Tag: 2020 season

Series history: Broncos seek first win of season, eighth all-time vs. Dolphins

The last time the Broncos faced the Dolphins, then-rookie Tua Tagovailoa was benched.

Week 3 of the NFL season brings the Denver Broncos to South Florida for a matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

This week will be no beach vacation: the Dolphins are 2-0, and the leader of the AFC East over the Patriots, Bills and Jets.

Week 3 will be the 21st meeting between these two franchises, dating back to 1966. The Dolphins lead the all-time series, 12-7-1.

The last game between these two was during the COVID-19 season in 2020. Then-rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa started for the Dolphins, but the Denver defense proved to be a tough foe. Tagovailoa was pulled late in the game in favor of veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick led a valiant Miami effort in an attempt to tie the game, but an end zone interception by Broncos Justin Simmons sealed the game for a 20-13 win.

Denver’s quarterback was Drew Lock, who went 18-of-30 for 270 yards and an interception. Then-starting running back Melvin Gordon scored two touchdowns and led the Broncos rushing attack with 84 yards.

The Broncos will look to get Sean Payton’s first win of the 2023 season against this talented Miami team this weekend.

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Avery Helm surging into a starting role in his second year

It was a bit surprising when Helm was named the starter opposite Kaiir Elam, but he has held the job down through the first three weeks of the season.

Name: Avery Helm

Number: 24

Position: Cornerback

Class: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 180 lbs

Hometown: Missouri City, Texas

High School: Fort Bend Marshall

Twitter: @FMB_Helm

2020 statistics:

TOT SOLO SACK FF INT PD
1 1 0 0 0 0

Overview:

A four-star recruit in the 2020 recruiting class from Fort Bend Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas, Helm was expected to be a bit of a project player. He was only the No. 24 corner in the nation coming out of high school, and he was the third-highest rated defensive back Florida signed in the class.

He didn’t see much action as a true freshman in 2020, appearing in just one game, Florida’s loss to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. With a number of starters sitting out, UF gave a lot of opportunities to younger players like Helm in that game, and he earned a tackle.

Helm entered the 2021 season expected to be a rotational player in the secondary, but those plans changed when projected starter Jaydon Hill was lost for the season with a knee injury in camp. Helm won the starting job opposite Kaiir Elam over true freshman Jason Marshall, and though he’s had to deal with some learning curves as a redshirt freshman, he does have five tackles and a pass deflection through three games.

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Patience paying off for Rick Wells in his sixth season

Wells is making an impact on the field after a difficult start to his Florida career.

Name: Rick Wells

Number: 12

Position: Wide Receiver

Class: Redshirt Junior

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 200 lbs

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

High School: Raines

Twitter: @Rick_Wells3

2020 statistics:

REC YDS AVG TD LNG
12 120 10 0 20

Overview:

Wells was a three-star recruit from Raines High School in Jacksonville coming out of high school, and he was the first player to join the 2016 recruiting class under then-coach Jim McElwain. Wells held firm on his commitment, and he eventually signed with the Gators.

The early part of Wells’ college career was marred by off-the-field incidents. He was arrested for an airsoft gun incident in 2016 before the beginning of the season, and he eventually redshirted after not appearing in a game that year. Then, he missed the entirety of his redshirt freshman season in 2017 due to his involvement in the credit card fraud scandal.

Wells was internally disciplined in the summer of 2018 for another airsoft gun incident that involved five of his teammates, as well, and he only made one catch for 10 yards as a redshirt sophomore despite appearing in 10 games, mostly as a reserve receiver and on special teams.

It was largely the same story in 2019. Wells was suspended for the season opener for unknown reasons, and despite playing in nine games, he only boosted his catches from one to two for 27 yards.

The 2020 season, however, was when things finally started to go right for Wells. Though he was buried on the receiver depth chart by Kadarius Toney, Trevon Grimes and Jacob Copeland, he still had the best season of his career, by far. Appearing at receiver in 10 games, he totaled 120 yards on 12 catches.

Wells understandably took advantage of the extra year of eligibility allowed to players due to COVID-19, and he returned in 2021 for his sixth year in his biggest role yet.

2021: Through three games, he already has seven catches for 82 yards, and he caught the first touchdown of his college career in the season opener against Florida Atlantic. Though he’s still a backup, he’s one of Florida’s primary rotational receivers, and he should be in store for a career year during his final campaign in the orange and blue.

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Veteran Amari Burney will face some competition in 2021

Burney is set to start the opener this weekend, but linebacker is set to be a competitive spot for the Gators in 2021.

Name: Amari Burney

Number: 2

Position: Linebacker

Class: Senior

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 230 lbs

Hometown: St. Petersburg, Florida

High School: Calvary Christian

Twitter: @amari_burney

2020 statistics:

TOT SOLO SACK FF FR INT PD
52 30 2 0 0 1 2

Overview:

A four-star recruit from St. Petersburg, Burney committed to the Gators in June before his senior year of high school, and he signed with the team during the early signing period in December of 2017. He began his career as a defensive back, and saw reserve action on defense and a lot of time on special teams as a freshman, when he totaled 12 tackles and a sack.

Burney moved to linebacker ahead of his sophomore season, and he played in eight games with three starts, also seeing some action at the STAR linebacker safety hybrid position. He had 37 tackles, a fumble recovery and notched his first career interception.

Burney entered the 2020 season expected to be one of Florida’s key contributors on defense, but he saw his role diminish a bit. He appeared in every game, but started just four of them. Still, he reached a career-high in tackles with 52 and sacks with two.

Entering the 2021 season, Burney is listed as a starter at linebacker alongside Ventrell Miller. But he could be pushed by Mohamoud Diabate, who has been very impressive during his Florida career, and Ty’Ron Hopper, who enters his third season and was a role player last year.

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Transfer Jordan Pouncey should see a bigger role in 2021

Pouncey didn’t make much of an impact in his first season with UF, but after a lot of turnover at receiver, he should see more action in 2021.

Name: Jordan Pouncey

Number: 86

Position: Wide Receiver

Class: Redshirt Senior

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 208 lbs

Hometown: Winter Park, Florida

High School: Winter Park

Twitter: @_pouncey

2020 statistics:

REC YDS AVG TD LNG
1 27 27 1 27

Overview:

A cousin of former UF star offensive linemen Mike and Maurkice Pounce, Pouncey was a three-star recruit in the 2017 recruiting class. Despite not being a blue-chip recruit, he had a multitude of high-profile offers, including from Alabama, Miami and Notre Dame. However, he chose to commit to the Texas Longhorns, where he redshirted his first year.

He made seven appearances as a redshirt freshman in 2018, but it was mostly on special teams. He didn’t make any catches, but he did set a key block on a 90-yard punt return touchdown against Kansas State.

He made his offensive debut the following year in 2019, and he totaled two catches for 19 yards in five appearances. Following the second year of minimal usage, he entered the transfer portal. Pouncey landed with Florida, who had just signed his brother, defensive back Ethan, in the 2020 recruiting class.

After arriving at Florida, he was once again relegated to a mostly reserve role. He played in five games, but he only made one catch on the year. It was a good one, though, as he snagged a 27-yard touchdown grab in the Cotton Bowl loss to Oklahoma.

Entering into 2021, Pouncey should see more reps on offense. He may be a second-team receiver, but Florida rotates through its pass-catchers often. On a team that has to replace its three leading receivers, it will turn to players like Pouncey for veteran leadership.

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Kingsley Eguakun could be the starting center in 2021

Kingsley Eguakun could be Florida’s starting center after appearing in 14 games as a reserve his first two years.

Name: Kingsley Eguakun

Number: 65

Position: Offensive Line

Class: Redshirt Sophomore

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 303 lbs

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

High School: Sandalwood

Twitter: @Keguakun

2020 statistics:

Appeared in all 12 games as a reserve.

Overview:

A three-star recruit out of Jacksonville, Eguakun was originally committed to play for the Gators’ rival down south in Miami. He committed to the Hurricanes in January of his junior year of high school and held to that commitment for a while. But Florida got into the running late in his recruiting process, offering him on Nov. 27.

Less than a week later on Dec. 2, he flipped to UF, signing 17 days later and then enrolling in January. Eguakun redshirted his first year on campus in 2019, though he appeared in two games as a reserve.

He only saw reserve action again as a redshirt freshman in 2020, but this time he appeared in every game. Most of his playing time came at center, and it prepared him to potentially take on a bigger role in 2021.

According to reports from practice, Eguakun has been competing for the starting center job, which could allow Florida more flexibility in determining its final lineup. Eguakun will hope his third season is the one where he makes a major impact.

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Stewart Reese set to be the veteran of the offensive line in 2021

Reese will be a starter on the offensive line this year. The only question is where.

Name: Stewart Reese

Number: 51

Position: Offensive Line

Class: Graduate Student

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 345 lbs

Hometown: Ft. Pierce, Florida

High School: Ft. Pierce Central

Previous School: Mississippi State

2020 statistics:

Appeared and started in 11 games

Overview:

Originally a three-star prospect, Reese committed to Dan Mullen back when he was the coach at Mississippi State. He signed with the Bulldogs in 2016, and after redshirting his first year on campus, he started all 13 games at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2017. He was a major part of the MSU rushing offense, which ranked second in the SEC.

Mullen left to take the Florida job after that year, but Reese reprised his role at right tackle again for all 13 games of the 2018 season. Heading into his redshirt junior season in 2019, he projected to be one of the best and most experienced members of the line.

He started the first seven games at right tackle once again, but he was moved to right guard for the eighth game. He appeared in three more games that year but didn’t make any starts, and he decided to enter the transfer portal ahead of his fifth season.

As a graduate transfer, Reese landed with his former coach in Mullen and also joined his brother, David, who is a linebacker with the Gators. Reese became an immediate starter at right guard, appearing in 10 of 12 games in 2020.

Reese took advantage of the extra year of eligibility afforded to athletes due to COVID-19, and he’s expected to start once again in 2021, potentially taking the spot of departing center Brett Heggie. But according to reports, Kingsley Eguakun has seen a lot of looks at center. If he gets the starting nod, it would allow Reese to return to his spot at right guard.

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Former Bears QB Mitch Trubisky hilariously recounts winning NVP in playoff loss

Mitch Trubisky recounted the moment he found out he was named the NVP of the Bears’ playoff loss to the Saints – and it’s hilarious.

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The Chicago Bears snuck into the 2020 postseason only to be ousted in the first round by the New Orleans Saints, 21-9. It was a disappointing effort all around, especially on offense.

The wild-card game was being broadcast on CBS and Nickelodeon, which featured a kid-friendly broadcast. And it gave former Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky the perfect sendoff from Chicago.

Despite the loss, Trubisky was voted the NVP — Nickelodeon’s Valuable Player — by those watching the game on Nickelodeon, and it became an instant viral moment with jokes galore.

Trubisky recently appeared on the Pardon My Take podcast, where he hilariously recounted the moment he found out he was named the NVP.

“They just told me and I was like, ‘Oh, cool. Is there like a trophy or something?'” Trubisky explained. “It was tough, because it was emotional, season just ended, we lost the game. It was a rough game, honestly. And they’re like, ‘You won something.’ I thought they were just messing with me. I was like, ‘What? The NVP sounds like MVP. There’s no way. You can’t win a MVP with a game like that.’ ‘No, the NVP… Nickelodeon Valuable Person, I guess.’ And I was like, ‘How do I qualify for that?’ ‘I don’t know, they voted for you.’ ‘Alright, thank you, I guess.'”

Trubisky faced off against his former team last Saturday, where he absolutely balled out, leading the Bills to six consecutive scoring drives — including four touchdowns — in the first half. He finished 20-of-28 for 221 yards, one touchdown and 106.4 passer rating.

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Jean Delance provides much-needed experience at right tackle

Offensive tackle Jean Delance drew the most ire from UF fans last season, but he still remains its most experienced player among the unit.

Name: Jean Delance

Number: 56

Position: Offensive Tackle

Class: Redshirt Junior

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 270 lbs

Hometown: Mesquite, Texas

High School: North Mesquite

Previous School: Texas

2020 Statistics:

Started all 12 games at right tackle

Overview:

Delance was the player that drew the most ire of Florida fans last season because of his lackluster performance at right tackle. But he is offensive line coach John Hevesy’s most experienced player as a redshirt senior.

He originally signed to play football for the Texas Longhorns out of high school where he played two games his freshman season for the Longhorn in 2016. Delance then entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and wound up with the Gators. He had to sit out the 2017 season due to transfer rules.

In his first season with Florida where he was eligible in 2018, he played in four games as a reserve offensive lineman. Delance became a starter in 2019 and started all 13 games. He also started all 12 games in 2020.

Despite his struggles at right tackle, Florida fans should expect him to start every game if he stays healthy because no other offensive linemen have pushed to take over his starting spot.

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Richard Gouraige set to defend Emory Jones’ blindside in 2021

Gouraige has been a starter the last two years, but now he faces the challenge of moving to left tackle.

Name: Richard Gouraige

Number: 76

Position: Offensive Tackle

Class: Redshirt junior

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 312 lbs

Hometown: Tampa, Florida

High School: Cambridge Christian

Twitter: @richardg813

Overview:

Richard Gouraige was one of the best players in the 2018 recruiting class. A four-star recruit on the 247Sports Composite, he was listed as the No. 81 player in the nation. Gouraige played on both lines of scrimmage, but he was initially recruited as a defensive end. Once he arrived at Florida, he moved to the offensive line, where he made two reserve appearances in a redshirt season in 2018.

He started making much more regular appearances a redshirt junior in 2019. He appeared in 12 of 13 games, and by the end of the season, he was the starter at left guard. He totaled five starts on the season.

Heading into 2020, Gouraige was once again projected to be a starter at left guard, and he indeed appeared and started in all 12 games as part of the offensive line whose protection allowed Kyle Trask to have a record-setting season through the air.

Gouraige saw considerable action at left tackle, as well, last season, and after the departure of Stone Forsythe, he’s the favorite to take over that starting spot. He has a difficult task ahead of him manning the most important position on the offensive line, but he’s a very experienced player. The Gators will hope that experience pays off in 2021.

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