DAN MULLEN

Jayden Gibson was supposed to be enrolling for the spring semester at the University of Florida in a few weeks. That’s where he wanted to be to start his college football career. It’s where his heart was. It’s where his mother and father went to college and where they met. Kelvin Gibson was even a walk-on football player for the Gators. Sometimes things just don’t work out the way they were ...

Isaiah Bowser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan O’Keefe had 85 yards on seven receptions, and Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.

A person familiar with negotiations says new Florida coach Billy Napier agreed to a seven-year, $51.8 million contract that makes him the fifth-highest-paid coach in the Southeastern Conference.

Florida has hired Louisiana-Lafayette's Billy Napier to be the Gators' next football coach.

It's rivalry week across the Southeastern Conference, with plenty of stakes beyond bragging rights.

Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.

USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg breaks down the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.

Florida has fired coach Dan Mullen a day after his sixth loss in nine games.

Florida fired coach Dan Mullen on Sunday, a day after his sixth loss in nine games, two months after the Gators went toe to toe with defending national champion Alabama and a year after they had a chance to make the College Football Playoff. Mullen's stunning downfall and not-so-surprising departure ends a tumultuous two seasons that included mounting losses, numerous public relation missteps, NCAA sanctions and a victory against lower-division Samford that didn't seem like much for Gators fans to celebrate. Mullen finished 34-15 over four seasons at Florida that included a trip to the Southeastern Conference championship game last year and three New Year's Six bowls.

If you’re an AD waffling on a coaching change, the work of Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach and Sam Pittman is an argument for testing the coaching carousel.

Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.

All of a sudden, the roof has caved in and coach Dan Mullen is starting to feel some serious heat from outraged fans.

Is Dan Mullen really on the hot seat at Florida.

Georgia and Alabama could be heading for another showdown in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Emory Jones had two touchdown passes to go along with a career-high 144 yards rushing, leading No. 11 Florida to a 38-14 victory over Tennessee on Saturday night and extending nearly two decades of dominance in the series.

Alabama looked beatable.

Bryce Young’s first collegiate road start was a rousing success, a three-touchdown performance that helped top-ranked Alabama hold off No. 11 Florida 31-29 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

It didn’t take Tim Tebow very long to realize Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson was different.

Some Southeastern Conference defenses are flexing their muscles after 2020 being a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.

No. 13 Florida tuned up for the start of Southeastern Conference play with a 42-20 rout of overmatched South Florida that did little to answer the question of whether starter Emory Jones or backup Anthony Richardson is best suited to run the Gators offense.

The Southeastern Conference is moving away from early season cupcakes.

In what was otherwise a rough two weeks in Tokyo for NBC Universal, viewers perked up a bit in the second week of the games when the U.S. team's performance did the same.

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey is echoing a call for potential changes in how college athletics are governed.

Florida football coach Dan Mullen received a three-year contract extension worth an additional $1.5 million annually following a disappointing season that closed with a three-game losing streak and included several public relations missteps and NCAA sanctions.

The Buccaneers invested in a possible future replacement for Tom Brady by selecting Florida quarterback Kyle Trask in the NFL draft's second round.

Florida coach Dan Mullen, center, watches play against Oklahoma during the first half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Dan Mullen wasted little time identifying problem areas following his team's worst defensive season in more than a hundred years. The Sooners racked up a whopping 684 yards — the most any team has ever gained against Florida — in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday night. The Gators played without three defensive starters in the Cotton Bowl. Even with those give guys, Florida’s defense was mostly a debacle.

(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida quarterback Kyle Trask made his future plans official Thursday, formally announcing he’s declining an opportunity to return to school and entering the NFL draft. No one thought Trask would stick around following a record-breaking season that included being named a Heisman Trophy finalist. He led the nation in passing yards and TD passes. He broke the previous school record (39) for TD passes (39) set by 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel. Fellow defensive tackle Zachary Carter, meanwhile, announced plans to return to school for his senior season.

6 CFP), who won the Cotton Bowl in the same NFL stadium where 11 days earlier they claimed their latest Big 12 title. They led 17-0 in the first seven minutes on way to the most points and yards (684) they have ever had in a bowl game. They averaged 10.52 yards per play overall, the most ever against a Power 5 opponent in a bowl game, according to STATS. Their 0-2 start in Big 12 play effectively knocked them out of playoff contention by mid-October. 1 Alabama in the SEC title game, and had averaged nearly 42 points a game.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen speaks with players before the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game between Florida and Alabama, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida received a year of probation and football coach Dan Mullen was sanctioned Tuesday after the school and the NCAA agreed to resolve an infractions case involving impermissible contact with recruits last year. Mullen was hit with a one-year show cause order, during which he was prohibited from all off-campus recruiting activity this past fall. Because of the pandemic, the NCAA restricted off-campus recruiting for most of this year. Florida has banned Mullen from recruiting for the first 10 days of January.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Oklahoma is going right back to the stadium where the Sooners just won their sixth Big 12 championship in a row to play SEC runner-up Florida in the Cotton Bowl. During a Gators team meeting on Zoom to discuss their bowl destination, one of the first questions players asked Mullen was where the Cotton Bowl was played. Oklahoma is in the Cotton Bowl for only the third time, its first since a 41-13 loss to Texas A&M on Jan. 4, 2013. The Cotton Bowl will be played two days before Alabama faces No. Pitts announced is turning pro and won't play in the Cotton Bowl.

6 Florida 37-34 on a cool and foggy Saturday night in the Swamp. Florida didn’t help itself with three turnovers in the first half that led to 10 points and a 24-17 deficit. He fumbled trying to scramble with 10 seconds to play in the half, essentially handing LSU a field goal. Florida had first-and-10 at the LSU 15-yard line when Trask tried to connect with Kadarius Toney near the sideline. Florida: The Gators have all kinds of issues heading into the title game.

Arkansas acting head coach Barry Odom, center, watches a stadium video monitor after Florida scored a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Trask repeatedly torched the Razorbacks (3-4), who were without coach Sam Pittman and without much of a chance by halftime. It was the second time this season Trask tossed six TDs in a game. “I think I did a great job of executing and being efficient,” said Trask, who now has an SEC-record 28 TD passes and just three interceptions in six games. He became the third player in school history with at least 25 touchdown passes in multiple years, joining Heisman Trophy winners Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel. Florida: The Gators have the offense to beat anyone and the defense to keep everyone in games.

8 Florida beat fifth-ranked and undermanned Georgia 44-28 on Saturday. The Bulldogs (4-2), who entered the game as 3½-point favorites, were likely eliminated from College Football Playoff consideration and probably have a quarterback competition moving forward. Trask and the Gators took advantage, burning Georgia repeatedly with wheel routes while overcoming a 14-0 deficit. POLL IMPLICATIONSGeorgia likely will fall out of top 10 of T he Associated Press' college football poll for the first time this season. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

He’s hard to block. … What he’s really good at is rushing the passer like all the Florida guys they’ve had over the past. …“He’s playing really well for them. He’s playing physical. He’s playing hard.

The Southeastern Conference docked Mullen $25,000 on Monday for his role in a benches-clearing brawl against the Tigers on Saturday night. The league also issued half-game suspensions for Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey, offensive lineman Dylan Spencer and defensive lineman Markell Utsey. Missouri linebacker Tre Williams was ejected for a flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct foul and will not be punished further. “There is no place in college football for the kind of incident that took place at halftime of the Missouri at Florida game Saturday night," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. Mullen responded by putting on a Darth Vader costume for his postgame news conference, almost welcoming a villain role amid increased scrutiny.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Dan Mullen dressed as Darth Vader was fitting considering his last three weeks. Mullen showed up following a 41-17 victory over Missouri wearing a full “Star Wars” villain costume, complete with a red lightsaber. It was closer to perfect given the coach’s uneven October, which included eyebrow-raising comments about wanting to pack the Swamp — Florida Field, not Dagobah — during a pandemic and questioning an NCAA decision regarding practicing on Election Day. Mullen’s month concluded with a lopsided victory that was marred by a benches-clearing melee at halftime. “Never know with Coach Mullen,” safety Brad Stewart said.

10 Florida returned from a three-week layoff to handle Missouri 41-17 on Saturday night in the Swamp. It could be costly for Florida (3-1), which plays rival and fifth-ranked Georgia next week in nearby Jacksonville. The referee huddled Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Mullen near the goal line and then announced the ejections. Missouri defensive lineman Tre Williams, Florida defensive end Zach Carter and Florida linebacker Antwuan Powell were tossed. Florida plays Georgia in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, which will be limited to about 18,000 fans.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___California’s men’s basketball team is pausing workouts after an unidentified player tested positive for COVID-19. ___The NFL and its players' union say eight players and 11 other personnel tested positive in the latest round of screening for COVID-19. Coach Dan Mullen, at least two assistants and more than two dozen players tested positive following a road trip to Texas A&M earlier this month. FIU has seen more than 30 players miss time this season because of positive coronavirus tests or a need to quarantine after potential exposure. Last Sunday’s game between Lens and Nantes was postponed after 11 Lens players and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen reacts during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. Mullen was given several more chances Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, to walk back bizarre comments about wanting to pack 90,000 screaming fans inside Florida Field during the coronavirus pandemic. 10 Florida is planning to start returning to its football facility Monday, nearly two weeks after the program shut down because of a COVID-19 outbreak. Coach Dan Mullen, one of more than two dozen Gators who tested positive for the coronavirus last week, sounded congested as he said the team had a new positive Wednesday. '”Mullen suggested Florida would look at potentially changing its road routine, especially in regards to the size of visiting locker rooms around the league.

___The Italian swim team’s preparations for the Tokyo Olympics are in crisis with 10 more athletes testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Olympic champion Federica Pellegrini was already at home in isolation after testing positive last week. The federation says all of the swimmers are asymptomatic and that no staff members have tested positive. ___The Mountain West football game between New Mexico and Colorado State has been canceled due to COVID-19. Overall contenders Simon Yates and Steven Kruijswijk had already been withdrawn from the race after testing positive.

Mullen made the announcement Saturday on Twitter, saying his initial positive result was confirmed by a second test. The 10th-ranked Gators had at least 21 players and coaches test positive earlier this week, an outbreak that prompted the Southeastern Conference to postpone Florida's next two games. Two assistant coaches also tested positive for the highly contagious virus. Florida has started administering daily tests since it first suspected an outbreak following last week's loss at Texas A&M. Mullen raised eyebrows after the loss to the Aggies by saying he wanted to pack the Swamp against LSU.

10 Florida's game against defending national champion LSU was postponed Wednesday to tentatively Dec. 12 after the SEC postponed Missouri-Vanderbilt on Monday. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is going through a similar situation. To play, the SEC requires at least 53 on game days. Timing is critical depending on the day of the week a positive test or tracing result returns. “Every time you’re taking a test," Mason said, “you're crossing your fingers ... you don't have anybody in harm's way."

10 Florida and defending national champion LSU are now scheduled to play in December. The Southeastern Conference postponed Saturday’s LSU-Florida game a day after Mullen had 19 players and coaches test positive for COVID-19. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said Wednesday the number is now up to 21 positives with considerably more in quarantine because of contract tracing. Florida hosts Missouri next, on October 24, and that game also could be in jeopardy. Mullen said two assistant coaches also tested positive.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida has shut down football activities following a COVID-19 outbreak among the team on the school’s Gainesville campus. Florida’s athletic director released a statement saying the team has experienced a spike in positive coronavirus cases among players this week, and for that, team activities are being paused. The statement read:“The University of Florida football team has experienced an increased in positive COVID tests among players this week. Out of an abundance of caution, team activities are paused as of Tuesday afternoon. After the game, Gators head coach Dan Mullen said he wanted to pack the swamp for the LSU game, saying he wanted 90,000 fans to be allowed into the stadium.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen reacts during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. 10 Florida paused all team activities Tuesday following “an increase in positive COVID tests among players," putting Saturday's home game against defending national champion LSU in jeopardy. The Gators had 19 positives following Tuesday morning testing, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press. He brushed aside criticism and praised his players for how well they have handled COVID safety protocols. The Gators test student-athletes three times a week, with football players getting tested Sunday at noon as well as Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

The Champions Hockey League was due to begin next month in an already-shortened format with a knockout bracket and no round-robin. ___Senegal’s friendly soccer match against Mauritania has been canceled after eight members of the Mauritanian delegation tested positive for COVID-19. It says the results showed eight positive tests among the Mauritanian delegation. ___Slovakia coach Pavel Hapal has tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss the Nations League game against Israel on Wednesday. Two players, Milan Skriniar and Jaroslav Mihalik, and a staff member tested positive before Sunday’s Nations League against Scotland that Slovakia lost in Glasgow 1-0.

Mullen was given several more chances Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, to walk back bizarre comments about wanting to pack 90,000 screaming fans inside Florida Field during the coronavirus pandemic. He declined each of them, brushing aside criticism and insisting he's focused on defending national champion LSU. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Dan Mullen was given several more chances Monday to clarify any confusion regarding his comments about wanting to pack 90,000 screaming fans inside Florida Field during the coronavirus pandemic. He declined each of them, brushing aside criticism and insisting he's focused on defending national champion LSU. “No, I’ve been worried about trying to beat LSU,” Mullen said.

Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts hooked up for two more touchdowns, continuing their hot start and leading Florida to a 38-24 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. But the Gators had their way with South Carolina for three quarters in front of 15,120 socially distant fans in the Swamp. BRIGHT SPOTHarris was one of the few bright spots for South Carolina. "I just did what I had to do.”DROPPED PASSESA big reason South Carolina couldn’t keep up was dropped passes. Florida takes its “Kyle to Kyle Show” to Kyle Field to play Texas A&M next Saturday.

Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (84) breaks away from Mississippi linebacker Jacquez Jones (32) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. 5 Florida won 51-35. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)

– Kyle Pitts caught four of Kyle Trask's six touchdown passes and No. 5 Florida spoiled the head coaching debut of Mississippi’s Lane Kiffin with a 51-35 victory Saturday. Trask completed 30 of 42 passes for 416 yards including touchdown passes of 1, 16, 71 and 17 yards to Pitts. Ole Miss (0-1) tied it at 14 midway through the second quarter before yielding to the Trask-led Florida outburst. “As members of the Florida and Ole Miss football teams, we recognize the impact of our personal platforms and are choosing to amplify the issues that directly impact us.

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, file photo, Lane Kiffin speaks to Mississippi fans after being announced as the new head football coach during a introductory press conference in Oxford, Miss. In attendance were his children, daughters Presley Kiffin, 13, left, Landry Kiffin, 15, second from left, and son Knox Kiffin, 10. Mississippi State's Mike Leach and Mississippi's Lane Kiffin brought big names and offensive pedigrees to the Magnolia State. But they drew huge challenges for their debuts, with the Bulldogs visiting defending national champion and No. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Mississippi State's Mike Leach and Mississippi's Lane Kiffin brought big names and offensive pedigrees to the Magnolia State. Mike Leach expected to start his first season at Mississippi State versus New Mexico. Instead, both coaches — and their respective offenses — will encounter stiffer challenges in their Magnolia State debuts. 5 Florida and ex-Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen as two-touchdown underdogs. Before Deion Sanders made a prime-time splash when he was hired by Jackson State on Monday; Leach and Kiffin were splashy hires in the state.

As 2019 came to a close, festivities surrounding the Orange Bowl and Jr. Orange Bowl Festivals kept community volunteers and Bowl members busier than ever. From the AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon, the FCA Orange Bowl Breakfast at Jungle Island and football game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30 to multiple Jr. Orange Bowl events including the International Golf Invitational and Tennis Tournaments, the economic impact on South Florida is impressive. With the Florida Gators playing Virginia in the Capitol One Orange Bowl, the ancillary events brought larger than normal attendance. On a sad note, at the luncheon the Orange Bowl Committee announced the passing of a dear member, Carlos Garcia. On on brighter note, the Coral Gables Womans Club welcomes all children and parents to the clubs annual childrens festival.

The Orange Bowl Committee finished off 2019 with numerous events. From the Orange Bowl Classic, the AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Breakfast to the big bowl game with lots of University of Florida in town. On a sad note at the luncheon the Orange Bowl Committee announced the passing of a dear member, Carlos Garcia. This is one of many events that this busy womans club is planning. Join the fun at the Coral Gables Womans Club Clubhouse, 1001-9 E. Ponce de Leon Blvd..

6 Florida’s game against Virginia in the Orange Bowl. Virginia Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall and Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen pose for a photograph during a news conference for the Orange Bowl, Dec. 29, 2019, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (AP Photo)Under Mullen, Florida has quickly surpassed Florida State and Miami to become the premiere program in the Sunshine State. (AP Photo)Florida hasn’t played in a true Orange Bowl game since Steve Spurrier coached his final game as a Gator to conclude the 2001 season. “The Orange Bowl is the first bowl game that I was ever a part of as a grad assistant at Syracuse,” Mullen recalled.

24 CFP) in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, with both teams still chasing something. South Florida is an important region for our program, and home for many Gators, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. The Gators are in the Orange Bowl for the fourth time, having won each of their previous three appearances. They also won the BCS national championship game after the 2008 season, a game hosted by the Orange Bowl Committee. Theyre incredibly well-coached. Florida cornerback CJHenderson, one of the Gators top players, will not be in the Orange Bowl.

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm rushes during a game against the Florida Gators on Nov. 2, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. 8 Georgia beat the sixth-ranked Gators 24-17 in the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" on Saturday. Fromm also threw a TD pass in the first half, his fourth on third down in two years against the Gators. Trask brought Florida back again with a 2-yard TD pass to Freddie Swain, making it a seven-point game with 3:11 remaining. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Florida's Dameon Pierce rushes during a game against the Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 02, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida.