Gators never overlooked Towson

You can only play the opponents that are on the schedule. Dan Mullen didn’t have any part in making this schedule and the players on the roster sure didn’t. For the second time this season the No. 9 Gators played an FCS opponent and the stadium showed that. However, for the second time this season the Gators went out and handled their business.

Florida beat both FCS teams by a combined 83 points, while the defense pitched two shutouts. You can say what you want about the opponent but the Gators handled their business.

Dan Mullen preached all week how Towson was a good football team. The Tigers were No. 5 in FCS before an overtime loss to Villanova a week ago. Florida has Auburn coming to town in what will be the first top-10 matchup between two undefeated teams in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since No. 10 Florida beat No. 3 LSU 14-6 on October 6, 2012.

It would have been human nature to start getting excited about Auburn and that matchup and overlook a smaller opponent. Dan Mullen wouldn’t let them.

“You can look and say, ‘ok Florida playing Towson, ok that’s — it is what it is.’ We paid attention to that they are a good football team and we’d have to execute,” Mullen said after the game. “Most of our, a lot of everything we brought up and everything I brought to the table is where are we? Are we getting better? I don’t care who’s coming in.”

The Gators came out on fire. Kyle Trask completed his first 15 passes, making it 18 in a row dating back to the Tennessee game — a new Florida record. Trask was good throwing the ball again. His first incompletion came on a miscommunication between two receivers. The lone knock on Trask’s game might be his pocket awareness. Trask was sacked four times and fumbled once. That awareness his hard to build in practice when you’re in non-contact jersey and Trask has shown his ability to get the ball out quickly, so it wouldn’t appear to be an issue that would linger. The Gators also added some new plays — screens to receivers, tunnel screens to tight ends and handed the ball off to receivers after they motioned from out wide to the backfield.

Florida’s defense, however, struggled early before clamping down. The Gators know they need to start faster but man, these second-half numbers are outrageous.

The Gators have allowed just 17 points in the second half of games this season and just seven in the fourth quarter. Florida held Towson to just 105 yards and four rushing yards in the second half. They’ve been stingy. The Gators’ defense also added four sacks, bringing the season total to 24 and intercepted two passes, making that total 9 on the year.

Florida did what they needed to do on Saturday and it was in large part to the way they prepared throughout the week. This week the test is real. Auburn is the best team the Gators have faced to this point by a country mile. Florida has to get better. They’re 5-0 and they have a chance to go 6-0 for the first time since 2006. That season the Gators started 6-0 before a road loss to Auburn on their way to the school’s second national championship.

“If we don’t prepare, practice better, if we don’t have a better routine, if we don’t take care of our bodies, have a great lift and put in a little extra time and do the things we need to do to get better as a football team, if our scout team doesn’t perform better, whatever it is. Every aspect of the game, if we don’t get better this week we can’t expect to win,” Mullen said.

That has to be the focus.”