Mullen's First Gators 'Game Week' Arrives

Dan Mullen went 69-46 in nine seasons (2009-17) at Mississippi State. He's 0-0 at Florida, but not for long.

Mullen's First Gators 'Game Week' Arrives

Monday, August 27, 2018 | Football, Chris Harry

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The first four words of Dan Mullen's news conference Monday echoed the thoughts of Florida football fans everywhere.

"All right," he said. "Game week."

Yes, it's here. The Mullen era opens Saturday night at Spurrier-Florida Field against FCS opponent Charleston Southern. The game will mark the Gators' first since losing at home to Florida State on Nov. 25, 2017, putting a merciful ending to a 4-7 season lowlighted by the dismissal of Coach Jim McElwain nearly a month earlier. Mullen, by way of Mississippi State, was hired the next day, and thus set off a furious offseason reboot of a program he hopes to return to the national-championship ways he was part of as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2005-08.

When he leads his first UF team out of the south end zone tunnel Saturday, it'll be UF's first "game day" in 280 days.

"Feels like forever," junior offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor said.

Longer than that, even.

For the program and its players, there's a sense of pride, and a matter of redemption, what with last year's record being just the second losing mark at Florida since 1980.

"Nobody wants to go 4-8," preseason All-Southeastern Conference defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson said. "We're ready to get out there … and the hard work we put in with Coach Mullen, I feel like its going to pay off."

Monday afternoon, the Gators took the practice field and dove into their first week of regular-season routine with this staff. Monday's, Mullen explained, bring an emphasis on first down for both the offense and the defense. Each day, the coaches will roll in more stuff relative to what UF wants to do and what it expects the opponent to do, based on the scout. The goal is to be very crisp and precise on Thursday, a bit more relaxed at a walk-through Friday, and then unleash a strategic and gradual build-up Saturday to the 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

It'll be an exciting moment for the Gators and their fans. Certainly a special one for Mullen as well. He hopes it goes differently than his last debut. That was Sept. 5, 2009, in Starkville, Miss. The opponent was Jackson State. Mullen and the Bulldogs rolled out of the tunnel — smoke blowing, music blaring — and got to the sideline just as lightning lit up the sky. Back to the locker rooms, the teams went.

Obviously, such a scenario is always a possibility this time of year in the Sunshine State, but the odds are far better a football game will break out at the "Swamp" and the new head coach (and the fans) will have a baseline from which to operate the rest of the 2018 season.

"We're just looking to get things rolling, get the offense going, try and get the defense going," junior wide receiver Josh Hammond said. "Try and start the season off on a good note."

They'll do so with redshirt sophomore quarterback Feleipe Franks as the opening day starter for the second straight season. Mullen released his depth chart Monday and there was little surprise that the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder was on top, ahead of third-year sophomore Kyle Trask and true freshman Emory Jones.

Mullen said Franks, the only QB on the roster with any game experience (54.6 percent completion, 1,438 yards, nine touchdowns, nine interceptions in eight 2017 starts), got the edge based on his mobility and big arm. He also said Franks was ahead of the pack now, adding he expects his quarterbacks to develop over the course of the season.

"We felt Feleipe, with his ability to extend plays, some of his athleticism, right now will us give the best opportunity to win," Mullen said.

Franks has the backing of his teammates.

"Going through last year for him was definitely big, and you can see it just by the way he goes through practice," Hammond said. "Just the way he goes through progressions, going through reads, getting on guys that are not running full speed or are not getting to the ball fast enough and playing to the tempo that Coach Mullen wants. So going through last year really helped him a lot just knowing what Coach Mullen expects of him. We expect him to have a good season."

He'll have more weapons than last year, what with the return of tailback Jordan Scarlett (889 yards, 6 TDs) from his season-long suspension, and a healthy Malik Davis (6.7 yards per carry before season-ending knee injury vs. Georgia), plus the addition of transfers Van Jefferson (from Ole Miss) and Trevon Grimes (Ohio State) to a receiving corps that also returns Tyrie Cleveland, Freddie Swain and Kadarius Toney.

The mere fact that Mullen is now coaching the team — and running an offense with a proven SEC track record — has given his players a jolt of confidence and optimism after the Gators finished, respectfully, 112th, 116th and 110th nationally in yards per game (out of 130 teams), in three seasons under McElwain. Mullen and his offensive staff will have their challenges (especially if a veteran offensive line continues to struggle), but their track record for putting players in position to succeed is better than the coaches they replaced.

Defensively, UF is expected to be very good, what with a rotation up front (led by Cece Jefferson, Jabari Zuniga and Khairi Clark) that could feature as many as 10 guys, athleticism at linebacker (Jeremiah Moon and Vosean Joseph), and yet another solid crew in the secondary (cornerbacks Marco Wilson and CJ Henderson were terrific as true freshman in '17).

Charleston Southern, out of the Big South Conference, went 6-5 in 2017. The three times they stepped up in competition, the Buccaneers were promptly flattened, starting with a 49-0 loss to Mullen's Bulldogs to the open the season. They also lost 27-0 at Indiana and 38-0 against Kennesaw (Ga.) State, ranked No. 23 in FBC at the time. The Buccaneers, though, run a triple option, which also represents something of a quirk for a defense because so few teams use it.

"Different approach," Gardner-Johnson said. "Got to be more dialed in because you don't know what can happen."

On the injury front, freshman wide receiver Jacob Copeland is not expected to play, while safety Shawn Davis and cornerback C.J. McWilliams, both sophomores, are questionable. Junior linebacker David Reese, the team's leading tackler last season, will be a game-time decision. Mullen said any suspensions will be announced on game day.

There's that term again.

It's almost here. Finally.

"It's an opportunity to go against somebody else. The opportunity to get in the 'Swamp' and have our fans pack the 'Swamp' and all the excitement that they've created," Mullen said. "Now, it's real, [with] Gator Walk and seeing everybody coming out to that. Just the energy, it's going to be a lot of fun. I know I'm fired up and ready to get out there and get the season kicked off."