Gators HC Mullen Not Worried About Injuries vs. LSU, 'We Gotta Go Play'

Even in a shorted season, the injury bug posses a serious threat to a team's success, but the Florida Gators have avoided just that.

As the season draws to a close, the No. 6 Florida Gators head into its last contest against an SEC opponent prior to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta against the Alabama Crimson Tide. They enter the contest nearly at full strength, something they ought to be fortunate about.

Throughout the season the Gators have had plenty of bumps and bruises - tight end Kyle Pitts missed two games due to an injury, and the Florida defense has been banged up along the front seven and the back end of the defense at the safety position. However, the large majority of the injuries have been surface level, not long term, and having the stability of the team as a whole.

“Well, it’s helped," Gators head coach Dan Mullen said on Monday when asked about the lack of long-term injuries within the program. "I think if you look, I don’t know if we’ve had 70 scholarship players yet available for a game, to be honest with you. It doesn’t feel like it. So, like you said, we’ve had a lot of bumps and bruises, but it’s been beneficial that none of them have been – or, knock on wood, we have had very few that are longer-term injuries.

"They’re more guys missing a couple weeks here or there and able to come back, and then somebody else gets banged up and goes out, and they’re missing a couple weeks, but that’s kind of a football season, and this year’s even more unique than other years because of the COVID thrown into it as well.”

In a season that has seen teams lose multiple starters due to COVID-19 protocols or injuries, essentially derailing any chance at carving out victories, having a squad at general near-to-full health has been one of the positives for Florida. 

This week's opponent, LSU, has had its fair share of injuries, including to its starting quarterback in Myles Brennan, who was injured with a torn abdominal muscle and hip injury just three games into the year.

The Tigers were forced to turn to freshman quarterback TJ Finley as a result. Their record sits at 3-5, and while it doesn't all revolve around Brennan's injury, losing a starting quarterback that early can quickly change the outcome of the year.

Now, heading into its final week of the regular season, Florida is looking to stay healthy in order to compete in the SEC Championship game and beyond, but that won't change the way they operate. There won't be any resting of starters even with the game against Alabama on the horizon, Mullen says.

“Yeah, I mean we don’t worry about that," said Mullen. "We gotta go play. It is what it is. You just go play. I think when you start worrying about those things you’re thinking about all the wrong things. You’re worrying about the guys walking to class tripping on the sidewalk, or going to practice every day. Your focus is, how do we go win the game this week and go win."

The focus remains on winning nine games in the SEC, their next opponent being the Tigers, and while being injury-free entering a week against Alabama, it's more important for Florida to finish the year out strong, and carrying the momentum forward.

"Not many Florida teams have won nine SEC games in one season," Mullen claimed. "We have the opportunity to do that. I think only two have ever done that. We have the opportunity to do that this week. There’s an awful lot on the table for our guys to be focused on to go win this week and that’s the complete focus on this team.”