Florida football: How the Gators 2019 opponents look after Week 2

Gone are this past decade’s days of sweating out home games against weak nonconference competition. Florida football looks like Florida football again.

Florida football took care of business and advanced to 2-0 while Knoxville and Tallahassee are burning. In this moment, all is right with the world.

Florida’s nonconference schedule continued to take a hit this weekend with another lousy FSU performance and Miami loss.

Games against Kentucky and Tennessee are much less threatening than they appeared on the preseason schedule.

LSU looks like an offensive juggernaut and the October gauntlet may have become tougher if South Carolina did, in fact, upgrade their quarterback situation (but that remains to be seen).

Mizzou bounced back nicely after a disaster in the opener.

FSU head coach Willie Taggart could use a big win this weekend to quiet some restless voices questioning his future.

Past opponents – helping or hurting Strength of Schedule (SOS)?

Miami (0-2), L 28-25 at North Carolina

K Bubba Baxa has become a household name for the Hurricanes after missing another critical fourth quarter field goal. Miami fell to 0-2 for the first time since 1978.
Next game: vs Bethune-Cookman, 12:00 PM ET (ACCN)
Helping or hurting UF SOS perception: Hurting. Should help eventually, but hurting for now.

UT-Martin (1-1), L 45-0 at Florida

Skyhawks QB John Bachus III ripped off a 48-yard run into the Florida red zone early in the fourth quarter. On the next play, freshman defensive back Kaiir Elam made the first interception of his career in the end zone. That sums up the high-point of the night for UT-Martin. The Gators put on a clean performance in each phase of the game and sent the Skyhawks home with a doughnut.
Next game: at Southern Illinois, 7:00 PM ET (ESPN+)
Helping or hurting UF SOS perception: Hurting. FCS foes never help SOS.

Next up for the Gators

Kentucky (2-0), W 38-17 vs Eastern Michigan

Starting QB Terry Wilson was lost for the season on Saturday with a knee injury in the Wildcats’ lead-up to their SEC opener against the Gators. Florida will see junior QB Sawyer Smith instead.
Next game: vs Florida, 7:00 PM ET (ESPN)

Tennessee (0-2), L 29-26 vs BYU

Another nonconference opponent rolled into Neyland Stadium and walked away with the win. The Vols had the game ripped away on a 64-yard Cougars completion on 3rd & 6 from BYU’s own 20-yard line with only 14 seconds remaining. After another soul-crushing defeat, Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt compared the state of the program to the Titanic:

"“I think ‘Titanic’ came out maybe when I was in college. When the boat starts going down, remember all the mice running to the top, right? We have had a few that left our program, but you will figure out who wants to be a Tennessee Vol and who don’t. I can tell you this: I want to. I know the standards and expectations that we have and the men on our staff and the character that we have. You will see the best of the players at Tennessee throughout the year.”– Jeremy Pruitt, Knox News"

I look forward too seeing the Vols sink further at The Swamp in two weeks for a noon kickoff.

Next game: vs Chattanooga, 12:00 PM (SECN)

Towson (2-0), W 42-3 vs North Carolina Central

QB Tom Flacco passed for three touchdowns and rushed for another to lead the Tigers to 42 points in three quarters. Towson, which jumped to the eighth spot in the FCS Top 25 last week, travels to sixth-ranked Maine this weekend.
Next game: at Maine, 7:00 PM ET (FLOSPORTS TV)

#10 Auburn (2-0), W 24-6 vs Tulane

The Tigers took care of business at home against the Green Wave. Tulane put 545 yards of offense in the opener, but only managed 223 total yards in this one.
Next game: vs Kent State, 7:00 PM ET (ESPN2)

#6 LSU (2-0), W 45-38 at #9 Texas

LSU turned in the most impressive victory of the weekend with a win on the road at Texas. QB Joe Burrow put himself on the early Heisman radar with 471 yards passing and four touchdowns. In a game with over 1,000 combined yards on offense, it’s clear that Coach O has shifted LSU’s brand of football miles away from the style of the past regime.
Next game: vs Northwestern State, 7:30 PM ET (SECN)

South Carolina (1-1), W 72-10 vs Charleston Southern

New starter QB Ryan Hilinski completed 24-30 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns while adding another touchdown on the ground. The Cocks amassed a school record for most yards (775) and rushing yards (493). Those numbers should go down a bit when Saban comes to town this weekend.
Next game: vs #2 Alabama, 3:30 PM ET (CBS)

#3 Georgia (2-0), W 63-17 vs Murray State

On the day in which Georgia named the field for former head coach Vince Dooley, the Bulldogs exploded for a 35-point second quarter and rested their starters for much of the second half. Two weeks away from a primetime home game against Notre Dame.
Next game: vs Arkansas State, 12:00 PM ET (ESPN2)

Vanderbilt (0-2), L 42-24 at Purdue

The Dores hung around in the first half in Big Ten country, but 509 yards and 5 TDs through the air from Boilers QB Elijah Sindelar was too much to handle.
Next game: Bye next week / vs #4 LSU, September 21

Missouri (1-1), W 38-7 vs West Virginia

QB Kelly Bryant bounced back nicely with 3 TD passes against an offensively inept Mountaineers squad. The Tigers took a 31-0 halftime lead before cruising to an easy win.
Next game: vs Southeast Missouri State, 7:30 PM ET (SECN)

Florida State (1-1), W 45-44 vs UL-Monroe

Things are ugly right now in Tallahassee as the Noles limped to an overtime home win over the Warhawks. UL-Monroe answered FSU’s touchdown in OT but missed an extra point. Woof.  Florida State faces a tough road test this week in Charlottesville.

Next game: at #25 Virginia, 7:30 PM ET (ACCN)