GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's first scrimmage of the fall is in the books following a late Friday night.

After an impromptu rally to protest racial injustice and police brutality, Florida players and coaches finally gathered under the lights, strapped on the pads and started playing live football. It wasn't a super clean scrimmage and some veterans were held to limited or no reps to get younger players more work.

"We had missed tackles, we had too many balls on the ground fumbling because you're going live football," coach Dan Mullen said. "I was pleased with some groups more than others. I thought I saw some efficiency, especially the older guys, with some of the older guys that have been in that situation. I thought we handled situational football."

Tight end Kyle Pitts didn't take part in the scrimmage, with Mullen perfectly aware of how big a weapon he'll be this fall. But even with the star tight end out for the evening, quarterback Kyle Trask managed to impress in his limited snaps.

"Kyle got a couple of series, I thought he looked really sharp," Mullen said. "I thought he handled that situation, being on the field, thought he had great leadership, led us to a couple of touchdown drives. I was really pleased with how Kyle did out there and what we'll be able to do with him both on the field and how he came out ready to go."

Florida will rely on the veteran quarterback in 2020, perhaps more than in most years thanks to a few months of disrupted offseason strength and conditioning and the loss of spring ball potentially placing a premium on precision passing attacks.

Who Trask throws to remains one of the bigger questions in camp. After Pitts and potential breakout receiver Trevon Grimes there are plenty of chances for other skill players to work their way into the mix.

Some seemed to impress Mullen in Friday night's scrimmage, and he singled out running back Malik Davis and fellow tailback Nay'Quan Wright as two who showed out.

"I thought our backs ran the ball well," Mullen said. "Young receivers I thought really for their first time being in the Swamp; some of the redshirt freshmen guys it’s not. But really in that big scrimmage situation, I thought those guys stepped up, played well."

A few position groups on defense also stood out to Mullen in what seemed to be a youngster-heavy scrimmage.

"The young safeties I thought came up and really hit," he said. "And our young D-linemen, those guys know they’re going to have to play this year and in that situation I think they’re learning, they’re developing, they’re getting opportunities. I was pleased with our freshmen D-linemen. And Jaelin Humphries, who's almost a freshman because of the injury last year. He almost missed the whole year pretty much. He's kind of in that crew."
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Overall, though, now 10 practices into fall camp with 15 remaining, Mullen still sees a lot of things left to accomplish.

"I did see some good awareness of guys trying to understand down and distance and what's going on out there on the field, so that was a positive," he said. "But just the overall, 'Are we ready to play a game?' I mean that's the first time we've tackled or done anything since last December, and we've got a little ways to go."