Steve Spurrier doesn’t move around like he used to when he was wearing No. 11 in orange and blue or even as well as he did when he was running up and down the sidelines as the coach of the Florida Gators but that didn’t stop him from making his way up to the press box to watch his beloved University take on a team he made a tradition of beating.
Spurrier brought the University of Florida into prominence. He was the Gators’ first Heisman winner, coached its first National Champion and he’s been closely watching as Kyle Trask, playing in the same No. 11 jersey, chases down a Heisman of his own.
This week Spurrier told Paul Finebuam that he believes Trask should be a Heisman contender. Then, Trask went out against Georgia — a defense that led the SEC and was the conference’s third-best passing defense, and torched them. After starting 0-3 on the day, Trask completed his next eight passes, including a touchdown.
Trask’s record-setting night was just getting started.
By the end of the game he had thrown for more yards against Georgia than any other Florida Gator quarterback in the history of the rivalry. His 474 passing yards are second to only Tim Tebow’s 482 yards against Cincinnati in the 2010 Sugar Bowl in terms of most passing yards in a single game. Trask joined Danny Wuerffel (five in 1995, four in 1996) and Shane Matthews (four in 1991) as the only Gators in history to throw four touchdown passes against Georgia. Trask’s 22 passing touchdowns this season tie LSU’s Joe Burrow (2019) for the second-most passing touchdowns in SEC history through the first five games of a season, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Trask is also leading one of, if not the, most prolific offense in Florida history, something the Ole Ball Coach certainly appreciates and enjoys watching from the press box on Saturdays.
Florida has scored 40-plus points in consecutive games against SEC opponents for the first time since 2008, when it rattled off a five-game run of 40-point outings from Oct. 11-Nov. 15 and Trask is the conductor that keeps this locomotive moving.
Trying to put into words what Trask is doing is difficult but here’s a stat that should turn heads. Trask is the first quarterback in SEC history and fifth FBS quarterback since the start of 2005 to throw at least four touchdown passes in five consecutive games. He joins a small list of quarterbacks that have accomplished the feat and three of the quarterbacks played in air raid offenses: Colt Brennan, Hawaii (nine games in 2006); Graham Harrell, Texas Tech (six games in 2007); Logan Woodside, Toledo (six games in 2016); Cal’s Davis Webb, Cal (five games in 2016) [Note: this does not include streaks which span multiple seasons]
“It’s cool and all, but at the same time, that’s just a reflection of how this offense is working. The O-Line is playing great, they are communicating very well,” Trask said. “They’re picking up all sorts of blitzes and the receivers are doing a great job of being on the same page with me and finding the holes in the defense. That just represents how well this offense is working right now.”
The Gators’ have played the best defenses they will see all season, so Trask’s numbers will only continue to get better. Through five games he has completed 125-of-182 (69%) of his pass attempts for 1,815 yards, and 22 touchdowns. His 363 passing yards per game trails only Alabama’s Mac Jones (366) and his 22 touchdowns are tops in the SEC.
In order to win a Heisman Trophy you need stats, of course, but you also need to win and you need moments. You need plays or performances that stick out to voters when their ballots arrive in the mail.
Trask did what he needed to do on Saturday. He’ll get a Heisman moment for his performance against the Georgia Bulldogs and, most importantly, the win Saturday puts Florida on a collision course with Alabama in the SEC Championship on December 19.