BRENTON COX

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.

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)

The star tight end 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. Trask modestly chose to deflect the attention to 6-foot-6, 240-pound Pitts, who consistently found seams in the Ole Miss secondary. Ole Miss (0-1) tied it at 14 midway through the second quarter before yielding to the Trask-led Florida outburst.

It also could be Mullen taking over-the-top precaution as the eighth-ranked Gators get ready to begin a championship-or-bust season. We have the potential to go compete for a championship and be a championship team, said Mullen, who is 21-5 in two seasons in Gainesville. Florida won 10 games in Mullens first season and 11 in Year 2. Despite Franks' departure, the Gators still have as much depth at the position as they've had in years. This season, Wilson has All-SEC potential and fellow cornerback Kaiir Elam is considered a rising star after a breakout freshman year.