Florida Gators College Football Pregame Quote, 12/22/2020

What’s Dan Mullen meant to you? What do you think he’s meant to this program? And just how much do you think the players play for him?

You know, I’ve known Coach [Dan Mullen] for a really long time, since I was 16 years old. And I don’t know if I could put into words the amount of respect that I have for him, not only as a football coach but as a person. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from him, not just about football, just about life in general.

I’m just really appreciative of everything that he’s done for me throughout the course of my time as a player and throughout the course of my career as a coach. And I can’t say enough great things about Coach and what he means as a person to me specifically and to our program overall.

Obviously, Kyle Pitts is opting out for you guys in this game. You may have one or two other senior playmakers that make the same decision. What kind of opportunity will this provide for some of your younger skill guys that you’re probably going to need to rely on next year?

It’s another opportunity to go out there and compete at a really high level. We were without Kyle [Pitts] for a couple games this year. And Kemore [Gamble] and [Keon] Zipperer, they both did a nice job with filling in, in his absence. And just another opportunity for those guys to continue their development and build their reps on a big stage against a great Oklahoma team.

I’m just curious what you may be seeing in Oklahoma’s defense so far, with the pressure they’re able to get up front, and just what your overall thoughts are right now.

They’re very active defensively. I think, on the front end, they do a great job of pursuing the football and shedding blocks, not staying blocked long, and making plays in the backfield.

And in the secondary, I think particularly at corner, they have great ball skills. They play with great patience. They have great footwork and they make plays on the ball when it’s in the air.

So definitely a huge challenge for us. You know, our guys are excited for the opportunity to go out there and compete on the big stage.

How much is this game plan about letting Kyle [Trask] possibly go out on a really high note versus seeing what else Emory [Jones] can do? And in the sense of Emory as well, as different job opportunities come up, how much could the possibility of what this offense could be next year pull you back here, if that makes sense?

I think, first and foremost, the object of the game plan is to give us the best opportunity to win a football game. Make no mistake about it, we’re in a bowl game for one reason, and that’s to win the game.

So we’ll put together a great plan that highlights all of our players’ talents and put them in a position to go be successful when they get out on the field. But make no mistake about it, job one, first and foremost, is to go out there and give yourself a chance to go win the game.

What has been the impact on this program and just how much do the players want to play for Dan [Mullen]? It’s been a wild year. Dan has been under scrutiny at times for some of the things he’s said. It’s been a pretty intense year, and I just get the sense that he’s a real players’ coach.

If you know Coach Mullen on a very personal level, I mean, he’s extremely down to earth. You can talk to him about most things other than football. He likes to have fun. And when it’s time to work, he works. So I just can’t say enough great things about him.

The players love playing for him. He’s got a great personality. He really connects with people from all different backgrounds, and he’s been doing this a really long time now. So he knows exactly what he’s doing.

Can you just talk about how excited you are to be leading this team into a game like the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic?

It’s an unbelievable opportunity to get our chance to go play in our third New Year’s Six bowl. Our players are excited for that challenge and that opportunity. For me personally, this is my first time getting the chance to play in the Cotton Bowl. I grew up in Texas, so I was always around the old Cotton Bowl prior to Jerry’s World (AT&T Stadium).

And I’m excited for the opportunity, my first opportunity, to get to play Oklahoma, another blueblood program that’s had a ton of success. Can’t say enough things about how Coach [Lincoln] Riley runs their program. He’s a fantastic coach. They have fantastic players. And we’re looking forward to getting out there and going to compete at a really high level.

You guys obviously wanted to win the SEC championship; but as a program, this will be your third straight New Year’s Six bowl. What, I guess, has been the foundation of being so successful so quick and the turnaround you guys have had?

The players. They’ve bought into what we’ve tried to accomplish from day one. You know, make no mistake about it, football is about having great players and putting those guys in positions to make plays. Can’t say enough about the group of guys that we’ve gotten to coach in the three years here. Really proud of all their accomplishments.

And I know the younger guys in the program are excited to get some opportunities moving forward and continue to build the program to the level where Gator Nation is extremely proud.

Since we might not get to talk to you again after the bowl game for a while, who is someone on this offense that we are not talking about now that we will be at this time next year?

We have a lot of great players on offense. It’s hard to single anybody out. A guy that hasn’t played as much obviously is Emory [Jones]. I can’t say enough about what he’s meant to me over the last three years. You know, the chance to get to work with him in practice and see how much better he gets each and every year. So I’m really excited for him.

Really excited for Anthony [Richardson]. Those two guys specifically in my view.

I think they’ve got an opportunity to learn a lot by watching Kyle [Trask] this year and how he prepares, how he performs, and the habits that he has throughout the week to get himself ready to play. We’ve got a lot of good, young players here that are eager for an opportunity to get on the field and show what they can do.

All season long, obviously, we’ve seen coaches and players talk about the difficulty of playing a ten game SEC schedule. And we see some of those teams get picked for New Year’s Six bowls over teams that have kind of gone undefeated, like 9 0 Cincinnati. Do you have a little bit of a different perspective on it considering you were part of that Utah team that went 13 0 and beat Alabama by two touchdowns and no one really kind of gave a chance to you, in a sense?

Yeah, I’ve been on both sides of that coin. It’s really a very good question. Ultimately, you can only play who’s on your schedule. So that kind of as a player, you’re just worried about the next opponent on the schedule.

I do think the totality of playing 11 SEC games is a huge accomplishment in itself, the amount of not only physical strain but the mental strain to continually get ready to play a big time game each and every week where the talent is evenly matched.

You know, it’s very similar to the National Football League. You watched last week, I think the Jets, who hadn’t won, they beat somebody. Who did they beat? The Rams, right? So you got to get yourself ready to go play at a high level each and every week because teams if you don’t play well, teams are capable of beating you.

Earlier Dan [Mullen] made a pretty impassioned case for Kyle Trask. Look, he might even be a Heisman finalist potentially and he was Second Team All SEC, yet he’s leading the nation by 11 touchdown passes, 400 and some yards, 70% completion. What would you say to people that don’t think this guy is putting together the best season of a quarterback in the country?

I would tell them that I have some oceanfront property in Idaho to sell. I mean, what Kyle [Trask] has done this season is absolutely remarkable. The amount of the amount of information that we put on him, his ability to play at a really consistent level throughout the course of the season has been exceptional. Can’t say enough about just how proud I am of him as a player, but even more so as a person. Just a great example for not only for the quarterback room in general but just our program and how he’s worked for his opportunity and made the most of it when he got it.

So, obviously, we have nothing to do with how people vote or what kind of accolades you get. But from my perspective, he’s been nothing short of amazing all season long.

You were talking about Oklahoma, and I’m just curious, with all the points the SEC is scoring this year, I know, the last five, six years that’s changed. Does it change the way you guys attack in terms of if you guys are having to score on every drive and the pressure of scoring on every drive? Because we’ve seen what can happen defensively in the Big 12 whenever situations like that happened. Is it tough to call a game just with the pressure of scoring on every drive?

I think the biggest deal is that you can’t waste plays. And you have to have your best stuff ready at all times. And, to me, it just becomes more about players than plays and how can you get the ball to people who can make explosive plays and how can you do a great job of managing and mastering your situation, whether it’s two minutes before the end of the half, whether it’s third down, whether it’s red zone, things of that nature, especially when you’re playing a team that’s pretty evenly matched.

You’ve got to take care of you’ve got to master your situation and do a great job. And you’ve got to do a great job as a staff of not only scheming plays that work against a particular defense that you’re getting, but putting guys in the right spot to where they can highlight their abilities as well and we’re giving ourselves the best chance on each and every drive.

There’s a lot we haven’t gotten to see of y’all this year just because of the COVID protocols. I think we saw a little bit more fire and passion from Kyle [Trask] Saturday night, especially after the game. Have there been any moments this season, maybe in practice, after a game, just Friday night meals, where he’s kind of said or done something where you’re like, Oh, okay, wasn’t expecting to see that or maybe that you’ll just kind of carry with you as a memory of Kyle Trask?

Yeah, I mean, there’s been a ton, the past three years of getting a chance to know Kyle and get his personality and his sense of humor. He’s a special human being. I can’t say enough good things about him. But we’ve grown really, really close over the last three years, and I’m really proud of everything that he’s been able to accomplish to this point. And I know he’s going to be successful at whatever he does.

What is Kyle Trask’s sense of humor?

His sense of humor, he’s a funny guy. Once you get a chance to know him, he’s very, very serious and he always says the right things publicly; but he has a great sense of humor. He can take a joke; he can give a joke. Can’t say enough good things about him. I love him to death, really proud of him, just how he’s developed over the last three seasons with us. And he’s definitely got a bright future.

We’ve seen so many strides in progress from Kadarius Toney this year. When was the first time you realized how special he could be?

I think we gave him a reverse in the ’18 Tennessee game, and he made some ridiculous play. And he kind of broke a bunch of tackles and scored. And even heading into last season before he got hurt, I think he was well on his way to really developing as a player.

I think what people don’t realize about Kadarius is that he is an extremely intelligent football player. And he understands the game, and he’s an ultimate competitor. So he really works at it. He works at his craft.

Coach [Billy] Gonzales has done a great job of helping him develop and really hone his skills in. And once he’s settled in and got the reps he needed, it was no surprise that he took off and is one of the best players in America.

You mentioned Kyle [Trask]’s sense of humor. What about Emory [Jones]? Have you been able to catch him yet? I know you like to catch him on Friday nights. Have you been able to shock him yet or sneak up on him without him realizing it?

Yeah, I got him last week. But I think that’s over. I mean, this is getting way too physical now. I have to set up sting operations where I have somebody else film for me. I think that has kind of run its course now. So maybe I’ll start picking on Anthony [Richardson] a little bit.