By Nick Moore
Nothing signals the end of summer quite like the beginning of college
football. As Orlando’s Camping World Stadium prepares to host the
2019 College Football Kickoff between the Florida Gators and Miami
Hurricanes, Central Florida Lifestyle previews the state’s most prolific
p
programs and what you can expect from each this season.
FLORIDA GATORS – AP Ranking, #7
THE OUTLOOK:
Dan Mullen enters his second season in Gainesville
having already raised the expectation level. Last season’s
return to 10-win form, followed by the signing of a top
10 recruiting class and a top 10 preseason ranking
has Gator fans anticipating one hell of an encore in
2019. Mullen will also benefit from the return of many
of his highest-caliber offensive weapons from a season
ago — perhaps no more notable than redshirt junior
quarterback, Felipe Franks. As familiar as Franks is
expected to be in year two under Mullen, he’ll be even
more familiar with this season’s top receiving targets
Van Jefferson, Josh Hammond and Trevon Grimes
— all of which played a pivotal role in helping Franks’
development last season.
As has been the case in recent years, the Gators will lean
heavily on an experienced defense that boasts some
of the nation’s top cornerbacks in C.J. Henderson and
Marco Wilson. Joining them to fill the void left by last
year’s defensive leader, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, is
none other than Brad Stewart. Where have you heard
that name before? It was Stewart’s game-clinching
interception returned for a touchdown last year against
LSU that provided the momentum needed to return some
swagger back to the Swamp and the Gators back into the
national spotlight.
40 Central Florida Lifestyle | August 2019
THE SCHEDULE:
Sat, August 24, #21 Miami (at Camping World Stadium - Orlando)
Sat, September 7, UT Martin
Sat, September 14, at Kentucky
Sat, September 21, Tennessee
Sat, September 28, Towson
Sat, October 5, #14 Auburn
Sat, October 12, at #4 LSU
Sat, October 19, at South Carolina
Sat, November 2, #3 Georgia (at TIAA Bank Field – Jacksonville)
Sat, November 9, Vanderbilt
Sat, November 16, at Missouri
Sat, November 30, Florida State
THE PREDICTION:
8 wins, 4 losses — It seems almost unfathomable that a
team returning as much talent as the Gators are to finish
the 2019 regular season with one less win than last year.
However, in at least two cases, the Gators must go on the
road seeking revenge from teams who left Gainesville with
victories last season. The SEC West rotation delivers an
always difficult Auburn team at a time on the schedule that
almost seems like a must-win if the Gators want to remain
part of the National Championship conversation before
entering the meat of their schedule with visits to Baton
Rouge and Jacksonville.