Gator notebook: Gators, Hogs still a go for Saturday night
Florida's home football game will go as scheduled Saturday night, more than two days following the expected landfall of Hurricane Eta along the Florida west coast, according to UF athletic director Scott Stricklin.
"According to latest models, potential impact of tropical conditions in Gainesville and on UF campus expected Thursday. Based on current forecast we anticipate no change for Saturday’s game against Arkansas," Stricklin posted on his social media account Wednesday morning. "Stay safe Gators."
The Gators are scheduled to face the Razorbacks at 7 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised by ESPN.
Pitts remains questionable
Standout tight end Kyle Pitts' status has not changed since Monday. He's still questionable for Saturday night's game, UF coach Dan Mullen said on the SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday.
Pitts has been under concussion protocol since taking a helmet-to-helmet blow in the second quarter of the Gators' win over Georgia last Saturday.
If Pitts can't go Saturday, Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer will take over at tight end. Gamble had a 24-yard TD reception Saturday, two plays after Pitts went out of the game. Zipperer had a 32-yard reception.
"Those guys jump right in and did a great job," Mullen said. "You're not going to compare them to Kyle. I think Kyle is a special, different type of player. It's not fair to compare people to him. But when you look at Kemore and Keon Zipperer and the ability they have, we have a lot of confidence in them. They're both very, very good players for us. You were able to see that with the production they had in the game."
Mullen said the offense won't change if Pitts isn't in it.
"With (Gamble and Zipperer) in the game, it doesn't change what we're going to do," Mullen said. "They can do everything that Kyle can do. Kyle just maybe does it at a level where you kind of shake your head and say, 'That was kind of special'. He makes those plays even if you cover him, it doesn't matter sometimes.
"But the other guys, they can do everything that he does and it's not going to change our offensive scheme."
Back ahead of COVID curve
On the same week that four SEC games have been postponed due to COVID-19 issues, the Gators had zero positive tests for the second consecutive week.
"We've already had to cancel a game. We've been through what a lot of people are going through right now," Mullen said. "Hopefully, we don't have to do it again at this point. We've got to take care of business, keep trying to do everything the right way."
Mullen was asked if it is stunning that four games have been postponed.
"No, it's 2020," he said. "It is what it is. Not a lot is stunning to me anymore this year."
More Trask honors
UF quarterback Kyle Trask was named the Maxwell Award Player of the Week on Tuesday, a day after he won SEC Player of Week honors, and, on Wednesday, he was named the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week.
Trask was 30 of 43 with 474 yards passing and four touchdowns Saturday as he continued his record-breaking season against a Georgia defense which ranked No. 12 in scoring defense and No. 13 in total defense nationally coming into the game.
Trask's 474 passing yards is the second-highest total in school history and just eight yards shy of Tim Tebow's single-game school record of 482 set in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. The redshirt-senior set a single-game school record for passing yards against Georgia by the end of the third quarter, which he finished with 412 passing yards.