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Published Jun 27, 2020
Scouting the Opponent: Taking a look at Florida
Anthony Dasher  •  UGASports
Editor

Yes, Tennessee is a huge rival; so is Auburn, and so is Georgia Tech.

That said, Florida may be the biggest of them all.

The Bulldog-Gator rivalry is one that transcends college football, one where fans of the respective schools see absolutely no redeeming qualities in the other.

It's one of those games where even if both programs were down, the legitimate disdain between the two schools would make this one a must-see.

When both teams are strong, as the 2020 versions are expected to be, the impending fireworks should be even more memorable.

For more on the Gators:


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Florida

Versus Georgia: Oct. 31

Head Coach: Dan Mullen

2019 Record: 11-2, 6-2 in the SEC East

Outlook

Is this the year Florida overtakes Georgia as kings of the SEC East?

Some certainly believe they will. There have already been preseason publications that predict Florida will end the Bulldogs' three-year stranglehold on the division and head to Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the 2020 SEC East champs.

Many fans understand why some pundits would feel this way.

It starts at quarterback, where Kyle Trask is back after responding in grand fashion after Feleipe Franks went down a leg injury and was lost for the year.

Franks subsequently transferred to Arkansas after watching Trask take control of the position by completing almost 67 percent of his passes for 2,941 yards, 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

The Gators will go as far as Trask can take them. He proved he knows how to spread the ball around, after completing 20 or more passes to eight different receivers, including tight end Kyle Pitts, who led the team with 54 receptions last year.

Trevon Grimes (33 catches for 491 yards), Jacob Copeland (21-273), and Kadarius Toney (10-194) also return. Meanwhile, Florida added Penn State transfers Justin Shorter and Jordan Pouncey. Both still have to get their respective waivers approved.

In the backfield, leading rusher Joe Perine is gone, but Bainbridge native Dameon Pierce is back and being counted on to pick up the slack. It's hoped by the Gators fans that the offensive line will be more dominant than it was a season ago.

Defensively, Todd Grantham's charges played extremely well, finishing second in the SEC behind Georgia in both rushing defense (102.8 yards per game), scoring defense (15.5 points per game), and total defense (304.8 yards per game).

Can they repeat the success? Florida also led the league last year with 49 sacks, 12 more than second place LSU (37), although the Gators lost both Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga.

To make up for their absence, Florida will look to none other than former Georgia outside linebacker Brenton Cox, who sat out last year due to transfer rules, along with returnee Zachary Carter who tied for second on the team in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (7).

In the secondary, Florida lost CJ Henderson to the NFL, but as usual have plenty of options returning, including senior safety Shawn Davis and the versatile Marco Wilson.


Five things to know

1. Quarterback Kyle Trask, the SEC's top-returning passer, is a former two-star according to Rivals. That, obviously, did not keep him from becoming one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC last fall. He's a huge reason Gator fans are so confident, entering the 2020 campaign. According to his bio, Trask's only other offer was from Houston Baptist.

2. Gator opponents were just 66 percent successful inside Florida's red zone, scoring just 14 touchdowns in 35 trips. The red zone defense was tops in the SEC.

3. We mentioned that Florida's 49 sacks led the SEC. Not surprisingly, the only two games in which the Gators did not record a sack (LSU, Georgia) resulted in the team's only two losses.

4. Dameon Pierce will go into the season as Florida's top tailback, but keep an eye on Miami transfer Lorenzo Lingard, a former five-star recruit, who is eligible to play this fall.

5. Kicker Evan McPherson returns as one of the SEC's top placekickers, after converting 34 of 38 field-goal attempts last year. The Gators do need to find a new punter and hope that last year's punt return team—the one that finished 13th in the SEC—is more effective than it was in 2019.

2020 Schedule
DateOpponent

Sept. 5

Eastern Washington

Sept. 12

Kentucky

Sept. 19

South Alabama

Sept. 26

at Tennessee

Oct. 3

South Carolina

Oct. 10

LSU

Oct. 17

at Ole Miss

Oct. 31

Georgia (Jacksonville)

Nov. 7

at Vanderbilt

Nov. 14

Missouri

Nov. 21

New Mexico State

Nov. 28

at Florida State

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