Playing the defending National Champions
The LSU Tigers ran the table in 2019 and won the National Championship. They're paying that debt off in a big way this season.
In 2020 the Tigers are a shell of that 2019 team. Currently, LSU has the league's worst passing defense (313.1 yards-per-game), and are giving up 33.4 points-per-game — 11th in the SEC.
Still, Mullen is finding ways to make sure his football team doesn't overlook the Tigers.
"Your focus is, how do we go win the game this week and go win. Not many Florida teams have won nine SEC games in one season. We have the opportunity to do that. I think only two have ever done that. We have the opportunity to do that this week. There’s an awful lot on the table for our guys to be focused on to go win this week and that’s the complete focus on this team.”
Addressing the rushing attack vs Tennessee
Florida rushed for 19 yards against Tennessee last Saturday. That's, uh, not very many yards.
Granted, the Gators had more than 450 total yards in the game and came out with a victory but Florida did it with a completely one-dimensional attack.
"We didn’t really try to run the ball very much. I think our backs had about four or five carries, that’s about it. They were giving us the pass game so we just kind of stuck with the pass game.”
Mullen, after getting multiple questions about the lack of a running game against teh Vols, even joked that the Gators might line up in the wishbone and run the ball 60 times this week against LSU.
Senior night
Mullen rebuffed the notion when asked if he feels bad for the senior class. The seniors, a group of players that for the most part committed to a different coaching staff.
"They envisioned their senior year going to Atlanta and playing for an SEC championship," Mullen said. "So I think that's probably what they would view as really important. So it actually is probably kind of exactly how they envisioned it."
Here is a list of the scholarship seniors that will play their last game in The Swamp
LB Jeremiah Moon
QB Kyle Trask
WR Rick Wells
P Jacob Finn
LS Brett DioGuardi
OL Stewart Reese
OL Brett Heggie
OL Jean Delance
OL Stone Forsythe
DL Marlon Dunlap
ATH Kadarius Toney
DB Brad Stewart
Db Shawn Davis
WR Trevon Grimes
DB Donovan Stiner
DL Kyree Campbell
DL TJ Slaton
Injury news and Notes
Trent Whittemore who suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung against Arkansas should be able to return this week against LSU. Whittemore has been a solid receiving option for the Gators this year and a pivotal special teams player.
Both Brad Stewart and Rashad Torrence are questionable to play this week. Davis was injured in practice prior to the Tennessee game and didn't travel. Torrence was injured during the Tennessee game and didn't return.
Senior Jeremiah Moon has only played in four games this season and Saturday won't be his fifth. Moon is dealing with a foot/ankle injury but Mullen is hopeful he can return for the SEC Championship game.
