Southeastern Conference officials are trying to get back to normal on football game days, with stadiums filled with fans and grills being fired up outside, even in a portion of the country where the states have among the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates.
American Team quarterback Kellen Mond of Texas A&M (12) has his throw tipped by National Team offensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa of UCLA (92) during the first half of the NCAA Senior Bowl college football game in Mobile, Ala., Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)MOBILE, Ala. – Texas A&M's Kellen Mond was the Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player but two fellow Southeastern Conference Western Division products made the decisive big play. Fitzpatrick had six catches for 90 yards in the showcase game for senior and graduate NFL prospects, earning offensive player of the game honors. Obviously, kind of shaky at the beginning but it definitely shows a lot of poise to be able to bounce back.”North Carolina running back Michael Carter also had a big game. Jamie Newman completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trevon Grimes with 49 seconds left for the American team after Franks and Yeboah made it a two-score game.
Another week, another strong performance for Florida QB Kyle Trask. David Waters is joined by Graham Hall (Gainesville Sun) as they look back at Trask’s big night and the defense’s up and down showing. Get Gators Breakdown merchandise at https://www.ebay.com/str/gatorsbreakdownLISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownFollow David Waters on Twitter @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Google Podcasts | Stitcher
Arkansas acting head coach Barry Odom, center, watches a stadium video monitor after Florida scored a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Trask repeatedly torched the Razorbacks (3-4), who were without coach Sam Pittman and without much of a chance by halftime. It was the second time this season Trask tossed six TDs in a game. “I think I did a great job of executing and being efficient,” said Trask, who now has an SEC-record 28 TD passes and just three interceptions in six games. He became the third player in school history with at least 25 touchdown passes in multiple years, joining Heisman Trophy winners Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel. Florida: The Gators have the offense to beat anyone and the defense to keep everyone in games.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Dan Mullen had a message for his players this week: great teams don’t peak at the midpoint of the season. “If you want to be a great team, great teams get better every single week,” Mullen said. “Great teams don’t peak at the midway point of the season. Great teams peak in early, mid-December, and early, mid-January. If we don’t improve, last week was really irrelevant.”Florida begins the second half of its season against surprising Arkansas (3-3) on Saturday night in the Swamp.
As soon as Florida vs Arkansas was announced with the revised SEC schedule, the first topic brought up was facing former Gators QB, Feleipe Franks. David Waters is joined by Pat Jenkins (The Hill with Pat Jenkins) to preview the Razorbacks as they travel to The Swamp to take on the Gators. Get Gators Breakdown merchandise at https://www.ebay.com/str/gatorsbreakdownLISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownFollow David Waters on Twitter @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Google Podcasts | Stitcher
8 Florida beat fifth-ranked and undermanned Georgia 44-28 on Saturday. The Bulldogs (4-2), who entered the game as 3½-point favorites, were likely eliminated from College Football Playoff consideration and probably have a quarterback competition moving forward. Trask and the Gators took advantage, burning Georgia repeatedly with wheel routes while overcoming a 14-0 deficit. POLL IMPLICATIONSGeorgia likely will fall out of top 10 of T he Associated Press' college football poll for the first time this season. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Costello three times as the Razorbacks broke a 20-game SEC losing streak by upsetting No. 16 Mississippi State 21-14 on Saturday night. The Razorbacks allowed plenty of yards but made Mississippi State settle for small chunks. Mississippi State: The loud voices of praise Leach will be quiet this week. Mississippi State will head to Kentucky.
4 Georgia rallied to beat Arkansas 37-10 on Saturday in the season opener for each school. Zamir White rushed for 71 yards on 13 carries, including a 6-yard TD that gave the Bulldogs a 34-10 lead in the final period. Reed kicked a 25-yard field goal with 8:23 left in the third to give the Razorbacks a 10-5 lead. Bennett’s pass to Pickens got the lead for Georgia, and he made it 20-10 when he found John FitzPatrick for a 7-yard TD. Arkansas: The Razorbacks haven’t won an SEC game in almost three years, so a halftime lead against the Bulldogs is a positive step.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Isolated from coaches, teammates and friends during the coronavirus pandemic, Kyle Trask found plenty of extra free time this offseason. So the Florida quarterback did what millions of others would have done in his situation: He binged. It could be the kind of nuanced approach Florida needed to take another step forward in coach Dan Mullens third year in Gainesville. Trask could end up near the top of that list if he continues to develop at his current pace. Trask accounted for 29 touchdowns the most at Florida since Tebow in 2008 and threw just seven interceptions.
Since the SEC announced a 10-game conference schedule last week, Florida fans have waited to find out which two new non-divisional opponents would be added to the Gators’ schedule. The wait is over and Florida has drawn Arkansas and Texas A&M from the SEC West. Join David Waters for this instant reaction episode as breaks down how the revised schedule affects Florida and the rest of the SEC. LISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownFollow David Waters on Twitter @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Google Play | Stitcher
Jon Greenard #58 of the Florida Gators celebrates against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. 9 Florida could be without its top two pass-rushers at South Carolina on Saturday. Coach Dan Mullen said Monday that linebacker Jon Greenard and defensive end Jabari Zuniga will be game-time decisions against the Gamecocks (3-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference). Muschamp: QB Hilinski has a knee sprain, should playSouth Carolina coach Will Muschamp said freshman quarterback Ryan Hilinski has a sprained left knee, but was expected to play when the Gamecocks face Florida on Saturday. Redshirt freshman Dakereon Joyner finished off the dramatic win at quarterback for South Carolina.
Jaguars a hot team to follow nationallyForgot the New England Patriots or Dallas Cowboys. The NFLs most interesting team to follow at the moment from a national perspective just might be the Jacksonville Jaguars. 15 is already the best-selling Jaguars jersey since the season began across the Fanatics network, which includes NFLShop.com and the Jaguars' online store, according to ESPN. With winnable games coming up against Denver and Carolina, the Jaguars also could be a team on the rise in the standings. For the first time since November 2016, the Central Florida Knights will take the practice field this week following a regular-season loss.
Associated PressGAINESVILLE, Fla. - Tennessee's last two trips to the Swamp have ended in gut-punching, heart-wrenching, head-scratching fashion. Tennessee (1-2) gets another shot to upend ninth-ranked Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday, trying to snap a seven-game skid at Florida Field and win for just the second time in the last 15 meetings. "I know they are looking to ruin our season,'' Gators linebacker David Reese said. King broke one of former Florida star Tim Tebow's records Friday night by notching his 15th consecutive game with at least one passing and rushing touchdown. Florida also has consecutive 300-yard passing games for the first time since 2007.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - When the Gators take the field vs Tennessee, it won't be Feleipe Franks taking the snaps. After the Franks' injury, Kyle Trask will look to make his first start as the Vols visit Gainesville. LISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownDavid Waters is joined by Will Miles, from Read and Reaction, to break down head coach Dan Mullen's comments on the QB position moving forward. The two also take a look at the issues in the run game and the turnovers the defense is creating. Follow @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | A pple Podcasts | YouTube | Google PlayCopyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)Whats next for Gators after Franks injury? Franks was carted off of the field with a dislocated ankle, which likely is a season-ending injury. While Franks health off of the field is the most important thing, the Gators do need to forge ahead on the field. Backup quarterback Kyle Trask took over and helped the Gators rally for a 29-21 win after they trailed 21-10 when Franks was hurt. Big night for Oviedo running backIt was a record-setting night on Friday for Keonte Coffie, a senior running back for Oviedo High School.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -Florida travels to Kentucky and escapes with a 29-21 victory, but at a cost. Feleipe Franks gets injured and will miss the rest of the 2019 season. LISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownDavid Waters is joined by Will Sammon, from The Athletic, to take a look at Kyle Trask's performance, and moving forward with him, in place of Franks. Also, a look into Florida's 4th quarter defensive performance that completely changed the game. Follow @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | A pple Podcasts | YouTube | Google PlayCopyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
9 Gators then regrouped behind backup Kyle Trask to overwhelm Kentucky for an emotional victory. Franks, the Gators' third-year starter, was carted off with a right leg injury late in the third quarter with his team trailing 21-10. Stopped for no gain by Calvin Taylor on fourth-and-1 at the Kentucky 38, Franks appeared to bend backward on the tackle. He entered and led Florida (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) on a 62-yard drive, ending with Lamical Perine's 8-yard TD run to get the Gators within 21-16. Shawn Davis's interception with 6:05 to go gave the Gators another opportunity, and Trask capitalized with his go-ahead touchdown.
Gators Breakdown is proud to bring on former Gators tight-end Ben Troupe for a News4Jax exclusive, "Talkin' with Troupe." LISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownOn this edition, Ben has some strong opinions on Feleipe Franks. Also, he goes in depth on the blocking at the tight-end position. Follow @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | A pple Podcasts | YouTube | Google PlayCopyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
11 Florida might have lost its top two players in a 45-0 victory over lower-division Tennessee-Martin on Saturday night. Florida barely missed either of them against the Skyhawks (1-1), who fell to 0-10 against SEC teams and failed to cover the 44 1/2-point spread. Without them, Florida still manhandled overmatched UT Martin. Feleipe Franks completed 25 of 27 passes, including 15 straight to start the game, for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Florida led 38-0 early in the fourth - and had emptied its bench - when quarterback John Bachus scampered for 48 yards and gave UT Martin its best scoring opportunity.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Gators Breakdown is proud to bring on former Gators tight-end Ben Troupe for a News4Jax exclusive, "Talkin' with Troupe." LISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownTroupe joins David Waters as the two look back at Miami, Feleipe Franks, and the bye week. Follow @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | A pple Podcasts | YouTube | Google PlayCopyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - After taking the show on the road to Atlanta last year, SEC Media Days returns to Birmingham, Alabama for the 2019 edition. Gators head coach Dan Mullen, quarterback Feleipe Franks, running back Lamical Perine, and defensive end Jabari Zuniga make the trek from Gainesville to Birmingham to preview the upcoming season.. LISTEN: Catch up on previous episodes of Gators BreakdownDavid Waters is joined by Will Sammon from The Athletic, to review the day's happenings. Topics include:Mullen's joy of being the Florida head coachHandling expectationsWhat Dan Mullen means to Felipe FranksPerine as main running backJahari Rogers commitsFollow @GatorDave_SEC to stay plugged in, or click one of the following to tune in:Megaphone | A pple Podcasts | YouTube | Google PlayCopyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
Getty ImagesJACKSONVILLE, Fla. - SEC Media Days have become the de facto start to the college football season in the South. As a junior, Perine ran for a career-high 826 yards and seven touchdowns, scoring another touchdown on a pass reception. News4Jax will be at SEC Media Days to hear from the Gators and Bulldogs, both of whom figure to contend for the SEC East again this season. Reed, the son of former NFL wide receiver Jake Reed, considered leaving for the NFL after his junior season but decided to return to Athens. As a team captain, Reed started every game for the Bulldogs, finishing second on the team with 66 tackles and two interceptions.
