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Chomp: Mullen plans to play both QBs against Georgia in Jacksonville

Left: Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson throws a pass against South Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara). Right: Florida quarterback Emory Jones (5) throws a pass over Tennessee linebacker Byron Young (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux). (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

This story first appeared in Chomp, our Gators football newsletter. Subscribe here.


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It’s Florida-Georgia week, yet it sure doesn’t feel that way with speculation surrounding the unranked Gators before they take on the top-ranked Bulldogs.

So did the Gators (4-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) use their bye week to make any big changes? If they did, they likely won’t be apparent until 3:30 p.m. Saturday when their game against rival Georgia (7-0, 5-0) kicks off in Jacksonville.

At his Monday news conference following the bye, Florida coach Dan Mullen stuck to the same message about the quarterbacks.

“You’ve got to get both guys ready to go play,” he said. “We both get guys, a lot of reps. Maybe it’s probably a little bit more even than a lot of places where the one gets a lot of reps and the twos get minimal reps. The quarterbacks, we try to keep them pretty evened out so that they’re both ready to play. You’re a snap away from those guys getting on the field, so you kind of do that with a lot of positions across the board — you roll them through to get the reps to get them ready to play.”

When pressed further about the position, Mullen said he’ll play both but did not necessarily say who will start between Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson.

“We’re gonna keep playing them the same way,” he said. “We plan on playing both of the guys like we have.”

Now, would Mullen say if he was making any changes at the position ahead of the rivalry game? Probably not.

RELATED ARTICLE: Spotlight on Florida’s Mullen could dim or intensify vs. Georgia

In the latest episode of Gators Breakdown, host David Waters and Will Miles, with Read and Reaction, react to Mullen’s comments. They also hit on the explosiveness of the offense under Richardson and how analytics are not telling the complete story for this year’s Gators team. And in another Gators Breakdown episode, you can hear some early talk from David and other fans ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

READ MORE: Gators, Bulldogs bring quarterback questions to matchup in Jacksonville

Georgia also has some quarterback questions. JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett IV have both started this year. Daniels hasn’t played in a month because of injuries, but he has practiced the last week and could be a part of the equation on Saturday. Here’s what coach Kirby Smart had to say about their quarterback situation heading into the game.

😔 Another recruit decommits from Florida

The Gators have lost two players in their 2022 recruiting class in less than a week.

After Florida’s highest-rated recruit, four-star linebacker Shemar James from Mobile’s Faith Academy, backed off his pledge to Florida on Wednesday, four-star cornerback Julian Humphrey, who then become Florida’s highest-rated commitment, decommitted from Florida.

“First, I would like to give a huge thanks to the entire Florida coaching for giving me an opportunity to be a part of the Gator family,” Humphrey said in a message on Twitter on Monday. “But after a long conversation and a lot of thinking with my family, I have decided to decommit from the University of Florida.”

Humphrey, from Houston’s Clear Lake, is one of the top cornerbacks in the Class of 2022 and, like James, is a top 100 prospect.

📺 ‘SEC Nation’ heading to Jacksonville

SEC Network’s “SEC Nation” will be in Jacksonville for the Florida-Georgia game.

The show will air live from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday on SEC Network.

It will be Florida’s second appearance on “SEC Nation” this year.

In addition, “Marty & McGee” will air from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, and “The Paul Finebaum Show” host Friday’s show, which will be live from 3 to 7 p.m.

All three shows will air live from Lot P outside TIAA Bank Field.

🏟️ Jacksonville welcoming fans ahead of rivalry game

With the opening of RV City, the temporary town filled with motorhomes and tailgating fans that was nixed last year because of the pandemic, the festivities for Florida-Georgia are officially underway.

MORE INFORMATION: Florida-Georgia events details

The Jacksonville mayor and sheriff talked Monday about the city’s plans to host the fans and the game, as well as keep everyone safe. Game organizers are setting up five safety zones should fans need any help.

🕢 Kickoff time announced for South Carolina game

It was announced Monday that kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 when the Gators take on the Gamecocks in South Carolina.

The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.

Here’s how the schedule is looking so far for the Week 10 SEC games.

✉️ Send us your Gators thoughts & questions

David and I want to hear from you. Do you have any thoughts or questions about the Gators football program? Agree or disagree with something we’ve said? Let us know here, and we’ll share our responses to your questions.

🎙️ Listen to more Gators Breakdown

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