2017 Florida Gators football team

2017 Florida Gators football
2017 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
	Eastern Division
Record	4–7 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach	Jim McElwain (3rd season: First 7 games (3–4 record), fired); Randy Shannon (1st season: Last 4 games (1–3 record), interim);
Offensive coordinator	Doug Nussmeier (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Randy Shannon (1st as DC; 3rd overall season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Chris Rumph (1st as co-DC; 3rd overall season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
	Seasons ← 2016 2018 →

2017 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 2 Georgia x$^	7	–	1	13	–	2
South Carolina	5	–	3	9	–	4
Kentucky	4	–	4	7	–	6
Missouri	4	–	4	7	–	6
Florida	3	–	5	4	–	7
Vanderbilt	1	–	7	5	–	7
Tennessee	0	–	8	4	–	8
West Division
No. 10 Auburn xy	7	–	1	10	–	4
No. 1 Alabama x#^	7	–	1	13	–	1
No. 18 LSU	6	–	2	9	–	4
No. 19 Mississippi State	4	–	4	9	–	4
Texas A&M	4	–	4	7	–	6
Ole Miss*	3	–	5	6	–	6
Arkansas	1	–	7	4	–	8
Championship: Georgia 28, Auburn 7
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant * Ole Miss ineligible for postseason due to NCAA sanctions Rankings from AP Poll

The 2017 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gators played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. Florida played as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Jim McElwain until his dismissal on October 28, after which defensive coordinator Randy Shannon served as the interim head coach until the end of the season.^[2]

Florida finished with a 4–7 record overall and were 3–5 in SEC play, good for fifth place in the Eastern Division. It was the program's second losing season since 1979.

Spring Game

The spring game, dubbed the Orange and Blue Debut, took place on April 7, in Gainesville.

Date	Time	Spring Game	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
April 7^[3]	7:30 p.m.	Orange vs. Blue	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL	SECN	Orange 31–0	48,000

Schedule

The Gators' 2017 schedule consisted of 6 home games, 3 away games, and 2 neutral site games in the regular season. The Gators hosted SEC opponents Tennessee, Vanderbilt, LSU, and Texas A&M. They traveled to Kentucky, Missouri, and South Carolina. They faced Georgia at a neutral site.

Florida's non-conference schedule consisted of two home games:

Advocare Classic

.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	3:30 p.m.	vs. No. 11 ABC	L 17–33	75,802
September 16	3:30 p.m.	No. 23 CBS	W 26–20	87,736
September 23	7:30 p.m.	at Kentucky	No. 20	Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, KY (rivalry)	SECN	W 28–27	62,945
September 30	12:00 p.m.	Vanderbilt	No. 21	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL	ESPN	W 38–24	84,478
October 7	3:30 p.m.	LSU	No. 21	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL (rivalry / SEC Nation)	CBS	L 16–17	88,247
October 14	7:00 p.m.	Texas A&M		Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL	ESPN2	L 17–19	86,114
October 28	3:30 p.m.	vs. No. 3 EverBank Field Jacksonville, FL (rivalry / SEC Nation )	CBS	L 7–42	84,107
November 4	12:00 p.m.	at Missouri		Faurot Field Columbia, MO	ESPN2	L 16–45	49,154
November 11	12:00 p.m.	at Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	CBS	L 20–28	79,727
November 18	4:00 p.m.	UAB*		Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL	SECN	W 36–7	84,649
November 25	12:00 p.m.	Florida State*		Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL (rivalry)	ESPN	L 22–38	89,066
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

^{^[a]}The game between Florida and Northern Colorado was originally scheduled for September 9 at 7:30 p.m. On the Wednesday before the game, the kickoff time was moved up to noon, as forecasts for Hurricane Irma had the storm approaching the east coast of Florida on Sunday. On Thursday, updated forecast tracks (correctly) predicted that Irma would move up the middle of the Florida peninsula as a major hurricane, prompting both schools to agree to cancel the game altogether due to safety and traffic concerns. This cancellation marked the third time in four seasons that Florida had to cancel or move a home game due to inclement weather and the second season in a row in which a scheduled home game was affected by the threat of a hurricane.^[4]

Schedule Source^[5]

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	17	22	24	20	21	21	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	16	24	25	22	20	20	RV	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
CFP	Not released									—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Game summaries

No.11 Michigan

No.11 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 17 Florida Gators – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11 Michigan	10	3	13	7	33
No. 17 Florida	3	14	0	0	17

at AT&T Stadium • Arlington, Texas

Date: September 2, 2017
Game time: 3:41 p.m.
Game weather: Game indoors
Game attendance: 75,802
Referee: Brad Van Vark
TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe^[6]
Boxscore

Game information

First Quarter

Florida – Eddy Piñeiro 46-yard field goal, 12:26
Michigan – Quinn Nordin 25-yard field goal, 5:27
Michigan – Tarik Black 46-yard pass from Wilton Speight (Quinn Nordin kick), 3:01

Second Quarter

Florida – Duke Dawson 48-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 12:19
Florida – C. J. Henderson 41-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 10:50
Michigan – Nordin Quinn 55-yard field goal, 4:20

Third Quarter

Michigan – Karan Higdon 3-yard run (Quinn Nordin kick), 11:53
Michigan – Quinn Nordin 30-yard field goal, 11:05
Michigan – Quinn Nordin 50-yard field goal, 9:00

Fourth Quarter

Michigan – Noah Forbush 0-yard fumble recovery (Quinn Nordin kick), 1:37

Passing leaders

MICH – Wilton Speight – 11/25, 181 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
FLA – Malik Zaire – 9/17, 106 yards

Rushing leaders

MICH – Ty Isaac – 11 carries, 114 yards
FLA – Mark Thompson – 5 carries, 13 yards

Receiving leaders

MICH – Tarik Black – 2 receptions, 83 yards, 1 touchdown
FLA – Josh Hammond – 3 touchdowns, 71 yards

Tackling leaders

MICH – Devin Bush Jr. – 7 tackles
FLA – David Reese – 11 tackles

Overall record	Previous meeting	Previous winner
0–3	January 1, 2016	Michigan, 41–7

Helmet	Jersey	Pants
Uniform Combination*

Special "color rush" uniforms

No.23 Tennessee

No.23 Tennessee Volunteers at No.24 Florida Gators – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 23 Tennessee	0	3	0	17	20
No. 24 Florida	3	3	0	20	26

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida

Date: September 16, 2017
Game time: 3:40 p.m.
Game weather: Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: NE at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Partly cloudy, 70% humidity
Game attendance: 87,736
Referee: John McDaid
TV announcers (
CBS): Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Allie LaForce^[7]
Boxscore

Game information

First Quarter

Florida – Eddy Piñeiro 26-yard field goal, 7:39

Second Quarter

Florida – Eddy Piñeiro 41-yard field goal, 8:11
Tennessee – Brent Cimaglia – 51-yard field goal, 2:58

Fourth Quarter

Florida – C. J. Henderson 16-yard interception return (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 14:23
Tennessee – John Kelly 34-yard run (Aaron Medley kick), 8:36
Florida – Brandon Powell 5-yard pass from Feleipe Franks (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 5:13
Tennessee – Ethan Wolf 28-yard pass from Quinten Dormady (Aaron Medley kick), 4:43
Tennessee – Aaron Medley 27-yard field goal, 0:50
Florida – Tyrie Cleveland 63-yard pass from Feleipe Franks, 0:00

Passing leaders

TENN – Quinten Dormady – 21/39, 259 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions
FLA – Feleipe Franks – 18/28, 212 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception

Rushing leaders

TENN – John Kelly – 19 carries, 141 yards, 1 touchdown
FLA – Malik Davis – 4 carries, 94 yards

Receiving leaders

TENN – John Kelly – 6 receptions, 96 yards
FLA – Tyrie Cleveland – 5 receptions, 93 yards, 1 touchdown

Tackling leaders

TENN – Rashaan Gaulden – 10 tackles
FLA – David Reese and Marco Wilson – 7 tackles

Overall record	Previous meeting	Previous winner
26–20	September 24, 2016	Tennessee, 38–28

With 0:09 seconds left in the fourth quarter quarterback Feleipe Franks threw a 63-yard hail mary to wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland for the win.

Helmet	Jersey	Pants
Uniform Combination

Kentucky

No.20 Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Florida	0	14	0	14	28
Kentucky	7	7	10	3	27

at Kroger Field • Lexington, Kentucky

Date: September 23, 2017
Game time: 7:30 p.m.
Game weather: Temperature: 80 °F (27 °C) • Wind: NE at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Clear
Game attendance: 62,945
Referee: James Carter
TV announcers (SEC Network): Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic^[8]
Boxscore

Game information

First Quarter

Kentucky – Blake Bone 14-yard pass from Stephen Johnson (Austin MacGinnis kick), 5:06

Second Quarter

Florida – Kadarius Toney 36-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 14:16
Kentucky – Garrett Johnson 9-yard pass from Stephen Johnson (Austin MacGinnis kick), 7:24
Florida – Tyrie Cleveland 45-yard pass from Feleipe Franks (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 3:16

Third Quarter

Kentucky – C. J. Conrad 23-yard pass from Stephen Johnson (Austin MacGinnis kick), 12:11
Kentucky – Austin MacGinnis 42-yard field goal, 5:54

Fourth Quarter

Kentucky – Austin MacGinnis 50-yard field goal, 11:33
Florida – Brandon Powell 6-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 7:58
Florida – Freddie Swain 5-yard pass from Luke Del Rio (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 0:43

Passing leaders

FLA – Feleipe Franks – 7/12, 85 yards, 1 touchdown
KEN – Stephen Johnson – 17/25, 196 yards, 3 touchdowns

Rushing leaders

FLA – Malik Davis – 21 carries, 93 yards
KEN – Sihiem King – 5 carries, 63 yards

Receiving leaders

FLA – Tyrie Cleveland – 4 receptions, 110 yards, 1 touchdown
KEN – Garrett Johnson – 4 receptions, 56 yards, 1 touchdown

Tackling leaders

FLA – David Reese – 8 tackles
KEN – Mike Edwards – 11 tackles

Overall record	Previous meeting	Previous winner
50–17	September 10, 2016	Florida, 45–7

Helmet	Jersey	Pants
Uniform Combination

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Commodores at No.21 Florida Gators – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Vanderbilt	7	10	0	7	24
No. 21 Florida	7	10	7	14	38

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, Florida

Date: September 30, 2017
Game time: 12:00 p.m.
Game weather: Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: Northeast at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) • Weather: Showers, 90% humidity
Game attendance: 84,478
Referee: Matt Austin
TV announcers (
ESPN): Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy and Tom Luginbill^[9]
Boxscore

Game information

First Quarter

Florida – La'Mical Perine 1 yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 6:12
Vanderbilt – Kalija Lipscomb 13-yard pass from Kyle Shurmur (Tommy Openshaw kick), 2:27

Second Quarter

Florida – La'Mical Perine 13-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 10:03
Vanderbilt – Caleb Scott 12-yard pass from Kyle Shurmur (Tommy Openshaw kick), 6:51
Vanderbilt – Tommy Openshaw 42-yard field goal, 0:43
Florida – Eddy Piñeiro 21-yard field goal, 0:00

Third Quarter

Florida – Malik Davis 1 yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 6:56

Fourth Quarter

Florida – La'Mical Perine 1 yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 14:18
Vanderbilt – Nathan Marcus 7-yard pass from Kyle Shurmur (Tommy Openshaw kick), 3:14
Florida – Malik Davis 39-yard run (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:42

Passing leaders

VAN – Kyle Shurmur – 18/40, 264 yards, 3 touchdowns
FLA – Feleipe Franks – 10/14, 185 yards

Rushing leaders

VAN – Ralph Webb – 11 carries, 29 yards
FLA – Malik Davis – 17 carries, 124 yards, 2 touchdowns

Receiving leaders

VAN – C. J. Duncan – 5 receptions, 75 yards
FLA – Tyrie Cleveland – 2 receptions, 67 yards

Tackling leaders

VAN – Oren Burks – 15 tackles
FLA – C. J. Gardner-Johnson, David Reese, Nick Washington – 6 tackles

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

Name	Position	Joined staff
Jim McElwain	Head coach (dismissed Oct 29)	2015
Randy Shannon	Defensive coordinator / Interim head coach (after Oct 29)	2015
Doug Nussmeier	quarterbacks	2015
Chris Rumph	Defensive line / Interim defensive coordinator (after Oct 29)	2015
Robb Akey	Defensive line (after Oct 29)	2017
Greg Nord	Tight Ends	2015
Brad Davis	offensive line	2017
Ja'Juan Seider	Running Backs	2017
Kerry Dixon II	Wide receivers	2015
Tim Skipper	Linebackers	2015
Corey Bell	Defensive Backs	2017
Mike Kent	Director of Strength & Conditioning	2015

US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40^‡	Commit date
Kadarius Toney ATH	Eight Mile, Alabama	Blount HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	177 lb (80 kg)	—	Enrolled January 4, 2017
Kadarius Toney ATH	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Kadeem Telfort OT	Miami, Florida	Booker T. Washington HS	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	—	Enrolled January 5, 2017
Kadeem Telfort OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
OLB	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	American Heritage HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	—	Enrolled January 8, 2017
OLB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Kemore Gamble TE	Miami, Florida	Miami Southridge HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	216 lb (98 kg)	—	Enrolled January 4, 2017
Kemore Gamble TE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Kyree Campbell DT	Kingston, Pennsylvania	Wyoming Seminary Prep School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	320 lb (150 kg)	—	Enrolled January 4, 2017
Kyree Campbell DT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Marco Wilson CB	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	American Heritage HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Marco Wilson CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Jake Allen QB	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	St. Thomas Aquinas HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Jake Allen QB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Daquon Green WR	Tampa, Florida	Tampa Bay Tech HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Daquon Green WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Donovan Stiner CB	Bellaire, Texas	Bellaire HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Donovan Stiner CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Ventrell Miller LB	Lakeland, Florida	Kathleen HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	227 lb (103 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Ventrell Miller LB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Zachary Carter DE	Tampa, Florida	Hillsborough HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Zachary Carter DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Malik Davis TB	Tampa, Florida	Jesuit Tech HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Malik Davis TB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Brad Stewart CB	New Orleans, Louisiana	McDonogh 35 HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	194 lb (88 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Brad Stewart CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
T.J. Moore OT	Charlotte, North Carolina	Mallard Creek HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
T.J. Moore OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Lacedrick Brunson OLB	Miami, Florida	Miami Jackson HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	—	Commit February 1, 2017
Lacedrick Brunson OLB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
OG	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	American Heritage HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	360 lb (160 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
OG	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Elijah Conliffe DT	Hampton, Virginia	Hampton HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	305 lb (138 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Elijah Conliffe DT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
C. J. Henderson CB	Miami, Florida	Columbus HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
C. J. Henderson CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Nick Smith LB	Orlando, Florida	Dr. Phillips HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Nick Smith LB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Brian Edwards CB	Hollywood, Florida	Miramar HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Brian Edwards CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
James Robinson IV WR	Lakeland, Florida	Lakeland HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
James Robinson IV WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Adarius Lemons TB	Clearwater, Florida	Clearwater HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	—	Signed February 1, 2017
Adarius Lemons TB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports: 10 ESPN : 13
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 1, 2017.

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
1	29	Taven Bryan	DT	Jacksonville Jaguars
2	56	Duke Dawson	CB	New England Patriots
4	105	Antonio Callaway	WR	Cleveland Browns
5	173	Johnny Townsend	P	Oakland Raiders
6	184	Marcell Harris	S	San Francisco 49ers

v t e Florida Gators football
Venues	The Baseball Park (1906–1910) University Athletic Field / Fleming Field (1911–1930) Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (1930–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Alabama Auburn Florida State (Florida Cup) Georgia Kentucky LSU Miami (Florida Cup) Tennessee
Culture & lore	History The Pride of the Sunshine Gator Chomp Mr. Two Bits Gatorade 1992 SEC Championship Game 2009 SEC Championship Game
People	Head coaches Ring of Honor All-Americans UF Athletic Hall of Fame Starting quarterbacks Statistical leaders NFL draftees
Seasons	1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

2017 Florida Gators football team

Spring Game

Schedule

Rankings

Game summaries

No.11 Michigan

No.23 Tennessee

Kentucky

Vanderbilt

LSU

Texas A&M

No.3 Georgia

Missouri

South Carolina

UAB

Florida State

Personnel

Roster

Coaching staff

Recruiting class

Players drafted into the NFL

References