FLORIDA
› Last season: 10-3 (5-3 SEC)› 2019 opener: Aug. 24 vs. Miami in Orlando (7 p.m.; ESPN)› Fun fact: Since the SEC split into divisional play and adopted an eight-game league schedule in 1992, Florida is the only program to win at least three SEC games in all 27 seasons.› Coming Thursday: Georgia
Late in the third quarter of last November’s game against visiting South Carolina, the maiden voyage of Florida under coach Dan Mullen had fizzled.
The Gators were coming off double-digit losses to Georgia and Missouri that had turned a top-10 ranking into a scramble for a decent bowl game, and now they were trailing the Gamecocks 31-14 before a irritable crowd at the Swamp. Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks had been booed and benched during the 38-17 home setback to Mizzou, and he was hearing the boos again.
Franks responded with a touchdown pass late in the third quarter and a 1-yard rushing score with four minutes remaining that proved to be the difference in a 35-31 triumph. He actually shushed the Swamp crowd after his rushing score, but what nobody knew at the time was that the rally against the Gamecocks ignited a 162-43 scoring differential to close the season.
Florida followed its 17-0 run against South Carolina with a 63-10 drubbing of Idaho, a 41-14 blowout of rival Florida State in Tallahassee and a surprising 41-15 rout of Michigan in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.