Florida football: Gators August and September report card
By Sean Doty
October has officially begun, which means programs like Florida football are issuing their first progress reports and college football has just about reached the halfway point of the regular season.
October is generally where championship contenders emerge before the eyes of the playoff committee. As teams dig deeper into conference play, No. 10 Florida football faces yet another grueling October schedule.
After kicking off the 2019 season a week earlier than most, the Gators under second-year coach Dan Mullen are 5-0 for the first time since 2015.
These victories include a nail-biting performance in Orlando against in-state rival Miami, a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback in Lexington against Kentucky, and a pair of shutout performances in The Swamp against FCS competition.
While Florida football sits on the edge of the top 10 in the AP poll, members of the national media question the legitimacy of Florida’s ranking.
With only 17 remaining undefeated teams left in college football, ESPN currently has the Gators as one of only twelve teams in the nation that have odds greater than one percent of making the playoffs.
While a 5-0 overall record is nothing to scoff at, most fans would agree that the first five games of Florida’s schedule appear anemic compared to its October slate.
Florida football begins October with a homecoming date against No. 7 Auburn on Oct. 5. A series once played annually, the Gators will need to have it’s best overall performance of the season in order to secure a victory over the Tigers for the first time since 2002.
The following week the Gators travel to Baton Rouge for the first time since 2016 to take on LSU, who currently sits no. 5 in the AP poll.
An annual SEC West opponent of the Gators since 1972, LSU is aiming to avenge last year’s 27-19 defeat in Gainesville under the lights of a likely sold-out Tiger stadium. Meanwhile, the Gators are seeking only their second victory in Death Valley in the last decade.
Following back-to-back games against top 10 opponents, the Gators take on South Carolina in Columbia on Oct. 19.
While former Gators coach Will Muschamp is on the metaphorical hot seat already after a 2-3 start, the Gators cannot take the Gamecocks lightly. The Gators are 4-5 against the Gamecocks since 2010, with only two of Florida’s victories being by double-digit margins.
As the Gators prepare for a grueling October SEC gauntlet, here is the first report card for all of Florida’s units through the first five games of the 2019 season.