Florida Gators Football

Nick Saban continues to have Dan Mullen's number.

Top-ranked Alabama went on the road and earned a 31-29 victory over No. 11 Florida in The Swamp in Gainesville, Florida, on Saturday.

Dameon Pierce found a seam and hit pay dirt on a 17-yard run to bring the Gators to within two points with 3:10 on the clock. Emory Jones and Malik Davis were unable to complete the two-point conversion, which kept Alabama in the lead.

DAMEON PIERCE SENDS THE SWAMP INTO A FRENZY pic.twitter.com/Zu7kFzkxLy

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 18, 2021

After forcing Alabama to punt, Florida had four seconds to complete a miracle. Jones was sacked on the final play.

With the win, Saban improved to 11-0 against Mullen.

The outcome also reaffirms the Crimson Tide's status as the team to beat in the national championship race. They made a big statement in their opener by beating Miami 44-13, but that was undercut somewhat by the Hurricanes struggling to take down Appalachian State and losing to Michigan State.

Overcoming the Gators provides more clarity about an Alabama squad that lost a lot of talent to the NFL after its 2020 title run. The Tide won't dominate the competition in the same way they did a season ago, but they're still positioned to be as good as anyone else in the country.

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Notable Performers

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama: 22-of-35 for 240 yards, three touchdowns

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Alabama: 15 carries 78 yards, one touchdown; one reception, seven yards, one touchdown

Emory Jones, QB, Florida: 18-of-28 for 195 yards, one interception; 18 carries, 76 yards, one touchdown

Malik Davis, RB, Florida: 10 carries, 86 yards, one touchdown

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Tide Slow Down after Early Blitz

At the end of the first quarter, Alabama was up 21-3 and a blowout appeared to be in the making at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Bryce Young was 12-of-16 for 138 yards and three touchdowns.

Bryce Young has three touchdown passes...it's still the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/6Rs7iujTuj

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 18, 2021

Young was excellent through two weeks, but this was his first big test in hostile territory. As the rest of the first half unfolded, his inexperience may have become a factor as he and the Alabama offense ran aground.

That’s five consecutive incompletions by Bryce Young and two straight three-and-outs. Tide RBs have a combined 5 carreis for 41 yards.

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) September 18, 2021

Florida opened the second half with a three-yard touchdown run by Pierce to make it a one-score game 21-16. 

Young responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ate 5:47 off the clock. Brian Robinson Jr. gave Alabama some breathing room after he punched it in from three yards out on 4th-and-1.

It was the same story on when the Tide needed to run down the clock after Pierce's late scamper. Young and his teammates also had to deal with clock issues inside the stadium that meant an official on the field was keeping the time.

For those wondering about the clock issues in the Florida-Bama game, it's simple: Alabama being in a close game has caused a warp in the space-time continuum.

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) September 18, 2021

Although the road doesn't get a whole lot easier for Alabama the rest of the way, this might be one of the team's stiffest challenges before a possible SEC title clash. Survive and advance was the modus operandi for a Tide roster that's still finding its footing.

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Slow Start Dooms Gators

In the past, mobile quarterbacks have caused problems for Alabama under Saban, with Johnny Manziel the most notable example. After running for 275 yards and two scores in Florida's first two games, it looked like the Gators would have one such threat with Anthony Richardson.

However, Richardson was battling a hamstring injury throughout the week, and his lack of involvement seemingly confirmed how serious the injury was.

Perhaps a healthy Richardson changes the outcome Saturday because Florida found plenty of success on the ground. The Gators finished with 245 rushing yards as the offensive line more than held its own against the Alabama front seven.

Teams don't just run the ball on Alabama like Florida is today. Very rare to run for 200+ yards vs. Bama, and we're still in the 3rd quarter.

— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) September 18, 2021

In the entire Nick Saban era at Alabama, only 8 teams have ever finished with 200+ rushing yards against the Tide. Gators already there.

Last one to run for 200 and win was 2014 Ohio State. (via @collegefb_ref)

— Max Olson (@max_olson) September 18, 2021

Jones also showed a lot of poise after the home fans voiced their displeasure with the offense's first-half struggles.

Seems like Emory Jones has been on fire since all those boos. #fanstrategy

— John Zenor (@jzenor) September 18, 2021

Emory Jones getting booed in the first half seems like years ago.

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) September 18, 2021

Still, Mullen is left to rue a pair of mistakes that proved costly in retrospect.

Jalyn Armour-Davis' interception in the first quarter gave Alabama a short field for its third touchdown. Chris Howard's missed extra point in the second quarter meant Florida needed a two-point conversion after Pierce's second touchdown run to tie the score. 

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What's Next?

Alabama goes out of the SEC to play Southern Miss on Sept. 25 before a pair of difficult conference matchups against No. 17 Ole Miss and No. 7 Texas A&M. Florida will look to notch its first conference win at home against Tennessee next week.

Monday marked the start of the 2021 SEC media days from the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. 

After last year's event was conducted virtually due because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year will mark the first in-person media days for coaches and players from every program in the SEC to discuss their expectations for the upcoming season since 2019. 

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron was the main attraction on Day 1, but SEC commissioner Greg Sankey kicked things off with some notable information about how the schedule will be handled in the event of potential coronavirus issues for teams. 

Addressing reporters, Sankey said the schedule this season will not allow for games to be rescheduled, so teams with COVID-19 outbreaks that prevent them from playing will have to forfeit/

"We have not built in the kind of time we did last year, particularly at the end of the season, to accommodate [postponements]," he said. "And unless we're going to do that, our teams are going to have to be fully prepared to play their games as scheduled."

Sankey also made it known he would like to see more teams in the conference get more players vaccinated, as only six of the 14 members are currently at the 80 percent threshold. 

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is making it clear. The year of rescheduling games is over. If one team can't play due to COVID then it's going to be a forfeit. He is imploring his member schools to get up to the 80 percent vaccination level. So far only 6 of 14 have done so.

— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) July 19, 2021

There were a total of 139 games across college football that were canceled or postponed last season because of COVID-19 issues, including 15 involving SEC teams. 

Another topic that Sankey touched on was the adoption of a name, image and likeness policy that allows players to earn money while still maintaining their college eligibility. 

Sankey did agree with the temporary rule adopted by the NCAA for the time being, but added he would like to see a national standard adopted. 

Greg Sankey on NIL: "The NCAA rules can no longer resolve key issues. We need a federal solution. ... Congressional action is necessary if we're gonna provide every student a clear, consistent and fair opportunity to benefit from their name, image and likeness."

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) July 19, 2021

One area that the SEC—and FBS football, in general—has received scrutiny for is the lack of diversity among head coaches. 

ESPN's Ivan Maisel noted in December that 13 of 130 FBS programs had a Black head coach. There are currently zero in the SEC after Derek Mason was fired by Vanderbilt in November. 

Sankey announced Monday that the conference is working to build diversity among its coaches to give "historically underrepresented groups” more opportunities going forward. 

The SEC is kicking off an effort to build diversity among football coaches. The league will now be involved to make sure "historically underrepresented groups” are considered in the hiring process, commish Greg Sankey said. There are zero HCs from those groups now.

— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) July 19, 2021

After Sankey's session ended, the University of Florida contingent led by head coach Dan Mullen. 

Mullen had a matter-of-fact response when asked about Georgia as the preseason favorite to win the SEC East. 

Dan Mullen at SEC Media Days on Georgia being the team to beat in the SEC East: ‘Didn’t they say that last year?’

— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) July 19, 2021

Florida stunned the Bulldogs 44-28 in November en route to winning the division and earning a spot in the SEC title game for the first time since 2016. 

Gators defensive lineman Zach Carter echoed his head coach about the team being underestimated heading into the season. 

Florida DL Zach Carter says the team sees what people have been saying about the Gators this offseason.

"I think it's a good thing that we have that chip on our shoulder this year, and we want people to be surprised this year." pic.twitter.com/MoQXjZx6ug

— Patrick Brickman (@PatrickBrickman) July 19, 2021

One of the marquee matchups for the Gators this season will be a home game against Alabama on Sept. 18. This will be the first regular-season meeting between the two teams since 2014. 

UF’s Dan Mullen on hosting Alabama for 1st time in 10 years: “I’d like to do away with permanent cross over games (between East & West division teams), so you get these type of games more often"

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 19, 2021

The Crimson Tide have dominated the rivalry with seven consecutive wins since 2009. Florida's last win was on Dec. 6, 2008, in the SEC Championship Game when Tim Tebow was still with the program. 

Another team on Florida's schedule this season will be LSU at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 16. The Tigers are looking to rebound in 2021 after a disappointing 5-5 record last year. 

The biggest issue for LSU in 2020 was the defense that allowed 34.9 points per game. Bo Pelini was fired as defensive coordinator and replaced by Daronte Jones, who spent the past five seasons working as an assistant in the NFL. 

Orgeron explained what he wants to see improve on his defense this season with Jones coaching the group:

We have to eliminate explosive plays. Too many explosive plays, too many missed assignments. Too many receivers running down the field free, and we played a lot of man and a lot of combination of man, stuff like that. Some of it was simple. Some of it was too complicated.

The always-colorful LSU head coach had a unique response when asked what he was interviewing assistant coaches during the offseason. 

Ed Orgeron said he imagined he was an LSU Football player while interviewing assistant coaches this offseason.

"I wanted to see how well they could communicate to our players."

— Cody Worsham (@CodyWorsham) July 19, 2021

One of the key players for the Tigers who will be instrumental in their success is cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. The junior star is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL draft, but he's got a huge role to play on the outside for LSU's defense. 

Even though cornerback is his primary position, Stingley didn't close the door on possibly getting involved in the offense if the coaches want to take advantage of his skill set. 

Derek Stingley Jr. is asked if he'll play wide receiver at #LSU this year.

"That depends on whether Coach O thinks I should be or not."

Do you think you should be?

"Whatever I need to do to help the team win."

— Brooks Kubena (@BKubena) July 19, 2021

Stingley has been LSU's primary punt returner over the past two seasons. He averaged 16.2 yards per return on six attempts in 2020. 

Orgeron told SportsTalk with Bobby Hebert and Kristian Garic (h/t Crissy Ford of LSU Tigers Wire) in June that "we’d like to use" Stingley for a few snaps on offense, but left the final decision up to his star defender if he's comfortable with it. 

As for what he expects from LSU in 2021, Stingley wants to see the team develop its chemistry as the season goes along. 

Derek Stingley Jr. is here. Asked what he's looking forward to:

"I'm looking forward to the team as a group as a whole and seeing what real chemistry looks like."

Chemistry been a theme with Stingley today.

— Brody Miller (@BrodyAMiller) July 19, 2021

One reason LSU struggled last season could have been an inability to develop chemistry with so many new players in prominent roles. 

After winning the College Football Playoff Championship in 2019, the Tigers tied an NCAA record with 14 players selected in the NFL draft. Joe Burrow, K'Lavon Chaisson, Justin Jefferson, Patrick Queen and Clyde Edwards-Helaire were all first-round picks in 2020. 

Among the new head coaches in the SEC this year is Shane Beamer at South Carolina. The son of former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer is getting his first opportunity to lead a program after spending the past 17 seasons as an assistant coach. 

Based on his opening statement Monday, Beamer is very excited to get things started this season. 

Shane Beamer over 12 minutes in his opening statement, topics ranging from position-by-position previews to an overall endorsement for the future of South Carolina.

"The best days of South Carolina football are right in front of us."

Y'all think this guy is excited to be here?

— Cam Gaskins (@CamGaskinsTV) July 19, 2021

Shane Beamer impressive in his Media Days debut. He's name-checking B-list SEC Network talent. He mentioned his wife working Media Days as a @HailState intern. He mentioned Alabama courting his father. He's poised, confident and comfortable.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 19, 2021

Beamer knows South Carolina very well from his time as an assistant under Steve Spurrier from 2007-10. He seemed to be utilizing his time at the microphone to recruit at least one player in particular.

Shane Beamer: "We are going to pass to the tight end. We WANT the premier tight ends in America."

Wonder if Oscar Delp is listening today?

— Ben Portnoy (@bportnoy15) July 19, 2021

The Gamecocks are in the running for Oscar Delp, a 4-star recruit and No. 3 tight end in the 2022 class by 247Sports composite rankings. There is heavy competition for the Georgia native, including from the Bulldogs, Crimson Tide, Gators and Michigan. 

Beamer's exuberant personality hasn't won South Carolina any games yet, but he appears ready to handle the difficult task of coaching in the SEC. 

South Carolina has finished under .500 in each of the past two seasons. Its .200 winning percentage in 2020 (2-8) was the seventh-worst single-season mark in program history. 

Tuesday's SEC media days session will feature representatives from Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. 

Florida agreed to a three-year extension with head football coach Dan Mullen on Tuesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel's Edgar Thompson.

Under the new contract, Mullen will receive $7.6 million annually beginning in 2022. His deal will carry through the 2027 season.

That will make him the fifth-highest paid coach in FBS and third-highest in the SEC, per USA Today. Within the conference, he trails Alabama's Nick Saban ($9.3 million) and LSU's Ed Orgeron ($8.9 million).

"Dan has done a tremendous job in his three seasons at Florida, and we are fortunate to have someone with his obvious talents and head coaching experience leading our football program," athletic director Scott Stricklin said of the move. "I look forward to working alongside him to support his vision for Gators football and our student-athletes for many years."

The Gators finished 8-4 in 2020, their worst mark since Mullen arrived prior to the 2018 season. The year culminated in a 55-20 drubbing at the hands of Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

Florida's record was somewhat deceiving, though, considering its three regular-season losses came by a combined 12 points. The team might've gone 9-3 as well were it not for Marco Wilson's throwing the cleat of LSU's Kole Taylor.

The NCAA announced in December that the Gators were guilty of recruiting violations, with Mullen failing to "promote an atmosphere of compliance."

The NCAA said Mullen and one of his assistants made improper in-person contact with a prospective recruit while meeting with his high school coach, a Level II violation. The coaching staff committed a Level III violation when it made impermissible contact with 127 high schoolers whose teams had stopped on campus and toured the Gators facilities prior to a tournament.

Since Urban Meyer delivered national titles in 2006 and 2008, Florida has experienced plenty of false dawns while attempting to replicate the success the program enjoyed under Steve Spurrier from 1990 to 2001.

Mullen's extension wasn't a surprise because he appears to be a safer long-term option than Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Ron Zook were.

Ex-collegiate and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy and a pair of national championships during his time at the University of Florida, wished 105-year-old Cora Belle Edison a happy birthday this week.

In the video, Tebow covered a number of topics, including their shared religious faith, five-sibling families (he is the youngest of five; Edison has five children) and their desire to help people (Edison was a nurse). He also said he wished to meet Edison and give her a hug.

The CBS affiliate in Jackson, Mississippi, did a story on Edison's desire to meet Tebow on April 13.

Edison's caretaker, Gilda Crawford, offered these comments to Anna Farish of WJTV: "She watched every game he played, OK, that's what I'm talking about. I say if he knew that he had a 105-year-old person that was loving him like that, he would be happy. He would."

Edison added: "Tim Tebow, yeah, I like him. He's handsome."

Tebow did reach out and was clearly happy to provide birthday wishes to one of his biggest fans.

These days, the 33-year-old is an ESPN college football analyst. His professional sports days are over after stints as an NFL quarterback (2010-13, 2015) and minor league baseball outfielder (2016-21). Tebow is also the founder and chairman of the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen has one piece of advice for NFL teams that will be tasked with defending Gators star Kyle Pitts: good luck. 

"He's an elite tight end, and he's an elite wide receiver," Mullen told reporters of Pitts at Florida's pro day. "He's a unicorn, and the only way you can defend a unicorn is with another unicorn."

Pitts showed off his speed Wednesday, running an unofficial 4.44-second 40-yard dash. Since 2000, that would be good enough for sixth among tight ends at the NFL Scouting Combine, per Stathead.

.@MoveTheSticks' No. 2 overall prospect: Florida TE @kylepitts__

He just ran a 4.44u. ⏱🔥

📺: @GatorsFB Pro Day LIVE on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/7CYGd8bKNx

— NFL (@NFL) March 31, 2021

The 6'6" pass-catcher finished with 43 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2020. He was simply unguardable at times, especially in the red zone. He's too tall for many defensive backs and too fast for most linebackers, presenting a clear dilemma for defensive coordinators.

Per Stathead, 19 tight ends have been top-10 picks in the NFL draft. It's a pretty safe bet Pitts will be the 20th.

Arik Gilbert is headed from the SEC West to the SEC East.

On Sunday, the tight end announced he was transferring from LSU to Florida, saying, "This is the best situation for me and I'm excited to join the family."

Gilbert was a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 tight end in the class of 2020, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

He played during his freshman season for a disappointing LSU team that went 5-5 and finished with 35 catches for 368 yards and two touchdowns. His best game came during an October loss to the Missouri Tigers when he posted six catches for 97 yards and one touchdown.

The decision to transfer to Florida is notable because of how much success tight end Kyle Pitts enjoyed in head coach Dan Mullen's offense last year.

Pitts finished with 43 catches for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games and was a threat to score almost every time he touched the ball. He may be a top-15 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, leaving space for someone like Gilbert to step in and be a key contributor right away.

Gilbert entered the transfer portal on Jan. 5, which was approximately one month after he elected to opt out of the remainder of the season.

This is a massive loss for the Tigers, who have taken a step back since winning the national title during the 2019 campaign. They self-imposed a 2020 postseason ban in December due to NCAA infractions and will now be without one of their most talented playmakers who figured to be a key part of their future not that long ago.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen is having a rough few days.

On Wednesday, the Gators lost 55-20 to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl Classic. On Friday, 5-star recruit Sam McCall decommitted from the program.

https://twitter.com/alabama313/status/1345091741116989440

McCall is the No. 4 athlete and No. 33 player in the 2022 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

McCall committed to Florida in October:

https://twitter.com/alabama313/status/1321576723704676352

At the time, 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong highlighted how the Lakeland, Florida, native could help the Gators in a variety of ways:

"New Florida commit Sam McCall is a really good football player that impacts the game in all three facets on the prep level. At corner I like the balance, body control, the way he accelerates, the tackling ability, change of direction and certainly the ball skills. He is smooth wide receiver, can make big plays downfield, goes up and gets the football, has elusiveness after the catch, and again that burst allows him to separate and pull away. He’s fun to watch in the return game, a house call could always be in order from McCall."

As a junior at Lake Gibson High School, McCall had 18 tackles and four interceptions on defense to go along with 34 rushing yards and 52 receptions for 903 yards and 10 touchdowns, per AllGators' Zach Goodall.

McCall could decide to stick with Florida. But should he pledge his future to another school, it will be the second successive recruiting cycle in which Mullen lost a blue-chip cornerback. Clinton Burton Jr., the No. 13 corner in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2021, spurned the Gators to sign with Boston College. They did, however, sign 5-star cornerback Jason Marshall.

The timing of McCall's decision isn't ideal on the heels of Florida's shellacking. Oklahoma had 684 yards of total offense and forced Kyle Trask to endure his worst performance (16-of-28 for 158 yards and three interceptions) of the season.

The game underscored Mullen's need to strengthen the defense. The team allowed 428 yards and 30.8 points per game in 2020. Those numbers aren't good enough if the Gators want to overtake Alabama in the SEC or reach the College Football Playoff.

The No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners crushed the shorthanded No. 7 Florida Gators 55-20 in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday. Florida had 16 players on the inactive list, including stars such as tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receivers Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes.  

After the game, Florida head coach Dan Mullen referenced his team's roster state in a discussion with reporters.

"The last game the 2020 team played was 11 days ago," Mullen said.

He also added the Gators "didn't have to play" and that he thought the "scout team guys played well."

Florida was missing players on the defensive side of the ball, as well, including cornerback Marco Wilson, safety Shawn Davis, linebacker Ventrell Miller and defensive tackle Kyree Campbell.

The Sooners dominated the Gators from start to finish, amassing 684 yards from scrimmage. They led 17-0 before the midway point of the first quarter and took a 31-13 edge into halftime. Oklahoma also scored the first 24 points of the second half before Florida put a garbage-time touchdown on the board.

In addition, Oklahoma rushed for 435 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries, logging 10.9 yards per attempt.

On defense, OU forced quarterback Kyle Trask to throw three interceptions, including one that led to a Tre Norwood pick-six. The Heisman Trophy finalist went just 16-of-28 for 158 yards and no touchdowns.

Oklahoma finished its season 9-2. The Gators fell to 8-4.

Florida linebacker James Houston IV has given the Oklahoma Sooners bulletin-board material ahead of the team's matchup in the Cotton Bowl Classic on Dec. 30. 

"Oklahoma is a good matchup, but they're not on our level." he told reporters. "They're not the SEC. They're not the Florida Gators. So we should put on a good show."

The Gators accepted an invitation to the Cotton Bowl after coming up short in the SEC Championship against Alabama on Dec. 19. They did give the Crismon Tide their most difficult test of the season in 52-46 loss. It marked the first time in 11 games that Alabama didn't win by at least 17 points. 

Oklahoma had to rebuild itself after a rough start in 2020. The Sooners were 1-2 on Oct. 3 following back-to-back losses against Kansas State and Iowa State.

Head coach Lincoln Riley regrouped his team to rally for seven straight wins, including a 27-21 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game. 

SEC opponents have been a problem for Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff. It has lost to LSU, Alabama and Georgia in the semifinals each of the past three years by a combined score of 162-110. 

The Sooners' last win over an SEC team was a 35-19 triumph over Auburn in the 2016 Sugar Bowl. 

Florida ended the regular season with consecutive losses, including a 37-34 defeat against LSU on Dec. 12.   

Florida head coach Dan Mullen has received a one-year show-cause penalty from the NCAA due to recruiting violations.

Per an official release from the NCAA, among the penalties levied against Florida are a $5,000 fine and one year of probation. Mullen's show-cause order prevented him from "all off-campus recruiting activity during the fall 2020 evaluation period" and includes "a four-day off-campus recruiting ban during the fall 2021 contact period."

The NCAA noted Mullen's discipline stems from two separate recruiting violations, and he "did not promote an atmosphere of compliance."

Mullen and an assistant coach "had impermissible in-person contact with a prospect when they met with a prospect's high school coach while the prospect was in the room," and they showed interest in "recruiting the prospect" at that time. 

A second violation involved an assistant coach having "impermissible contacts with several prospects" at a time when "seven nonscholastic football teams visited the campus and toured the football facilities on their way to a tournament in Tampa."

The first infraction is a Level II violation, a significant breach of conduct determined by the NCAA to "provide or are intended to provide more than a minimal but less than a substantial or extensive recruiting, competitive or other advantage."

The second infraction falls under the Level III breach of conduct category, and is "isolated or limited in nature."

In addition to those penalties, Mullen and the assistant coach are required to attend one-on-one rules education.