THE SCOOP
Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease said he has not been told by coach Will Muschamp that he won’t be retained at the end of the season, but if it turns out to be the case, he’ll leave with no hard feelings. Pease answered multiple questions about his job status and performance. At times he seemed optimistic, at others resigned to his fate. Ultimately, he said, he would like to be judged by more than this season.
“I think you look at the first year and some of the situations and knowing the body of work. … I hope any evaluations are looked at that way. But, you know, I understand things, too. I know you’ve got to win and have success. If it’s not meant to be … I came into this with friends, and I’m walking out of it with friends.”
GROWING PAINS
Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs (Alpharetta) has gotten a tough SEC introduction.
Pressed into a starting role as a freshman just a few weeks after arriving on campus, Dobbs has thrown five interceptions without a touchdown pass. He was 11-of-19 for 53 yards with two interceptions last week in a loss to Vanderbilt.
“I have a long ways to go,” Dobbs said. “I have a lot to work on. … It’s always, I wouldn’t say frustrating, but just kind of annoying when you can’t get in your groove and can’t get things going. But as a quarterback, I have to stay calm, stay focused on the goal, and just continue to execute as best as I can.”
Dobbs says he remains confident. If anything, the Volunteers want him to show more fire.
“He’s so cerebral at times and very calm (that) sometimes we need to see a little more emotion from him,” coach Butch Jones said. “That’s part of learning that leadership. It’s extremely difficult. Here’s a young man that at this time last year was in high school, didn’t go through spring football, had limited repetitions.
“Sometimes it can be overwhelming for an individual, but I think he’s handled it well.”
GOLDEN BOOT
Arkansas and LSU have met 58 times since 1901, with LSU winning 36 and tying twice. Friday’s game marks the 18th meeting since they began playing for the “Golden Boot,” a 175-pound trophy standing about 4 feet tall and shaped like the two border states. The Tigers have won the boot 11 times, while the Razorbacks most recently won it in 2010. For 15 of the past 17 years, the game has been played as the regular-season finale on the day after Thanksgiving, but it’s scheduled for mid-November next year.
HOME, SWEET HOME
Arkansas said it will pay War Memorial Stadium $400,000 in each of the next three years so its football team won’t have to make multiple 3-hour drives each season to Little Rock. The school and stadium commissioners announced a contract extension through 2018, but the Razorbacks will play only one game in Little Rock per year. Athletic director Jeff Long said the school wants to be flexible as the SEC considers expanding the league schedule from eight to nine games. Next season’s game in Little Rock will be Oct. 18 against Georgia.
BY THE NUMBERS
9 Florida home games out of 19 that have been sellouts since Muschamp became head coach.
14-4 Vanderbilt's record over its past 18 games, surpassed among SEC teams by only Alabama.
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