Saturday’s matchup between Florida and Ole Miss will mark the first time that either team has played a game in over 270 days.
It would be 271 days for UF since its 36-28 victory over Virginia in the Orange Bowl, while a whopping 303 days have come and gone after the Rebels’ 21-20 loss to Mississippi State last November.
It’s no wonder then that Gators coach Dan Mullen and his team are chomping at the bit to get the season underway finally.
“For our guys, obviously, it's a huge adjustment this week for us because you got to go full-on change into game mode, different types of practice, different preparation, different routine,” Mullen said. “It's been a long time since we played, so we're excited to go.”
While most conferences have already started playing — including every other team in the state — the Gators are still counting down the days to the start of the season.
“This camp has been extended a long time,” running back Malik Davis said. “We've been hitting each other, going against each other every day. So, we're definitely excited to line up and put on our uniform and go against somebody else this weekend."
Saturday’s season opener also represents a homecoming of sorts for Mullen — an anti-homecoming. It will be Mullen’s first trip to Vaught Hemingway Stadium since he left rival Mississippi State to become the Gators’ head coach.
Mullen had a 5-4 record in the heated Egg Bowl, arguably the biggest event in Mississippi every year. The last time that Mullen was in Oxford, his Bulldogs stomped the Rebels 55-20.
“I had a lady come up and say, ‘Coach I pray for you every day,’” Mullen said. “I said, ‘Oh, that’s so nice of you.’ She goes, ‘I’m an Ole Miss fan. I pray somebody comes, hires and gets you heck out of this state as soon as possible.’”
Saturday’s game also gives Florida the chance to finally figure out what exactly it has on its hands for 2020. Mullen noted that he thought his team would run the ball well coming out of camp last season, and that didn’t happen.
“You keep asking, you know, ‘Hey, how are we going to be this year?' I don't know. We’re gonna find out on Saturday,” Mullen said. “It’ll be good to see what we look like against another team and a quality SEC team."
Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson echoed Mullen’s sentiments. In terms of game-week preparation, Johnson explained the team’s focus on playing its own football brand rather than worrying extensively over the opposing team’s depth chart.
“First games are generally a crapshoot anyways in terms of schematics, because teams spend the entire offseason working on new things,” he said. “It’s about how hard you play, your attention to detail and your technique and fundamentals, and making sure that you bring your own energy.”
Payton Titus contributed to this report.
Contact Brendan Farrell at bfarrell@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Bfarrell727.
Coach Dan Mullen at last year's Florida-Georgia game. The 2020 season kicks off noon Saturday for the Gators in Oxford, Mississippi.
