The Florida Gators kicked off the season with an offensive firework show in Oxford to the tune of a 51-35 win over Ole Miss. Dan Mullen met with the media on Monday to go over the Gators’ big win and also preview South Carolina, Florida’s home opener.
Looking back at the film
There was a lot to be happy about on the offensive side of the ball. Florida put up more yards against an SEC opponent than it ever has in school history and Kyle’s Pitts and Trask had career numbers. On the defensive side of the ball, however, it was the worst statistical game the Gators have had since a 2014 thrashing at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
There was some sloppy tackling, which can be expected given the kind of offseason every team had, and Dan Mullen isn’t ready to hit the panic button yet.
“I think now that you have eliminated spring ball; when you eliminate the amount of tackling that you have done at this time; you expand this long training camp with the limitations that we had in it; I think it’s an advantage for the offense really – so this is what you are seeing. I expect us to make a really big jump from week one to week two defensively with tackling, the effort, with running to the football, with communication and making sure we are fitting everything properly.”
Ole Miss’ offense is going to be very good this season. Last Saturday won’t be the last time they put up those kids of gaudy numbers but Mullen is confident it will be the last time his defense gives up numbers like that.
Steve Spurrier is the greatest living American
Shortly after the Gators’ win over Ole Miss Dan Mullen joked that he and the Gators offense had broken some of Spurrier’s records.
“I heard that it was a school record for offense. I would expect, when I get home, my neighbor Coach Spurrier right around the corner right there, I should have a really nice bottle of wine sitting on my desk if I broke one of his records offensively. That’s at least deserving of a nice bottle of wine.”
That night, Spurrier told the Gainesville Sun’s Pat Dooley, “Tell Coach to win an SEC Championship and I’ll bring him two.”
A classic Spurrier zinger, but he wasn’t done.
Spurrier showed up to work today and gifted Dan Mullen a single serving size Sutter Home bottle of wine. These can be purchased in a four-pack for $6.99 at the Total Wine in Gainesville, so, if my math is correct, it’s roughly a $1.74 bottle of wine.
@SteveSpurrierUF with the reward for the record setting day. Hopefully more on the way. pic.twitter.com/htU0Uq0a9Y
— Dan Mullen (@CoachDanMullen) September 28, 2020
God bless Steve Spurrier.
Two Gators earn SEC Player of the Week honors
But not the two you would expect.
Linebacker Ventrell Miller and center Brett Heggie earned Defensive Player of the Week and Offensive Lineman of the Week honors after Florida’s win over Ole Miss. Kyle Pitts and Kyle Trask missed out on SEC Offensive Player of the Week because of K.J. Costello’s complete torching of LSU in Death Valley. He threw for 623 yards, shattering the MSU and SEC single-game passing yards record. His 623 yards also ranks 11th in NCAA history.
Costello completed 36 passes on 60 attempts, which were also MSU school records. He matched the program record for passing touchdowns with five. Costello completed 15 passes of 20 yards or more and found 10 different receivers during the game. He kept the offense rolling on third downs, going 7-of-11 passing for 194 yards.
Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida
• Miller posted 15 tackles, 13 solo and two assisted, on Saturday in Florida’s 51-35 victory at ole Miss. Miller also collected two tackles-for-loss (17 yards) and one sack (11 yards).
• With his 15 tackles, Miller had the most tackles in the Southeastern Conference over the weekend and was one of only two players in the SEC to post double-digit solo tackles.
• Miller is also tied for No. 5 in tackles-for-loss and tied for No. 8 in sacks in the conference.
Brett Heggie, C, Florida
• Heggie graded out as the top offensive lineman for the Gators in their 51-35 win at Ole Miss on Saturday. Heggie anchored an offensive line that helped Florida gain 642 total yards (446 passing and 196 rushing), which is a school record for yards against an SEC opponent.
• The Gators are No. 1 in the SEC in scoring offense, rushing offense, and total offense, and are No. 2 in the SEC in passing offense and passing efficiency. Florida averaged 8.7 yards per play, which is No. 1 in the SEC.
• Heggie helped provide protection for Kyle Trask who threw for 416 yards and six touchdowns, completing 30-of-42 passes with no turnovers. At center, Heggie makes the calls and is a leader on the line.
Tickets still available for Saturday against South Carolina
Due to restrictions and social distancing, the Florida Gators are limiting tickets to 17,000 for every home game. That’s a number that, in normal times, wouldn’t be hard to move to see the Gators play in the Swamp. However, Florida has yet to sell its allotment of tickets for this week’s game and Dan Mullen took time to ask fans to make sure the Gators play in front of a good crowd Saturday.
“You know it’s going to be great to be home and back to being in the home environment – playing in the Swamp, there is no environment like it. I can’t wait to see it. I think one thing. Even though there is a limited capacity at stadiums right now, fans can make a huge difference. So we need the Gator fans maximize, we can’t pack the swamp, but maximize what we can do at the Swamp on Saturdays. I know there are still tickets available for the game, which is something that is a little bit of different, unique. I think there are a lot of people I’ve talked to out there, ‘oh coach, it’s just a shame, we would love to go to game this year, but we can’t get tickets this year’ or what the situation is. So there are still tickets available. All the Gator nation out there, if you want to come to the game, please contact … get in touch to the ticket office. There are still tickets available for Saturday’s game. And just like I said last week, it is such a huge deal to be in the Swamp on a Saturday in, I guess it will be in October now. To be in the Swamp in October feels normal, and I know life hasn’t always felt normal the past six months. Come join us in the Swamp this Saturday, it should be great the first home game.”
Tickets are not cheap, but if you are looking for them you can follow the link below to purchase tickets against South Carolina.
https://floridagators.com/sports/2017/7/6/football-single-games.aspx
There are also other options to buy from a third party. Vivid seats has the cheapest “get in” price at $69 and StubHub’s lowest price to get in the stadium is $75.