Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On Page 132 of the 2019 Gators media guide rests a page that lists the program's all-time record against every opponent it has played, from Air Force (1-0) to Wyoming (2-0).

If you dig deeper on the page, along the right side there is a chart that breaks down the Gators' all-time record against each conference based on current alignment. The Gators have a winning record against each Power Five conference and Group of Five conference.

Finally, the chart that made me grab my glasses for a closer look. The one that lists the Gators' record against FCS conferences. At first, nothing surprising. An 0-2 all-time record against Ivy League schools stood out, but of course, the two losses came in the 1920s against Harvard when the college football hierarchy was much different than today.

However, a 2-4 all-time record against teams currently in the Colonial Athletic Association seemed odd.

The ninth-ranked Gators (4-0) host CAA-member Towson (3-1, ranked 10th in the FCS rankings) on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It's the first meeting between the schools.

That led to closer inspection and a brief history lesson as the Gators enter their final game before a difficult stretch that starts Oct. 5 on homecoming against No. 7-ranked Auburn (4-0).

Considering the CAA's roots trace back only to 1979, a look at how the Gators have a losing record against its current roster of football-playing schools: Albany, Delaware, Elon, James Madison, Maine, New Hampshire, Richmond, Rhode Island, Stony Brook, Towson, Villanova and William & Mary.

The crowd at Florida Field for the Gators-Villanova game made headlines. Sun, Oct 12, 1941 – 17 · The Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida) · Newspapers.com 

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CHARTING THE GATORS
 
Here is a look at the Gators' history against current members of the Colonial Athletic Association:
 

OPPONENT	YEAR	LOCATION	RESULT
Villanova	1940	Shibe Park/Philadelphia	Wildcats cruise to 28-0 win
Villanova	1941	Florida Field/Gainesville	Gators lose 6-0 in front of 20,000
Villanova	1942	Shibe Park/Philadelphia	UF led late but loses 13-3
Villanova	1946	Florida Field/Gainesville	Gators lose 27-20 in 0-9 season
Richmond	1963	Florida Field/Gainesville	Florida holds on for 35-28 win
Richmond	1970	Florida Field/Gainesville	Favored by 41, Gators won 20-0

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NOTES & NUGGETS
 

• The Gators have won eight consecutive games for the first time since an eight-game win streak that started with a Gator Bowl win over Ohio State to conclude the 2011 season and a 7-0 start to the 2012 season.
• Florida has not won nine games in a row since the school-record 22-game win streak that included the final 10 games of the 2008 season and first 12 games of the 2009 season.
• Gators running back Lamical Perine, who rushed 14 times for 62 yards in last week's win over Tennessee, is nine yards shy of reaching 2,000 career rushing yards.
• UF quarterback Kyle Trask is 29 of 41 for 419 yards since coming off the bench in the fourth quarter to replace injured starter Feleipe Franks at Kentucky. Trask threw for 293 yards in his first career start last week, the most passing yards for a Gators quarterback since Austin Appleby threw for 296 against the Vols in 2016.
• Florida is 4-0 all-time against ranked FCS teams since 1978, the first year such rankings were made available. The Gators beat No. 14 Eastern Kentucky in 2014, No. 24 Furman in 2011, No. 2 Appalachian State in 2010 and No. 1 Furman in 1990.
• Florida sophomore tight end Kyle Pitts has eight catches for 125 yards in the last two games. Pitts had three catches for 73 yards as a freshman.
• Towson quarterback Tom Flacco was named CAA Offensive Player of the Year in 2018 and is off to another excellent start, averaging 329.8 yards per game of total offense (273 passing, 56.8 rushing).
• Towson coach Rob Ambrose, in his 11th season, served as an assistant on former UConn head coach Randy Edsall's staff with the Huskies. Ambrose led Towson to its first win over an FBS program in 2013 when the Tigers upset UConn on the road.
• The Gators have seven interceptions on the season, topped by two each from Kaiir Elam and Shawn Davis. Florida has back-to-back games with three interceptions for the first time since the 2012 season.
• Florida and Washington State are the only FBS teams with at least six players who have caught at least five passes for 100 yards this season. Fifth-year senior Van Jefferson leads the Gators in both categories with 16 catches for 232 yards.