Florida earned a workmanlike 24-7 win over Kentucky, the 27th consecutive defeat of the Mildcats.  Given all of the drama surrounding the first month of the season, including the recent loss of Dominique Easley, that was a solid effort put forth in the Commonwealth, controlling the action for almost the entire game and getting the road win – always something to be appreciated in the SEC.

Tyler Murphy performed well in his first career start, especially on the road.  Yes, that wasn’t a quality opponent, but he continues to show poise and leadership, and the offense can feed off of that as things get more difficult going forward.  His 11-11 start passing was a pleasant surprise, even with the safe throws.  Matt Jones claims he is only now feeling close to game-ready, and he showed flashes of what was expected by the staff with a very good performance.  The O-Line did a good job overall, but still shows it is not as proficient in pass-blocking, which will become a serious problem as the level of opponent increases in difficulty……good thing Murphy is mobile.  The WRs (again) weren’t utilized as much as hoped, but I think after the fast start that Muschamp and Pease decided to shut things down to an extent to try and keep some things off the film for future games.

The defense was solid, after a slow start on the opening drive.  Muschamp said after the game that Kentucky used their off week to put in some new things that weren’t on film, but the staff and players did a nice job of adjusting and shutting things down for the most part after that.  The loss of Easley was seen right away, as the interior run defense wasn’t as sturdy as before, and that will have to be addressed right away.  Fowler and Bullard generated some occasional pass pressure, and the secondary wasn’t really challenged seriously.  VH3 continues to show out as a true freshman at CB, and is already starting to get some attention regionally and nationally – the kid is a baller.

Special Teams really weren’t on display other than kickoff coverage.  We’ll have to wait until this Saturday to see how Christy responds to his punting struggles, as he has to elevate his play to help the team out going forward.  Hardin did convert his only FG attempt with a solid kick from the left hash.  Maybe the staff will need to remember that for the future.

It’s back to the Swamp for a game with Arkansas – only an occasional SEC opponent for the Gators.  This is a step up in competition, and could turn out to be a real challenge.  The Razorbacks have an effective offense led by QB Brandon Allen, freshman RB Alex Collins (from Miami) who is averaging over 100 yards per game, and sophomore RB Jonathan Williams at over 90 yards per game.  New head coach Bret Bielema prefers a strong running game based on his tenure at Wisconsin, and this will be the first serious challenge to the D-Line without Easley.  The Hog passing game shouldn’t be overlooked, though, as WR Javontee Herndon played quite a bit in the passing game developed by the fired Bobby Petrino.  TE Hunter Henry is proving to be a serious target as well, and the RBs are utilized as receivers quite often (something Florida needs to expand upon).  This is going to be a test for the entire Florida defense to try and limit Arkansas’ effectiveness and ball-control capability, to allow the Gator offense to nurse Murphy along and not have to get out of it’s comfort zone to either play catch-up or get into a scoring contest.

Arkansas’ defense has struggled to date, and hopefully that continues another week.  Florida simply does not have dynamic playmaking ability this season, so it will have to continue to be consistent and remain turnover-free to be successful.  Like most opponents going forward, I expect the Razorbacks to crowd the box and dare Murphy to pass.  Perhaps we’ll start to see some throws to the RBs this week to change things up, and the WRs have to continue to improve upon defeating coverage to give Murphy a fair chance.  The passing game has to start to prove itself a threat to give the tough opponents coming up something to think about.

Gator Nation needs to show up in force to protect home-field advantage, as the meat of the SEC schedule begins.  It will be a grind from now until season’s end for this team, and they need all the support they can get.  Playing this game at home should help Murphy, and the crowd can help inspire the defense to elevate it’s game.  I fully expect this contest to not be decided until the 4th quarter.  The offense has to limit turnovers going forward, as it simply is not good enough to overcome falling too far behind and hasn’t proven it can sustain drives almost exclusively with the passing game.  Time for a hostile nighttime crowd at the Swamp to help deliver a win.

Prediction:  Florida 24      Arkansas 20

A Whole New Ballgame

That was quite the unexpected Saturday at the Swamp despite the expected win over Tennessee.  This season, much as I feared, has possibly turned upside down with the loss of Jeff Driskel for the year with a broken fibula.  Tyler Murphy showed a lot of poise and maturity, giving Gator Nation some hope that the season won’t go down the drain.  Given that he has never played a meaningful snap going in to his redshirt junior year, that was a clutch performance, even against a bad Dolly team.

It’s really interesting now to hear the various thinking about the QB situation……

Take #1 – “Driskel sucks, is a turnover machine, and just doesn’t ‘get it’ at QB.  Murphy may be better”.

Not so fast, my friends.  That was a bad Tennessee team, and Murphy had the element of surprise, as there is NO film on this guy.  Yes, Driskel is limited in some ways, but is a tough player and has serious physical skills.  Definitely premature thinking by a long shot.

Take #2 – “The season is toast.  5-6 losses for sure”.

Despite losing the starting QB, Florida has enough talent on offense and such a great defense that I still expect wins (unless Murphy goes down – yeesh) against Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Georgia Southern.  I believe that enough offense can be generated in those games, especially with Murphy showing mobility and the ability to make plays with his legs to keep defenses somewhat honest.

Take #3 – “At least Will Grier is an early enrollee, and may start as a true freshman in 2014”.  Again, WAY premature, and simply unlikely.  The staff has a lot of trust in Driskel (I can hear the haters groaning), and if somehow Murphy blows up and earns the job based on the rest of 2013 going into Spring practice, I simply can’t see Grier playing much, if at all.

Now, back to the game……

The pick 6 from Driskel shook the offense (and the fans) in more ways than one, and it showed for a few series until Murphy started making some plays, which injected life into the team and the crowd.  I was never really worried, especially after the Gators took a 10-7 lead on the TD pass to Patton.  But I REALLY wasn’t worried as I watched Gator defense taking the Dolly offense to the woodshed.  Yes, that was a mediocre Tennessee offense, but they do have some SEC-caliber RBs and WRs, and a few decent OL.  Fowler was a man in that game at DE, and Easley his been a disruptive force inside all season.  The secondary, even with Roberson sitting out, Poole getting ejected, and Purifoy getting hurt on the kickoff return, was still lights out until letting down for a score near the end of the game.

I have to give the team credit for staying focused after Driskel left, and to the coaches for staying patient through a rough first half, which I’m sure helped the players keep their poise and to continue to play hard.  There are still some areas that need work, starting with getting Matt Jones right at RB – he doesn’t look anything like what was expected yet, and now has fumbled in both games he has played.  Brown was a workhorse, but is not a breakaway threat.  Still no throws to the RBs, and that has to change to help out a new QB.  Perhaps Murphy can develop some chemistry with a few of the WRs.  Dunbar has played well this season, and Patton has some big plays, but the ball has to be spread around more.  I’m starting to wonder if Burton may need to play more H-back again and less in the slot, to help the running game some and give defenses the Wildcat look to practice for.

Looking at Tennessee’s schedule through October……it’s gonna be another looooong season.  Volsheimers will be needed again after this year is over.

Now it’s on the Commonwealth for the first SEC road game against Kentucky.  New head coach Mark Stoops has a reputation as a defensive genius, but how much of that is reality, and how much just for he last name?  This is another team that has a LONG way to go to become consistently competitive in the SEC.  The Mildcats did hold Louisville to 27 points in a loss 2 weeks ago, but that was an in-state rival that they were certainly up for.  Yes, they haven’t beaten the Gators since 1986, and that can serve as motivation – to a point.  But they are (again) outmanned and have a weak offense with inconsistent QB play and precious little playmaking ability, and will have to rely on the Gator offense to continue it’s disturbing penchant for turnovers to have a chance at the upset.

Before some in Gator Nation get too excited about Murphy’s performance, rest assured that he’s going to have his struggles going forward.  He has virtually no experience, and now has the added pressure of being the starter.  He also had the advantage of two weeks of (limited) practice snaps before Tennessee, but will now have to get into the weekly rhythm of learning a new opponent.  His arm strength isn’t great, and no one has a clue as to his ability to read defenses yet.  A backup can survive in a home game, but the road environment in the SEC is completely different.

It’s time for each offensive player to take more accountability, in order to not just help out the new QB, but to help the team win games.  Cut down on the penalties, take care of the damn football, and play smart and fast going forward.

And now for the latest downer……Dominique Easley is out for the season after tearing his ACL in practice Tuesday.  Un-freakin’-believable!  Chucky was really coming on, looking fully recovered from the ACL tear in his other knee sustained against F$U in 2011……and now this.  Leon Orr had better learn to play hard every snap starting now, and Darious Cummings is going to get  a lot more snaps.  Looks like the redshirt may be pulled off of one of the true freshmen – perhaps Jay-nard Bostwick or Caleb Brantley.  Any way you look at it, this is a big loss to the team, as Easley was probably the spiritual leader of just not the defense, but the entire team.  No more dancing at the LOS before blowing up another play Chucky – good luck in the NFL next season.

The defense had some other dings against the Dollies, especially in the secondary.  Roberson should be back to help offset the loss of Poole for at least the first half after his illegal hit disqualification.  Purifoy may play, but it’s hard to tell after a deep thigh bruise how he’ll feel at kickoff.  Fortunately there is so much quality depth there that the Gators should survive.  The D-Line has disrupted so many plays at the LOS it’s made life easy for the back seven to dominate.  It may not be as easy going forward without Easley’s presence.

It’s going to be a different feel going forward.  The defense may have to still carry the team, as the offense will have it’s struggles until Murphy can prove to be a consistent, if not spectacular, performer.  Special Teams need to step up as well.  Christy is a huge disappointment punting so far, and Hardin needs to show he can make a FG longer than 35 yards – the loss of Caleb Sturgis could really be felt going forward.

Unless somehow the team gets completely ambushed early by a rash of turnovers or blown assignments on both sides of the ball, I think Florida eventually wears down and draws away in the second half.  I have no illusions about the offense – I think it’s going to be dicey going forward as teams get more film on Murphy – and the offense has yet to prove it can play smart, mistake-free football.  Coach Pease has some late nights ahead of him to try and gameplan to help this offense survive.  If he can somehow devise ways to get the passing game going to provide some balance, the defense is good enough to beat most teams as long as it doesn’t sustain any more key injuries..

The margin for error is razor-thin now, and it truly will take a complete team effort going forward to make this a good season.  Coach Muschamp’s mantra has been, “Man down, Man up”.  That is being put to the test moreso than anyone could have expected.  Remember this – there’s a reason a depth chart exists……some players are just better than others.

Prediction:  Florida 23              Kentucky 14

This week’s game turns out to be an early season crossroad for the Gators.  Any SEC game is important, especially the conference opener.  But after dealing with the fallout of the debacle against Miami and having 2 weeks to hear about how bad the offense is, it’s time to see if there is any leadership in the offensive ranks, and also to see if the coaching staff has made adjustments to both schemes and the depth chart to get things moving in a positive direction.

Tennessee comes to the Swamp after getting blown out at Oregon.  Their first 2 easy wins were exposed as fraudulent, as their overall lack of talent, especially on defense, was made evident.  Other than some returning starters on the OL and 2 good RBs, their offense is a total change from last season.  There will be some serious growing pains experienced this year, and it will take new head coach Butch Jones years of recruiting before he even has a chance to compete at the upper-echelon of the SEC.  QB Justin Worley has played it safe with short throws to prevent turnovers, and RBs Rajion Neal and Marlin Lane are solid SEC backs, but they haven’t played against a quality defense like Florida’s yet.  No single WR has emerged yet, and the passes have been spread out among many, including the RBs and TEs, but no one real threat exists right now.  I expect a heavy dose of running to try and shorten the game as long as the score is manageable.

It’s all about the performance of the Gator offense this week – starting with the health of the OL.  D.J. Humphries will play with a sore knee, and Kyle Koehne will start at RT in place of injured Tyler Moore.  Jon Halapio may return to start at RG (which may or may not be a blessing given his struggles with pass protection), and the fact is he will likely be less than 100% due to the torn pectoral muscle he sustained in August.  The OL is not the best shape right now, and Tim Davis has a lot of coaching to do.  If this unit struggles this week against a mediocre at best Volunteer defense, it’s gonna be a long year in Gainesville.

The passing game will again be scrutinized, to see if Jeff Driskel can continue to improve on reading defenses and getting rid of the ball quickly to eliminate mistakes.  He is under a LOT of pressure to lead the offense to better success in scoring.  The running backs, with Matt Jones supposedly back to 100% health, should be fine.  The real question remains who will consistently perform at WR?  Quinton Dunbar had a big game at Miami, and Solomon Patton made some big plays……but can they do this on a regular basis?  Trey Burton needs to re-focus, both on ball security and also reading the defense if he is in the Wildcat formation.  It’s about time to let one of the freshmen WRs get the chance to show something – either DeMarcus Robinson or Ahmad Fulwood have to step up and start to show the ability they flashed during fall practice.  Expect zero production form the TE position, unless Kent Taylor or Colin Thompson are given the chance to show something – they can’t be any worse than Clay Burton catching (or not catching) the ball.  Finally, where are the throws to the RBs?  Matt Jones drew raves in fall camp, but wasn’t really utilized in this way against the ‘Canes.

The Gator defense has played exceptionally well so far, and again will lead this team.  They should not have too much trouble controlling Tennessee’s offense, as they have a decided advantage in talent and experience.  The real worry (other than injuries) is whether this group can keep producing at a high level if the offense continues to struggle, and if eventually a rift develops between the offensive and defensive players.  All the talk of teamwork and supporting each other is nice, but in a situation like that, it doesn’t matter what level of football you are talking about – eventually problems crop up in the locker room, and internal strife starts to tear a team apart.

I expect an inspired, fast start, from the Gators, as they will have 2 weeks of frustration to take out on the Vols.  What I’m more interested in is seeing solid OL play and better utilization of the talent by the coaches as the game and season progress.  A majority of team goals are still out there for Florida despite the disappointing loss in Miami, and that drive starts now.  Time to see if this group of Gators has what it takes to overcome adversity and move forward.

Prediction:  Florida 31              Tennessee 13

I came very close to a one word article – Turnovers.  But I know that so many of you are ready to hear the bitter details instead……I could never disappoint you like that!

What a disheartening effort by the offense, essentially giving the game away to scUM, which now opens a Pandora’s box of questions and concerns for this team that the staff has to find answers for.  It wasn’t the true freshmen or inexperienced players that blew this game – guys like Trey Burton, DJ Humphries, Tyler Moore, and to an extent, Jeff Driskel, have to perform better.

3 turnovers inside the 20?!  Stopped on 4th-and-1 at the 25?!  Allowing a sack inside your own 10-yard line, leading to the winning (or losing) score?!  Wow – I’m so glad I was there to witness that disaster…..and to listen to the scUM “fans” brag about how they are “back”……what a freakin’ joke.

The Gator defense, while giving up the one big pass play in the 1st quarter, was heroic.  They absolutely stuffed the ‘Canes after the 1st quarter, and allowed basically nothing the rest of the game.  It must have been hard for those guys to watch the offense time and again blow chances at taking the lead, so the defense could close out the win.  Easley, Powell, and the entire D-Line dominated, and the secondary was money, except for the one mistake by freshman Marcus Maye – but there’s no way anyone can pin this loss on that one play.  If these guys stay healthy, and aren’t worn down trying to bail out an ineffective offense as the season progresses, they could turn out every bit as good overall as 2012.

The running game, while not breaking any big runs, was pushing the scUM defense back slowly and surely and wearing them down……until the implosions in the red zone.  Matt Jones had the unfortunate fumble, but did OK in his first playing time after the viral illness – he will improve with more reps.  Mack Brown is functional as a backup, but has no explosion or breakaway speed – he could have broken off some big chunks of yardage if he had better speed.  Driskel is getting some criticism for his play, but he did throw for 291 yards and hit some deep throws.  Sadly, he missed a sure TD in the 2nd quarter when Dunbar was 20 yards behind the secondary, and still seemed hesitant when reading the defense at times.  Improved – yes, but still a ways to go……if it happens.  Patton certainly played much bigger than his physical stature, making some big plays downfield that have sorely lacking from this offense.  Quinton Dunbar certainly rose to the occasion going home to South Florida – he made some tough catches and ran hard with the ball.  Finally, this team has ZERO play form the TE position.  Clay Burton has earned a seat on the bench with all of his drops and a stupid personal foul penalty that killed the opening drive.  Let one of the young guys, either Taylor or Thompson, get their chance to play.  This position could be so critical in helping out Driskel……but right now there is no production.

Special Teams were very good.  Harden was fine on kicks (when given the chance), although he still is not getting his kickoffs into the end zone.  Kickoff and punt coverage were excellent.  They even generated the first scoring opportunity with Purifoy’s blocked punt.

The coaching and playcalling were strangely inconsistent at times.  Going for 2 was rather Zookish.  Putting Burton in the Wildcat on 1st and goal at the 8, when Driskel had the offense rolling, was poorly timed.  At least Burton could learn to exercise better judgement and hand the ball off on the jet sweep occasionally, where Patton would likely have scored, instead of taking a 2 yard loss……again.  Then he fumbles inside the 10 exercising poor ball security……he needs to refocus……it’s a team game.  The staff not calling a time out before the 4th-and-1 play to give Driskel better options, instead of trying to sneak against a 9-man front, was hugely disappointing.  The second interception, even after calling a time out, was caused by poor execution by the receivers – neither one even was looking back for the quick flat pass.

And best of all……the Gators have a extra week off to hear how bad they played.  I can only hope that the injuries to both OTs aren’t serious, and that both can play against Tennessee.  There is a TON of work to do……starting with getting back to fundamentals.  This team has to get it’s mind right……and fast.

See you next week with my preview of the Tennessee game.  Go Gators!

2013 got off to a successful start with a workmanlike, if unspectacular, win over Toledo in the Swamp.  Florida controlled both sides of the LOS as expected.  The OL was able to establish the running game early to control time-of-possession and keep the game plan vanilla so Miami would not have much to look at on film.  Mack Brown did a solid job at RB and didn’t turn the ball over.  The pass blocking already looks like it could be a problem (again), as both Humphries and Moore allowed sacks.  Driskel was accurate and looked improved overall, but still holds the ball too long on occasion – he was also late on some throws and simply did not throw to some open receivers.  The second half was not exciting to watch on offense, as the Gators played very conservatively with the lead and allowed the Rockets to load the box on defense to stop the run.  Still minimal downfield passing – that has to change this week.

The defense overcame the loss of a handful of key players due to suspension and was able to contain a quick QB and veteran offense, allowing only 2 drives of significance.  Easley led the way on the DL and was disruptive all game.  There were few sacks and pressures, but that was mainly a result of a quick passing game.  The secondary is definitely the strength of this defense, and it should be difficult for opponents to consistently move the ball through the air all season.  Watkins did well stepping back in at CB for Purifoy after practicing all off-season at safety.  Roberson blanketed his assignment as usual.  Riggs was in good position all game at safety.  Even freshman Marcus Maye saw plenty of action.  The LBs did well in coverage, and also did not allow the QB to keep drives alive with designed runs or scrambles.

Best of all – no significant injuries.

Now it’s on to Miami, and a huge showdown with the Hurricanes.  Since this series was discontinued as an annual game after 1987, the scUM “fans” always whine about how the Gators are running scared……well, Gator Nation will be represented in force this Saturday.  As always, there are recruiting ramifications tied to this game.  Florida has made some inroads recently into South Florida, and already has a handful of key prospects committed for 2014 – Al Golden is desperately trying to re-build the “fence” around South Florida, but it has a lot of holes in it right now.

It’s time to see if the Gator offense is truly improved from 2012 and can show effective balance when it has to.  Letting teams continue to disregard any downfield passing game and crowd the box on defense with 8-9 guys within 10 yards of the LOS is a recipe for losing against a good opponent.  There have been a lot of positive words leaking out from fall practice that Driskel looks better as a passer and is reading defenses better – it’s time to see it on the field.  He has to make quicker reads and improve on picking out the open receiver.   It appears that the RBs will be incorporated into the passing game more this year, and that helps, but it’s time for the WRs to show they can contribute and stretch the defense and make plays.  Burton looked good on the intermediate routes and should be effective out of the slot.  It may fall on the true freshmen – Fulwood and Robinson – to help Dunbar out making some plays downfield.  The running game gets a huge boost with the return of Matt Jones from illness.  He has the size to keep the chains moving, but is also an excellent receiver.  It will be interesting to see how many snaps he gets, and whether he is used as a decoy on play-action passes.  Until this offense proves it can score 30+ points if needed, ball security is paramount – the margin of error is too thin to overcome a rash of turnovers.

The Gator defense will have it’s full complement of players back, and will be challenged by a veteran Miami offense.  QB Stephen Morris runs a pro-style attack and has weapons around him – RB in Duke Johnson is a quick back who is dangerous in space, and WRs Herb Waters and Philip Dorsett can get deep.  Miami is also a good screen team – look for this early on if the Gator D-Line is causing problems for them.  The ‘Cane OL is experienced and has some quality players in Shane McDermott, Brandon Linder, and Seantrel Henderson.  This will be a good challenge for a young and inexperienced (in some areas) Gator defense.  Miami should score some points – we’ll see how the Gator defense responds and makes adjustments as the game progresses, and if the younger players can keep their poise.   The return of Purifoy bolsters the secondary, which should relish the challenge this week to prove to the country how good it can be.  The return of Tank Morrison helps a thin LB corps – this unit will be tested by containing Johnson, but also will see some screen passes and draw plays……discipline is key this week.  The DL will have a worthy opponent to test it – Easley needs to continue to make plays, and it’s time for Fowler, Bullard, and Powell to turn up the heat on the pass rush – Morris can be rattled and turn the ball over if pressured.

Finally, the Florida special teams need to step up and be solid this week.  I fully expect some trickeration from scUM, and the coverage units had better be ready.  Kyle Christy needs to get his punting back to 2012 form.  The kickoffs by Austin Hardin were too short and lacked the height needed to offset the distance – that combination doesn’t work against quality opponents.  The fall practice reports weren’t very stellar – we will see very soon if this unit can hold things together.  If they can even approach the outstanding performance of 2012 (that would be hard to do), then they will be fine.

This is a huge game for Miami, and they are even going the “white-out” route for their “fans”.  That should at least put some lipstick on that pig, as the thugs and vagrants that usually show up will at least look clean on the outside……although all of the gold chains and teeth could be blinding in the sunlight.  Florida needs to be ready for anything on defense, as the ‘Canes are desperate to win this game to show their “fans” and recruits they are “back”.  As long as the Gators can withstand the early rush of emotion and settle in, they should be OK.  This game could be similar to what the Texas A&M game was last season – either a springboard to a very good year, or a real downer and confidence-shaking loss.  The Florida coaching staff has shown it’s ability to prepare for tough road environments and to make adjustments during the game or at halftime to win – all of those attributes will again be put to the test.  On a neutral field or at the Swamp, I would be a lot more confident that the Gators would win, as they have the better team.  However, on the road, with ACC referees likely pulling their usual stunts, strange things can happen.  This looks like a game that could be decided in the 4th quarter.  We will see if Muschamp decided to shut things down against Toledo in the second half, or if the struggles on offense will continue into 2013.  At least the Gators are used to a noon kickoff game already – they should be able to handle the heat and humidity.

Prediction – Florida 24      Miami 20

Florida kicks off the 2013 season against a solid MAC team in the Toledo Rockets.  Toledo returns five All-MAC players on the offensive side of the ball. Led by senior quarterback Terrance Owens, the Rockets have a balanced, spread out attack.  Owens is a similar style quarterback to Jeff Driskel in that he has a strong arm but is also a threat to take off out of the pocket and can hurt you with his mobility.

The next key player on the depth chart is running back David Fluellen.  Despite missing one game and portions of two more, he still amassed 1,498 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground last season.  He’s also an effective pass catcher out of the backfield, where he had 32 receptions for 246 yards in 2012.

Bernard Reedy leads a talented group of receivers that return the top six pass catchers from a year ago.  Reedy caught over 80 passes last year for over 1,100 yards.  He is also a dangerous KO returner.

Florida needs to take advantage of the Rocket defense.  15 players on the two-deep depth chart are either sophomores or freshmen.  All of that turnover might be a good thing for a defense that ranked 12th in the MAC in total defense after giving up over 473 yards per game last season.

Anyone who thinks Toledo will roll over for the Gators is mistaken.

The focus will be on the Gator offense, as it has to perform better than last season to help out the defense more, and also make Florida a more balanced overall team.  Despite all of the offseason hopes, a re-tooled OL and WR corps has to prove it can give Jeff Driskel the help he needs to improve as a passer.  With no qualified backup, he needs to stay upright this year, and can’t afford to take as many chances as a runner.  The likely absence of Matt Jones due to a lingering viral illness puts a lot of pressure on inexperienced Mack Brown, former walkon Mark Herndon, and freshmen Kelvin Taylor and Adam Lane to take up the slack by committee.   It will be interesting to see if the WR play finally improves after 2 years of basically nothing.  The 2 highly-touted freshman – Demarcus Robinson and Ahmad Fulwood – will play immediately.  Also, the loss of Jordan Reed at TE could force OC Brent Pease to scheme an attack that doesn’t have a significant contribution from there unless either Kent Taylor or Colin Thompson show early on they can contribute.  The latest bad news is that Chaz Green is out for the season due to surgery for a torn labrum.  Tyler Moore gets the chance to show he can play in the SEC, and Kyle Koehne gets even more reps now.  Not a good situation.

The defense will be talented, but the key losses at DT, LB, and S could be felt early until the new faces gain experience.  Toledo’s offense could pose some problems for the inexperienced and/or new guys like Tank Morrison and MikeTaylor at LB, and Jaylen Watkins and Cody Riggs at safety, who played mostly CB previously in their careers.  Ron Powell must show early on he has recovered from knee surgery and provide a pass rush threat from the OLB spot.  Dominique Easley must lead a young DL – he’ll have help from Dante Fowler and Jon Bullard at DE.  These guys must get penetration and pressure the QB without the need for too much blitzing.

I could see this game remaining competitive into the second half, as Florida will not want to show too much on offense (unless it becomes necessary), while the defense could struggle until it settles in.  This isn’t a glorified scrimmage, but could prove useful in gearing up for a huge game 2 vs. Miami.  As always, the mantra for game 1 is NO SERIOUS INJURIES.

Prediction:  Florida 31      Toledo 17