GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we bring you our Friday prediction podcast for the Florida Gators vs. Arkansas game on Saturday.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre breakdown the keys for the Gators on Saturday vs. Arkansas and what they have to do to win the game.
Andrew and Nick give you three players to watch for the Gators, plus we predict several games around the country.
TRANSCRIPT:
Andrew:What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, we’re back and ready to talk some Gators-Arkansas, one of the select few games around the SEC that is not cancelled. Yeah. The rest of the country who laughed at Florida for getting cancelled, laugh again.
Nick:For real. The list of cancelled games this week, postponed or cancelled. Alabama at LSU. Ohio State at Maryland. Texas A&M at Tennessee. Georgia at Missouri. Auburn at Mississippi State. Memphis at Navy. Air Force at Wyoming. UL Monroe at Arkansas State. All either cancelled or postponed. Not only are we dealing with Covid, but we just had Tropical Storm Eta, which she was on a wild Spring Break trip. Went down to Mexico, hung around in the Gulf for a little while, passed through Cuba, South Florida, back in the Gulf. We didn’t know if it was going to hit you or hit us. It rolled through Gainesville and should be up through Jacksonville. Wasn’t bad. Just a bunch of rain for us. Won’t affect the game on Saturday.
Andrew:Just a drunk hurricane. That’s what it was.
Nick:I know you were looking at that thing. You’ve been hit by some hurricanes this year, and you were looking at that thing being like, get out of here.
Andrew:I was blowing it your way. 100% was blowing it your way. Blowing it your way saying, forget about it. Yeah. Some good news though, like we said, it’ll be good weather. Things should be able to go off without a hassle on Saturday. Looks like everything is still good in Hog land. Outside of Sam Pittman, everyone on that team still is somehow miraculously, thankfully, testing negative for the virus, so that’s great news. Get to see Feleipe Franks and Florida and see how things go.
Nick:It’s interesting. I’ve been so single minded this week. I’m only sitting here talking about Feleipe, and it’s a really cool storyline, but it’s not Feleipe versus Kyle or just Feleipe versus Florida. It’s the Gators versus the Hogs. Gators versus the Razorbacks, so we’ll break down some game. I think you can’t overlook how cool this is to get Feleipe the opportunity to come back. I hope he gets an ovation or some kind of acknowledgement. It’d be cool if Florida had like a little video thing dialed up for him. I think that’d be nice, because he went through a lot of crap here. Some deservedly. Maybe he brought some on himself, but I think wisdom comes through experience. He’s certainly got a lot of that now.
Andrew:Someone, I don’t know if they were making fun of us, if they were trying to throw shade or whatever, that we were being apologists. Listen, I’m the furthest thing from an apologist for Feleipe Franks. I have zero problem admitting that whatsoever. I did not think highly of Feleipe Franks as a quarterback at the University of Florida, and I don’t, but I don’t wish bad will on anyone at all. That’s why we both have said positive things about and wish him well. Hope that whatever path he takes he does well. I just wanted to throw that out there.
I’m not saying he’s a great quarterback or anything like that. That’s not what I’m saying. Do I think he is a manageable quarterback? Yes. Do I think he’s doing better with Arkansas? I do. I do think so, and I’ve said it before. I think the pressure not being on him and the pressure of being the starting quarterback at the University of Florida is so difficult that I do. I think that that’s a big thing for him, and I’m glad to see him doing well.
Nick:We’re not taking back any of the criticism we had for him at the time, when we were breaking down his game. I don’t think we ever attacked him personally. Maybe said he was immature, and that’s our opinion of someone we’ve known since he was 14, 15 years old. Never took personal shots at him. Just critiquing his play, which is part of our job.
Andrew:There’s several times that I said he was immature and needed to hush and let his play do the talking and everything else, but it is what it is. Let’s move on a little bit here. We’ll start to get into this and kind of break down this game. People keep asking me, Nick, and we’ve been asked this a lot this year. Everyone says, do you think this is going to be a blowout? I keep saying I don’t know that it’s a blowout. One of the reasons I say that is I get nervous about this defense, especially with a guy like Franks, who doesn’t mind to take the shots deep and who doesn’t mind to throw the ball over a defender’s head. I just get worried about that. Doesn’t take a long drive. If Franks hits a couple of those balls deep, that’s a couple touchdowns and can keep it close. I don’t know that I’m fully on board that this is going to be a blowout.
Nick:It’s kind of like last week against Georgia. I think last week we probably said I could see Florida winning this game in multiple ways. I think the only way Georgia wins this is a close game. I don’t see Arkansas blowing Florida out. When we had Richard on, he says the way I see Arkansas winning this game is if they can force some turnovers and keep it close. I can see Florida winning this game close. I can see Florida winning by 10. I can see Florida winning by 27, 28.
Andrew:Right.
Nick:It’s almost just like there’s one path to victory for Arkansas, and there’s many paths to victory for Florida. I could see Florida blowing Arkansas out. That may or may not be my prediction. You got to wait till the end of the show for that. I guess that’s the main point. I can only really see one way for Arkansas to win this, versus Florida’s got a couple paths to victory in this game.
Andrew:Yeah. 100%. I think that’s the biggest key is that. When you look at this Arkansas team offensively, 376 yards per game, 238 through the air and 138 on the ground. So, they’re pretty balanced, I would say, for the most part. I said this before, and I’ll say it again. I think that when you look at this Arkansas team Florida cannot play, and this is any game going forward and any game this year, simply because of just kind of how they are defensively, and that is they cannot get out of their game. They cannot get reckless as far as leaving the edges open. They can’t do that. If they do that, that’s a recipe for disaster.
And they have to stay home against Feleipe. They just have to. They cannot allow Feleipe to do some of the quarterback read plays where he keeps it and is gone, because that’s been a problem for certain guys on the defensive side of the ball, especially at defensive end. They fall victim to just going straight for the ball carrier. Would you agree with that?
Nick:Yeah. Even on the 75-yard run against Georgia, they set the edge. Maybe set it a little bit too wide, but the corners set the edge. I think Brad wasn’t over. They definitely didn’t have enough people on that side of the field, but it’s been an issue. I don’t know that it will be a recurring issue, but it’s certainly something that you’re keying in on this week. I think that’s the point you’re making, right?
Andrew:Yeah. I think you need to play fundamental ball. Listen, the key always to beating Feleipe Franks is get pressure on him. Get pressure on him. If you can get pressure on Feleipe, you make him make bad decisions, and that’s how you win the game. Do I expect Todd Grantham to turn the heat up? Absolutely. There is zero reason to be sitting back in coverage in this game. Bring pressure all day long. Make Feleipe beat you with his arm. Make him beat you with quick decisions, and make him beat you under pressure. I don’t think he can do that. I’ll say that till the end. Unless he can do it, until he does it, I’m just not going to believe that. Put pressure on him. Put pressure on him, and put more pressure on him, and see what he can do. They’ve allowed 11 sacks on the year.
Nick:Yes. That’s one thing. For me it’s also though, and you kind of said set the edge, you get pressure on Feleipe, we’ve seen it, and we’ve said it. It’s not always the prettiest, but he can extend plays with his legs, and he can hurt you with his feet. Don’t just get there, send the house to get there, because you think that you can force him to make some throws and force some stuff, as he will do. I don’t think you need someone there spying him, a linebacker or a nickel spying him, just got to have it in the back of your head. Don’t let Feleipe beat you with his legs either.
Andrew:Right. Can’t let him beat you with his legs. You have to keep pressure on him. Don’t let him sit back there and have all day to throw the ball, and that’ll be a key. I think that if you can go into this game and put a lot of pressure on him, force him to make quick decisions, I think you win the ballgame.
Nick:Yeah.
Andrew:Defensively.
Nick:Looking at the other side of the ball.
Andrew:Go ahead.
Nick:Looking at the other side of the ball, if we’re talking about defense, Arkansas’ defense has been really good with turnovers. 12 interceptions, second best pass defense in the SEC. They’ve only allowed a 300-yard passer once this year, and that was in a win over Mississippi State. They are -20 in turnover margin, combined over the last four years. +8 this season. In their three wins, Arkansas is +9 with 13 takeaways. In their three losses, -1 with no takeaways. That’s their key. This is a ball hawking secondary. They will create turnovers.
We saw Kyle Trask. Listen, Kyle Trask had an incredible game. Davey O’Brien Quarterback of the Week, Player of the Week. But Georgia’s dropped some interceptions. This Arkansas defense doesn’t look like a team that’s going to drop too many of those. In a game where we’ve already said the keys to victory and the only path we see to victory for Arkansas is to create turnovers and to keep it close, that’s got to be crucial key for Florida’s offense and for Kyle Trask. Don’t put the ball on the ground. Don’t throw interceptions. You’re good enough to beat this team without really breaking a sweat, in my opinion. Don’t let them stay in it with turnovers.
Andrew:Right. No, that’s exactly right. Don’t let them stay in. Don’t let it be a second half game. Try to put it out of reach as quick as possible and make them start to force things. If you take away and make the team one-dimensional, you have to like your chances in this game. I think that’s the biggest thing is a lot of teams haven’t really been putting Arkansas away and kind of let them stay around. I know especially the Auburn game. They haven’t put them away and let them stick around, and when you let a team like that stick around, a lot of times they make you pay. Arkansas, they did. They didn’t get credit for the win, but they did make them pay.
Just like you said, make them pay. If you’re Kyle Trask, even if you don’t have Kyle Pitts in the game, don’t force things. Let it come to you. Be natural with it. You still got a lot of great receivers out there. I’m very interested to see what the game plan is with Pitts. I didn’t think the game plan was very good in the second half of the Georgia game without Kyle.
Nick:Yeah. Listen, they’re not lying when they say we’ve got options, and we’ve got game plans for if Kyle’s not there. It’s not a lie, but it’s like we keep saying, and I hate to be a broken record, but it’s not just that Kyle Pitts is such a good player, that he’s got eight touchdowns. Let me pull up all of his stuff. It’s not just what he does when he’s getting the ball, which is fantastic. Leads the team in receiving yards with 414. 24 catches, averaging 17.25 yards per catch with eight touchdowns. It’s not just that.
I loved watching Jordan Rogers. I put it up on our message board. Loved watching Jordan Rogers kind of breaking down all those wheel routes. Those wheel routes are open because teams pre snap, where’s 84? Okay. Move people over. Where’s 1? Where’s Kadarius Toney? Move people over. If you take Kyle Pitts out of that equation, now it’s just we just have to worry about Kadarius Toney, and you don’t have as many one on one matchups for other guys. So, it’s not even that when Kyle Pitts is catching passes he’s dangerous. He makes the 10 other people on the field dangerous just by him being there.
Andrew:That’s what I said to someone. You look at Kyle’s game against Georgia. Even when he was in the game, were the numbers impressive? No. What was it? Two catches for 30-some yards in the game. It wasn’t even that it was a huge impressive stat-wise game, but it was because, like you said, they had to know where he was on the field. That allowed Justin Shorter to get the touchdown in the first quarter. That allowed several other big plays, because, like you said, they’re focusing on that. They’re realizing we have to know where this guy is. We’re going to bracket coverage him, double him, triple him at times. We’re not going to allow him to win the matchup. That’s what allows other guys to be open.
I know Mullen said, we have Kemore Gamble, who we think is a great player. Yeah. I don’t doubt one bit that KemoreGamble can handle it. I don’t doubt for one bit that Keon Zipperer can handle it. Simply from a respect factor, Arkansas is going to allow those guys to have single coverage in the game. They’re not going to allow Kyle Pitts to have that coverage. I know some people say, Kyle should be out of concussion protocol, this, that, and the other. He might be. He might play. Me personally, talking about this on Thursday, when we’re taping this, y’all are listening to it on Friday, I don’t think he plays.
Nick:I’m going to go that he does play.
Andrew:Okay.
Nick:Just a hunch.
Andrew:Okay. He might. He very well might. I hope he does. I hope he’s healthy enough to play and is able to go. I know some people said, why rush him back? Listen, they’re not rushing him back. He’s either ready to go, or he’s not. There’s no rushing him back from a concussion. It’s just this day and age with everything that the NCAA and just teams in general have, there’s no rushing guys back from a concussion. They have to go through so many tests that if they’re not 100% ready, they’re not playing.
Nick:Yeah. There’s no messing around with head injuries.
Andrew:Yeah. It’s either yes, they’re ready, or no, they’re not ready. There’s just no in between with concussions and everything else. I know some people have said, they’re going to rush him back. No. There’s no rushing him back.
Nick:No. There’s no rushing back. There is a very standardized protocol for a concussion or concussion symptoms. You just go through them. You can certainly come back in seven days, but each day you’ve got a set of things, a set of tests or results that you need to meet and standards you need to meet. If you meet them, you’re in. If you don’t, you’re out. Simple as that. Pass/fail test.
Andrew:Right. Exactly. No way to kind of get around that. Like you said, this is a defense for Arkansas that is a ball hawk defense. They kind of capitalize on that. That’s the key, and that’s going to be the key every week for Florida. Don’t turn the ball over. Don’t beat yourself. Right now you’re the only team that can beat you. There’s not a team left on the schedule that’s better than you that can beat you, unless you beat yourselves. Go into this game, don’t beat yourself. Make Arkansas drive the field. Make Arkansas and Feleipe show that they can go the length of the field multiple times a game. Like I said before, do I think Feleipe can do that? No, I don’t.
Nick:It’ll be interesting, because Arkansas is so good against the pass. Florida’s not a big run team. Can Florida get something going in the run game? It seems like every week Dan, and I think this is why Dan and Brian have been so good this season, is they find something that they can exploit. I loved what Jordan Rogers said. He said, great offensive coaches don’t have 800 plays. They’ve got eight plays that they can run 100 different ways. I go back to Remember the Titans and Coach Herman Boone, we’ve got four plays. We run them, and we run them well.
To me, that’s a great coach. You don’t need to have a million plays. Have 10 plays that you run really well, or more concepts than plays. This is our wheel route concept, and we can run it out of eight different formations. Same concept. Not putting a ton on the players to remember, because it’s just one concept, and you’re just lining up in different areas.
I’m trying to find now, what’s the area that Florida looks and says, we can exploit Arkansas’ defense here? Arkansas is the 13th ranked rushing defense, giving up almost 180 yards a game. That’s not Florida’s strength, but is that an area where they say, this is the week where maybe Kyle Trask only throws for 250, but this is a week where John Hevesy looks at his offensive linemen and goes, buckle up. This is a week we need you. Road graders this week. We’re going to run for 250, 200.
Andrew:Yeah. You and I have talked about this so many times. I tweeted it on Wednesday, and I messed it up when I said this, but I said we always point to Dan’s first year and the Mississippi State game. Early on you knew what it was, what it was going to be, and that was it was going to be a ton of stand passes, wide receiver screens. Then the following week against LSU, it was the speed option, where they just continued running, and LSU had zero answers to it. It happens. Every week you see a play that they’re going to run a ton, and they’re going to do it out of different formations and different things to get there.
I don’t know though that it’s the running game this week, Nick. I think that there’s a couple things. I think that they’re getting the running backs in space against these linebackers. It’ll be a key this week. I know Arkansas’ backing has been good, but I still think you can take some shots. I think it’s going to be more of an intermediate kind of passing game, with some running game definitely mixed into it. I think it’s going to be more of an intermediate passing game. We’ll see.
Nick:It’s just interesting. I think we are seeing every week where it’s just like, boom, we’ve found it, and just keep hitting it. Keep attacking it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just keep hitting them where they’re bleeding. It’s like watching boxing or MMA. If you’ve shut that guy’s left eye, don’t start throwing left hooks. Keep attacking that right eye. I think that’s what Florida’s been doing. They find a weakness, and they keep attacking it.
I just think Arkansas’ weakness doesn’t line up with Florida’s strength. So, I just wonder if Florida is confident enough to go away from what’s been so successful in the passing game to try to exploit a weakness, or if you, like you just said, still use our strength. Intermediate passing game, get the running backs involved in the passing game again, and kind of use that short to intermediate passing game as an extension of the running game.
Andrew:They may. They may come out and run the ball for 250, 300 yards. I don’t know. They may, but I just don’t see it. Someone was asking me on an Arkansas radio station, they were like, why can’t Florida run the ball? I said, I don’t know that Florida can’t run the ball. I said, they don’t have to run the ball. I know that a lot of people say if you’re not, you’re can’t, but that’s just not simply the truth. Florida doesn’t have to run the ball.
Nick:No. it would just be dumb. If Florida started trying to run the ball against Georgia last week, it’s like, you don’t need to do that. You’re being dumb. You’re running it just to run it.
Andrew:Right. Who says you have to have a good running game? It doesn’t matter. If teams have to respect your running game, who cares?
Nick:Last year we got to the point where we both said, Florida cannot run the ball.
Andrew:Right.
Nick:I’m not saying that this year. I think they can run the ball. There just hasn’t been a need to. You’re so good passing. Kyle Trask is putting up Joe Burrow numbers. Why go away from that? Last year it was you have to pass, because you can’t run, and you even stubbornly were trying to run, trying to run, trying to run, until finally towards the end of the year you just threw your hands up in the air and said, screw it, we’re not running.
Andrew:Exactly. We’ll see. Like you said, it’s always interesting every week to see what they do and what they attack and go after. We’ll see it, and you’ll probably see it early on in the game. We’ll know pretty soon, and they’ll do it all game.
Nick:Yeah. Look forward to finding out what it is. I think you might be onto something though.
Andrew:I’m always onto something. What you talking about?
Nick:I think this is one of the rare instances where you’re onto something there, Spivey.
Andrew:I just don’t see Mullen saying, we’re going to hand off and run the ball.
Nick:40 times.
Andrew:When I have a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback. I just don’t. That would kind of be like saying, Michael, don’t shoot the ball. This team can’t score, so we’re just going to run the clock out on offense for the Bulls. Again, I may be completely wrong, and I’ll have to it, but that’s my pick right now.
Let’s move onto something. We’re going to get away from the game here for a second. The NCAA has decided that they’re not going to allow visits until April 15. That is supposed to be announced officially next week, but CBS Sports is reporting, and I feel very good in things I’ve heard that back that up. That’s atrocious, Nick. How are guys who are about to go to school, who had basically two months to take official visits in February and March, how are they supposed to make a real judgement on a school? Some of these kids have never got to go on official visits to Florida. Some of these guys have never even got the chance to meet Dan Mullen face to face. Never got to meet Nick Savage face to face. Never got to meet John Hevesy face to face or whoever it may be. How are you going to tell me they’re supposed to make an educated decision, and then how are you going to tell me you’re going to be mad at them for transferring if not?
Listen, I understand all this virus stuff. I do. I think it’s very real, just like you do, Nick. But there has to be some way that you can get a couple of these kids a weekend on campus. If they have to take their test and test negative, whatever it may be. There has got to be a way that they can get some of these kids on campus and visit and do it safely, because I think you’re doing these kids an injustice as well.
Nick:Yeah. It’s kind of like you said, don’t be mad, or don’t expect kids not to transfer, and don’t be mad when they do transfer.
Andrew:Right.
Nick:We talked about it. I think before the season I think you also thought they’re probably not going to have on campus visits or game day visits this year. I get out of an abundance of caution not wanting to create situations where you could have a spread, or you’re bringing somebody onto campus. But April. The season’s over in January. I don’t know how, like you said. You’re having to build relationships through Zoom and through phone calls and through text messages and through DMs. I don’t know how, if I were a recruit, how I’d be making an educated decision right now.
Andrew:Yeah.
Nick:Not to mention all the things that these guys have missed out on. The Army game’s cancelled. The Under Armour game’s cancelled. Their senior seasons have been just shells of what they thought they would be and what they should have been. It just sucks. I don’t know a better way to say it. It just sucks.
Andrew:Like you said, I don’t know another way to say it besides it sucks. There’s just no way around it. Like I said, there’s got to be something. Like I said, I’m not the smartest person in the room, definitely not a doctor. But there’s got to be some way that they could do this effectively and safely. There’s just got to be. You look at how they’re bringing fans in, and for the most part you haven’t heard of many fans getting sick when going to games, that kind of stuff. What if there was three official visitors on campus a weekend, you know what I’m saying? What’s the big deal there? How could that not work?
Nick:Yeah. It’s a really tough situation. I feel worse for the recruits than I do for the coaches, but it’s a tough situation. You said it. I think it might lead to a year, two years down the line, maybe even immediately, when kids get on campus, transfers. We’ve already seen all over the place guys, even enrolling early and then transferring in the spring, being on campus for a couple months. Even an official visit is different than when you get on campus. An official visit you’re like the President of the United States. The red carpet’s rolled out. You’re getting everything handed to you, and it’s all nice. All of a sudden, you get to campus and the derecruitment starts.
Andrew:Yeah.
Nick:It’s certainly a different situation. Now you’re looking at kids who might just be getting there for the first time.
Andrew:That’s what I’m saying.
Nick:First trip to campus might be after you’ve already signed on the dotted line.
Andrew:That’s what I was saying. I understood the whole not allowing them until January, when the season was over. That would have been okay, because guys could have still took some official visits and that kind of stuff. But not to be able to take it at all just, I don’t know, Nick. To me it’s just frustrating. I hate to say that the NCAA is making a bad call here during this virus, because I know it’s tough on them, but still it’s just frustrating.
Nick:Yeah. It could have future implications.
Andrew:Yeah. I just don’t know. It’s just sad to watch, because you see these guys, and a lot of these guys are trying to make good decisions, but there’s just no way. Some of these guys were able to take visits to Florida during their junior years, but a lot of guys not. Florida recruits nationwide and recruits out of state guys, and a lot of those guys haven’t. A guy like, for instance, Donovan McMillon. Never met Dan Mullen in person.
Nick:Hopefully, Dan’s as charming in person as he has been on Zoom.
Andrew:I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes. Don’t get mad. Don’t get mad. The thing too is this now affects the junior class, because coaches now are not going to be able to get out and see as many junior kids, get to meet as many kids in the 2022 class, so they’re going to be behind on that as well. Who knows? I did not think for a minute that the dead period was going to extend to April, and now it is. Is it going to end in April? We’ll see.
Nick:Yeah. It’s a mess. Recruiting’s a mess.
Andrew:Yeah.
Nick:I mean, the season’s becoming a mess, especially in the SEC right now, but recruiting is certainly a mess.
Andrew:Nick, let’s go pick some games. Not many to pick from, but let’s pick some.
Nick:Less games to pick from, and it’s not a super exciting list of games this week. Is Florida State playing this week? At NC State. Loser.
Andrew:Yeah.
Nick:We’ll start in the ACC. #9 Miami at Virginia Tech.
Andrew:Miami.
Nick:Things can happen up there.
Andrew:Miami wins though.
Nick:I’m going with Miami too. Listen, we might pick all the same teams this week, but I am going to give you a chance to hang yourself again. 13 Wisconsin travels to the big house, Michigan. You’ve been a huge Jim Harbaugh fan this year.
Andrew:No way.
Nick:You picked Michigan twice.
Andrew:No way.
Nick:You picked Michigan twice.
Andrew:No way. Wisconsin.
Nick:Do I shock the world? Michigan’s bad, bad. We both pick Wisco.
Andrew:No way. No way whatsoever.
Nick:Reports out of Columbia that Will Muschamp might get fired, even with Coronavirus putting teams in financial, maybe not despair, but definitely making them clutch their purses a little tighter. South Carolina at Ole Miss this week. Can defensive mastermind Will Muschamp go toe to toe with that Ole Miss offense?
Andrew:Nope. Ole Miss wins big.
Nick:Yup. I got Ole Miss too. Will Muschamp might be looking for a DC job.
Andrew:Do you hire Hugh Freeze?
Nick:Vanderbilt at Kentucky. One of only three SEC games this weekend.
Andrew:Sure ain’t going to be Vandy.
Nick:They’re rough. We’re picking all the same games. I got Kentucky as well. We got the Masters going on. I think both of us, hopefully the podcast was okay, because I think both of us are watching Tiger on mute in the background while we record the podcast. Who’s your Masters pick? Who’s going to be wearing the green jacket Sunday?
Andrew:I’d love for it to be either Tiger or Jordan. Those are my guys.
Nick:You’re going to let Jordan Spieth break your heart in Augusta again.
Andrew:I am. I’m going to let Jordan Spieth break my heart.
Nick:You’re going to let him do it.
Andrew:But I’m not going to let him do it. I don’t know, Nick. I don’t know. It’s not going to be DeChambeau. It’s not going to be DeChambeau. Who you got?
Nick:I’m going with Xander Schauffele. As we record this, we got guys already going. Shoot. What happened to my boy? Goodness. Oh man, my pick’s not doing well. Xander started hot. Started birdie, birdie, birdie, but he’s got two bogies since then. My pick’s not hot, but I’ve made my pick. We’ve got guys like Lee Westwood. We got a couple guys at six under right now. I probably should be picking them instead of Xander at 1, but that was going to be my pick, and I won’t go back on it.
Andrew:I want Tiger to win, and I want Jordan Spieth to win, but I’m going to go Justin Thomas.
Nick:Good pick. JT.
Andrew:I got JT. Go, JT.
Nick:I don’t mind it. I’m not mad at it.
Andrew:I like JT. I like that whole group of JT, Ricky, Spieth, that young core that just likes to have fun.
Nick:Let’s get into our player picks.
Andrew:It’s your turn.
Nick:I lead off, and I’m going to Malik Davis. I think you talked me into that intermediate passing game. I think that he’s probably their go-to guy in terms of pass catcher at running back right now. Huge performance last week, and I think he’ll double down.
Andrew:Okay. I’m going to go with a guy that I think has got to step up if Pitts is out, and that’s going to be Trevon Grimes.
Nick:Big touchdown last week. Wasn’t really involved in the offense until that touchdown, but good week all the same for him. I think I’m going to have to stay with receivers. I’m going to go with your boy, Kadarius Toney.
Andrew:Okay. I’m going to go with another big receiver, and I’m going to go Justin Shorter.
Nick:Yeah. Big game for him last week, getting into the endzone. That was a nice little pick route that they ran there for him. Certainly worked out. Back to back receivers. I didn’t expect that. I got to go someone on defense, I think. What do I want on defense?
Andrew:Who’s going to get one of Franks’ picks?
Nick:I’m going to go with Kaiir Elam. Pick last week. I think he doubles down. He had eight pass breakups through four games, gets his first pick in Game 5. I don’t know if they’ll test him. He doesn’t get tested a lot, even with those big numbers. Not getting a tested a whole bunch, but go with the best player. I’m going with Kaiir.
Andrew:I’m going to go with the best player on the defensive side of the ball in the defensive line, and that’s Zach Carter.
Nick:I was looking at him, and I think you saying pick made me switch. Made me switch up and go Kaiir, but I feel good about my pick. I feel good about yours there too with Zach Carter.
Andrew:Okay. I think you got to get pressure. What’s the spread here?
Nick:Florida was 17.5. Let me see where the line is now?
Andrew:The line now 17.5. The line is still 17.5.
Nick:Is that where it is still?
Andrew:60.5 is the over-under.
Nick:Okay.
Andrew:What you got?
Nick:Go ahead.
Andrew:It’s your turn. Go ahead.
Nick:I’m picking Florida. I’m picking Florida, and they’ll cover.
Andrew:I’m picking Florida, and I don’t think they cover. I think it’s like 14 there, and I do think the over-under gets covered.
Nick:So, that’s a high scoring game. You’re thinking like 32-28, something like that? Shoot.
Andrew:I’m thinking like 42-30.
Nick:I don’t see Florida’s defense giving up 30. I definitely see Florida having the ability to score into the 40s though. I’m going to go under and Florida covers.
Andrew:Okay. I got it opposite.
Nick:You know your boy Dan likes to go conservative when he gets that first half lead. I’m going to go Florida to cover and the under.
Andrew:Okay. We’ll see. Nick, tell everybody where they can find us. We’ll get out of here, and we’ll see everyone on Monday to hopefully talk about a win, and we’ll recap some Masters.
Nick:You got it. Real quick, Top Golf coming to Gainesville. It’ll be in the Swamp Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. April 22-25th. Tickets are going on sale November 12th, and you better believe I’ll be hitting golf balls in the Swamp that weekend. We’ll have that information up, where you can get tickets and all that information, up on our website. Check it out.
As always, www.GatorCountry.com for all your Florida Gator news. The podcast is there in audio and transcript form. You can find the podcast wherever you consume your podcasts. Just search Gator Country. Hit subscribe. Never miss an episode. Do your social media thing. @GatorCountry on Facebook and Twitter. @TheGatorCountry on Instagram. I’m @NickdelaTorreGC. He’s @AndrewSpiveyGC.
Andrew:There you go. Guys, we appreciate it. We’ll see everyone on Monday. As always, go Braves and chomp, chomp.
Nick:You stay classy, Gator Country.