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. – A person familiar with the situation says Florida coach Dan Mullen has fired two defensive assistants in the wake of the unit’s worst 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.

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.

With a defense giving up nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns a game, Florida’s preseason title hopes are in jeopardy. Florida’s defense ranks 13th in the Southeastern Conference and 72nd in the country (only 76 Football Bowl Subdivision teams are currently playing). “Well, first of all, as a defense we’ve got to take responsibility,” junior defensive tackle Zach Carter said. Now is a great time for us to come together.”It’s been a weekly debacle, really, with the team’s offensive prowess masking many of the defensive deficiencies. “I think we’ll be fine.”The schedule doesn’t get much easier, if at all, with defending national champion LSU (1-2) up next.

3 Florida to a 38-24 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. The next performance comes at Kyle Field, where Texas A&M will try to become the first Southeastern Conference opponent to slow down Trask and Pitts in 2020. Kevin Harris was one of the few bright spots for South Carolina, which flubbed a chance to make it a one-score game in the final minute. DROPPED PASSESA big reason South Carolina couldn’t keep up in the first half was dropped passes. Florida takes its “Kyle to Kyle Show” to Kyle Field to play Texas A&M next Saturday.