3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS // 8 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS // 697 ALL-TIME WINS // 48 FIRST-ROUND NFL DRAFT PICKS // 70 FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICANS // 245 FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC SELECTIONS BROADCAST INFORMATION - #UFvsLSU GAME 7 ESPN Play-by-Play: Brad Nessler OCTOBER 17 // 7 P.M. Analyst: Todd Blackledge Tiger Stadium (102,321) Sideline: Holly Rowe THE Gator IMG Sports Network Play-by-Play: Mick Hubert No. 8/11 Florida Gators // 6-0, 4-0 SEC Analyst: Lee McGriff No. 6/5 LSU Tigers // 5-0, 3-0 SEC Sideline: Brady Ackerman THE STORYLINE MATCHUP AT A GLANCE • Behind a pair of first-quater touchdown runs from junior • Offensively, sophomore Treon Harris will start his eighth- Overall: 31-27-3, UF running back Kelvin Taylor, UF defeated Missouri, 21-3, in career game at quarterback this week. Harris has a 5-2 Last 10 Meetings: 6-4, LSU its Saturday night Southeastern Conference showdown record as a starter, including an upset win over No. 9 In Gainesville: 15-12-3, UF in Columbia, Mo. The win marked Florida’s ninth 6-0 Georgia in his first career start last season. In Baton Rouge: 16-15, UF At Neutral Sites: None start and 13th 4-0 inauguration to SEC play in program history, and its first such start since 2012. • Harris, who started Florida’s final six games of 2014, FLORIDA (6-0, 4-0 SEC) recorded three touchdown passes of 70 or more yards Head Coach: Jim McElwain • In each of Florida’s five 6-0 starts since 1995, the Gators last season, and UF as a team ranked second nationally Record: 28-16 overall (4th year) finished the season with at least 11 wins. Also, in six (led the SEC) with five passing plays of 70+ yards in 2014. 6-0 at UF (1st year) of UF’s eight 4-0 starts in SEC play since 1991, Florida Rankings: No. 8/11 finished the year as SEC champions. • On the ground, Taylor has been the featured back as he 2015 record: 6-0, 4-0 SEC has totals 114 carries, 438 yards and seven touchdowns. • Jim McElwain has now won 15 of the last 16 games he’s LSU (5-0, 3-0 SEC) coached and he is the first coach since Galen Hall in 1984 • Demarcus Robinson has over 1,000 career receiving Head Coach: Les Miles to start his career at UF 6-0. yards after tallying eight catches for 98 yards against Ole Record: 136-50 overall (15th year) 108-29 at LSU (11th year) Miss. Meanwhile, 11 of Jake McGee’s 18 receptions (61.1%) Rankings: No. 6/5 • UF’s defense has been stout across the board, but, most in 2015 have gone for first downs or touchdowns. 2015 record: 5-0, 3-0 SEC impressively, the Gators are the only team in the only team in the country to play at least two road games • UF travels to Baton Rouge, La. to face LSU (5-0, 3-0) at 2015 SCHEDULE without allowing a touchdown. Tiger Stadium this week in a battle of top-10 programs. September (4-0) This is the first time since Nov. 24, 2012 (FSU) that Florida 5 NEW MEXICO STATE W, 61-13 • The Gators were +2 in turnover margin at Missouri, and has played in a top-10 matchup. Florida is ranked in the 12 EAST CAROLINA W, 31-24 are now +8 on the season, which is the top mark in the top 10 for the first time since the start of the 2013 season. 19 at Kentucky* W, 14-9 conference and ranks eighth in the country. 26 TENNESSEE* W, 28-27 • The last time Florida won at LSU was on Oct. 11, 2009, October (2-0) • Florida continues to live in its opponents backfields, as when the No. 1 ranked Gators downed the No. 4 Tigers, 3 No. 3 OLE MISS* W, 38-10 the Gators have tallied at least three sacks in six straight 13-3. In that game, Tim Tebow completed 11 of 16 passes 10 at Missouri* W, 21-3 17 at No. 6 LSU* (ESPN) 7 p.m. games, matching its longest streak since 2009. Also, and threw one touchdown. 24 Bye Florida has recorded multiple sacks in seven consecutive 31 vs. Georgia* (CBS) 3:30 p.m. games, eclipsing its longest run since 2007 and tying the • Florida is 3-0 this season in games decided by 7 or fewer November (0-0) program’s longest streak since 1998. points; UF was 2-7 in such games the past 2 seasons. 7 VANDERBILT* 14 at South Carolina* • Florida ranks seventh in the country in sacks per game • Stat Watch: UF’s rush defense ranks second in the SEC at 21 FLORIDA ATLANTIC (3.50) and 12th tackles for loss (8.2). 99.2 ypg, while LSU’s rush offense sits atop the confer- 28 FLORIDA STATE ence at 346.4 ypg. December • LAST TIME OUT - MIZZOU 5 SEC Championship (Atlanta, Ga.) Kelvin Taylor rushed for a pair of one-yard touchdown 337 yards, but the Gators did what they had to do against Home: 4-0 *SEC Games: 4-0 Neutral: 0-0 runs and Jalen Tabor returned an interception for a touch- the league’s top-ranked defense and did not turn the ball Away: 2-0 Non-Conference: 2-0 down, as Florida defeated Missouri 21-3 in their Southeast- over. ern Conference game last Saturday at Faurot Field. The Tigers answered the UF score with a 21-yard field FOOTBALL COMMUNICATIONS CONTACTS UF quarterback Will Grier, making his second start on the goal from Andrew Baggett after true freshman quarterback Steve McClain Senior Associate Athletics Director SEC road, led drives of 75 and 82 yards in the first period to Drew Lock took his offense down to the Florida 5, before the [email protected] // Head Coach Interviews give the Gators (6-0, 4-0) the lead over the league’s two- Gators stiffened on defense. Dan Apple Assistant Director time defending East Division champions. Tabor’s pick-6, a The Florida defense held Missouri to just 257 yards, 12 first [email protected] // Player Interviews 40-yarder which came off freshman quarterback Drew Lock downs and 1 for 14 on third-down conversion attempts. Will Pantages Assistant Director in the third period, was his second interception return for a The Tigers had a chance to cut into the 11-point margin, [email protected] // Interviews & Game Notes score this season. but Baggett’s 54-yard field goal attempt was wide left. UF’s Grier hit 20 of 33 passes for 208 yards, while Taylor carried Jorge Powell returned the favor with 3:04 to go in the first @GatorsFB // #GoGators 28 times for 99 yards and the two scores. Offensively, UF half when he missed a 36-yarder. hardly overpowered the Tigers (4-2, 1-2), finishing with just 2015 FLORIDA FOOTBALL #GOGATORS QUICK FACTS FIRST-YEAR COACHES AT UF GENERAL INFORMATION • There have been 25 head football coaches at the University of Florida’s 109 seasons of football. In their first full season as Location: Gainesville, Fla. a head coach, 15 of UF’s coaches finished with a winning record, two finished at even .500 and four coaches had losing Enrollment: 49,042 records. Gary Darnell, Charlie Strong and D.J. Durkin did not coach a full season. President: Dr. Kent Fuchs Athletics Director: Jeremy Foley • Notable First Seasons for UF Head Coaches Florida First-year Coach Superlatives Conference: Southeastern Conference 1909 6-1-1 G.E. Pyle Most Wins: 9 (Meyer, Spurrier, Hall*, Graves) Nickname: Gators 1923 6-1-2 J.A. VanFleet Best Win Pct.: 8-1, .888 (Bachman, 1928) Colors: Orange (PMS 172) & Blue (PMS 287) 19252 8- Tom Sebring SEC Wins: 6 (Zook, 2002; Spurrier, 1990) Stadium (Capacity): Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548) 19281 8- Charles Bachman Most Points Scored: 73 (Bachman, 1928 vs. Mercer) Surface: Grass 19602 9- Ray Graves Number of Shoutouts: 4 (Graves, 1960) Press Box Number: (352) 378-9590 1985 9-1-1 Galen Hall (first full season) 2 1990 9- Steve Spurrier COACHING STAFF 3 2005 9- Urban Meyer Head Coach: Jim McElwain (Eastern Washington, 1983) Defensive Backs: Kirk Callahan (UCF, 2008) • Entering 2015, there have been 67 first-year coaches in the SEC since 1977. Of those, over half (34) have finished their Defensive Coordinator: Geoff Collins (Western Carolina, 1994) inaugural season with a sub-.500 mark. The cumulative record for those 67 coaches is 382-388-7 (.492). The average record Wide Receivers: Kerry Dixon II (Hampton, 2004) of the 67 coaches in their inaugural seasons is 5.7 wins against 5.8 losses. Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator: Greg Nord (Kentucky, 1980) • Jim McElwain joined Charles Bachman (1928) and Galen Hall (1984) as the only Florida head coaches to begin their career at Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks: Doug Nussmeier (Idaho, UF, 6-0. Going along with his great start, Florida is the only team in the country that’s 4-0 in conference play. 1994) SIX FUN FACTS Defensive Line: Chris Rumph (South Carolina, 1994) • This week at LSU marks the sixth night contest of the 2015 campaign for the Gators, which is tied for the second most in a Associate Head Coach/Co-Coordinator/Linebackers: regular season since 1998. Only UF’s 2002 squad played more night games (seven) during the regular season. Randy Shannon (Miami, 1989) Running Backs: Tim Skipper (Fresno State, 2001) • Antonio Callaway became the second true freshman in Gator history to record a 100-yard receiving game against Tennessee.