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McElwain says “the discovery process” remains an ongoing one at Florida
By John Hollis
Published:
His team has been among college football’s biggest surprises this season and has already punched its ticket to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta next month.
But Florida coach Jim McElwain said the eighth-ranked Gators are a long ways removed from thinking they’ve arrived as they prepare for Saturday’s non-conference date against Florida Atlantic.
Their discovery process remains an ongoing one.
“It’s every single day,” McElwain said during Monday’s weekly press conference. “You never arrive. As soon as you think you’ve arrived, there’s someone out there to beat your tail.”
McElwain’s discovery mantra entails constantly looking for ways to improve and adding on previous successes. He said it’s a lesson that will always serve his players, both on and off the field.
“These are lessons that help you in life,” the coach said.
It’s a good thing the Gators appear to have bought in from the season’s outset because they have lots of problems with which they must address as the regular season conclusion nears.
The offense has struggled as of late thanks to shaky play along the offensive line and at quarterback, while the kicking game remains suspect at best.
But the Gators overcame the long odds to win the SEC East for the first time since 2009.
But McElwain says they aren’t done just yet.
“The discovery is every single day,” he said.
Injury update
Florida’s defensive line will again be minus a number of key players as defensive end Alex McCalister (foot), defensive tackle Joey Ivie (leg) and DE Jordan Sherit (hamstring) are all out for Saturday’s game against the Owls, McElwain said. Freshman tailback Jordan Cronkrite (foot) is probable. The rising number of injuries was among the reasons why the Gators played just 49 players during last weekend’s win at South Carolina.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
