bracket Regional participants (Players are...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 12

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 12

The eighth and final Regional on the left half of the 256 player #GreatestGatorEver tournament is set to get started tonight. Another way of putting that: after tonight's 12 Regional voting, we will officially be halfway done with the opening round of this summer long...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 5

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 5

Our #GreatestGatorEver tournament rolls on today with Round one of the 5 Regional. As was the case for the previous Regionals and will be for all ensuing Regionals, let's take this opportunity to refresh our memories regarding what, exactly, the sixteen players in...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 13

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 13

With the 4 Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament currently winding down, it's time to preview the Regional it's paired with in the Sweet 16: Regional #13. The 13 Regional bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.)...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 4

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 4

Our #GreatestGatorEver bracket is set to continue tomorrow with the opening round of the 4 Regional. Let's get to know that 4 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Emmitt Smith (football, RB-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 9

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 9

Our #GreatestGatorEver bracket is set to continue later today with the opening round of the 9 Regional. With voting in the 8 Regional closing soon, let's familiarize ourselves with said 9 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 8

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 8

Our #GreatestGatorEver tournament is off and running. Voting for the opening round of the 1 Regional has been completed; the 16 Regional is underway and will wrap up this afternoon. Shortly after its conclusion, the 8 Regional will get underway. So, let's get to know...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 16

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 16

Yesterday, voting began in our #GreatestGatorEver bracket in the 1 Regional. Today, voting will continue with the 16 Regional, but before the polls open, let's preview the field and refresh our memories on the players' accomplishments. The bracket Regional...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 1

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 1

Voting for the #GreatestGatorEver bracket begins this afternoon. In the name of eliminating potential recentism in the voting, I thought I'd set the stage by previewing each Regional before the voting gets underway. Today, we'll take a look at Regional 1, which of...

2021 guard Kowacie Reeves commits to Florida

2021 guard Kowacie Reeves commits to Florida

Mike White's 2021 recruiting class is off to a great start. Kowacie Reeves (Macon, GA) has committed to Florida. Reeves, a highly sought after four star, also earned offers from North Carolina, Texas, Auburn, Georgia and Seton Hall, among others. This commitment might...

Introducing the Greatest Gator Ever bracket

Introducing the Greatest Gator Ever bracket

Part of what has helped fans make it through a long, frustrating quarantine is the abundance of fan polls on social media. In particular, 64-team, March Madness themed brackets that allow fans to vote on the winner of each matchup in each round have captured a lot of...

Michigan F Colin Castleton transferring to Florida

Michigan F Colin Castleton transferring to Florida

Colin Castleton is coming home, and Florida is adding some more frontcourt depth for the future- potentially even next season. Castleton, who spent the last two seasons at Michigan, will be transferring closer to home and joining Mike White's Gator basketball squad....

Recapping the Gators’ weekend in the 2020 NFL Draft

Recapping the Gators’ weekend in the 2020 NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft has just concluded, and once again, the Florida Gators were very well represented. Below is a list of all the selections from Florida. Click on the player names for further analysis on what they bring to their new teams. Florida Gators in the 2020...

How Dan Mullen fixed a broken Gator football program

How Dan Mullen fixed a broken Gator football program

What was a fractured program less than 30 months ago needed a hero to put it back together. In Dan Mullen, Florida found that hero. This is the story of the toxic culture he walked into, how he went to work taking it apart, and how he's replaced that toxic culture...

Tebow, Spikes, James inducted into UF Hall of Fame

Tebow, Spikes, James inducted into UF Hall of Fame

Three members of the Florida Gators' 2008 football team- universally regarded as one of the best in college football history- are finally getting the ultimate recognition they deserve- spots in the UF Hall of Fame. Explosive kick/return man Brandon James posted a...

Scottie Lewis to return for sophomore year

Scottie Lewis to return for sophomore year

Florida’s basketball team got a sort-of-but-not-really-surprising boost today, as shooting guard Scottie Lewis announced that he will be coming back for his sophomore season. Lewis, a ridiculously athletic kid from southern New Jersey, arrived in Gainesville last fall...

The “Kyle Trask Emory Jones” debate: why not both?

The “Kyle Trask Emory Jones” debate: why not both?

The "Kyle Trask Emory Jones" debate is in full swing. Yes, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that has, among other things, lengthened college sports fans' offseason, the fanbase-wide argument regarding who should be the starter at the most important position of...

Coronavirus abruptly ends 2019-20 NCAA athletic season

Coronavirus abruptly ends 2019-20 NCAA athletic season

Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images UPDATE 5:10pm: although it feels wholly logical to assume that college baseball and softball are over for 2020, the language in the two released statements- from the SEC and NCAA, and which you can read below- left one pair of...

TE Nick Elksnis commits to Florida

TE Nick Elksnis commits to Florida

Tight end Nick Elksnis (Jacksonville, FL/Episcopal) has announced his decision to be a Gator, thus netting Florida its first commitment of its Junior Day weekend. In doing so, Elksnis effectively flips from Penn State, from which he decommitted last week....

2020 Florida Gators’ Junior Day visitors list

2020 Florida Gators’ Junior Day visitors list

The Gators' second Junior Day event in Gainesville is upon us, and it's important to keep an eye on because more often than not, Florida uses it to add members to its list of commits. This time around, the chances of the Gators doing so are increased appreciably-...

Four star TE Gage Wilcox commits to Florida

Four star TE Gage Wilcox commits to Florida

Congratulations to Gage Wilcox. You, sir, have just become the first commit for Tim Brewster. Wilcox, a four star tight end from Tampa's Jefferson High School in the Class of 2021, committed on an Instagram Live video, as captured by twitter user @CurtisK421....

Florida takes step forward by throttling LSU

Florida takes step forward by throttling LSU

Photo credit: Florida Gators Maybe this is another mirage, the latest peak in a dizzying array of sine waves for Mike White’s Gator basketball team. Or maybe, after we all erroneously thought this team had turned the corner several times before, this is the game that...