Florida Gators Football

Florida didn't let an old friend derail its playoff hopes, as the No. 6 Gators earned a 63-35 win over Arkansas.

Former UF starter Feleipe Franks was under center for Arkansas and had 250 passing yards in his return to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It wasn't enough to keep up with his replacement, Kyle Trask, who starred by tossing six touchdowns to continue his Heisman Trophy-worthy campaign.

It was his second six-score game of the year, and he has 28 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2020.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6! @ktrask9 with his 6th TD throw!#GoGators🐊 pic.twitter.com/KnDqsjmqy0

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 15, 2020

Florida improved to 5-1, including three straight victories with at least 40 points scored.

Arkansas (3-4) played without head coach Sam Pittman, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom served as the team's interim coach.

        

Notable Performances

Kyle Trask, QB, FLA: 23-29, 356 passing yards, 6 TDs

Trevon Grimes, WR, FLA: 6 catches, 109 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Keon Zipperer, TE, FLA: 3 catches, 47 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Feleipe Franks, QB, ARK: 15-19, 250 passing yards, 2 TDs

Trelon Smith, RB, ARK: 8 carries, 118 rushing yards, 1 TD

Mike Woods, WR, ARK: 2 catches, 129 receiving yards, 2 TDs

       

Trask Lights Up Scoreboard for Florida

Trask had been one of the hottest players in college football to start the year and did not slow down Saturday.

After throwing at least four touchdowns in five straight games—the first SEC player ever to do that—he accomplished the feat again Saturday before even reaching halftime. His production has put him in rare territory:

Since 2005, these are the QBs with 4 or more TD passes in 6 straight games:
Colt Brennan
Graham Harrell
Logan Woodside
Kyle Trask#Gators

— Matt Baker (@MattBakerCFB) November 15, 2020

Kyle Trask is the 3rd player in Florida history to record 25 pass TD in multiple seasons, joining Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel.

It is the 3rd time this season he has had 3 pass TD in the first half, tied most in FBS. pic.twitter.com/HvYU7KQgfU

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 15, 2020

Kyle Trask now has 28 passing touchdowns in Florida’s first 6 games. That’s the new SEC record...and he’s the only QB to do it against all SEC competition. Trask passes Tua for the record.

— Jake Winderman (@jakewinderman) November 15, 2020

Beyond the numbers, those watching were impressed by his throws:

Kyle Trask is on another level right now. The flea flicker was one thing. But to put that TD pass where he did is ridiculous.

— Alex Scarborough (@ByScarborough) November 15, 2020

Holy hell, what a catch by Justin Shorter. That was an NFL throw from Kyle Trask.

— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) November 15, 2020

Trask throwing dime after dime

— Jake Winderman (@jakewinderman) November 15, 2020

Kyle Trask with a ridiculous throw there. What touch.

— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) November 15, 2020

Arkansas had been one of the toughest pass defenses in the SEC entering the game, allowing the second-fewest passing yards per game in the conference, but the team had no answers for this offense.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Florida's explosion was it was without one of its top weapons. Tight end Kyle Pitts was sidelined with a concussion, removing an elite red-zone threat who had a team-high eight touchdowns entering the day.

The Gators didn't seem to miss him as Trask was throwing darts all game, completing passes to nine receivers with four players catching touchdowns before the starter left in the fourth quarter.

Even teammate Anthony Richardson tweeted about him at halftime:

Florida freshman QB Anthony Richardson tweeted this at halftime 👀 pic.twitter.com/YG4VUY70wf

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 15, 2020

The onslaught continued in the second half as the Gators couldn't be stopped, scoring touchdowns on eight of their first 10 offensive possessions. Zachary Carter then helped seal the win with a fumble returned for a touchdown.

Trask was the real story, however, making himself a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy with a huge effort on national television.

      

Big Plays Not Enough to Keep Arkansas in Game

Fans were not happy to see Franks, who was booed during his first appearance:

Feleipe Franks booed in his return. #Gators #WPS pic.twitter.com/arIcjNv8FI

— Matt Baker (@MattBakerCFB) November 15, 2020

The quarterback was the starter for parts of three seasons at Florida but suffered an ankle injury last year and eventually lost his job to Trask. He transferred to the SEC rival in January.

Franks silenced the fans early with a 47-yard touchdown to Mike Woods:

🎶 Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back 🎶

Feleipe Franks with a dime in The Swamp to put Arkansas on the board 💪 pic.twitter.com/soPYKzaMsK

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 15, 2020

Arkansas appeared ready to keep up in a high-scoring battle when Trelon Smith broke an 83-yard touchdown run in the middle of the second quarter:

TRELON SMITH IS GONE 💨💨 pic.twitter.com/ZwBSDmH7Jo

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 15, 2020

In the second half, Franks connected with Woods again for an 82-yard score.

However, the Razorbacks couldn't do enough to keep up.

Franks was an efficient passer and helped move the ball throughout the game (Arkansas had 458 total yards), but going 3-of-10 on third downs killed drives and limited the team's effectiveness.

Struggles on defense also left Arkansas with just 21 minutes and 12 seconds of possession in the 60-minute battle.

Without Pittman on the sidelines, the Razorbacks simply had no answers. 

       

What's Next?

Florida will try to keep rolling next Saturday with a road game against Vanderbilt. Arkansas returns home to face an LSU squad that has struggled during a rebuilding season.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen announced tight end Kyle Pitts will miss Saturday night's game against Arkansas because of a concussion.

Mullen told ESPN's Laura Rutledge that Pitts, who was injured during last week's win over Georgia, is also likely to sit out next Saturday's matchup with Vanderbilt.

It's a major loss for the Gators offense.

Pitts has recorded 24 catches for 414 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, which was tied for the third-highest total in the country entering Saturday.

His success during Florida's 4-1 start to season has also helped the junior tight end boost his draft stock for 2021 to the point that he could be a top-10 selection.

"Nobody can guard him," UF wide receiver Trevon Grimes told Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel in October. "We've always known that. It was just a matter of time until everybody else knew that, and I think they know now. It's going to be hard to stop him."

Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer will likely split snaps at tight end for Florida against Arkansas.

The Gators sit atop the SEC East division with a half-game lead over the Bulldogs (4-2) along with a tiebreaker in that head-to-head race after last week's victory.

It does give them a little bit of wiggle room during the stretch run of the regular season, and a remaining schedule without a currently ranked foe also plays to their advantage.

Not having Pitts available lessens Florida's offensive upside for the time being, though.

Florida tight end Kyle Pitts will miss the remainder of the No. 8 Gators' road game against No. 5 Georgia after enduring a helmet-to-helmet hit from Bulldogs safety Lewis Cine, who was subsequently ejected for targeting. 

Pitts entered the injury tent following the hit, per Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times. CBS Sports' Jamie Erdahl Buckman later announced on the television broadcast that Pitts would miss the remainder of the game.

The hit occurred with 8:28 left in the second quarter and the game tied at 21.

Pitts, a junior, caught two passes for 59 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game. His 25-yard score down the sideline helped pull the Gators back even with Georgia at 21:

#Kyle2Kyle 😤 https://t.co/5SWyu4ZsJM

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 7, 2020

He's amassed 24 receptions, 414 yards and eight scores on the year, including four during the Gators' season-opening game against Ole Miss.

The Philadelphia area native and highly touted NFL draft prospect is ranked ninth on Pro Football Focus' 2021 NFL draft big board.

Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen has been fined $25,000 and five players in total have been suspended for a half-game after a fight between Florida and Missouri Tigers players on Saturday, the SEC announced Monday.

Florida defensive lineman Zach Carter and linebacker Antwaun Powell and Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey, offensive lineman Dylan Spencer and defensive lineman Markell Utsey are the players suspended. 

"I respect the decision from the conference office," Mullen said in a statement, per Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times. "As the head coach, it is my responsibility to defuse these types of situations, and I didn't live up to that standard."

The fight between the teams occurred after Missouri's Trajan Jeffcoat hit Kyle Trask with a high and late hit on the last play of the first half. Mullen ran onto the field and began yelling at either the referees, Tigers players or both. Both sidelines then converged, and the shoving and punches commenced:

Three players were ejected from the Florida-Missouri game following a brawl that unfolded at the end of the first half. pic.twitter.com/GTavCznk6B

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 1, 2020

Mullen had to be held back by his staff during the situation and gesticulated toward the Florida crowd, presumably to pump them up, as he went into the locker room amidst their cheers. Carter and Powell were both ejected from the game for their roles in the fight.

SEC Network says Dan Mullen told them he was trying to get his team off the field. He went after a ref on the field, according to the tape. And then he did this after the field was cleared. pic.twitter.com/PPw1t8kJZy

— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) November 1, 2020

Mullen continues to find himself in the news this season for reasons other than the football being played on the field:

Dan Mullen recently:
- called for a full crowd at The Swamp
- contracted the virus himself
- said it was “unfortunate” and “disappointing” that players would miss practice so they could vote
- instigated a halftime brawl

— (((Jacob Bogage))) (@jacobbogage) November 1, 2020

So Dan Mullen is fined $25,000 for his role in the Missouri-Florida brawl. Same fine Lane Kiffin got for retweeting about a blown referee's call last week - a tweet the league agreed with.

So, tweeting about (correct) refereeing is worse than helping instigate an all out brawl?

— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) November 2, 2020

The SEC released the following statement on the situation:

"There is no place in college football for the kind of incident that took place at halftime of the Missouri at Florida game Saturday night. Everyone involved is responsible for meeting sportsmanship standards throughout each game. Running on the field to confront a game official, the gathering of teams in an on-field confrontation and student-athletes throwing punches are all disappointing at any time, but even more so as we work to support healthy competition during a pandemic."

Florida and Missouri also released a joint statement after the game, condemning the fight:

pic.twitter.com/5ZAaf2VysM

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 1, 2020

It was a bad look for both teams and for Mullen, who arguably incited the fight by storming the field and then needed to be held back by his coaching staff, as well as trying to whip the crowd into a frenzy following the brawl. 

Sam McCall, a 5-star athlete prospect out of Lakeland, Florida, announced his commitment to Florida in a tweet Wednesday, choosing the Gators over Alabama and Oklahoma. 

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

McCall is considered the No. 30 overall and fourth-ranked athlete in the 2022 class by 247Sports. It's widely expected he will play defensive back at the next level.

"He says that at 6'2", or 6'3" that I can play all over the field," McCall said of his conversations with Florida defensive backs coach Torrian Gray, per Andrew Spivey of Gator Country. "He says I will play free safety but when they're going against a top receiver then I will match up with him. Coach Mullen and Coach Gonzales say I can play receiver and some wildcat quarterback from time to time too."

McCall is currently listed at 6'0", so perhaps he's hit a recent growth spurt that will make him a better fit to play the safety positions. If he stays around the 6-foot mark, he'll be a little undersized but still playable at safety.

The Gators had been an overwhelming favorite to land McCall throughout his recruitment. He was given a 100 percent chance of landing in Gainesville by 247Sports.

McCall is the second commit in the Gators' 2022 class. He joins 4-star wide receiver Syveion Ellis, who has been committed since all the way back in April 2019.

Dan Mullen's program currently sits 10th in the way-too-early ranking of the 2022 class. The Gators are eighth in the class of 2021 with 25 recruits locked up and ninth in 2020, which will help Mullen's continued rebuild of Florida into a perennial contender. 

Nearly two weeks after the Florida Gators were forced to pause football activities following an outbreak of COVID-19, the team returned to practice on Monday, according to ESPN's Andrea Adelson.

When the program came to a halt on Oct. 13, head coach Dan Mullen and two assistant coaches had tested positive, in addition to 26 players. Mullen said Monday the team has not returned a positive test since Saturday and will be able to produce an SEC-minimum 53 players for Saturday's game against Missouri.

Mullen, who experienced mild symptoms, would not say how many players would be at practice Monday, but that the team was looking forward to returning to the field in a practice that will be focused on "just getting our guys into the regular game-week routine."

"I don't expect us to come out there and have our sharpest, most crisp practice of the year, but I expect us to have great energy, excitement and enthusiasm to be back out there to get going as we build up to Saturday," he said, per Adelson. 

Per SEC protocols, the Gators must follow a four-day re-acclimation period, with the first day of practice being conducted at 25 percent of normal, working up to 100 percent four days later.

Mullen said that the team is viewing their Oct. 10 road loss to Texas A&M as the start of the outbreak within the team, with the team having few positives until they returned from their first trip of the season: 

"We always knew travel was going to be a concern and an issue for us. We got through Game 1 without an issue and we thought, 'OK we're headed in the right direction.' Unfortunately, you throw the virus in the middle of [a trip] with obviously someone having it on the team or at least maybe two people having it on the team, and you put it into that environment, you're going to get a spread, especially for us with a team that had so few numbers."

All of the players and staff that took the trip to Texas were told to quarantine, not just individuals who tested positive or were in close contact with someone who did, according to athletic director Scott Stricklin, who appeared in a video statement released by the athletic department on Friday. 

Florida football head coach Dan Mullen announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

Gators HC Dan Mullen has tested positive for COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/6iXdlhGwWc

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) October 17, 2020

Per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, at least 22 Florida football players tested positive for COVID-19 after the Gators' 41-38 loss to Texas A&M last Saturday.

Florida's home game against LSU, which was scheduled for Saturday, has been moved to Dec. 12 due to the outbreak. Their Oct. 24 matchup against Missouri will now be played on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The Florida football program paused all team activities on Tuesday because of the outbreak following an announcement from Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin.

"The University of Florida football team has experienced an increase in positive COVID tests among players this week," Stricklin said in part.

"Out of an abundance of caution, team activities are paused as of Tuesday afternoon."

Mullen had previously wanted his team's home stadium packed to capacity. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports provided more information:

"Mullen's positive test comes in the wake of remarks that were dismissive of COVID-19 protocols. After a loss to Texas A&M last Saturday, Mullen suggested unprovoked in his opening statement that Florida fans should 'pack The Swamp' this week, using the nickname for Florida's stadium. He added: 'Absolutely want to see 90,000 in The Swamp. Hopefully that creates a home-field advantage for us next week because now we passed a law in our state that we can do that.'"

The Florida athletic department and school administration shut down the idea quickly.

The SEC has encountered numerous issues lately, including the SEC fining Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Tennessee for not following COVID-19 protocols, per Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger.

There have also been outbreaks in the Vanderbilt and Ole Miss programs.

Saturday's game between the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators was postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak with Florida's team.

The SEC announced the news Wednesday and stated the game was rescheduled for Dec. 12:

NEWS: The LSU at Florida FB game of Oct. 17 is postponed due to positive tests & subsequent quarantine of individuals within the Florida FB program. The action is consistent with SEC COVID-19 management requirements. The game is tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12.

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) October 14, 2020

The Gators announced that athletic director Scott Stricklin would address the media at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday to discuss the program's outbreak.

The University of Florida announced Tuesday that there were five positive COVID-19 tests in the program in the past week. All football activities were shut down.

As first reported by Payton Titus of the Independent Florida Alligator on Tuesday and confirmed by ESPN's Andrea Adelson, the Gators have had 19 positive COVID-19 tests between players, coaches and personnel.

The game was the second SEC contest this week to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Vanderbilt at Missouri was postponed because the Commodores fell short of the SEC minimum of 53 scholarship players.

The Gators were scheduled to host LSU at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at 4 p.m. ET Saturday.

After urging the University of Florida to allow fans to "pack the Swamp" Saturday against LSU, Gators head coach Dan Mullen has instead suggested the school follow local health guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mullen had said the crowd was a factor in last week's loss at Texas A&M and that he wanted 100 percent capacity at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday. He walked back those comments Wednesday, a day after his program shut down because of 19 positive tests for the virus, according to ESPN's Alex Scarborough.

"I certainly apologize if I offended people," he said.

Mullen added, "Whatever our local health officials come out and say, 'This is the number of people that we're going to allow at the game right now,' that I want to encourage those people to come in, bring the energy, bring the excitement in the stadium and help our team to win."

Florida is allowing 20 percent capacity at home games this season, which equates to roughly 17,000 fans, all of whom must wear face coverings unless eating or drinking.

Mullen said two assistant coaches are among the 19 cases in the program and both were asymptomatic. The Athletic's G. Allan Taylor reported Wednesday that 10 additional players were in quarantine after possible exposure to the virus.

SEC guidelines state 53 scholarship players must be active for a game, and there are specific requirements on the number of scholarship offensive (seven) and defensive linemen (four) and quarterbacks (one). Taylor reported "most" of the 29 players affected by the outbreak are on scholarship and that the Gators—who are also missing players because of injuries and opt-outs—may struggle to meet the requirement in at least one area, but they can still elect to play.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron was supportive of a postponement.

"If the best thing for us is not to play, we shouldn't play," he told reporters Wednesday.

LSU would perhaps be without quarterback Myles Brennan if the game goes ahead. He was injured in last week's loss to Missouri and has not practiced this week.

The University of Florida's football program is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak that may force a postponement of Saturday's game against LSU, according to The Athletic's G. Allan Taylor.

Florida paused football activities Tuesday after revealing five positive cases, but Taylor reported there are 19 positive cases within the program and another 10 players in quarantine because of possible exposure.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Wednesday that he would support a postponement.

"If the best thing for us is not to play, we shouldn't play," he told reporters.

SEC guidelines state that at least 53 scholarship players must be active for a game, and Taylor reported that "most of the 29 players currently sidelined are on scholarship." The 53 players must include seven offensive linemen, four defensive linemen and a quarterback, and according to Taylor, the Gators may not meet the requirement in one position area.

Taylor also reported that a number of players are working through injuries, including offensive lineman Ethan White, backup quarterback Emory Jones and safety Brad Stewart, with Stewart in the concussion protocol.

If they cannot produce a 53-player roster, the Gators can still elect to play, but as Taylor noted, "that would put a great deal of stress on the roster."

Should the LSU game be postponed, it will likely be moved to Dec. 12, the same day Missouri is scheduled to play Vanderbilt after a COVID-19 outbreak at Vanderbilt forced last week's contest to be moved.

Teams in the SEC are tested for COVID-19 three times per week, though Florida has elected to be tested daily since Saturday. Players who test positive can return to football activities within 10 days, but players who are exposed must quarantine for two weeks. Any player who returns a positive test does not need to be retested for 90 days and does not need to quarantine in the event they have contact with a new positive case.

At Florida, 37 players have tested positive through 1,796 tests administered since May 26. No players have been hospitalized, per Taylor.