Florida Gators

THE QUICK SLANT
No. 9 FLORIDA 38, OPPONENT 0  

WHAT HAPPENED: Quarterback Kyle Trask completed his first 15 passes, threw for two touchdowns and rushed for a score, backup tailback Dameon Pierce had a 37-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and the UF defense registered its second shutout of the season Saturday in blanking overmatched Towson at Spurrier/Florida Field. Trask, the fourth-year junior making his second start, finished 18 of 20 for 188 yards with scoring strikes of 5 and 7 yards, both to sophomore tight end Kyle Pitts, and sandwiched a 1-yard touchdown run on a QB sneak in between. In the fourth quarter, Trask gave way to redshirt freshman backup Emory Jones, who keyed a 69-yard touchdown drive with a 29-yard run and finished it with a 2-yard scoring pass to reserve true freshman tight end Keon Zipperer. The Florida defense surrendered some big plays to Tigers quarterback Tom Flacco, younger brother of Denver Broncos quarterback and Super Bowl champ Joe Flacco, but ultimately kept Towson off the scoreboard, thanks to three forced turnovers and a couple missed field goals. UF finished with 422 yards of total offense, while holding Towson to 248.  WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators are 5-0 for the first time since 2015, and for only the second time in the last 10 seasons. Expect Coach Dan Mullen to go with the ol' Urban Meyer adage next week: "The best thing about being 5-0 is you have a chance to go 6-0." This one also put a wrap on UF's non-conference schedule until the Gators face rival Florida State in the regular-season finale Nov. 30. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: While senior tailback Lamical Perine searches for his first breakout game of the season, Pierce, the sophomore from Bainbridge, Ga., brought the Gators some much-needed productivity to the struggling Florida running game, including runs of 31 yards in the second quarter and that 37-yard score in the third. Those runs marked the third- and second-longest, respectfully, for the Gators this season. Pierce's performance helped UF finish with 160 rushing yards for the game, which was the second-most of the season. The Gators began the day ranked 12th in the Southeastern Conference in rushing and exited still averaging just 141.4 per game (with two of those games against FCS opponents). 

STAGGERING STATISTIC: Saturday's hot start, combined with three completions on his final three throws in last week's defeat of Tennessee, gave Trask 18 straight completions over the two games. That broke the previous UF record of 17 straight, set by Chris Leak in the 2005 season opener against Wyoming. Trask, whose first missed attempt came at the 9:25 mark of the third period, equaled the 15 straight completions to start a game that his predecessor, Feleipe Franks, hit to open UF's Sept. 7 defeat of Tennessee Martin. The 15 was the second-most in school history, behind the 17 in a row from Leak 14 years ago. 

UP NEXT: Florida (5-0, 2-0) returns to league play -- and in a big way -- with the first game of a wicked October paddle wheel by facing No. 7 Auburn (4-0) next Saturday at the "Swamp." The first showdown between the Gators and Tigers since 2011 (and the first at home since '07) already has been tabbed for the CBS game of the week (Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.), and don't be surprised if those folks from ESPN parachute in with their "Game Day" crew if it ends up being a game of unbeatens (Auburn is home against Mississippi State tonight). The stakes, especially for UF, will be magnified because the Gators won't be home for a month, what with huge road games at No. 4 LSU on Oct. 12 and South Carolina on Oct. 19, then (after a bye week) the big annual clash against No. 3 Georgia in Jacksonville.