The Florida Gators have endured test after test all season, and especially over the last month, but they have finally reached the bye week. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Florida bounced back from a loss to Kentucky in Week 2 to get five straight wins, including back-to-back victories over ranked Mississippi State and LSU. But the Gators really struggled at Vanderbilt last week before ultimately coming out on top 37-27.
Dan Mullen called out his team’s preparation following the game, and players admitted that they may have overlooked the Commodores with all the hype they had received.
“We didn’t have a good week,” said redshirt junior linebacker Rayshad Jackson. “That’s why it was a close game. But this week coming in, we’re knowing that next week we can be a better team.”
The Gators will absolutely need the two weeks ahead to be much better. With Florida and Georgia making the trip to Jacksonville as two of the top ranked teams in the country, this game holds the highest stakes it has in a long time.
It is essentially an elimination game for the College Football Playoff, and both teams are aware of that.
The Gators will need every second of this bye week and next week to get back in the right mindset and prepare for a Georgia team that will be itching to prove itself after the loss it suffered to LSU.
The main focus this week is getting back on track physically.
It is remarkable how healthy Florida is at this point in the season, and that is likely due in large part to the new training program. Injuries plagued the Gators last year, but Nick Savage’s offseason workouts have their bodies much more equipped to handle the gauntlet that is SEC play.
Still, no one can undergo that amount of physical stress week after week and still feel on top of the world.
That’s why the next few days are about getting in the training room, getting some rest and resetting before going back into full on football mode again next week and heading into the home stretch of the season.
“It’s not too physically draining,” said redshirt senior tight end R.J. Raymond. “We’re still out here working hard, but it’s nothing like they’re killing us. It’s getting the body right, getting some treatment, making sure you’re eating right, getting some sleep. It’s good to have a week off just to get back right and get mentally right as well. Get some time off on the weekend and get away from it, go hang out with some family. That’s always needed.”
Florida even practiced in the indoor facility on Tuesday, which is a rare occurrence under Mullen and crew. While this week is much more laid back than a typical week, the Gators know things are about to get a lot tougher.
Poor preparation may not have cost the game at Vanderbilt, but Florida has experienced firsthand what Georgia can do to a team that plays below its standard.