Tag: Kyle Pitts

Florida vs Ole Miss Halftime Update: Gators take 28-14 lead into locker room at half

The first half was a thrilling one, even if it was a bit difficult at times to watch as a Gators fan as Ole Miss put up a fight.

The opening game of the Florida Gators’ 2020 football opener kicked off officially 12:04 p.m. EDT at after both teams and coaching staffs kneeled on the sidelines in a showing of solidarity with social justice efforts. As the broadcast began, there was an eerie silence behind the announcers on ESPN in lieu of the typical cacophony of cheers during a typical college football season of past years.

But as we all know, this is not a typical year, and the fact that the Southeastern Conference — among others — were able to navigate its way to opening day.

The first half was a thrilling one, even if it was a bit difficult at times to watch as a Gators fan. Clearly, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin came out with a diverse game plan and his team executed well over the first 30 minutes.

First Half Notes

  • Ole Miss opens the game with a 9-yard pass from Matt Corral to Elijah Moore, going on to converts their first four first downs while pounding the ball on the ground though they ultimately gave up the ball on downs deep in UF territory;
  • Shawn Davis gets ejected for targeting with 11:30 in the first quarter on a call that could have gone both ways, but could have been a sign of rust after a COVID-tainted offseason;

  • Gators scored their first touchdown of the year with a 13-play, 77-yard drive that took nearly five minutes. On third and goal from the one, quarterback Kyle Trask faked the handoff and rolled out, finding an open Kyle Pitts for the first touchdown of the year;

  • Ole Miss answered back with a pair of long throws by Corral — first a 28-yard toss to Elijah Moore to get into Florida territory, then a heave to Dontario Drummond for 46-yard to tie up the score;
  • Two plays into their next possession, Emory Jones inexplicably came into the game after Trask had looked sharp and threw an interception to A.J. Finley at Ole Miss’ 45-yard-line; three plays later, Ole Miss gave the ball back on an interception by five-star freshman Gervon Dexter off Corral;

  • Florida’s third touchdown was scored by Kadarius Toney, who had a heck of a first half getting 97 yards on four touches — one carry for 50 yards and three receptions for 47 yards; expect to see more from the “Human Joystick” in the second half;

  • Speaking of a great first half, Trask looked as sharp as expected coming into the first game of his final collegiate season, completing 17-of-24 passes for 225 yards and four touchdowns, continuing the pass-heavy trend from last season that gave Trask the pedestal on which to rise.

  • Trevon Grimes finished the first half with a touchdown after catching two passes for 34 yards in a fine start to his senior season, which is packed with high expectations;

  • Pitts closed out the first half with a five-catch, 75-yard effort along with two touchdowns to his credit to help the Gators roll into the locker room at the half.

So yeah… that was quite a first half for Florida!

Stay tuned to Gators Wire for more in the second half and in the post-game.

[lawrence-related id=24262,24261,24245,24242,24181]

[vertical-gallery id=24253]

WATCH: Gators take early lead over Ole Miss with opening drive touchdown

On third and goal from the one, quarterback Kyle Trask faked the handoff and rolled out, finding an open Kyle Pitts for the first TD of 2020

Florida didn’t waste a lot of time on its opening drive of the 2020 college football season. It took over at the 23-yard line after Ole Miss turned the ball over on downs, and the Gators responded with a 13-play, 77-yard touchdown drive that took nearly five minutes.

On third and goal from the one, quarterback Kyle Trask faked the handoff and rolled out, finding an open Kyle Pitts for the first touchdown of the year.

It was the second connection of the drive between Trask and Pitts. Earlier, UF converted on a third and nine when Trask found Pitts at the sideline for an 18-yard gain, extending the drive.

Trask was 4-of-6 passing for 41 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive. The Gators didn’t find much success on the ground, though. Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis each had nine yards on three carries.

In addition to the two completions to Pitts, Trask also found Jacob Copeland and Davis on the opening drive.

[lawrence-related id=24261,24245,24242,24222,24185]

[vertical-gallery id=23934]

Kyle Pitts is one of the most exciting players in the SEC, per PFF

With SEC football set to get underway in less than 24 hours, members of the media have been giving their opinions on matchups and players.

With Southeastern Conference football set to get underway in less than 24 hours, members of the media have been giving their opinions on various matchups and players who will be featured this Saturday.

PFF’s lead draft analyst Mike Renner released his list of the most exciting players in the SEC on Friday via Twitter, with one prominent Florida Gator at the head of the pack. Junior tight end Kyle Pitts, who has earned quite a few lofty expectations coming into his 2020 campaign, was the first mention on Renner’s roster of five players from the around the league — all of whom were underclassmen.

Also mentioned was the Alabama Crimson Tide’s junior wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, Ole Miss Rebels’ sophomore quarterback John Rhys-Plumlee, LSU Tigers’ sophomore quarterback Derek Stingley Jr. and Missouri Tigers’ junior linebacker Nick Bolton.

Two of the names mentioned will be facing off against each other on Saturday when Pitts’ Gators travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on Rhys-Plumlee and his Rebels, kicking off both schools’ 10-game, SEC-only schedules.

[lawrence-related id=24178,24158,24151,24156,24109,24107,24068]

[vertical-gallery id=23934]

WATCH: DC Todd Grantham, Kyle Pitts sound off on STAR CB CJ McWilliams

McWilliams missed all of the 2019 season with a torn Achilles, but he’s back and has had a strong camp, according to the coaching staff.

When Florida released its opening day depth chart on Monday, the defensive lineup featured a bit of a surprise. Starting at the STAR position, Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s equivalent of the nickel corner, was fifth-year corner CJ McWilliams.

McWilliams missed all of the 2019 season with a torn Achilles, but he’s back and has had a strong camp, according to the coaching staff.

Grantham told the media on Tuesday night that McWilliams has worked hard to secure playing time now that he’s healthy.

“CJ’s a guy that quite honestly, he’s always gotten hurt when you kind of look at it, he’s gotten hurt and not being able to finish, and to the guy’s credit, the guy’s really busting his tail,” he said. “He’s worked hard, he’s been healthy through this whole thing, he’s really done what we’ve asked. He’s done a nice job, so he’ll be a part of our roster, our players, and he’ll be able to contribute to what we do.”

Despite being on the roster since 2016, McWilliams has appeared in just 16 games, starting two of them in 2018.

When tested by some of the best offenses in the SEC, he struggled, especially against Georgia in 2018. Kyle Pitts said that his struggles in that game gave fans the wrong idea bout him. The real McWilliams, Pitts maintains, will be on display this season.

“CJ is a guy that people kind of overlooked after that Georgia game, everybody was just bashing him, but they don’t know the real CJ,” tight end Pitts said. “The real CJ is how he’s playing now, 100 percent. He’s sticking, he’s hitting people hard in the open, he can guard, he can do everything that when he came here he’s doing now. Like I said, first game, everyone’s gonna be kind of shocked seeing him out there making plays.”

With a guy in Trey Dean III on the roster, who has experience at the STAR position, it says a lot that McWilliams, who many didn’t expect to be much of a factor on defense this year, has already secured a starting spot.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”bhrsqMlxeE-980802-9892″]

[lawrence-related id=24114,24082,24068,23988,23980]

[vertical-gallery id=23934]

ESPN SEC East preview: Can the Gators finally win the division under Mullen?

Coach Dan Mullen has gone 21-5 in his first two seasons as the coach at UF but there’s one hump he yet to overcome: winning the SEC East.

Dan Mullen has gone 21-5 in his first two seasons as the coach of the Gators, but there’s one hump Florida has yet to overcome during his tenure: winning the SEC East.

This could be the year to do it. UF returns its starting quarterback in Kyle Trask, several experienced receivers and most of its defense. Meanwhile, Georgia — who has won the division the last three seasons — has to replace quarterback Jake Fromm, and Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman, the player expected to do so, is opting out of the season.

The East feels up in the air, even more so now. With that in mind, how does ESPN’s Bill Connelly see the division race going down? Here’s what he wrote about the Gators in his preview.

Head coach: Dan Mullen (21-5, third year)
2019: 11-2 (6-2), seventh in SP+
2020 projection: 8-2, fifth
Five best returning players: CB Marco Wilson, S Shawn Davis, QB Kyle Trask, TE Kyle Pitts, LT Stone Forsythe

Your view of Florida’s place in the national title race this fall is almost 100% determined by your view of Kyle Trask. That isn’t exactly profound — quarterback is the most important position in any team sport, of course — but Trask is a hard player to figure out.

After taking over for the injured Feleipe Franks last year, Trask posted a 25-to-7 TD-to-INT ratio and finished 10th in the country in Total QBR. But he thrived at least partially because of the game plan. His passer rating was 169.6 on first down, 148.0 on second and 139.2 on third, and Florida ranked only 53rd in blitz downs success rate. When conditions were favorable, he thrived. When they weren’t, he didn’t. And that was with Van Jefferson and Freddie Swain, last year’s top wideouts. They’re both now gone.

You have to go back to 2015, with Alabama’s Jake Coker, to find the last time a team won the national title without a surefire first-round talent behind center. Coker had the nation’s best defense at his disposal, and 2014 champion Cardale Jones had a crazy-good run game for distracting defenses. Florida’s defense will certainly be good, but will the Gators have enough going for them to make a run if Trask doesn’t enjoy a Joe Burrow-like senior leap? In this year of uncertainty, will continuity — a third-year coaching staff that has remained mostly intact, plus a second-year starting QB and strong overall returning production numbers — make up for whatever the Gators might lack in star power compared to other contenders?

I don’t know that answer, but I do know there’s still a lot to like about Mullen’s Gators. The offensive line returns three starters and adds Mississippi State transfer Stewart Reese and his 33 career starts. The receiving corps still features efficient tight end Kyle Pitts and big-play threats in Trevon Grimes, Jacob Copeland, Kadarius Toney and Penn State transfer Justin Shorter. And the defense could be scary.

Coordinator Todd Grantham can get a little predictable in his aggression at times, but he’s brought results: He inherited a defense that ranked 33rd in defensive SP+ and improved it to 17th in 2018 and seventh in 2019. With most of last year’s two-deep back, Florida starts out this year projected third. Without Jonathan Greenard, Grantham needs a new ace pass-rusher, but he’s still got end Jeremiah Moon, and his linebackers are dynamite. So is a secondary that includes safety Shawn Davis and corner Marco Wilson.

The biggest question is the offensive run game. Florida was a dismal 107th in rushing success rate, which put a lot of pressure on Trask to make plays on early downs. The line is much more experienced this year, but a back still needs to step up, be it junior Dameon Pierce, Miami transfer Lorenzo Lingard or someone else. If they can run the ball and defend as well as it seems they could, Trask could certainly play at a Cokerian level and lead a Playoff push.

[lawrence-related id=23515,23493,23469,23329,23333,23318]

[vertical-gallery id=20711]

[vertical-gallery id=20730]

Prospects for Jags fans to watch: Florida TE Kyle Pitts

The Jags need to find their guy at tight end down the road and Kyle Pitts may be the answer they need.

This weekend the National Football League and some Power-5 college football programs get their seasons underway and with it comes talk of the NFL Draft. Teams are already monitoring the situations regarding prospects opting out and how each conference is handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the players who seems ready to go for 2020 is Florida’s Kyle Pitts. As a former 4-star recruit, Pitts brings all the necessary physical tools to be the best tight end in the class and a potential first-round draft selection.

At 6-foot-6 and 239 pounds, Pitts possesses more of a tweener body than a true tight end or wide receiver. That said, he’s got all the necessary athleticism to fool some into believing he is a receiver. Pitts plays with natural quickness and the fluidity with which he plays is uncanny for a man of his stature.

Pitts runs the route above better than many receivers wish they could. He gives a very subtle indication he is going outside before cutting inside, creating separation. Unfortunately, the ball is a bit low but Pitts seamlessly grabs the ball and keeps his momentum before turning on the jets to burn the Georgia Bulldogs’ secondary. Simply put, he’s smooth.

Pitts certainly doesn’t waste his 6-foot-6 frame either. He knows his size is a mismatch, certainly in the slot and he takes advantage of this often.

On the red-zone play above, Pitts gets himself some separation before high pointing an overthrown ball, displaying incredible ball skills, and a massive catch radius. A linebacker just simply isn’t going to cut it when it comes to covering this phenom.

Pitts also knows how to utilize his large catch radius and size in the endzone as well.

For Florida, Pitts gave Gator quarterback Kyle Trask everything he could ask for. Pitts played the part of a safety blanket, a mismatch receiver, and a red-zone threat all in one. This was one of the reasons that Pitts led the Gators in receptions, even with three Gator receivers being drafted. In 2019, Pitts hauled in 54 balls for 649 yards and 5 touchdowns, certainly impressive numbers for a “tight end.”

Many tight ends in the mold of Pitts are very rarely willing or capable blockers. However, this isn’t something scouts will call Pitts out for when it comes to effort. In fact, Florida felt comfortable enough to match Pitts up against Auburn’s Marlon Davidson, who was a 6-foot-3, 303-pound beast in the trenches for the Tigers. Pitts, surprisingly, held up really well and was able to consistently open up running lanes for Florida running back Lamical Perine.

For an offensive weapon of Pitts’ caliber at tight end, this is really encouraging. It’s something you don’t often see enough of in modern-day tight ends.

I think Pitts is this draft class’s best tight end and has the potential to be a game-changer at the next level. His athletic profile, willingness to block, and nuance as a receiver makes him a high profile target for any team looking for the next Zach Ertz, Travis Kelce, or George Kittle. While I’m not necessarily comparing him to those three, he does have the potential to be one of the league’s best at the position.

The Jaguars have sorely lacked a down-field, vertical-threat for much of the franchise’s history and I believe it is time that trend dies. With a stacked tight end class, there are plenty of options but if you are asking me, none provide more of a threat than Pitts.

Trio of Gators make The Athletic’s preseason college football All-Who’s Actually Playing Team

The Florida Gators football players were named in The Athletic’s preseason college football All-Who’s Actually Playing Team.

[jwplayer QBMkmdTU]

Three Florida Gators football players were named in The Athletic’s preseason college football All-Who’s Actually Playing Team, published on Tuesday. Junior tight end Kyle Pitts, sophomore defensive back Kaiir Elam and junior placekicker Evan McPherson all made the publication’s second team at their respective positions.

The Athletic’s first team features Clemson’s junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence at the helm, while three SEC players made the cut on both offense and defense, while two of the three special teams slots are occupied by the boys down south. The Alabama Crimson Tide features four players from its hallowed halls, while the Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats, Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers all have a single representative on the list.

On the second team, the SEC has six players named on offense and five on defense, including Pitts and Elam, respectively, with McPherson the lone representative on special teams. ‘Bama once again led the way with three players listed — two on offense and one on defense — while the Kentucky Wildcats were mentioned twice on offense, the Georgia Bulldogs twice on defense, and the Mississippi State Bulldogs and LSU getting a mention on offense and defense, respectively.

[lawrence-related id=21736,21719,21703,21684,21656]

[vertical-gallery id=20711]

[vertical-gallery id=20730]

Kyle Trask, receivers shoulder big burden for Florida Gators in 2020

The SEC’s 2020 fall football season is fast approaching, with just over three weeks until the opening kickoff despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

[jwplayer II4XvP6D]

The Southeastern Conference’s 2020 fall football season is fast approaching with just over three weeks until the opening kickoff despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Along with the SEC, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big-12 will also get their seasons underway on a Saturday not too far in the distant future.

As we get closer and closer to that date, questions begin to arise about how the season may look. Pontificators will do as they are wont to and give predictions on how the schedule will play out, as we have seen around the media already. Sports Illustrated took a stab at this inquiry on Tuesday as its staff put together a roundtable assessment of each school’s team.

Here is what Zach Goodall, publisher of Allgators, had to ask about the Gators this fall.

Will Florida be able to replicate its pass-game success from a year ago, as Kyle Trask enters a season as a starting quarterback for the first time since his freshman year of high school?

Stepping in for the injured Feleipe Franks, the Gators finished with the nation’s No. 16 passing offense with Trask at the helm. Five key contributors, all having caught at least 20 passes in 2019, are now in the NFL, leaving Trask with several high-potential weapons—and also loads of inexperienced depth—at wide receiver. Tight end Kyle Pitts offers a huge boost, but Florida will depend on Trevon Grimes, Jacob Copeland, Kadarius Toney and others to take a big step forward in Dan Mullen’s spread offense.

Mullen appears confident Trask can overcome the loss of veteran production, noting his “graduate-level” progressions last week. Without a spring camp amid the pandemic, however, Trask and his young weapons missed key time to jell. If that lost time proves pivotal, Florida will know early on: The Gators face the reigning No. 29 and No. 31 defenses in the nation—Texas A&M and LSU, respectively—back to back in Weeks 3 and 4.

[lawrence-related id=21719,21703,21684,21656,21650]

[vertical-gallery id=20711]

[vertical-gallery id=20730]

USA TODAY SEC football preview: Florida Gators projected to finish 2nd in East

USA TODAY has released its preseason SEC preview, including record predictions for each squad, projected divisional standings and preseason all-conference list.

USA TODAY Sports has released its preseason SEC preview, including record predictions for each squad, projected divisional standings and preseason all-conference list.

The Gators are projected to finish just shy of the SEC Championship once again, as Georgia is the favorite to win the SEC East. UF is predicted to finish one game shy of the Bulldogs at 8-2.

Here is USA TODAY Sports’ full-season outlook for Florida.

The two biggest games on Florida’s schedule: Texas A&M on Oct. 10, for the chance to set a tone in the Gators’ first game against a ranked opponent, and Georgia on Nov. 7, due to the obvious importance to the East division race. A win in either or both matchups would reverse recent history. Florida has dropped three in a row to Georgia and went 1-7 against A&M coach Jimbo Fisher during his stint at rival Florida State.

The Gators have two players listed on the preseason All-Conference list: quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts. Both had strong seasons last year, and they’re each now seeing some preseason attention as some expect them to be early-round picks in 2021.

While managing a difficult 10-game conference schedule with only two losses would still be an impressive feat, it would likely be disappointing to UF fans if it means missing out on a trip to Atlanta.

These are the full preseason projected standings, as well as the full All-Conference list.

SEC East

1 (3). Georgia: 9-1 (9-1)

2 (6). Florida: 8-2 (8-2)

3 (18). Tennessee: 6-4 (6-4)

4 (26). Kentucky: 5-5 (5-5)

5 (53). South Carolina: 3-7 (3-7)

6 (59). Missouri: 3-7 (3-7)

7 (72). Vanderbilt: 1-9 (1-9)

SEC West

1 (2). Alabama: 9-1 (9-1)

2 (7). LSU: 7-3 (7-3)

3 (14). Texas A&M: 7-3 (7-3)

4 (15). Auburn: 6-4 (6-4)

5 (37). Ole Miss: 3-7 (3-7)

6 (51). Mississippi State: 3-7 (3-7)

7 (74). Arkansas: 0-10 (0-10)

ALL-CONFERENCE

The preseason all-conference team includes players who have opted out of playing this season due to COVID-19.

QB: Kyle Trask, Florida

RB: Najee Harris, Alabama

RB: Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

WR: Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

WR: DeVonta Smith, Alabama

TE: Kyle Pitts, Florida

OL: Alex Leatherwood, Alabama

OL: Trey Smith, Tennessee

OL: Drake Jackson, Kentucky

OL: Landon Dickerson, Alabama

OL: Darian Kinnard, Kentucky

DL: Big Kat Bryant, Auburn

DL: Bobby Brown, Texas A&M

DL: Tyler Shelvin, LSU

DL: LaBryan Ray, Alabama

LB: Jabrill Cox, LSU

LB: Dylan Moses, Alabama

LB: Nick Bolton, Missouri

CB: Derek Stingley Jr., LSU

CB: Patrick Surtain II, Alabama

S: Richard LeCounte, Georgia

S: JaCoby Stevens, LSU

K: Brent Cimaglia, Tennessee

P: Max Duffy, Kentucky

RET: Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

[lawrence-related id=21656,21650,21642,21162,21127,21124]

[vertical-gallery id=20711]

[vertical-gallery id=20730]

Florida Gators TE Kyle Pitts selected in first-round of Todd McShay’s latest mock draft

Tight end Kyle Pitts was the only Florida Gator to appear in this mock first-round, going off the board to the Buffalo Bills at No. 23.

While we apparently will not see some of the names in action this fall due to the Big Ten and Pacific-12 Conferences postponing their 2020 seasons, ESPN’s Todd McShay released his latest 2021 National Football League Mock Draft on August 12 (subscription required).

The Jacksonville Jaguars, coached by former Syracuse Orange head man Doug Marrone, led the way, selecting Clemson Tigers junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 1.

“OK, let’s begin with a no-brainer,” McShay started.

“Lawrence is a once-in-a-decade type of quarterback prospect who currently has our highest Scouts Inc. grade on a QB since Andrew Luck in 2012 (99).

“Jacksonville dealt Nick Foles in the offseason, leaving it with just Gardner Minshew II and Mike Glennon, and Lawrence would step right in for the Jaguars as an immediate game-breaking starter.

“With a big arm, great mobility for his 6-foot-6 frame, excellent poise under pressure and off-the-charts intangibles, it wouldn’t be long before he was among the game’s best.”

The “Washington Football Team,” formerly the Redskins, occupied the No. 2 spot, taking Alabama Crimson Tide junior cornerback Patrick Surtain II.

A Plantation native, Surtain earned Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman Team honors from the league’s coaches in 2018, and, along with LSU Tigers sophomore Derek Stingley, Jr., has a case to be made for best cornerback in the conference.

Oregon Ducks offensive tackle Penei Sewell, Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields, and LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, all also juniors, rounded out McShay’s top-five to the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and Miami Dolphins, respectively.

Tight end Kyle Pitts, another junior, was the only Florida Gator to appear in this mock first-round, going off the board to the Buffalo Bills, who recently signed head coach Sean McDermott to a contract extension, at No. 23.

“Stefon Diggs gives Josh Allen help outside, but what about the tight end position?” McShay posed.

“Dawson Knox had flashes in his rookie season, but Buffalo still has a long way to go in seeing what it has in its 2019 third-rounder. Even if Knox pans out, adding a versatile matchup piece like Pitts to the mix would be huge.

“He should continue to get bigger and stronger as a blocker, but his combination of length, speed and route running makes him a first-round talent. Pitts, who led the Gators with 54 catches last season, is the most dangerous seam-stretching tight end in the country.”

Other notable selections include Ohio State redshirt junior cornerback Shaun Wade to the New York Jets at No. 8, Alabama wideouts DeVonta Smith (senior) to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 10 and Jaylen Waddle (junior) to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 11, North Dakota State Bison redshirt sophomore quarterback Trey Lance to the Chicago Bears at No. 14, and Michigan Wolverines senior receiver Nico Collins, a Pinson, Alabama native, to the Green Bay Packers at No. 18.

[lawrence-related id=20552,20544,20490,20281]

[vertical-gallery id=15610]