OGT 10/3 - S Carolina @ #(3) Florida ESPN 12:00 PM

South Carolina Gamecocks (0-1)
October 3 // 12 p.m. // Gainesville, Fla. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548 [~17,000 reduced])
ESPN Play-by-Play:
12:00 PM South Carolina at No. 3 Florida ESPN/ESPN.com Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Marty Smith
Channel (DirecTV): 206 [HD]
Gator IMG Sports Network Play-by-Play: Mick Hubert Analyst: Lee McGriff Reporter: Tate Casey Station Freq.:
Local Affiliates Sirius Channel: 81 / 81 [XM]

 

2020 SCHEDULE Sept. 26 at Ole Miss W, 51-35
OCT. 3 SOUTH CAROLINA [ESPN] 12 PM
Oct. 10 at Texas A&M
OCT. 17 LSU 3:30 PM
OCT. 24 MISSOURI
Oct. 31 Bye
Nov. 7 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville) [CBS] 3:30 PM
NOV. 14 ARKANSAS
Nov. 21 at Vanderbilt
NOV. 28 KENTUCKY Dec. 5 at Tennessee
Dec. 19 SEC Championship Game (Atlanta)
Overall: 1-0 // Home: 0-0 // Away: 1-0 // Neutral: 0-0

 

THE STORYLINE​

• The Gators are seeking a sixth consecutive victory, and a fourth straight win in SEC play.

• Florida rose to No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, its highest ranking since a two-week stretch at No. 3 during the 2012 season (Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 polls).

• The Gators ended the 2019 season at No. 6, their highest final AP Poll ranking since 2009, when they finished No. 3. Dan Mullen is also the first head coach in UF history to post top-10 finishes each of his first two seasons at the helm.

• In addition to consecutive top-10 finishes in the AP Poll for the first time since 2008 and 2009, the Gators are coming off consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins for the first time since 2008 and 2009 (both 13-win campaigns).

• Florida’s 11 wins last season marked its highest total since 2012, and was the eighth 11-win season in school history.

• In addition to the numerous eye-popping statistics from the season opener, Florida eclipsed 500 total yards for the third time in its last five games, and surpassed 400 total yards for the 13th time in its last 18 games.

 

GATORS RETURN HOME AFTER RECORD-SETTING OPENER​

• Florida set a school record for total yards against an SEC opponent in its season-opening win at Ole Miss, as it amassed 642 yards (446 passing, 196 rushing) -- which is also the 11th-highest total in any game in school history.

• The Gators’ previous record for total yards against an SEC opponent was 640 yards against Mississippi State back on Sept. 29, 2001, the final season of Gators legend Steve Spurrier’s head coaching tenure.

• Florida’s 446 passing yards were 10 shy of the 10th-highest total in school history, but it was just the second time since the start of the 2002 season the Gators eclipsed 435 passing yards (they threw for 482 in the 2010 Sugar Bowl, all of which came from Tim Tebow in what was the final game of his collegiate career).

• Kyle Trask’s six touchdown passes tied 2019 Heisman winner Joe Burrow’s record for touchdown passes in a SEC opener. [See following page for more on Trask’s and Kyle Pitts’ historic feats on the following page]

• Florida’s 32 first downs marked its 11th-highest total in school history.

• The Gators scored 50-plus points against an SEC opponent for the 26th time in school history, and for the second time under head coach Dan Mullen. UF coaches with the most 50-point games against SEC opponents: Spurrier (18), Ubran Meyer (six), Mullen (two).

• Florida posted 500-plus total yards for the eighth time under Mullen, with four of those games coming against SEC opponents. In 88 games from 2011-17, UF had exactly eight 500-yard outings, with five coming against SEC teams.

 

KYLE (TRASK) + KYLE (PITTS) = DEFENSIVE NIGHTMARE​

• “He’s that matchup problem. You get backers matched up on him, and that’s a problem in the pass game. You put DBs on him in the run game, and he’s a physical blocker at the point of attack. That’s what you want at the tight end position. To me, he’s really taken a step forward as being a complete tight end.” --Dan Mullen on Kyle Pitts following Florida’s season-opening win over Ole Miss

• John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List member Kyle Pitts’ four touchdown receptions at Ole Miss tied Florida’s single-game school record for touchdown receptions, previously set by wide receivers Ike Hilliard (Sept. 16, 1995 against Tennessee) and Jack Jackson (Sept. 3, 1994 against New Mexico State).

• Pitts became the 16th player in SEC history to haul in four touchdown receptions in a game, and the ninth to accomplish the feat against a conference opponent; he was one shy of the SEC’s single-game record of five touchdown receptions shared by four players.

• Pitts tied the SEC’s single-game record for touchdown receptions by a tight end, equaling Kentucky’s Al Bruno (1950 against North Dakota), Georgia Tech’s Buck Martin (1951 against Auburn), Vanderbilt’s Allama Matthews (1982 against Virginia Tech), and Kentucky’s James Whalen (1999 against Kentucky).

• Last season, the only FBS players with 150-plus receiving yards in four touchdown receptions against an FBS opponent were all receivers: Alabama’s DeVonta Smith, LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, and Hawaii’s Cedric Byrd II and Jojo Ward.

• Pitts is one of three FBS tight ends since the start of the 1996 season to amass 150-plus receiving yards and four touchdown receptions in a game, joining Stanford’s Colby Parkinson (six receptions, 166 yards, four touchdowns against Oregon State in 2018) and Kentucky’s James Whalen Jr. (10 receptions, 151 yards, four touchdowns against Georgia in 1999).

• Pitts’ 170 receiving yards broke the single-game school record for receiving yards by a tight end set Oct. 20, 1990 by Kirk Kirkpatrick (122 yards against Akron).

• After just one game, Pitts ranks tied for second nationally in touchdown receptions. Aside from Pitts, there are 12 FBS players with more than two touchdown receptions, and all of them have played multiple games.

• Trask became the 10th player in SEC history to throw six touchdown passes against a conference opponent; he is one of three Gators quarterbacks to accomplish the feat, joining Danny Wuerffel (six against Tennessee in 1995) and Chris Leak (six against South Carolina in 2001).

• Trask’s six touchdown passes were one shy of the SEC single-game record held by Gators Terry Dean (seven against New Mexico State in 1994) and Doug Johnson (seven against Central Michigan in 1997), as well as five other SEC quarterbacks.

• Trask’s 416 passing yards were the ninth-highest total in school history, and the fifth-highest total by a Gators quarterback against an SEC opponent.

• Trasks’s 416 passing yards marked the highest total by a Gators quarterback against an SEC opponent since Rex Grossman threw for 464 yards at LSU back on Oct. 6, 2001.

• Since the start of 2018, the only FBS quarterbacks to throw for at least 400 yards and six touchdowns without an interception against a Power Five Conference opponent are: Trask, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, LSU’s Joe Burrow, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins Jr., Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray, and Washington State’s Anthony Gordon (twice) and Gardner Minshew II. 4 TRASK RESEMBLING VINTAGE GATORS QBs

• Kyle Trask continues to be the best Gators quarterback, statistically, since Tim Tebow, but his numbers also resemble 2001 Heisman runner-up Rex Grossman and other Gators from Steve Spurrier’s “Fun ‘n’ Gun” era.

• After taking over Florida’s offense at the start of the fourth quarter at Kentucky last season, Trask went 233 of 349 (66.8%) for 2,901 yards and 24 touchdowns (plus four rushing touchdowns).

• Since the start of the 1997 season, Trask is one of four Gators with four touchdown passes in multiple games against SEC teams, putting him alongside Rex Grossman (six times), Doug Johnson (five), Chris Leak (twice). Trask threw four touchdowns at South Carolina last season, and five at Ole Miss this year.

• Trask’s five career games of 300-plus passing yards is tied with Tim Tebow for seventh in school history, while his three 300-yard outings against SEC opponents rank sixth in school history, behind Grossman (12), Danny Wuerffel (10), Shane Matthews (nine), Johnson (six), and Leak (four).

• Last year, Trask joined Leak (four in 2004) as the only other Gator since the start of 2003 to post four 300-yard passing games in the same season. Trask was also the first Gator since Leak (three in 2004) to have two 300- yard outings against SEC opponents in the same season. » From 2010-18, Gators quarterbacks combined for three 300-yard passing games.

• Since the start of the 2000 season, the only Gators to throw for 300-plus yards against a top-25 team are Trask (at No. 5 LSU; 2019 Orange Bowl), Tebow (2010 Sugar Bowl), and Rex Grossman (nine times from 2001-02).

• Last season, Trask was one 27 FBS quarterbacks with at least 25 touchdown passes -- but his 354 attempts were tied for the fifth-fewest in that group. Others with 355 or fewer attempts were: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama [33 TDs, 252 att.]; Layne Hatcher, Arkansas State [27 TDs, 310 att.]; Tanner Morgan, Minnesota [30 TDs, 318 att.]; Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma [32 TDs, 340 att.]; Justin Fields, Ohio State [41 TDs, 354 att.].

• Trask ranked 15th nationally in passer rating (156.09 -- ninth in school history), becoming the first Gator to finish inside the top 35 nationally in passer rating since 2009, when Tim Tebow’s 164.2 rating led the FBS. PITTS’ BREAKOUT BEGAN LAST SEASON

• With his 170-yard outing against Ole Miss, and his 108-yard outing at LSU last season, Pitts is one of four Gators tight ends in school history (Kirk Kirkpatrick, Ben Troupe, and a third) with two career 100-yard receiving games.

• Last year, Pitts became one of nine FBS tight ends since the start of 2015 -- including Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews (2017) and Ole Miss’ Evan Engram (2016) -- with over 50 catches, 625-plus yards, and five touchdowns in a season.

• Only one other Gators tight end posted such a season since 1996, which was a John Mackey Award-winning campaign in 2009 (68 receptions / 850 yards / 5 touchdowns).

• On the season, Pitts had 54 receptions (second-most by a UF tight end since 1996 -- 68 in 2009), 649 receiving yards (second-most by a UF tight end since 1996 -- 850 in 2009), and 5 touchdowns (tied for second-most by a UF tight end in a season since 1996).

• Pitts’ 54 receptions were tied with Antonio Callaway (2016) for the fourth-most by any Gator in a season since the start of 2007 (2009 leader - 68; Percy Harvin, 2007 - 59; Andre Caldwell, 2007 - 56). GATORS IN TH

 

GATORS’ AERIAL APPROACH BEGAN IN 2019 ​

• Florida closed the 2019 season with four consecutive 300-yard passing games and opened 2020 with a fifth, extending its longest streak of 300-yard outings since 2001, when it had 300-plus yards in all 12 games.

• Last year was the first time UF had eight 300-yard passing games in a season since 2001 (all 12 games), and it was the third time it accomplished the feat since the start of 1997 (UF also had nine 300-yard games in 1998).

• Five of those 300-yard outings came against five SEC foes, marking the first time it did that since 2001 (eight). • Florida also threw four touchdown passes in three different games (four apiece at LSU, at South Carolina, vs. Florida State) for the first time since 2001, when it did it in eight games.

• UF finished 2019 ranked 16th nationally in passing offense (300.8 yards per game), which was the first time in nearly two decades it threw the ball that consistently. UF’s highest national finish in passing offense since the start of 2010 was 79th (in 2016), and it finished outside the top 100 in four of the nine seasons from 2010-18.

• Florida last finished in the national top 25 in passing offense in 2004, when it was 14th (271.1 yards per game). • The aerial approach led to the Gators finishing 16th nationally in yards per play (6.5) last season, far and away their best average since 2009, when they averaged 7.0 yards per play.

 

TRASK RESEMBLING VINTAGE GATORS QBs​

• Kyle Trask continues to be the best Gators quarterback, statistically, since Tim Tebow, but his numbers also resemble 2001 Heisman runner-up Rex Grossman and other Gators from Steve Spurrier’s “Fun ‘n’ Gun” era.

• After taking over Florida’s offense at the start of the fourth quarter at Kentucky last season, Trask went 233 of 349 (66.8%) for 2,901 yards and 24 touchdowns (plus four rushing touchdowns).

• Since the start of the 1997 season, Trask is one of four Gators with four touchdown passes in multiple games against SEC teams, putting him alongside Rex Grossman (six times), Doug Johnson (five), Chris Leak (twice). Trask threw four touchdowns at South Carolina last season, and five at Ole Miss this year.

• Trask’s five career games of 300-plus passing yards is tied with Tim Tebow for seventh in school history, while his three 300-yard outings against SEC opponents rank sixth in school history, behind Grossman (12), Danny Wuerffel (10), Shane Matthews (nine), Johnson (six), and Leak (four).

• Last year, Trask joined Leak (four in 2004) as the only other Gator since the start of 2003 to post four 300-yard passing games in the same season. Trask was also the first Gator since Leak (three in 2004) to have two 300- yard outings against SEC opponents in the same season. » From 2010-18, Gators quarterbacks combined for three 300-yard passing games.

• Since the start of the 2000 season, the only Gators to throw for 300-plus yards against a top-25 team are Trask (at No. 5 LSU; 2019 Orange Bowl), Tebow (2010 Sugar Bowl), and Rex Grossman (nine times from 2001-02).

• Last season, Trask was one 27 FBS quarterbacks with at least 25 touchdown passes -- but his 354 attempts were tied for the fifth-fewest in that group. Others with 355 or fewer attempts were: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama [33 TDs, 252 att.]; Layne Hatcher, Arkansas State [27 TDs, 310 att.]; Tanner Morgan, Minnesota [30 TDs, 318 att.]; Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma [32 TDs, 340 att.]; Justin Fields, Ohio State [41 TDs, 354 att.].

• Trask ranked 15th nationally in passer rating (156.09 -- ninth in school history), becoming the first Gator to finish inside the top 35 nationally in passer rating since 2009, when Tim Tebow’s 164.2 rating led the FBS.

 

PITTS’ BREAKOUT BEGAN LAST SEASON​

• With his 170-yard outing against Ole Miss, and his 108-yard outing at LSU last season, Pitts is one of four Gators tight ends in school history (Kirk Kirkpatrick, Ben Troupe, and a third) with two career 100-yard receiving games.

• Last year, Pitts became one of nine FBS tight ends since the start of 2015 -- including Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews (2017) and Ole Miss’ Evan Engram (2016) -- with over 50 catches, 625-plus yards, and five touchdowns in a season.

• Only one other Gators tight end posted such a season since 1996, which was a John Mackey Award-winning campaign in 2009 (68 receptions / 850 yards / 5 touchdowns).

• On the season, Pitts had 54 receptions (second-most by a UF tight end since 1996 -- 68 in 2009), 649 receiving yards (second-most by a UF tight end since 1996 -- 850 in 2009), and 5 touchdowns (tied for second-most by a UF tight end in a season since 1996).

• Pitts’ 54 receptions were tied with Antonio Callaway (2016) for the fourth-most by any Gator in a season since the start of 2007 (2009 leader - 68; Percy Harvin, 2007 - 59; Andre Caldwell, 2007 - 56).

 

DEEP DIVE ON GATORS’ IMPRESSIVE FLIP OF SCRIPT​

Florida ranked 83rd in passing offense in 2018, and it was one of five teams in the last three seasons to go from outside the top 70 nationally in passing offense one season, then be in the top 20 nationally the next. » Troy, 2018-19, No. 81 -> No. 9 | Florida, 2018-19, No. 83 -> No. 16 | Alabama, 2017-18, No. 91 -> No. 6 | Old Dominion, 2017-18, No. 112 -> No. 15 | UCF, 2016-17, No. 89 -> No. 10

• Florida was also one of seven teams to be a top 30 rushing team in 2018 and a top 30 passing team in 2019 (rankings below are 2018 passing -> 2019 passing). » Florida (83rd -> 17th) | Wake Forest (65th -> t-23rd) | Florida Atlantic (64th -> 29th) | Memphis (57th -> 17th) | UCF (37th -> 8th) |Clemson (23rd -> t-23rd) | Oklahoma (7th -> 18th) • The Gators’ 213.2 rushing yards per game in 2018 ranked 27th nationally.

• UF and Iowa were the only 2019 AP Top 25 teams that finished outside the top 80 in rushing offense.

• Florida did break off some big plays on the ground, though, setting a single-season school record with three rushing plays of 75-plus yards.

• There were also four Gators -- Perine, Dameon Pierce, Emory Jones, Trask -- with at least four rushing touchdowns for the first time since 2008, when five Gators had at least that many.

 

FEROCIOUS GATORS DEFENSE STILL HAS TEETH​

• Florida ranked fifth nationally last season with 49 sacks -- which led the SEC by a whopping 12 sacks and was the fourth-highest total in program history. Gators responsible for 28.5 of those sacks are back this year.

• Florida also tied for 11th nationally with 102 tackles for loss -- which led the SEC by six. Gators responsible for 58.5 of those TFLs are back, led by Zachary Carter (7.0), Jeremiah Moon(6.5), and James Houston IV (6.0).

• UF’s only other seasons with more than 45 sacks in school history came in 1999 (48), 1997 (53), 1996 (51), 1989 (50) [Note: figures include bowl stats, which the NCAA did not count before 2002].

• Aside from the 2019 Gators, the only Florida teams since 2000 to post at least 100 tackles for loss in a season are the 2015 Gators (101 in 14 games) and the 2010 Gators (100 in 13 games).

• Florida was the only SEC team which featured more than six players with at least 3.0 sacks, a total eight Gators reached. Another four Gators had 2.0 sacks last year. Those returning are: Carter, Mohamoud Diabate - 4.5; Houston IV - 3.5;Ventrell Miller, Moon- 3.0; Khris Bogle - 2.5; Trey Dean III, Tedarrell Slaton- 2.0.

• Florida opened the season with four sacks and an SEC-high 11 tackles for loss -- both of which were right in line with their SEC-leading game averages from last season (3.77 sacks / 7.85 tackles for loss). • Takeaways were once again a driving force behind the Gators’ stout defense last year, with the unit amassing 16 interceptions -- tied for the ninth-highest total in the country -- and 23 total takeaways.

• UF’s first takeaway this season was an interception by freshman defensive lineman Gervon Dexter (via a pass deflection by Brenton Cox Jr.). The Gators’ 50 takeaways since the start of 2018, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s first season, are tied for 12th among FBS teams, and their 49 from 2018-19 were tied for sixth.

• UF and Florida Atlantic were the only FBS teams featuring four players (Shawn Davis,Elam, Donovan Stiner, Wilson) with at least three interceptions last year. All four Gators are back in 2020.

• Stiner led UF and was tied for second in the SEC with four picks; he entered 2019 with two in 24 career games.

• The Gators, Florida Atlantic, Oklahoma State, San Diego State, and Tennessee were the only FBS teams with at least three interceptions in three games last year (UF had three against Kentucky, Tennessee, and Auburn).

• Last season, UF finished seventh nationally in scoring defense (15.5 points), posted three shutouts for the first time since 1988, and was one of two FBS teams (Oregon being the other) to hold five opponents without an offensive touchdown last season. The 23 offensive touchdowns allowed by the Gators last season were tied for the fourth-lowest total nationally, and the fewest they surrendered since 2012.

• Florida also ranked third nationally in red zone defense (65.7 percent / 23 scores in 35 trips), and opponent red zone touchdown percentage (40 percent / 14 TDs in 35 trips).

• The Gators are not without significant losses on defense, though. Jonathan Greenard led the SEC in both sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (15.5) and was a third-round pick in the NFL Draft. FWAA All-America Second Team defensive back CJ Henderson was the No. 9 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and Jabari Zuniga (3.0 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss in just six games last season) was a third-round pick.

 

GATORS USING DEPTH TO FILL HOLES ON OFFENSE​

• UF lost 173 career starts from last year’s offensive personnel, mostly from its veteran receiving corps.

• Florida’s deep stable of pass catchers last season was led by four senior receivers -- Tyrie Cleveland, Josh Hammond, Van Jefferson, Freddie Swain. Those four combined for 2,006 total yards, 17 total touchdowns, and 139 of the team’s 317 receptions last year (43.8 percent). Three of the four made 53-man NFL rosters -- Cleveland (Denver Broncos), Jefferson (Los Angeles Rams), and Swain (Seattle Seahawks).

• Swain’s team-leading seven touchdowns tied Demarcus Robinson (2014) for the highest single-season total since Riley Cooper had nine touchdown receptions in 2009.

• Lamical Perine became one of the nation’s top dual-threat backs as a senior last season, as he finished with 938 scrimmage yards (676 rushing, 262 receiving) and 11 total touchdowns (six rushing, five receiving).

• Perine and Washington State’s Max Borghi were the only FBS backs to finish 2019 with 40-plus catches, 125- plus carries, five rushing AND receiving touchdowns, 675-plus rushing yards, and 250-plus receiving yards.

• Perine was one of six FBS running backs with at least five touchdown receptions last season, and he was the first Gators back to catch five touchdowns since fullback James Jones had five in 1982. His 40 receptions last year were tied for sixth among FBS running backs.

• Perine, who was drafted in the fourth round by the New Yorks Jets, finished his career ranked ninth in school history in career rushing and receiving yardage, (3,159 scrimmage yards - 2,485 rushing, 674 receiving).

• Florida had plenty of depth, though, as it was the only FBS team featuring eight pass catchers with 20-plus receptions, 250-plus yards, and a touchdown. Moreover, UF and Washington State were the only two FBS teams with six pass catchers with 25-plus receptions, 325-plus yards, and a touchdown.

• Four Gators -- Jefferson, Perine, Pitts, Swain -- had at least five receiving touchdowns for the first time since 2008 (Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy led that foursome with seven apiece).

• Seven Gators had multiple touchdown receptions in 2019, marking the first time since 2007 that many Gators had at least two touchdown receptions in a season.

• Three Gators -- Jefferson, Perine, Pitts -- had 40-plus receptions in a season for the first time since 2001.

• Four Gators -- Trevon Grimes, Jefferson, Pitts, Swain -- had at least 30 receptions, 475 yards and three touchdowns last season. UF had not had multiple Gators with those totals since 2009 (two), and the last time it had four was in 2007 (Andre Caldwell, Percy Harvin, Cornelius Ingram, Louis Murphy).

• In the first game of the 2020 season, 11 Gators had a reception, six Gators had at least three receptions, and three different Gators caught a touchdown pass.

• Kadarius Toney flashed his dual-threat prowess with five receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown, along with two carries for 55 yards. Toney is one of six FBS players with 50-plus rushing and receiving yards in a game.

 

TITLE CENTRAL​

Florida is one of three schools to win three outright national titles since 1990. The 2006 and 2008 championships were won in the BCS National Championship Game, and the Gators were the unanimous pick in all four major polls in 1996.

 

ADDITIONAL ACTIVE / HISTORICAL STREAKS​

• UF has scored in 399 consecutive games -- which is an NCAA record. The Gators broke Michigan’s record of 365 consecutive games (1984-2014) against LSU on Oct. 7, 2017.

• Since 2008, Florida and Alabama are the only FBS teams that have not lost to a team which finished the sea-son with a losing record. UF is one of four teams since 2013 to stave off such a loss (Alabama, LSU, Michigan).

 

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