Florida Escapes Upset Attempt From FCS Opponent Samford, As Dan Mullen Continues Heading In The Wrong Direction
The Florida Gators snapped a 3-game losing streak on Saturday, defeating FCS opponent Samford 70-52 in Gainesville. Yes, you read that right. The Gators were coming into this game with a new defensive coordinator, after firing Todd Grantham this past week. It was a record-tying day for Samford, as their 52 points tied for the most points ever by an FCS opponent against an FBS team since 1971.
Even though the Gators moved on from Grantham this week, the defense looked worse than it did against South Carolina, where they loss 40-17. The 42 points scored by Samford was the most points allowed by Florida in a single half. The records didn't stop at this point, as the 52 points allowed by the Florida defense were the most against a team not in the SEC and a non-Power Five opponent. This was flat-out embarrassing and the Gators were lucky that the Bulldogs defense was bad, or this would've been the worst case scenario for Dan Mullen.
Samford had already lost to VMI and Chattanooga in recent weeks, leading just about everyone in the country thinking it would be an easy Saturday afternoon for the Gators.
I don't put much stock in the Gators having 700 yards of offense against that Samford defense, but there was no reason the Florida defense would give up 530 total yards, 416 through the air.
Things continue to trend downward for Dan Mullen, though he said postgame, “Calling a win disappointing is disrespectful to the game," so he's got that going for him.
"It’s a great win for us. Hopefully it builds some confidence for guys moving forward."
"No one is going to be harder on me than me," Mullen added. "I love to win. I'm a competitor. I love to win. There is nobody that is more disappointed, not just in wins and losses, but when we don't live up to the Gator Standard than me."
I would imagine folks in Gainesville are tired of hearing about the Gators Standard and are ready for a team that looks like they want to be there. This seems like the beginning of the end for Mullen in Gainesville, as fans and boosters are voicing their displeasure, loudly.
Nothing would surprise me right now concerning this job, but the way things are trending, I don't see how you pull Gator fans back in.
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