HOOVER, Ala.-- Dan Mullen's Florida impressed in 2018.
Mullen's staff helped turn a four-win team to a ten-win team in just one season in charge.
"I think we took great strides in our first year in the program," Mullen told reporters at SEC Media Days. "When you look in year one, you get a ten-win season, you finished ranked sixth in the country in the final polls, it was really exciting. It showed how fast our guys bought in to what we're trying to do and what we're trying to build.
"A lot of talented players coming back on this year's team that now have won games and have high expectations and understand what the Gator standard is all about," Mullen added. "It's about competing for championships every single year. And the positive attitude we have is really exciting."
Now it's safe to say that the expectations are higher in Gainesville in year two.
“I feel like the expectations are always high," said Gators running back Lamical Perine. "That’s what type of coach Coach Mullen is. I wouldn’t say everybody is kind of sleep on us as a unit so we gotta go out and prove all of our hard work is paying off.”
"First I want to win the SEC East," said defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga. "Then win the SEC Championship and then get to a bowl game. Obviously, get to the National Championship. We, as a team, have very high expectations. We feel like we can do some special things this year."
However, year two presents some hurdles. After such a drastic turnaround, taking the next step and winning 11, 12 games and a championship is a bit tougher.
"As a unit you can’t make mistakes that can cost you games," said Perine. "I feel like the three games we lost are games we could have won. Just learning from the little mistakes we made last year, we’re going to change it up this year.”
One of those games was their 36-17 loss to Florida's SEC East rivals, Georgia. The Gators have lost the last two games against the Bulldogs by a combined score of 78-24.
Although last season's scoreline may not show it, the contest between the two programs was not as lopsided.
"Extremely close," said Zuniga about how close the Gators are talent wise to the Bulldogs. "I really feel like we should have won the game last year. I think we just made too many mistakes. At the end of the day, when you are playing football at that level, you can't make those mistakes like that against teams talented like that; teams that can capitalize like that. "
UGA is one team in Florida's way if they want to return to Atlanta for the SEC Championship. Kirby Smart has won several battles on the recruiting trail - hauling a top three class the last three years, the number one class on Rivals the last two years.
However, according to the Gators, the talent gap is not as wide as those numbers suggest.
"I don't believe there is a gap between us or anybody," said Zuniga. "I feel like with the guys we got, we can take anybody and beat them."
"I feel like honestly we just need to keep playing our game, " said Perine. "We need to come out and make sure we don't make mistakes and then I feel like we have a chance to beat them."
This is a confident Florida team heading into the new season. A team ready to once again take the national stage by storm.
"It's going to be fight this year," said Zuniga about this year's Georgia game. "We're coming."
