This probably isn’t the start Jim McElwain envisioned.
Despite a couple scares, the Gators remain undefeated through three games, most recently a sloppy and inconsistent 14-9 road win against Kentucky.
Yet with the season heading into its fourth week, McElwain is still struggling to have some of his players embrace the "team-first" mentality he has stressed since taking over the Florida football program.
Saturday will be more of the same.
When Florida (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) faces Tennessee (2-1) at 3:30 p.m., it will be without quarterback Treon Harris and cornerback Jalen Tabor due to suspension, the third time in four games where UF has players suspended.
"That’s just the way it is," McElwain said. "A lot of things happen to you as you go, it doesn’t matter what organization you’re in, you hit some bumps."
But McElwain doesn’t want to go through these bumps.
A perfectionist, he has his program is under a microscope.
The simplest misstep — being late to a meeting, missing a team dinner, not having your ankles taped before practice — and you’ll experience his wrath.
His coaching style is the best it could be, making sure his players are mature and responsible off the field before the step foot on it.
But still, despite this approach, and trying to get through to his team, McElwain still has players who could be on the quick path to success but have risked throwing it all away.
Harris was slated to have opportunities to play against Tennessee following Will Grier’s lackluster performance against Kentucky.
Instead, he’ll just watch the action for the second week in a row, giving Grier a free pass to secure the starting job for the rest of the season if he excels against the Volunteers.
Tabor, a freshman All-American last year and arguably Florida’s top cover cornerback not named Vernon Hargreaves III next season, now casts an even larger cloud of doubt around himself to go along with two other off-the-field issues since arriving in Gainesville.
Now, the group of Quincy Wilson, Duke Dawson Brian Poole and Marcell Harris will see extended playing time because one of their top protection corners decided some undisclosed action was more important than his potential football career.
"They chose not to play in this ballgame," McElwain said.
Now, McElwain is moving on without them this week.
He has bigger priorities to worry about.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
UF football coach Jim McElwain walks out of the visitor's tunnel prior to Florida's 14-9 win against Kentucky on Sept. 19, 2015, at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
