A Game-By-Game Look at Florida's 2016 Schedule
Thursday, October 29, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida football team's 2016 schedule is out.
The No. 11-ranked Gators (6-1, 4-1 in SEC) face Georgia (5-2, 3-2) on Saturday in Jacksonville with an opportunity to tighten their grip on the lead in the SEC East.
If the Gators can win the division, they will make their first trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game in six years.
Not a bad start to the Jim McElwain Era.
Many expected Florida to contend for a bowl trip in 2015, but few saw an opportunity to win the division in McElwain's first season.
That possibility seemed more likely in 2016. A look at next season's schedule:
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UMass (Sept. 3)
The Gators once faced the U.S. Infantry (winning 6-0 in 1921), but they have never played the Minutemen of UMass. They will in next season's season opener at The Swamp. The Minutemen, members of the Mid-American Conference, are struggling this season. UMass blew an 18-point lead last week and lost to Toledo, 51-35. The Minutemen's only victory came at home against Florida International on Oct. 3. UMass head coach Mark Whipple, in his second stint leading the program, served as Miami's offensive coordinator in 2009 under former UM head coach and current Gators associate head coach Randy Shannon.
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Kentucky (Sept. 10)
The Gators dip their feet into the Southeastern Conference pool early in the season, hosting the Wildcats in their SEC opener. Florida won at Kentucky 14-9 earlier this season to run their win streak in the series to 29 games, the longest active streak in the country among FBS opponents. Kentucky started the season 4-1 but has lost two in a row heading into Saturday's home game against Tennessee. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops, in his third season, is 11-20, 4-17 in conference games.
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North Texas (Sept. 17)
The Gators close a three-game stretch at home to open the season by hosting the Mean Green from Conference USA. The schools have met once previously, a 20-12 North Texas victory at Florida Field in 1947 when the school was known as North Texas State. Former Gators assistant Dan McCarney was fired earlier this month following a 66-7 loss at home to Portland State that dropped the Mean Green to 0-5. North Texas State interim head coach Mike Canalas, USF's former offensive coordinator under Jim Leavitt, is 0-2 since taking over, losing to Western Kentucky (55-28) and Marshall (30-13).
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@ Tennessee (Sept. 24)
The Gators hit the road for the first time in their annual September clash against the Vols. Florida extended its win streak in the series to 11 with a dramatic come-from-behind 28-27 victory on Sept. 26. Tennessee was expected to contend for the division title this season but is 3-4, 1-3 entering its game against Kentucky on Saturday. Rocky Top has taken some of its frustration out on third-year head coach Butch Jones, who is 15-17 overall, 6-14 in the conference since replacing Derek Dooley. He could use a second-half turnaround to quiet the noise.
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@Vanderbilt (Oct. 1)
The Gators return to the Volunteer State for the second consecutive week with a road game against the Commodores. Vanderbilt defeated two-time defending SEC East champion Missouri last week and is 3-4, 1-3 on the season. The Commodores play at No. 18-ranked Houston on Saturday and visit Florida Field the following week. Second-year Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason faced the difficult task of maintaining the momentum built by former coach James Franklin, who left after the 2013 season for Penn State. Mason is 6-13 and was 0-11 in the conference prior to the victory over Missouri.
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LSU (Oct. 8)
In what on paper appears to be the best home game on next season's schedule, the Tigers visit The Swamp in quest of a fourth consecutive victory over the Gators. Florida lost 35-28 in Baton Rouge two weeks ago and has not defeated LSU since a 14-6 victory at home in 2012. And barring an unexpected development, Heisman favorite Leonard Fournette will return to town for another run at the Gators. Fournette has rushed for 320 yards against Florida the past two meetings. The Gators wouldn't mind getting another shot at Fournette and Co. prior to next season. If they can win the SEC East and LSU maintains its lead in the West, the teams will meet again in Atlanta in early December.
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Missouri (Oct. 15)
The Gators move deeper in the conference schedule by welcoming the Tigers back to The Swamp, where Missouri won 42-13 in 2014 to spoil UF's homecoming. The Gators used that humiliating loss as motivation in their 21-3 win in Columbia on Oct. 10. The Tigers (4-4, 1-4) have not won since and own a three-game losing streak heading into their bye weekend. Freshman quarterback Drew Lock replaced former starter Maty Mauk earlier this season when Mauk was suspended. Mauk has returned to the team but Lock is the quarterback of the future. The Gators are 2-2 against Missouri since the Tigers joined the SEC in 2012.
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Georgia in Jacksonville (Oct. 29)
The Gators will once again face the Bulldogs following their bye week next season. Florida has spent the past two weeks getting ready for Saturday's showdown at EverBank Field. The Gators can take a big step in clinching the East title with a victory in McElwain's first taste of the border rivalry. Georgia (5-2, 3-2) opened the season as the heavy favorite to win the East but back-to-back losses to Alabama and Tennessee turned the heat up on head coach Mark Richt in what seems like an annual tradition in Athens. Florida has dominated this rivalry in the last 25 years, going 19-6. However, the Gators had dropped three in a row until last year's surprising victory.
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@ Arkansas (Nov. 5)
Florida makes its first trip to Fayetteville since 2008, a game it won 38-7 on the way to winning the program's third national title. The Razorbacks are among the SEC's most disappointing teams this season. Expected to contend for the West title, Arkansas sits at 3-4, 2-2 entering Saturday's home game against Tennessee-Martin. Third-year head coach Bret Bielema has had difficulty finding the success he enjoyed at Wisconsin. Bielema is 13-19 with the Razorbacks and won just four of 20 conference games. Florida has defeated Arkansas nine consecutive times, its only loss in the series a 28-24 setback in the 1982 Bluebonnet Bowl. That was before Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992.
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South Carolina (Nov. 12)
For the first time since 2004, the Gamecocks will visit Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with someone other than former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier leading the program. Spurrier abruptly resigned following a 45-24 loss at LSU earlier this month that dropped South Carolina to 2-4, 0-4 in the league. Interim coach Shawn Elliott led the team to a 19-10 victory over Vanderbilt in his first game and the Gamecocks travel to Texas A&M on Saturday. While Elliott makes a bid to earn the job permanently, several names have surfaced as possible candidates, including Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.
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Presbyterian (Nov. 19)
Florida closes the home portion of its schedule by facing FCS-opponent Presbyterian of the Big South Conference. The schools have met only one other time, a 41-0 Gators victory in 1945. The Blue Hose is 1-6 entering Saturday's game at Gardner-Webb in what is the oldest rivalry in the Big South. Former Presbyterian quarterback Harold Nichols is 16-55 at his alma mater, which includes a 6-5 record in 2014. Expect the Gators to be heavy favorites.
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@ Florida State (Nov. 26)
The Gators close the regular-season in Tallahassee for their annual in-state showdown against the Seminoles. FSU is coming off a tough loss at Georgia Tech and hosts Syracuse on Saturday. The Seminoles (6-1, 4-1) trail Clemson (7-0, 4-0) in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. The two meet at Death Valley on Nov. 7. Florida leads the all-time series but has lost four of the last five against FSU heading into their matchup this season. Florida's last win at Doak Campbell Stadium was in 2012, a 37-26 win that highlighted the tenure of former Gators head coach Will Muschamp.
