Dan Mullen knows the Gators will have to be much, much better than they were against Towson as they head back into SEC play next week, starting with a home game against No. 7 Auburn. (Photo: Evan Lepak/UAA Communications)
Gators Good Enough for These Tigers
Saturday, September 28, 2019 | Football, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — If the Florida Gators expect to fare better against the Auburn Tigers next week, and the LSU Tigers the week after that, they'll almost certainly have to play cleaner, crisper and more inspired in all facets than they did Saturday against the Towson Tigers at the "Swamp."
No, ninth-ranked UF wasn't challenged in its 38-0 blanking of the FCS-classified program out of the Colonial Athletic Association. Quarterback Kyle Trask completed his first 15 passes on the way to throwing for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while rushing for another score. And, yes, the Gators (5-0) posted their second shutout, thanks to three turnovers and two failed field goals, in equaling their best five-game start since 2015.
But Coach Dan Mullen wasn't gushing with his postgame remarks. He knew what time it was.
As in, time for this team to get serious, because the schedule is about to do that and then some.
"Maybe not at our best. We played well," said Mullen, who also was speaking for the Spurrier/Florida Field crowd that didn't exactly turn out and turn up, at least not like what is expected from the sellout and scene for seventh-ranked Auburn in seven days. "Next week, I expect everyone to be a little louder — and we're going to have to play better."
A lot better.
Trask, the redshirt junior making his second start since taking over following Feleipe Franks' season-ending ankle injury, was pretty good from the jump. He hit all seven attempts in leading a touchdown drive on the first possession of the game, finding sophomore tight end Kyle Pitts for a 5-yard score. He had a 1-yard TD run off a quarterback sneak in the second period, then hit Pitts again for a 7-yard score in the third period before giving way to redshirt freshman backup Emory Jones to finish things off.
In hitting his first 15 passes, coupled with completions on his last three throws of last week's win against Tennessee, Trask set a school record with 18 consecutive completions (breaking Chris Leak's 15-year-old mark of 17 straight). By the time Trask checked out, the Gators were in command 31-0.
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask dives into the end zone for 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter. (Photo: Jay Metz/UAA Communications)
Trask didn't know about the record until Mullen's wife, Megan, told him after the game.
"It's pretty cool to be a part of history like that, especially with the great quarterbacks who have played here," the soft-spoken Texan said before turning to his team-first talking points of praising his coaches, complimenting his teammates and accentuating the need to take one game at a time. "I think I felt a little more comfortable, but we're still treating opponents the same way and preparing each week."
The Gators won't treat the next wave of Tigers like the ones on the field Saturday. Mullen won't let that happen — not for the first "Swamp" showdown of two top-10 and unbeaten teams since 2012 — and said as much afterward.
"Look at this team," he said. "We've taken care of business to this point. Whatever the situation, good or bad, we've taken care of business to this point. We've played some good teams, but now it's going to go to a whole new level. We got a top-10 team coming in here next week."
And some good news along with it.
An unhealthy handful of players, mostly on the defensive side, are expected to return to action for UF's return to league play. Standout cornerback CJ Henderson (ankle), out the last 3 1/2 games, and elite pass-rusher Jabari Zuniga (ankle), out most of the last three, will be back. So will safety Shawn Davis, safety Jeawon Taylor and linebacker Ventrell Miller, each of whom was held out Saturday for precautionary reasons, as well as wide receiver Freddie Swain. Of the Florida walking wounded, only flanker Kadarius Toney (shoulder) will be unavailable next week.
"Once we get everybody back, get the chemistry back and go back to playing the way we were in camp, we're going to be really good," graduate-transfer linebacker Jonathan Greenard said.
The opening drive was a solid 82-yard, 12-play march, with Trask accounting for 64 yards through the air and Pitts' first score coming less than six minutes into the game. Towson (3-2), the 10th-ranked FCS program and averaging 423.8 yards per game but facing its first FBS opponent this season, threatened on its first drive behind feisty quarterback Tom Flacco, the younger brother of Denver quarterback Joe Flacco and two-time transfer (Western Michigan and Rutgers). First, Flacco took off for a 22-yard run on Towson's first snap. Then he had a 9-yard run on third-and-8. Then an 11-yard run on third-and-9. He had a 20-yard completion to wideout Ryan Rutkowski in between to reach the UF 20.
Then he had a fumbled shotgun snap that was recovered by senior linebacker David Reese to thwart the drive.
The Gators turned the turnover into a 42-yard Evan McPherson field goal and 10-0 lead one play into the second quarter.
Towson answered with a second solid drive in as many possessions — and as many points. The Tigers controlled the ball for 12 plays and churned out 69 yards, hitting a 20-yard pass and converting a pair of third-down runs along the way before stalling at the UF 15. Aidan O'Neill's 32-yard field goal was wide right.
UF linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58), defensive back Trey Dean (21) and nose tackle Kyree Campbell (55) celebrate a turnover for the defense. (Photo: Evan Lepak/UAA Communications)
The loose start, though, did not sit well with the UF defense.
"We start slow and it fuels us," grad defensive tackle Adam Shuler said. "We get a little angry."
So do the coaches. Mullen made mention to the media of his defense's inability to get off the field at times, with the Tigers going 8-for-15 on third-down conversions. He made mention of it to his players at halftime, also.
"We wanted to get more plays in," said Mullen, whose team got only 60 snaps on offense. "They did a good job of slowing the game down."
Far from good enough, though.
"They're big, they're tall, they're fast, they're strong, they're physical and they're well coached," Towson coach Rob Ambrose said. "There's a reason why they are where they are."
Florida made it 17-0 late in the first half and made it look pretty easy: eight plays, 80 yards in just over four minutes, with backup tailback Dameon Pierce's 31-yard burst off the left side the big-hitter. Three plays later (after a defensive pass interference in the end zone), Trask crept over for his 1-yard score with 3:46 to go in the first half. That's where it stood at intermission.
The Gators' second interception of the third quarter, a tipped Flacco pass by defensive tackle Tedarrell Slaton into the arms of Greenard, set up the offense at the Towson 7. Trask's second scoring throw to Pitts, a 7-yarder, made it 24-0 with less than five minutes gone in the period.
UF tallied a couple more touchdowns, with Pierce (6 carries, 84 yards) dashing for a 37-yard touchdown late in the third quarter and Jones guiding a seven-play, 69-yard drive in the fourth, highlighted by his 29-yard run and capped by a 2-yard scoring toss to true freshman tight end Keon Zipperer.
Collectively, the Gators spoke postgame about finding their extra gear. Like, starting Monday at practice.
"As players, we all know what we can do," junior wideout Trevon Grimes said.
And the head coach knows what they have to do.
"In every aspect of the game, if we don't get better, we can't expect to win," Mullen said. "You're not going to do this and be a successful team."
One capable of grabbing a Tiger (with SEC pedigree) by the tail.
Worth noting: The Missouri Tigers await on Nov. 16, but first felines first.
