GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida football is preparing for its third top ten showdown of the season.
On Saturday, the No. 6 Gators will travel to Jacksonville to face No. 8 Georgia.
“I’m pretty sure everybody in this room knows they’re one of the top teams in the SEC right now," receiver Josh Hammond said on Monday. "They’re competing for the same thing we’re competing for."
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"Georgia is one of the best teams in the country," Gators head coach Dan Mullen told reporters on Monday. "An offense that can put up a lot of points. I think they have the top defense in the league so a very talented team at every position front and back. It will be a big challenge for our guys."
“I think it’s a big game not only for me but for our team and where we’re at in the season right now," quarterback Kyle Trask said on Monday. "I think we’re treating it like the biggest game of the season just because it’s our next game, and we’re going to do our best just to execute at a high level and play to our standard.”
Saying it's a big game is an understatement.
This is not only a rivalry game but it is a matchup that has plenty of SEC East and even some College Playoff implications.
"This game is very important for our season, which is why we're going to do our best just to start out fast and play up to our standard," said Trask.
This is not just your regular top ten showdown, however. This is the Florida-Georgia game. This is a game that is filled with tradition, intensity.
"Florida-Georgia is a fun game to be a part of, great playing it in Jacksonville which is a really unique scene for college football," said Mullen. "It's a lot of fun.
"There's not many games like this in the country so I think that part of the game is pretty special."
"Like Coach Mullen says all the time these are the games you come to the University of Florida for, to play in these top-10 matchups," said Hammond. "It’s definitely why you come to the University of Florida. I think a lot of guys are excited to get back to work today, get back to practice, get back to the practice field, get back ready to grind for this four-week stretch we have coming up.”
The Gators are coming into this game as an underdog, despite ranked ahead of the Bulldogs in the AP poll. However, Florida is not paying attention to who Vegas has picked or who is No. 1 right now. They are looking to become No. 1 at the end of the season.
"Playing college football you want to be No. 1 in the country," Trask said. "I mean, this just, it's really exciting for me to just keep to on climbing the rankings and hopefully we keep that going."
MEDICAL REPORT
The bye week came at the right time for the Gators. According to Mullen, the coaches decided to rest a few guys last week, however, one player was back at practice for the first time in weeks.
"Kadarius practiced a little last week," said Mullen. "Toney looked pretty good running around. I mean, no-contact obviously. We just had him running around a little bit.”
Toney is one player that could very well feature on Saturday, however, he is not the only one that could return for the Gators.
UF defensive ends Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga are also likely to play in the big rivalry game.
"We'll see how everybody does at practice today," said Mullen. "We’re not going to rush them back. We’re going to get them ready for Saturday, but we expect both of those guys to be ready to go Saturday."
BRENTON COX LATEST
The waiting game continues for Florida and Brenton Cox.
Mullen told reporters that the linebacker has not been denied by the NCAA but they are still working with the governing body.
“We’re still working with the NCAA on that, with some more information.”
GATOR CHOMPS
What's the most impressive thing you've seen Kyle Pitts do?
"I don't know. Um, it's pretty good that he's learning the offense. You know, we ask those guys. That's impressive to me 'cause we asked the tight ends to do a bunch. You look within our system, as a tight end, you've got to be able to block, you've got to be able to catch, you need to go play receiver, you'll play H-back, you'll play on-the-ball tight end. The only type of people, really offenses, that use the tight ends that way you're going to watch the Patriots from a couple of years ago with Gronkowski, that style offense. To be a tight end in our system, you got to be that special of a player. When you learn the system like that, which is not easy to be able to do all those different things, that's pretty impressive."
Outscored teams 85-21 in fourth quarter. what's that say about Nick Savage?
"I think they do a great job. Our strength and conditioning staff, especially throughout the offseason, making sure guys are in shape but also developing that mental toughness. Everybody can do it when it's easy. But when it gets hard, when you're facing adversity, when you're tired, do have the mental toughness to go push yourself to another level. And I think he does a great job and our staff does in preparing guys for that. Not just physically, but mentally."
How much self-scouting during the bye week?
"I think a lot. During the bye week, you're looking at a lot of little things. It gives you the opportunity to catch up some. You do a little bit of self-scouting -- what you're doing well, what you're doing poorly, you're looking at what our tendencies are. Just because you have a tendency doesn't mean it's a bad thing. How do you defend it or set up things off of your tendency? Making sure we're just putting guys in position to be successful. And also you have time for development, which we were able to do getting some guys some extra reps. As we've seen this year, with what we've had to deal with, we're not done. There might be a lot of young guys still have to step up and play as the year goes on."
QB Emory Jones usage?
"Yeah, pretty good. I think he's done a really good of having himself ready to go and preparing himself within the game plan. I think he's done a really good job with that of, making sure he's ready and continued his development."
How many yards after contact did your defense give up against S. Carolina?
“That was a long time ago. It wasn’t great. I think we had a couple more missed tackles against South Carolina than we did against LSU, if I recall. It’s a premium on it every week. Yards after contact is always huge and you want to compare both sides of the ball. Obviously we’d like to get a bunch of yards after contact and make explosive plays and limit their ability as little as possible.”
On being a first time HC at UF-UGA last year?
“I’ve been in the game before. I know it’s a big game and that scene and that atmosphere. It was a lot of fun. I don’t think —obviously I don’t think we finished the way we wanted to. I thought we played well for two and a half quarters and even well enough overcoming all the different things. We kept fumbling the ball in the first half. We kept turning the ball over but had the mental toughness to stay in there. We just didn’t have enough to finish it in the end.”
