Kyle Trask delivers Cocktail Party performance for the ages, obliterating mighty Georgia defense
After 2 consecutive years of having their heart broken in Jacksonville by a brilliant quarterback, Florida finally flipped the Cocktail Party script.
It was Kyle Trask who delivered the goods, and finally, after 3 long seasons, a Florida win over Georgia.
Behind their senior quarterback, the Gators converted on 6 of their first 9 3rd-down attempts on their way to 41 points on their first 8 possessions. The 38 points Florida scored in the opening half were the most a Georgia defense has surrendered in a half in the Kirby Smart era.
Georgia rallied, refusing to give up its vise grip on this rivalry without a fight. They forced 5 consecutive stops in the second half (the most against Florida in any Trask start). The Dawgs even nearly produced a potentially game-changing play with less than 7 minutes to play, forcing Trask into one of his only real mistakes of the day, a double-clutched in-route that was dropped by Georgia’s Mark Webb, who had a green path to the end zone in front of him.
But in the end, the Gators held off Georgia’s rally with timely defense, just enough first downs, and well, Kyle Trask.
Trask’s backstory is well-known. A 2-star recruit whose best offers were from Houston Baptist and Lamar, Florida had a hunch and gave Trask the chance to be a Power-5 quarterback.
It didn’t happen overnight. Greatness rarely does. A backup, Trask waited and waited. He stayed in Gainesville when backup quarterbacks at so many other programs, including a pair of 5-star ones at Georgia, transferred. Then, in Trask’s 4th season on campus, he got his chance when Feleipe Franks was lost for the season with injury. All he’s done since is win 12 of 15 starts and throw for over 4,500 yards and 47 touchdowns.
As we wrote at SDS this week, Trask’s Florida legacy is already secure.
He’s a walking advertisement to all that’s still right about college football, a model of persistence and perseverance and a huge reason Dan Mullen is 25-6 since arriving at a 4-win Florida program that had just lost 42-7 to Georgia only 3 years ago. Saturday was about expanding the opportunity to expand that legacy and cement it, and Trask answered the bell.
Florida’s defense took off the first 2 possessions, putting the Gators in a 14-0 hole. No matter. After missing on his first 3 passes, Trask threw 4 touchdown passes and topped 300 yards before he threw 3 more incompletions. Playing against a Georgia defense that came into the game ranked in the top 20 nationally in pass defense, pass success rate against and yards allowed per pass attempt, Trask was surgical, handling every coverage and look Kirby Smart’s defense threw at him.
There was a pick-6 in between, when Trask had a wide open Kadarius Toney for a first down only to have freshman Xzavier Henderson run the wrong route and accidentally run Georgia’s excellent corner, Eric Stokes Jr., back into the play.
But every time Trask made a mistake, he came back with a bigger throw.
He beat delayed blitzes with precision throws, like this one to Justin Shorter to get Florida back in the game:
https://twitter.com/AllKindsWeather/status/1325184350573395970?s=20
He made elite back-shoulder throws, like this one to Kyle Pitts.
50/50 balls don’t exist with Kyle Pitts
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 7, 2020
He made this throw, where only Trevon Grimes could catch the ball, to stake Florida to a 38-21 lead at the end of the first half.
https://twitter.com/NCAAFNation247/status/1325203674268917761?s=20
Trask made all the throws and let his playmakers do work. Trask’s playmakers, by the way, are the things Georgia didn’t have enough of Saturday, which is another reason Florida flipped the script in this rivalry Saturday afternoon.
Take future All-American Kyle Pitts, who made his impression on the game felt with a pair of beast mode catches before an illegal Lewis Cine shot to the head forced him out of the game.
Georgia bottled up Toney better than anyone has all season, limiting him to 39 yards on 10 touches, but when the Gators needed a play and a first down late, Trask eluded pressure to find his man.
Like Jake Fromm in the Cocktail Party the previous 2 years, Trask made the big plays when his team needed them most. His gargantuan final numbers, 30-of-43 for a career-high 474 yards with 4 touchdowns, make it obvious he was the difference in the game, and they are the most passing yards ever surrendered by a Smart defense, besting Mac Jones and Alabama’s 417 earlier this season and Joe Burrow’s 349 the season before.
What should also be obvious is that Trask is very much a Heisman contender. His 22 touchdown passes through 5 SEC games is a conference record, besting Tua’s second-place effort by 4 and Burrow, last year’s winner, by 5. That he’s doing it with a defense still figuring out exactly what it can be is also reminiscent of last year’s Heisman winner.
Trask may not win the Heisman. Justin Fields, who could have played this game today but now plays for Ohio State instead, will have his say. So will Mac Jones, who has been masterful throughout 2020.
What can’t be said anymore is that Trask doesn’t belong in the conversation. Gone is the idea that Trask, for all the good vibes his story sends, is just a system quarterback with a ceiling against great opponents.
Playing with a reshuffled offensive line, Trask lit up one of America’s most talented defenses Saturday afternoon. Any doubts about Trask’s ceiling or ability were all silenced on the banks of the St. John’s River on the first Saturday in November.
The win Trask delivered the Gators silences other lingering doubts, too.
Gone is the shiny red mirage of Georgia’s invincibility, or the notion that Smart simply “has Mullen’s number.” It looked like that might be true for much of the 1st quarter. Then Kyle Trask led Florida on a 41-7 run to put Mullen’s program, not Smart’s, in the SEC East catbird seat.
What does that all mean? Time will tell.
But the question as to whether Florida can truly compete with Smart and Georgia, given Smart’s superior recruiting operation and Georgia’s edge in talent, should go away for the time being. The debate will linger in fan bases, of course, and talking is fun. But this was a convincing win by a Gators team that, while featuring less 4- and 5-stars, played a more modern, fun brand of football.
It’s the kind of video you show recruits just before you sell them modern offense and above all, tell them the story of Kyle Trask, the Gators quarterback who made it all possible.
Florida’s receiving corp caught the balls. Their O-line did great giving Trask enough time. Their D was enough for Kirby to finally see that Stetson isn’t an all time great QB. Five punts and an INT in six consecutive possessions by UGA’s offense. At the end it felt like Florida won by even more than they did.
After watching Mathis, I would be starting Bennett too.
No doubt
Ive never seen a ball just die like that in the air, it wasnt even windy.
I’ve been thinking the same thing, his deep balls all had strange trajectories.
I look forward to seeing Trask vs Jones in Atlanta. They might need an expanded scoreboard.
That will be a Hiesman producing match up. Looks like a 50-60 matchup.
Good comparison, Mullen’s modern offense versus Kirby’s poor excuse for an offense
Be reasonable
Kirby didn’t force Fromm to leave early. He didn’t force Jamie Newman to quit. He didn’t cause JT Daniels knee to not recover and miss training camp. Trask and Pitts are gone after this year.
He didn’t overthrow 3 TD passes either
Yeah and you will still have Mathis
Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson will be better in Mullen’s offense and most of the returning WR and Tight ends are over 6 foot and can catch run routes and block. Offense will be just fine for 5 more yrs easy.
The game has passed Kirby by. His defense belongs on the walls inside a period. It is old and out of date to the point of being pitiful. Also, Kirby is fat. He needs to lay off the pickled pigs feet.
I was wrong about Trask. I’m man enough to admit it.
Still don’t feel like I’m wrong about Sideshow Dan the Clown, who is now 1-3 against Kirby straight-up. I mean, if Trask was this good, what the heck was he doing sitting behind Franks??? I thought y’all keep telling me MuLLLen is a QB guru and offensive genius? Oh well.
Good win by the ‘turds. Good luck against Bama.
You bunch’a blind squirrels have 358 days to enjoy this nut.
You are officially the saltiest fan in the known universe. Until Kirby figures out that offenses have changed since the 1980’s, UGA will never win anything of importance, and if Mullen keeps recruiting well, he’ll smoke the dawgs for the forseeable future.
@mark, it’s not worth the attention/response on your end. Dude is the worst.
If Kirby can just win another Rose bowl …… I hear that is big in Athens
@real… apparently. But there’s a recruiting championship as well…or did I just read they were loaded with 5 stars through and through? Should have been a cake walk as read preseason.
Lol vols fans talking $hit is hilarious
Florida has a chance to get it’s first Rose Bowl if you win out. It’s a great experience, I recommend it highly!
I hear kissing Mullet’s wife getting off the team bus is big in Gainesville. What else does she do? LMAO. Last week with the on-field behavior by him during the Mizz game and then the masked costume press conference just confirms the guy (and his wife) are weird. Just sayin’.
I think Mullen himself would admit he placed too much stock in Franks, but what Trask is doing right now is certainly proof that Mullen is a QB guru. Trask isn’t doing this on his own. Mullen had to adjust his offense to account for a guy that’s a true pro-style QB.
Great to see our 1 star quarterback make ugas five stars look like fools.
Trask was flawless the first 2.5-3 quarters. He kept hitting his receivers perfectly in stride. It didn’t matter if we got a little pressure on him, or if our DB was covering tight like a wet T-shirt. He just kept making the throws. Excellent game from your receivers and O-line. But, Trask made the throws. So, he earned my respect. And honestly, that was the best play calling I’ve seen out of UF in a very long time. I don’t know how much was Johnson or Mullen, but the game plan, play calls, and team execution was championship level this week.
You are a “man”?…. Interesting….
Do you know that he was sidelined with a foot injury two years ago when he had won the starting job?
@returnof the G. Just shut up, dude. Laugh all you want. You got smacked. Oh snap? TN is losing…no way! At least we don’t have 5 star back ups everywhere. Laugh at my vols all you please, at least we don’t claim to be the most loaded team and still under perform. Gtfo, pleb.
Ouch…
I laugh at the hillbilly dumpster fire of a program at UT. A few wins in a row and you guys thought you were back. Contenders. Ready to take the east and play for the SECC. You guys will never win another SEC title. I guarantee it. UT fans coming on here talking smack is as ridiculous as your program.
Corch, don’t be taking the loss so hard. And a uestioning which QB is playing is not a good look from a fan of a team that let Justin Fields go to keep Jake Fromm.
Have you not seen what Filipe has done at Arkansas. That team has 0 wins without Him. Because of him next week will be the best team left on our schedule.
Why didn’t the QB whisperer turn Franks into a good QB at UF? What was he whispering to him? Lol. Franks sucked at UF. I was sorry to see him go. Looks like he has gotten coached up at Arkansas.
Corch, since Mullen has been at Florida he is 1-2 against Smart. And he is 1-0 against Smart when he has a roster with a 50% plus Blue Chip Ratio.
Also, Neil… let’s not pretend that you played against Georgia’s best defense today, either. You’re laying it on so thick I have to say something. Down both starting safeties, both starting DT’s, and with Monty Rice playing on one foot, if Sideshow Dan didn’t win this game y’all would be rightfully calling for his head.
A win is a win, and I won’t take it away from y’all, but while you did beat a defense with depth of talent, you didn’t beat a defense with depth of experience. As LSU fans can tell anyone this year, experience accounts for a lot.
Yeah, the dogs are the only team with any injuries.
Best defense in the country,..that would be a NO!
UT = irrelevant football program for 15 years. Maybe you should take up bowling on Saturday afternoons.
Corch, all we’ve heard for two years is how Georgia rolls 20 guys through the front seven throughout every game, with very little drop off in the second group. So while they might not be starters, they do not lack experience. And pretty much all night, I kept seeing Rice, Dean, Stokes, Stevenson and Ojulari making plays.
We played the 2019 game with both Zuniga and Greenard at less than 100%.
As for your safeties, we played the 2018 game with a true freshman second string corner and a third string corner on the other side.
We played a good chunk of the second half tonight without maybe the best football player in the SEC and without two starting offensive linemen.
So let’s not pretend the game would have been much different tonight with Davis and Stokes playing.
Sorry, Davis and LeCounte.
It would have been much closer if not an outright win. No pretending necessary. Those guys are play makers.
You were missing 3 guys and had 3 5 stars 1 sophomore and 2 juniors filling in. Shut the hell up you idiot. Your team has no excuse for 44 points. You are a joke. Just take the L and be a man. No one is disrespecting Georgia. You root for a great team dude. Please just chill and don’t turn this into some sob story about how the team that has the most talent in the country couldn’t win with 3 guys out on defense and 3 5 stars that have been in the program for 2 or 3 years replacing them. There is no excuse. Take is up with head coach bangs
Can we confirm that Monty rice only has one foot now? I didn’t see anyone on crutches but if corch isn’t too high on gasoline (not likely) then I believe a one legged man was out there tackling! Hats off to that man and a cold brew
28-44 Chumps
Y’all have to learn to sign out of your troll accounts BEFORE posting as your true selves.
So dumb, ‘turd.
And if you weren’t preaching about being 3-4 deep with 4-5 stars ALL year i would probably agree you about playing down a few players. But thats not the words you were saying earlier in the year. One goes down another one stands right in, or is it next man up? How did you say it?
No troll account, 100% authentic and bonfide Uncle TDOW.
I’m giving the turds their due, they showed up ready to play.
We showed up ready to begin fall camp.
You Sir are an idiot
I wish you well sir. Life can’t be easy when your IQ is less than your shoe size.
Tdow, Mullen schooled coach bangs. The puppies were dominated, period. All them 5 stars and no quarterback.
Less with more was on display yesterday.
“I’m not making any personnel comparisons, but this game shapes up like 2020 Alabama-Georgia and 2019 LSU-Georgia as to a general type of game.”
–Nash
“ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
–TDOW
Good game gators. Too much offense
Classy move and I respect you for it. No one should deny that Georgia has way better talent and is a juggernaut of a team: it’s just any given Saturday. An amazing program that no one takes lightly
I sift this. Classy move and I respect you for it. No one should deny that Georgia has way better talent and is a juggernaut of a team: it’s just any given Saturday. An amazing program that no one takes lightly
What are you even saying? UGA isn’t any sort of juggernaut and this isn’t some any given Saturday upset. UF was the better team. UGA has absolutely nothing at the QB position. They are a good team, but not special by any means.
Well………. Georgia’s window to make big things happen has… closed. So sorry.
Lol we’ll be fine
Lol, no you won’t. Time’s up. And, you know it.
Ok bud
“Ok, bud.” I called this one this year, and I’m calling it for next year. Without a doubt, you lost your window. Sit with that for a minute bud, bc I know the rest of the fan base can see it and is freaking…
You’re high, G. I can’t wait to watch you go down. Georgia deserves it…
Lol Tennessee has been a dumpster fire for over a decade. We lost a game. I think we’ll be ok. Gators will win the East in 2020. We’ll compete with Florida for it again next year. You know who won’t?? Tennessee
But….but….but Georgia had the best roster!!.
But….but…but Georgia …
When Kirby brought in that undead looking fossil to run the offense it told me Kirby was still afraid to face the future. He thinks it’s 1920 instead of 2020.
So the Mullet a$$-clown finally beat the Dawgs after embarrassing the entire university last week. Might have saved his job.
Well last weeks embarrassment, brought the team together stronger, gonna ride the embarrassment wave to the end. Mullen was the better coach today, Florida will be fine as long as he’s coaching.
ApparentlyUGAgrad was embarrassed for CDM because none of the gators and players felt that. Hope your degree in liberal arts nurtures your future career paths. at least at Georgia your degree doubles down as a handicap parking validator! You are a tool and I’m sure you know this. Grow up
UFgaturd87 you need to grow up. You’re as much of a a$$clown as your coach. I graduated from UGA with a BBA majoring in Information Systems and have had a lucrative career in IT. My son is now a student at UGA graduating this semester with a mechanical engineering degree.
Mullet’s behavior during the Mizz game and then afterward wearing a costume to the press conference was a$$inine. Completely embarrassing to the university. I’m sure the UF president gave him a last chance warning. If not that just shows what a joke UF is.
Dude rethink this. They have the #1 talent level in the country sand they will have Brock vandy next year…. they can only get better. Stay humble
I’m here for the comments…
I will also say, I hope the best for the Georgia receiver that got injured today, and hope for a full recovery. No one wants to see that.
*see that happen.
“Florida had a hunch and gave Trask the chance to be a Power-5 quarterback.”
It was McElwain.
Actually it was Randy Shannon at a game in TX for another player who saw Trask in action and convinced McElwain. Ended up being a good call.
Thanks for confirming McElwain made the final call.
I don’t know how you don’t highlight Trask’s throw to Malik Davis down the sideline. That throw couldn’t have been more perfect.
He had a few perfect throws.
Yeah I think he should finally get the respect that he deserves.
Credit where it’s due.
i couldn’t link every great throw. The laser to Davis was amazing though.
Baby cry dogs, lol. You got what you deserved with your dirty playing and 2 star coach. Go sniff rear ends. You are a relic poodles! Go Gators!
Just wait for colts to come in here.
….and negan
Megan will need at least a few days to recover before she makes another appearance.
The guy you’re replying to is just as big of a troll as Negan. And LSU and Tennessee are both garbage this year. Just sayin.
LSU and UT seasons are complete train wrecks. LMAO. Coach Zer-O = Chizik with a Malzahn buyout. After the frenzy at the beginning of the season Mr. Potato Head at UT is done. UT will never win another SEC East title. I guarantee it!!!
Are you serious? “Coach Zero” is the best you can do as far as a put down on LSU? Some of you guys are the saltiest fans outside of Ole Miss that whine when your teams lose. While I’ll admit my team stinks this year( No Excuses) I have to say we clutch up and win big games as oppose to losing them. Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t LSU pummeled the Dawgs at the SEC Championship (37-10) and in 2018 in Baton Rouge( 36-16) and I didn’t mention the fact we won the Natty ten months ago.
LSU lost a lot of players to the NFL and they are hard to replace. Even so, I’m willing bet that most teams would love to have a few bad seasons in between Natty’s.
Look. One of the UGA village idiots is trying to be clever. Your team is still without a NC since 1980. UT won one a generation after that, and LSU has won three since then. You might want to find another team to crack on. I would say SC, but they beat y’all last year. Go with Vandy. I think y’all have won three or four seasons in a row against them. That’s something.
Even after getting throttled you can’t shake the problem of being delusional.
Marshgator, what is delusional about what I said? UGA has a loss and the LSU and UT clowns come on here beating their chests like they actually played in the game. In the mean time their teams are in complete disorder. There is very little football talent in Tennessee and a program that has been down for the last 15 years. How are they going to get anyone there to turn it around? They won’t win the division much less the conference. They are history. LSU is stuck with a head coach who can recruit but that’s it. He was never a coordinator. He is not an X’s and O’s guy. He caught lightning in a bottle last year with Burrow and Brady. This year is what you can expect going forward with Coach Zer-O. It will take a while to get rid of him though with the massive Malzahn-esque buyout.
LSU is stuck with a HC that just led to team to a national title. UGA is stuck with a coach that can’t coach. I’ll gladly take Orgeron. You keep your glorified recruiter. Only a delusional UGA fan would be talking trash after a beatdown. Orgeron is 2-0 against Kirby. Suck on that reality. Both blowouts by the way. How bad must you truly think Kirby is if you crack on Orgeron, and he owns your coach. Too funny. Reality is hard for some. Anybody remember 1980?
Orgeron is a complete clown. This year is proof and this is what you will see going forward. With all due respect, which is none, Coach Zer-O is looking at a 3 and 7 season this year. How does that happen with all that Louisiana talent? Spare me the excuses.
UGAgrad, Until you guys win a big game that has some meaning, your team will always be posers.
Another fact, that “clown” is 2-0 against you guys and owns your sorry a$$ team.
What does it make Kirby when he is owned by a clown?
You cajuns get riled up when I point out you’re stuck with Zer-O. He’s a clown but at least he doesn’t show up to press conferences in a costume like the UF idiot. It would be perfect for Mullet to show at his next presser as Bozo. What a freakin stooge.
Glad to see Georgia fans come out to eat crow
This was brutal game
Broken leg
Pitts hit
Pass the salt n pepper G8rTrav, this baked crow is a little under seasoned…nice win, congrats
Great win Gators. They did everything well. Offense, D, coaching, special teams. Daniels and Beck must really suck if the coaches feel they can’t put them in. I heard Beck had good camp so why don’t they at least see what he can do?
At this point y’all have to go with Beck. It’s a long way to the end a lot can happen in this weird 2020 season.
Kirby may have backed himself into a corner with his QB choices. What if Daniels or Beck play the next game and look good? How does he defend his past decisions. The only impressive thing about Smart is his recruiting, and eventually the kids ought to figure out that he is just all talk.
I’ve said the same for 2 years. It’s easy to see that Smart isn’t very good.
@ LSUSMC. Whatever.
Feel free to explain yourself.
@ LSUSMC. I use an old iPad mini that doesn’t allow me to hit reply. I know we suck this year and I don’t really want to explain myself. I just wish we could see Beck is all. I don’t care about Kirby defending his decisions. I want the team to win.
I don’t think UGA sucks this year, other than at the QB position. LSU sucks this year, but I’m ok with that after what we got to enjoy last season. I agree totally with you that we should see at least one of the other QB’s. I have no idea why they have done what they have with the position. The two guys they keep running out there have shown themselves to not be able to handle the job. Time to try someone different.
Fear is what keeps a coach from running out a QB thats never been in the spotlight (even if the one playing is almost too bad). You may have a Tua or you may have a Felipe Franks, you just don’t know until he’s out there, so fear keeps a coach from pulling the trigger.