The 2018 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gators played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. Florida played as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by first-year head coach Dan Mullen.
2018 Florida Gators football | |
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Peach Bowl champion | |
Peach Bowl, W 41–15 vs. Michigan | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Eastern Division | |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 6 |
AP | No. 7 |
Record | 10–3 (5–3 SEC) |
Head coach |
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Co-offensive coordinator | Billy Gonzales (1st season) |
Co-offensive coordinator | John Hevesy (1st season) |
Offensive scheme | Spread |
Defensive coordinator | Todd Grantham (1st season) |
Base defense | 3–4 |
Home stadium | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7т Georgia x | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 12 Kentucky | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7т Florida | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Carolina | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee | 2 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 Alabama x$^ | 8 | – | 0 | 14 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 16 Texas A&M | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 6 LSU | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mississippi State* | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn | 3 | – | 5 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ole Miss | 1 | – | 7 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arkansas | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Alabama 35, Georgia 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Florida, coming off a 4–7 season in 2017, began the year unranked. In the second game of the season, not only did the team lose to Kentucky for the first time since 1986, but they also lost to them at home for the first time since 1979, snapping a 31-game winning streak in the series.[2] Florida won its next five games, including on the road against No. 23 Mississippi State and at home against No. 5 LSU, rising to ninth in the AP Poll. They then lost two games to No. 7 Georgia and Missouri and ended the conference regular season tied for second in the SEC East Division at 5–3. After closing the regular season by defeating rival Florida State, they were invited to the Peach Bowl, where they defeated No. 8 Michigan by a score of 41–15. The team finished with an overall record of 10–3, and in the season's final AP Poll, the team was ranked in a tie for seventh, the highest finish for the school since 2009.
The team was led on offense by redshirt sophomore quarterback Feleipe Franks, who finished with 2,457 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, and 7 rushing touchdowns. His 31 total touchdowns was tied for third in the Southeastern Conference.[3] Running backs La'Mical Perine and Jordan Scarlett finished with 826 and 776 yards, respectively. Defensively, the team was led by defensive end Jachai Polite, who finished with 20 tackles for loss and was named first-team All-SEC.
Listed in the order that they were released
Award | Player | Position | Year |
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Lott Trophy[4] | C. J. Gardner-Johnson | DB | JR |
Rimington Trophy[5] | T. J. McCoy | C | JR |
Chuck Bednarik Award[6] | David Reese | LB | JR |
Butkus Award[7] | David Reese | LB | JR |
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[8] | Cece Jefferson | DE | SR |
David Reese | LB | JR | |
Outland Trophy[9] | Martez Ivey | OL | SR |
Wuerffel Trophy[10] | Fred Johnson | OL | SR |
Ted Hendricks Award[11] | Cece Jefferson | DE | SR |
Jabari Zuniga | DE | JR | |
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award[12] | Tyrie Cleveland | WR | JR |
The SEC media poll was released on July 20, 2018, with the Gators predicted to finish third in the East Division.[13]
Media poll (East) | ||
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Georgia | 1,977 (271) |
2 | South Carolina | 1,535 (8) |
3 | Florida | 1,441 (4) |
4 | Missouri | 1,057 |
5 | Kentucky | 874 (1) |
6 | Tennessee | 704 (1) |
7 | Vanderbilt | 392 |
The Gators had eight players selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.
Offense 1st team Martez Ivey – OL 3rd team Jordan Scarlett – RB
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Defense 1st team CeCe Jefferson – DL 2nd team C. J. Henderson – DB 3rd team David Reese – LB Marco Wilson – DB
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Specialists 3rd team Kadarius Toney – all purpose player
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Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 1 | 7:30 p.m. | Charleston Southern* | SECN | W 53–6 | 81,164 | ||
September 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Kentucky | No. 25 |
| SECN | L 16–27 | 80,651 |
September 15 | 4:00 p.m. | Colorado State* |
| SECN | W 48–10 | 80,021 | |
September 22 | 7:00 p.m. | at Tennessee | ESPN | W 47–21 | 100,027 | ||
September 29 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 23 Mississippi State | ESPN | W 13–6 | 61,406 | ||
October 6 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 5 LSU | No. 22 |
| CBS | W 27–19 | 90,283 |
October 13 | 12:00 p.m. | at Vanderbilt | No. 14 | ESPN | W 37–27 | 31,118 | |
October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. No. 7 Georgia | No. 9 | CBS | L 17–36 | 84,463 | |
November 3 | 4:00 p.m. | Missouri | No. 13 |
| SECN | L 17–38 | 80,017 |
November 10 | 12:00 p.m. | South Carolina | No. 19 |
| ESPN | W 35–31 | 82,696 |
November 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Idaho* | No. 15 |
| ESPNU | W 63–10 | 81,467 |
November 24 | 12:00 p.m. | at Florida State* | No. 13 | ABC | W 41–14 | 71,953 | |
December 29 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 8 Michigan* | No. 10 | ESPN | W 41–15 | 74,006 | |
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Week | ||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
AP | RV | 25 | — | — | RV | 22 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 7т |
Coaches | RV | 25 | — | RV | RV | RV | 16 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 6 |
CFP | Not released | 11 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 10 | Not released |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Charleston Southern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Florida | 10 | 28 | 13 | 2 | 53 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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1–0 | September 5, 2009 | Florida, 62–3 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Kentucky | 7 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 27 |
No. 25 Florida | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida
Game information | ||
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|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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51–17 | September 23, 2017 | Florida, 28–27 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colorado State | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Florida | 6 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 48 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
---|---|---|
First meeting |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida | 14 | 12 | 7 | 14 | 47 |
Tennessee | 0 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 21 |
at Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee
Game information | ||
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|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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27–20 | September 16, 2017 | Florida, 26–20 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
No. 23 Mississippi State | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, Mississippi
Game information | ||
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|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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33–19–2 | October 16, 2010 | Mississippi State, 10–7 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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No. 5 LSU | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
No. 22 Florida | 0 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida
Game information | ||
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|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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32–29–3 | October 7, 2017 | LSU, 17–16 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 14 Florida | 0 | 13 | 7 | 17 | 37 |
Vanderbilt | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
at Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee
Game information | ||
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Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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39–10–2 | September 30, 2017 | Florida, 38–24 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 9 Florida | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
No. 7 Georgia | 10 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 36 |
at TIAA Bank Field • Jacksonville, Florida
Game information | ||
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|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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43–50–2 (per Florida) 43–51–2 (per Georgia) |
October 28, 2017 | Georgia, 42–7 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Missouri | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
No. 13 Florida | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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3–4 | November 4, 2017 | Missouri, 45–16 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Carolina | 14 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
No. 19 Florida | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida
Game information | ||
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Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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26–9–3 | November 11, 2017 | South Carolina, 28–20 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Idaho | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
No. 15 Florida | 28 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 63 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
---|---|---|
First meeting |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 13 Florida | 3 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 41 |
Florida State | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, Florida
Game information | ||
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|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
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34–26–2 | November 25, 2017 | Florida State, 38–22 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 10 Florida | 3 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 41 |
No. 8 Michigan | 7 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 15 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium • Atlanta, GA
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
---|---|---|
0–4 | September 2, 2017 | Michigan, 33–17 |
Uniform Combination | ||
Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
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2018 Florida Gators roster | ||||||||
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive line
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Defensive line
Linebackers
Defensive backs
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Punters
Placekickers
Long snappers
Athletes
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Name | Position | Joined staff |
---|---|---|
Dan Mullen | Head coach | 2018 |
Todd Grantham | Defensive coordinator | 2018 |
John Hevesy | Co-offensive Coordinator / offensive line | 2018 |
Billy Gonzales | Co-offensive Coordinator / Wide receivers | 2018 |
Greg Knox | Running backs / Special teams coordinator | 2018 |
Sal Sunseri | Defensive line | 2018 |
Ron English | Safeties | 2018 |
Brian Johnson | Quarterbacks | 2018 |
Larry Scott | Tight ends | 2018 |
Charlton Warren | Cornerbacks | 2018 |
Christian Robinson | Linebackers | 2018 |
Nick Savage | Director of strength and conditioning | 2018 |
The Gators signed a total of 19 recruits.
Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 35 | Jawaan Taylor | OT | Jacksonville Jaguars |
3 | 68 | Jachai Polite | OLB | New York Jets |
4 | 105 | C. J. Gardner-Johnson | S | New Orleans Saints |
5 | 147 | Vosean Joseph | LB | Buffalo Bills |
5 | 154 | Jordan Scarlett | RB | Carolina Panthers |
All eight of Moorhead's victories in 2018 had to be vacated after 10 football players were reprimanded by the NCAA for academic misconduct involving a former part-time tutor and an online chemistry class.