I understand the temptation. I really do.
The Gators checked every box in their 34-3 blowout of Tennessee. Naturally, fans want to draw conclusions from that.
Quarterback Kyle Trask was sharp in his first start. He held onto the ball a little too long at times, but he made good reads and delivered accurate passes. Championing him as the future of the program and assuming the Gators won’t miss a beat with Feleipe Franks’ absence may seem like the logical next step to take.
But I urge you: Resist that inclination.
The Volunteers are bad. Really bad.
Granted, that shouldn’t be a surprise. We knew going into the game that UF was facing a Tennessee team in dire straits. After all, good teams don’t give up 38 points and 352 yards in home losses to Georgia State.
But the Vols are a disaster. There’s really no other way to put it.
Their defense let Florida have as much success as it could handle, and veteran quarterback Jarrett Guarantano still looks like a deer in the headlights facing pressure from SEC defenses.
Considering the only remaining game on the schedule that looks winnable is a Nov. 2 bout against a good UAB team, 2-10 seems like the best case scenario for UT.
Basically, Florida did what it was supposed to in a game that, despite being a rivalry, shouldn’t have been competitive.
Questions still surround UF four weeks into the season. Those questions will remain until No. 7 Auburn comes to town in two weeks.
The Volunteers’ porous defense let Florida receivers get open all afternoon on Saturday. Trask still had to make the right decisions to get the ball to those receivers, but UT certainly made his job easier with lackluster coverage.
Auburn, on the other hand, possesses a much stiffer defense. The Tigers held a solid Texas A&M offense to just three points in the first three quarters on Saturday. Their defensive line — featuring NFL Draft talent like Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson — could pose the toughest test up front for Florida’s offensive line this season.
The o-line gave Trask a relatively clean pocket on Saturday, only allowing him to be sacked twice. Against Auburn, that number could increase significantly.
We don’t know what Kyle Trask looks like under pressure. He didn’t face it in the fourth quarter against a Kentucky team that refused to bring the blitz, and he didn’t face it on Saturday in a game that felt like it was out of hand after Florida’s opening touchdown drive.
UF’s defense looks legit, though. Through four games, its tied for first in the nation with 20 sacks and is ranked No. 23 in total defense. That’s why, despite the quarterback change, writing off the Gators in the national conversation feels premature.
Auburn’s true freshman quarterback Bo Nix hasn’t been asked to do much, but running back JaTarvious Whitlow — one of the best backs in the conference — already has 408 yards and four touchdowns. He’s on track to obliterate his season totals of 787 yards and six touchdowns in 2018.
The Gators have already struggled to contain the talented running backs they’ve faced in Miami’s DeeJay Dallas and Kentucky’s Kavosiey Smoke, and Whitlow could be the best of the bunch.
So, do yourself a favor and wait to formulate your hot takes until after that all-important matchup against the Tigers on Oct. 5 has come and gone.
One way or another, it should bring the answer to all those questions.
Tyler Nettuno is the sports editor of the Alligator. Follow him on Twitter @TylerNettuno or contact him at tnettuno@alligator.org.
Quarterback Kyle Trask played well against the Volunteers, but will be tested when the Gators play Auburn on Oct. 5.
