GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- They won one of the biggest season openers in school history and then broke away for a few days following their Week 0 victory over Miami.
While the rest of college football kicked off the 2019 season last weekend, the Gators watched and rested. They returned to practice Monday to prepare for the home opener on Saturday night against UT Martin.
When the Gators run out of the tunnel on Saturday night, "The Swamp" should be alive with energy following what is sure to be a poignant pregame atmosphere as UF honors late superfan George Edmondson, who is better known as "Mr. Two Bits." Edmondson passed away in July and will be honored prior to Saturday's game when his three grandsons and five great grandchildren take the field to perform the cheer he made famous at Florida Field starting in 1949.
Can't wait.
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Meanwhile, the buzz leading up to this matchup is the other side of the coin compared to the summer-long buildup to the Florida-Miami game to celebrate the start of college football's 150th anniversary season.
Still, there's always something to write and talk about when it's football season and the home opener is on tap.
Let's take a look:
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THEY SAID IT
"Watching the team is kind of the tent pole of game day. We want all the other stuff around it to make it more than a game and to make it be a really fun event that gives people the desire to come to campus as often as they can." -- UF Athletic Director
Scott Stricklin on the
Gators' expanded fan experience initiatives for the 2019 season
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"I'm here to win games. We won and that's my main focus. Now my main focus is UT Martin." -- Gators quarterback
Feleipe Franks on his approach amid critics
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"Over the years, I have learned something. On our good teams in games like this, especially early in the season, you play well, you stay in the game, you fight. That you do benefit from." -- UT Martin head coach
Jason Simpson on facing FBS opponents
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Linebacker David Reese, center, was impressed with the way the defense held on in the late stages against Miami in the season-opening victory in Orlando. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
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"I want to see if we're taking the steps we need to continue to move forward, and make our improvements throughout the year. Hopefully our preparation's better this week than it was for the Miami game and that preparation translates to a little better performance on the field ... that we continue to see that steady growth that you always want to have throughout the season." -- Gators head coach
Dan Mullen on goal of a crisper performance Saturday
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"No. No. The only quarterback I probably ever felt sorry for was last year and Tennessee, because he looked like he had enough by the second half."Â -- UF senior linebacker
David Reese on defense's 10-sack performance against Miami and quarterback
Jarren Williams
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"Turnovers. Yeah, can't turn the ball over four times, so I think that's the biggest thing and being more efficient with the ball. We were able to move the ball pretty well at times, I think the biggest thing was just turnovers -- that's something we can't do as an offense." -- Gators receiver
Josh Hammond on biggest turnaround to make from season opener
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"I don't plan on holding anything back. This is a unique team we're playing. They couldn't be any more different than the last team we played." -- Mullen on facing UT Martin
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THEY WROTE IT
The Gators revamped their recruiting staff in the offseason and
Will Sammon of
TheAthletic.com ($--subscription site) spoke with Mullen about the reasons for those changes to better match his philosophy toward recruiting ...Â
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Former Gators defensive lineman
Clint McMillan went into the insurance restoration business after he stopped playing. That didn't last long, and McMillan returns to "The Swamp" on Saturday night as an assistant coach at UT Martin
told via this story byÂ
Gainesville Sun columnist
Pat Dooley ...
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The Gators' win over Miami, hyped all summer as the official kickoff to the 150th anniversary of college football, was then overanalyzed for a week until the rest of the country started playing and perhaps toned down some opinions writes
Edgar Thompson of the
Orlando Sentinel ...
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According to Mullen, around half of Miami's offense was yards after contact because of missed tackles by Florida's defense. The Gators hope to clean up in that area on Saturday against the Skyhawks writes
Kassidy Hill of
GatorBaitMedia.com ...
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-- If flow of game allows, Mullen would like to get
backup quarterbacks some reps writes
Thomas Goldkamp of
247Swamp.com ...
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-- Franks has his detractors, but his most important allies are the coaches and players in the locker room writes
Jacquie Franciulli of
GatorsTerritory.com ...Â
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-- UT Martin is 0-9 against SEC teams under head coach
Jason Simpson, but the Skyhawks are coming off a season-opening win and
Tanner Dennie of
GatorsTerritory.com offers a look at five Skyhawks to watch on Saturday night ...
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