Gators’ Hayden Hansen Looks Ahead After Georgia Loss

After Georgia handed the Gators their third loss of the seasonn, tight end Hayden Hansen said the Gators will bounce back the way they did after the Kentucky game.

New Threads

Hansen said that the bounce back starts with practice leading up to the Arkansas game on Saturday. The game will feature new uniforms for the Gators. Florida will wear black uniforms for the first time in program history. Hansen said that while they are ready to wear the new uniforms, Coach Billy Napier keeps reiterating the meaning behind them.

“We’re all hyped about it,” Hansen said during Monday’s press conference. “It’s very important to know why we’re wearing it.”

Hansen added that he can “feel the buzz” in regard to the hype around the game this weekend.

The Tight End Room

Like Hansen, Arlis Boardingham was apart of the Gators’ 2022 recruiting class. The ’22 class was the first class for Napier and the Gators, and was the stepping stone to getting the Gators back on track. Hansen and Boardingham have combined for a total of 263 yards and six touchdowns, which is almost half of all the Gators’ receiving touchdowns.

“It’s been awesome watching him (Boardingham) run routes,” Hansen said. “When we’re on the field together, I just feel like it creates more problems for the defense.”

Hansen, who caught a touchdown pass against Georgia, said the Bulldogs’ defense was much more disciplined compared to other SEC defenses. He said they did not fall for the reverses or the hard counts the Gators’ would try. Hansen added that the Gators just made costly mistakes that ultimately led them to lose the game.

“We made more mistakes, and against the number one team in the nation, you can’t do that,” he said. ” We gave them too much.”

Hayden Hansen gets one for @GatorsFB! 🐊 pic.twitter.com/bW3pSzb9Yq

— Paramount+ (@paramountplus) October 28, 2023

Looking Ahead

The Gators need one more victory to clinch a bowl bid. However, their game against Arkansas is statistically their best shot. After the Arkansas game, the Gators will face the current No. 4, No. 13 and No. 14 teams in the country — two of those being on the road. Hansen said the Gators are not far off from playing their best football, and when they do, they could be “very dangerous.”

“I don’t think we’ve had a complete game this year yet,” he said. “I feel like we’re definitely getting better every week. We’re looking up to the core group of veterans like Kingsley (Eguakun), Princely (Umanmielen), Graham (Mertz).

The Gators currently sit at 5-3, with a 3-2 record in the SEC.