Florida head coach Dan Mullen celebrates his first trip to the SEC Championship Game following last week's win at Tennessee, a journey that required buy-in from the team's senior class. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Gators' Seniors Bought In, Lifted Program Back To Prominence
Friday, December 11, 2020 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The four players walked to midfield for the coin toss that sunny day three years ago knowing it was the last time they would be playing for the Gators.
No Southeastern Conference Championship Game awaited. Neither did a bowl game. A winning record was not even a possibility.
UF senior captains Johnny Townsend, Brandon Powell, Cristian Garcia and Duke Dawson, just a year removed from an SEC East title, watched the coin land in their favor and the Gators elected to receive. It was a rare highlight on an otherwise miserable Senior Day for the home team as Florida lost a fifth consecutive year to Florida State.
On the sideline, a group of freshmen witnessed the Gators finish a tumultuous 2017 season at 4-7, just the program's second losing record in 38 seasons. After their veteran teammates and former coaching staff departed, and head coach Dan Mullen was hired to reboot the program, those freshmen who hung around got a fresh start.
Three years later, they are credited with helping resurrect a program.
"The success we've had over the last three years has shown their buy-in," Mullen said. "We came in we said, 'Hey, if you buy in and believe in what we're doing, we're going have the opportunity to compete for championships.' I'm sure most of them are very thankful they bought in. They believe in what we're trying to do and here they are their senior year, getting to go compete for a championship."
The seniors are part of renewal that includes 29 wins in the last 35 games heading into Saturday's Senior Day game against LSU. The majority of the 27 players the sixth-ranked Gators (8-1) will honor prior to the game against the Tigers (3-5) stood on the sideline for that 38-22 loss to the Seminoles.
Quarterback Kyle Trask was an injured redshirt freshman backup whose inspirational story of going from a career backup to Heisman Trophy contender had yet to form a sentence. On Saturday, he will attempt to break Danny Wuerffel's single-season school record of 39 touchdown passes. Trask has 38 with at least two games left.
Their journey hit bumps – a loss to Kentucky in Mullen's second game in 2018, losses to Georgia in 2018 and 2019, a last-second road loss at Texas A&M earlier this season – but there is no denying their lasting impact is one of significance.
They led the Gators back into the top 10 on a regular basis and have an opportunity next weekend to win the program's first SEC title in 12 years if they can beat No. 1-ranked Alabama in Atlanta.
"We've been through some ups and downs," Trask said. "We had that 4-7 year, then we had a lot of leaders and we bounced back to finish off the back end of our career here in college, very successfully. I think the seniors will really be remembered first just being, like, just a tough, hard-working class."
They had a lot of work to do following the dismal 2017 season. Former coach Jim McElwain was dismissed midseason, interim coach Randy Shannon took control for a month, and two days after the season-ending loss to FSU, Mullen was introduced at a packed press conference inside the Gator Room at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Senior safety Donovan Stiner reflected this week on what a difficult season it was for a freshman who left his native Texas and signed up for a lot more than he envisioned his first season.
"There was a lot going on that year, but at the same time, looking around the locker room, I knew what type of guys we had, I knew what type of talent we had," Stiner said. "We had a down year, but I was confident that throughout the rest of my career, I felt like we would turn that around."
The turnaround started in 2018 when the Gators finished 10-3 and capped the season with a victory over Michigan in the Peach Bowl. They improved to 11-2 last season and concluded the campaign with a win over Virginia in the Orange Bowl.
A year later, navigating a season unlike anyone has experienced due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Gators have overcome a two-week shutdown and SEC-only schedule to win six consecutive games. Florida clinched a berth in the SEC Championship Game last week with a 31-19 win at Tennessee.
The turnaround is one they hope continues all the way to the program's first College Football Playoff berth. Florida's 29 wins over the past three seasons are tied for sixth among Power 5 programs.
Offensive lineman Stone Forsythe, who three years ago made his second career start in that loss to FSU, still had a lot to learn. He moved down the depth chart in Mullen's first season before becoming a regular starter at left tackle in 2019.
The trajectory of his career matches the Gators' in some ways.
"When Mullen came in here, that first offseason we were coming off 4-7, so we had that whole December off," Forsythe said. "He kind of just broke us down and rebuilt us."
It's Senior Day. The home portion of their journey is complete.
"It was really tough, but looking back I feel like we're all blessed," Stiner said. "We went from being 4-7 to winning the Peach Bowl, going to the Orange Bowl, now we're in the SEC Championship. We went from 4-7 and now we have like a Heisman quarterback. So, we've been through a lot of ups and downs, but being where we are now, I think it was all worth it."
No Southeastern Conference Championship Game awaited. Neither did a bowl game. A winning record was not even a possibility.
UF senior captains Johnny Townsend, Brandon Powell, Cristian Garcia and Duke Dawson, just a year removed from an SEC East title, watched the coin land in their favor and the Gators elected to receive. It was a rare highlight on an otherwise miserable Senior Day for the home team as Florida lost a fifth consecutive year to Florida State.
On the sideline, a group of freshmen witnessed the Gators finish a tumultuous 2017 season at 4-7, just the program's second losing record in 38 seasons. After their veteran teammates and former coaching staff departed, and head coach Dan Mullen was hired to reboot the program, those freshmen who hung around got a fresh start.
Three years later, they are credited with helping resurrect a program.
"The success we've had over the last three years has shown their buy-in," Mullen said. "We came in we said, 'Hey, if you buy in and believe in what we're doing, we're going have the opportunity to compete for championships.' I'm sure most of them are very thankful they bought in. They believe in what we're trying to do and here they are their senior year, getting to go compete for a championship."
The seniors are part of renewal that includes 29 wins in the last 35 games heading into Saturday's Senior Day game against LSU. The majority of the 27 players the sixth-ranked Gators (8-1) will honor prior to the game against the Tigers (3-5) stood on the sideline for that 38-22 loss to the Seminoles.
Quarterback Kyle Trask was an injured redshirt freshman backup whose inspirational story of going from a career backup to Heisman Trophy contender had yet to form a sentence. On Saturday, he will attempt to break Danny Wuerffel's single-season school record of 39 touchdown passes. Trask has 38 with at least two games left.
Their journey hit bumps – a loss to Kentucky in Mullen's second game in 2018, losses to Georgia in 2018 and 2019, a last-second road loss at Texas A&M earlier this season – but there is no denying their lasting impact is one of significance.
They led the Gators back into the top 10 on a regular basis and have an opportunity next weekend to win the program's first SEC title in 12 years if they can beat No. 1-ranked Alabama in Atlanta.
"We've been through some ups and downs," Trask said. "We had that 4-7 year, then we had a lot of leaders and we bounced back to finish off the back end of our career here in college, very successfully. I think the seniors will really be remembered first just being, like, just a tough, hard-working class."
They had a lot of work to do following the dismal 2017 season. Former coach Jim McElwain was dismissed midseason, interim coach Randy Shannon took control for a month, and two days after the season-ending loss to FSU, Mullen was introduced at a packed press conference inside the Gator Room at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Senior safety Donovan Stiner reflected this week on what a difficult season it was for a freshman who left his native Texas and signed up for a lot more than he envisioned his first season.
"There was a lot going on that year, but at the same time, looking around the locker room, I knew what type of guys we had, I knew what type of talent we had," Stiner said. "We had a down year, but I was confident that throughout the rest of my career, I felt like we would turn that around."
The turnaround started in 2018 when the Gators finished 10-3 and capped the season with a victory over Michigan in the Peach Bowl. They improved to 11-2 last season and concluded the campaign with a win over Virginia in the Orange Bowl.
A year later, navigating a season unlike anyone has experienced due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Gators have overcome a two-week shutdown and SEC-only schedule to win six consecutive games. Florida clinched a berth in the SEC Championship Game last week with a 31-19 win at Tennessee.
The turnaround is one they hope continues all the way to the program's first College Football Playoff berth. Florida's 29 wins over the past three seasons are tied for sixth among Power 5 programs.
Offensive lineman Stone Forsythe, who three years ago made his second career start in that loss to FSU, still had a lot to learn. He moved down the depth chart in Mullen's first season before becoming a regular starter at left tackle in 2019.
The trajectory of his career matches the Gators' in some ways.
"When Mullen came in here, that first offseason we were coming off 4-7, so we had that whole December off," Forsythe said. "He kind of just broke us down and rebuilt us."
It's Senior Day. The home portion of their journey is complete.
"It was really tough, but looking back I feel like we're all blessed," Stiner said. "We went from being 4-7 to winning the Peach Bowl, going to the Orange Bowl, now we're in the SEC Championship. We went from 4-7 and now we have like a Heisman quarterback. So, we've been through a lot of ups and downs, but being where we are now, I think it was all worth it."
For those veterans who wore the hardhats during the rebuild, they get their moment in the sun Saturday. One last time to walk onto Florida Field, heads held high.
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