Gators rank high with McShay, Holloway's big night, more tidbits
Thursday, December 15, 2016 | Football, Scott Carter
Gators assistant coach Randy Shannon appears in line to take over defense for Outback Bowl according to reports.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators held their first practice today in preparation for the Outback Bowl.
The No. 20-ranked Gators (8-4) face No. 21 Iowa (8-4) on Jan. 2 in Tampa, marking the third time the programs have met in the annual game at Raymond James Stadium.
The Gators took the field Thursday without a familiar face: defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, who was introduced as Temple's new head coach on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Gators move on and according to reports, head coach Jim McElwain will name co-coordinator/linebackers coach Randy Shannon the interim defensive coordinator for the Outback Bowl, which makes sense considering Shannon's background.
Let's take a look at some of the recent headlines surrounding Florida athletics:
- ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay is a fan of Florida's defense. In his Mock NFL Draft 1.0, McShay has Gators Teez Tabor, Caleb Brantley, Jarrad Davis and Quincy Wilson all in the first round. Here is the link if you are an ESPN Insider subscriber: http://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/18266694/todd-mcshay-2017-nfl-mock-draft-10
- Geoff Collins won the press conference as they like to say writes Marc Narducci of Philly.com.
- Gators solid at safety entering 2017 season writes Ryan Young of SECCountry.com/
- ESPN.com's Jesse Temple reviews Iowa's season for those looking for more insight into the Hawkeyes.
- Gators head track coach Mike Holloway is now a Hall of Famer writes Zach Dirlam of FloridaGators.com.
- This story by Richard Johnson of SBNation.com is not specifically about the Gators, but rather the art of Photoshopping new coaches into their new teams' gear. It can be tricky for athletic departments as UF and others have learned in the social-media age.
