Lito Sheppard shared in the fun Saturday with an interception return for a touchdown. (Photo: Dakota Williams/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Orange & Blue Game Leftovers
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At the end of one of the last practices of spring camp, the Gators gathered around head coach Dan Mullen as they do after each practice.
It's a chance for Mullen to share a final message prior to turning the players over to the strength and conditioning staff for recovery and preparation for the next practice.
On this particular day, Mullen's tone was more urgent than usual. He turned up the intensity to get the players' attention, with an eye toward the work ahead to take the next step as a program.
"I can tell you it's a hell of a lot easier to go from four wins to 10 wins than from 10 to 11,'' Mullen said.
Now that spring camp has concluded, the Gators will finish the semester academically and then partake in summer conditioning drills. Once the team reconvenes as a group in late summer to prepare for the Aug. 24 season opener against Miami, the mission is to improve on Mullen's first season and compete for a championship.
Florida took a massive jump in 2018, its six-win improvement the second-largest in school history. As the Gators pursue a climb to the top of the SEC East in 2019, they seek incremental advancement that likely will require a victory over Georgia, which has outscored UF 78-24 in back-to-back wins in the heated series.
The Bulldogs are projected to repeat as East champions on most way-too-early pundit lists, coming off a season in which they edged Kentucky and Florida by two games. However, Georgia dropped its final two games (Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and Texas in the Sugar Bowl) to finish ranked seventh in the final AP Top 25, tied with Florida.
The Gators closed a gap that was perceived as significantly wider when the season started.
Still, as Mullen reminded his team recently, the closer you get to the top, the tougher the terrain.
Here are some random thoughts/nuggets in the wake of the Orange & Blue Game and as the Gators head into the summer months:
-- Three things stood out to me on the first play of the spring game. First, Kadarius Toney's nice touch on the pass; second, quarterback Feleipe Franks running under the ball 40 yards downfield and showing soft hands; finally, the rude introduction to the Swamp for freshman cornerback Chris Steele, who was in coverage down the sideline. Steele was tossed into the fire this spring and got burned at times, but his competitive nature was on display throughout and will help him contribute as a true freshman.
-- Like everyone else, I was impressed with receiver Trevon Grimes, who really started to find his role at the end of last season. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Grimes has a ton of natural ability and said after the game that it took him awhile to stop paying attention to his critics on social media once he transferred from Ohio State to Florida. That allowed him to regain confidence and start to allow his ability to take over, which the Gators will be happy to utilize more in 2019. Grimes caught four passes for a spring game-record 195 yards Saturday, eclipsing Dallas Baker's mark of 176 yards in 2004.
Receiver Trevon Grimes set an Orange & Blue Game record with 195 receiving yards. (Photo: Savannah Austin/UAA Communications)
-- Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Malik Langham has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal according to multiple reports Monday. Langham cross-trained at defensive end and tackle in the spring and played for Team Blue on Saturday, recording a pass break-up. Langham joins receiver Daquon Green (Murray State), center T.J. McCoy, linebacker Kylan Johnson and defensive lineman Antonneous Clayton Sr. as players who have announced transfer plans since end of last season.
-- A byproduct of Mullen's return to UF has been an increase in the return of players from the 2005-08 teams when he was offensive coordinator and the Gators won two national championships. That's a bonus in recruiting since many of today's recruits remember watching those players at UF and in the NFL. Former UF offensive linemen Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, receiver Deonte Thompson and defensive back Janoris Jenkins were among players from those teams who attended the spring game.
The Pouncey brothers (Maurkice and Mike) at the Orange & Blue Game with family members. (Photo: Chris Houston/UAA Communications)
-- Practice reports all spring praised Franks for his continued improvement and on Saturday, Franks showed Gator Nation those reports were accurate. Yes, we know he threw against basic coverages. Yes, we know the plan was for the offense to shine and entertain the crowd. Yes, we know he was not under any major pressure in the pocket. Still, Franks took advantage of the mismatches the way a good quarterback should and provided more evidence of his growth under the tutelage of Mullen and quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson. "It's all a process,'' he said. "They develop me more as a quarterback each and every day." Franks said the biggest adjustment of late is Johnson working to tighten up his release. Franks impressed with his play and his attitude during spring camp and is primed for a big season if the offensive line can formalize and provide adequate protection.
-- One aspect of the Orange & Blue Game that has gone well since Mullen took over is the honorary head coaches. It's an opportunity for the program to honor the program's most prominent financial supporters in a fun and public way. Former UF quarterback Tommy Shannon led Team Blue and longtime booster Bryan Kornblau directed Team Orange. Both were entertaining in their postgame remarks and clearly had a good time. "We can just talk about the number 60 -- that's what we put on 'em,'' Kornblau said. Shannon may have taken the loss, but he was in good spirits after getting a bucket of Gatorade dumped on him, saying the experience "really humanizes the entire process" that goes into coaching a team. Honorary coaches Bryan Kornblau, left, and Tommy Shannon. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
-- The two-deep offensive line Saturday featured Stone Forsythe/Richard Gouraige at left tackle, Brett Heggie/Ethan White at left guard, Nick Buchanan/Kingsley Eguakun at center, Christopher Bleich/T.J. Moore at right guard and Jean Delance/Michael Tarquin at right tackle. Mullen reiterated that the unit will be tested to perform at a higher level in fall camp than this spring, adding that a graduate transfer transferring into the program remains a possibility. "We still need to hit the road recruiting, because we are not complete at that position," Mullen said. "Those guys need to continue to take steps and continue to grow. We have 25 more practices before we play in a game."
-- Should Franks get injured or struggle, redshirt freshman Emory Jones is way ahead of where he was last season in his understanding of the offense and ability to utilize his skill-set within Mullen's system. Jones said his outlook has changed, too. "When I first got here, I obviously came in here thinking I was going to play early,'' he said. "It's a different level of football. I had to learn." That's the kind of mature approach that coaches hope young players have when they arrive. Some lose patience and transfer. Jones has continued to work on his development. He said the biggest adjustment he worked on this spring is developing a quicker release.
-- Junior defensive tackle Kyree Campbell was active in the spring game, registering six tackles and 1.5 sacks for Team Blue. Campbell is a player more than one teammate said this spring is primed for a breakout season and someone who has taken more of a leadership role. He did nothing to dispel that praise on Saturday.
-- Redshirt freshman receiver Jacob Copeland was held out for precautionary reasons. Copeland nursed an ankle and leg injury during camp and went back and forth between practicing and rehab. Copeland remains one of the top offensive prospects in the program but will need to show he can stay healthy to crack a deep receiving rotation. Copeland's first year on campus has been a quiet one, which can be difficult for fans who want to see what the fuss was all about on the recruiting trail. Still, with a deep receiving corps, there's been no need to rush Copeland onto the field.
