What Dan Mullen said after Florida beat Tennessee to clinch SEC East

Dan Mullen has won his first SEC division title. The No. 6 Florida Gators secured an SEC East championship on Saturday with a 31-19 win over division rival Tennessee in Knoxville.

A portion of Mullen’s postgame press conference was shown on the SEC Network’s “SEC Now.” Here is some of what Mullen had to say in the portion that aired on TV:

• The defense played well, but has things to clean up like late touchdowns and “shut the door.”
• Means a lot to win the SEC East in the most difficult year of the conference (playing a 10-game conference-only schedule).
• Replying to a reporter jokingly noting that social media rumors have him going to Texas: “Oh am I? Guess I’m gonna go home and the house will be packed.”
• On OC Brian Johnson getting interviewed at South Carolina: “I’m happy for all our guys to get opportunities. I think we have a very underrated coaching staff.”
  • “I think programs will be pleased if they give those guys an opportunity to show what they can go do.”
  • Mentioned history of former assistants like Manny Diaz and Geoff Collins getting head coaching jobs.
• “The goal is to win the East because that’s what we can control at the beginning of the season. If you go ask our guys we want more than that but that’s what we can control at the beginning of the season.”

Gator beat reporters shared other highlights of what the third-year head coach said on the Zoom call:

'I think our guys are really excited. Our guys are happy. This is what we work for. The goal is to win the East, now you go to our guys and they want to accomplish a lot more than that,' Dan Mullen said of #Gators.

— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) December 6, 2020

Mullen: "I don't think there was a game this year where we left more points on the field than we did tonight. That was disappointing."

— Graham Hall (@GrahamHall) December 6, 2020

Dan Mullen: 'It means a lot. I'm thrilled. I came to Florida for the opportunity to win championships.'

— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) December 6, 2020

Mullen said they lost Shawn Davis this week for this game and then lost Torrence early in the game. Little rotation was left there.

— David Waters – Gators Breakdown (@GatorDave_SEC) December 6, 2020

"You need a Heisman moment, Maybe that was his Heisman moment,' Dan Mullen on Kyle Trask pooch punt. Not quite Steve Spurrier's 40-yard FG to beat Auburn in 1966. KT's 38 TD passes are making a pretty good case, tho.

— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) December 6, 2020

SDS Staff

Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.