Dan Mullen takes exception to question about team's heart

The Florida Gators have turned into one of college football’s most disappointing teams over the past month. After starting 3-1 with a late loss to Alabama, Florida looked poised to fight for supremacy in the SEC East again. However, losses against Kentucky, LSU, Georgia and South Carolina have rerailed the season quickly.

The South Carolina loss exemplified the Gators’ difficult season. A 40-17 loss against a struggling SEC East opponent’s third-string quarterback will not sit well with fans. Dan Mullen addressed his team’s heart after the loss.

“Yeah, that’s a tough one,” Mullen told reporters during his postgame press conference. “I know everybody’s disappointed. I thought our guys has a great attitude this week and worked – and the desire of our guys – the attitude that they bring. We just gotta create some positive momentum for the guys on the team. For those guys – and we as coaches – gotta improve and help them get better.”

Now on a three-game losing streak, Dan Mullen is under heavy criticism for everything from on-field coaching decisions to play management and recruiting. He fired two long-time assistants this week – defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and offensive line coach John Hevesy – in a desperate move to regain momentum. When asked about his team’s lack of heart and quitting, Dan Mullen rejected the idea.

“I certainly don’t think we gave up,” said Mullen. “I give our guys credit. They battled. They faced a lot of adversity and then continued to battle. We faced all kinds of adversity this week and those guys continued to battle.”

Kirk Herbstreit on Florida’s fall

On Saturday morning’s College GameDay show, Kirk Herbstreit had plenty to say about Florida, breaking down what’s went wrong and what Mullen needs to do to get his Gators back on track.

“I think there needs to be a different approach,” Herbstreit said. “The reality of 2021 is when you have a team that is capable of winning a championship or maybe making a playoff — This team was 3-1 and ranked tenth in the nation and then things got sideways with the loss to Kentucky.”

After starting off the season with a 3-1 record, the Gators have since gone just 1-4 – with the lone win coming against Vanderbilt.

“You’re seeing a team that’s quitting on each other,” Herbstreit said. “They’re quitting on their coach. That’s not just a couple adjustments and we’re back. There’s a spirit that’s missing in that locker room. That’s a problem.”