– Last Updated on August 28, 2019 7:11 am
2019 Football Preview – South Eastern Conference – Florida Gators
Looking for 2019 Florida Gators predictions? Last season the Gators rebounded from a four-win 2017 to claim ten victories and a gratuitous one-sided Peach Bowl strike vs. Michigan. Florida’s abrupt turnaround began with defense and ended with the marked improvement of rising junior QB Feleipe Franks. After a strained freshman campaign, Franks thrived in 2018 tossing 24 TD’s against 6 INT’s.
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2019 College Football Preview – Florida Gators
Head Coach: Dan Mullen
2018 Record: 10-3
Florida Gators Odds to win the 2019 FBS Championship: +3300
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With several key playmakers returning, expectations are naturally high among Gator Nation. Many experts believe this Florida team can push Georgia for SEC East honors while becoming the first Gator squad since 2009 to finish back-to-back seasons in the national top-ten.
2019 Florida Gators Predictions: Team Strengths
Passing Game: Franks will have an explosive returning group to share the wealth with this year.
Wideouts Van Jefferson (503 yards, 6 TD’s 2018), Josh Hammond (28 rec. 369 yards, 4 TD’s) and Trevon Grimes (26 rec. 364 yards, 2 TD’s) will pressurize opposing secondaries from game one. This talented group is set to break out and become one of the nation’s top receiving trios.
They will be joined by dual threat RB Lamical Perine. Last season Perine rushed for 826 yards and seven touchdowns. However, sure-handed Perine also hauled 13 passes for 170 yards and another score. Those numbers should rise during his senior campaign.
Finally, talented four-star TE recruit Keon Zipperer, at 6-2, 240 lbs, is expected to be an impact freshman for offensive guru Dan Mullen’s expanding attack which ended 2018 red hot.
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Secondary: After re-signing Todd Grantham and with seven returning starters from an elite 2018 unit, Florida’s defense is again its top asset.
Star secondary corners CJ Henderson and Marco Wilson lead a re-stocked secondary which ranked tenth overall last year in passing yards allowed. Prize 2019 signees Chris Steele and Kaiir Elam -each top-50 national recruits- solidify an already loaded secondary.
Further, the Gators brought in five four-star pass rushers to bolster the nation’s #21-ranked defense at 20.4 ppg in 2018.
2019 Florida Gators Predictions: Team Weaknesses
Offensive Line: Florida returns plenty of positional talent, but will sorely miss four starters from last year’s experienced offensive line.
However, the Gators brought in four-star offensive tackles Michael Tarquin and William Harrod to mix with returing OT’s to form a proective pocket for Franks and company.
Obviously, the Gator’s offense, especially in the blitz-heavy SEC, can go only as far as its patchwork O-Line will allow.
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And opening the season vs. Miami, Kentucky and Tennessee in three of the team’s first four games doesn’t give Florida’s offensive guards soft competition to gel against.
Offensive line coach John Hevesy has much work ahead of him in the coming months. Head Coach Mullen had this to say of his O-Line during spring drills:
“I don’t get frustrated with it, I think I’m seeing, especially in the young guys have picked it up a little faster than you are used to seeing,” he said. “I think that happens when they are forced to play up in competition.”
Florida Gators Prediction: 9-3
If the Gators’ pass protection is average, the season ahead will become an all-around showcase for Dan Mullen’s men.
With a breakout QB, star recievers in waiting and a speedy dual threat back, plus lockdown defense, the only question is pocket security.
And while the Gators may struggle a bit early, they have all the tools to beat any FBS team when they make their inevitable run.
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That stated, Florida’s schedule is consistently challenging, but aside from dates with UGA and LSU, manageable. To harp on a cliche yet unavoidable theme, If things up front fall in place, this Florida Gator group can push for ten wins and another top-ten national finish.
2019 Florida Gators Football Schedule
Date Time vs Score
- 8/24/19 7:00 PM ET MIA
- 9/7/19 7:30 PM ET UTM
- 9/14/19 7:00 PM ET @UK
- 9/21/19 TBD TENN
- 9/28/19 TBD TOWS
- 10/5/19 TBD AUB
- 10/12/19 TBD @LSU
- 10/19/19 TBD @SOCAR
- 11/2/19 3:30 PM ET UGA
- 11/9/19 TBD VAN
- 11/16/19 TBD @MIZZ
- 11/30/19 TBD FSU
What do you think about our 2019 Florida Gators predictions? Please leave us a comment below telling us how you think they’ll do in 2019!
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