I expected a letdown after the loss to Georgia, but that was a brutal exhibition on offense, despite the injuries.  Once again, the Gator defense was left on an island and had to bail out the Gators and get a closer-than-necessary win at home.

There’s a lot being said about the injuries on the O-Line and how an average unit to begin with is really hampered, but it’s the responsibility of the OC to coach around that, and Brent Pease’s playcalling for a second week in a row left something to be desired.  Driskel is still being asked to drop straight back instead of some designed rollouts, too many inside the tackle runs are being called against an 8-man front, and Hines and Burton remain painfully underutilized.

It’s hard to tell if Driskel has regressed the past month because of the poor blocking, but he continues to lock on to his primary receivers, and needs to be allowed to run more often.  You have to work with what you have, and the staff has to help the QB out.

The defense rose to the occasion despite a lot of players being weakened by the flu or nagging injuries.  The secondary did a great job of defending over 50 passes, holding Missouri to under 50% completions and getting 4 interceptions to hold the lead.  Fowler and Bullard played their best game at DE, and are a promising duo for the future.  Bostic continues to excel in pass coverage as well.

A lot of fans will now focus on the F$U game 3 weeks from now, and expect 2 easy wins at the Swamp before then.  Unfortunately, Louisiana-Lafayette looks like a decent opponent this week, and the Gators may not get the chance to rest and play backups as much as hoped for.  Pease has to diversify the run game to take the pressure off of the OL by getting to the edge, and getting the ball in Hines’ and Burton’s hands more often. I expect to see a lot more of the Wild Gator formation this week.  The defense will have to generate a few more 3-and-out possessions this week, and the injury to Sturgis hopefully doesn’t prove problematic if Phillips has to perform the placekicking duties this week.

Here’s hoping for a solid win without having to stay with the first-teamers late into the second half, but the way the injuries have piled up and ineffective offense has struggled, it could be another grind this week.  Get the win, and hope for no more injuries.

Prediction:  Florida 30    ULL 14

It was a brutal performance by the Gator offense, leading to a heartbreaking loss to Georgia.  All of the hard work and effort to get to this point was thrown away by 6 turnovers, allowing the Puppies to come away with the edge in the SEC East race, and offsetting a gritty and tough showing by the Gator defense.  As Coach Muschamp reiterated after the game, this team has little room for error, and that was evidenced by a bitter defeat.

There is really no earth-shattering analysis necessary……6 turnovers killed Florida’s chances, especially the ones at the end of each half.  Driskel’s horrible decision to throw across his body into the end zone cost the Gators the lead going into halftime, and completely changed the complexion of the rest of the game.  Then, the last chance drive that looked so promising was wiped out by Reed’s ill-advised attempt to do too much, causing him to fumble and effectively ending the game.

All that being said, the offensive game plan was certainly that – offensive.  Very conservative, very predictable, especially given the evidence from the very first possession that the Gator O-Line was not at 100% health, and that Georgia was going to crowd the box the entire game.  The few times that Florida ran some screens and draws were effective, but were too little and eventually too late.  Coach Muschamp and Coach Pease have to come to an agreement and understanding on just how much the playbook needs to be opened up from the start of future games in order to help out the players.  It may be time to break tendencies on the early downs to help get the offense moving and restore some lost confidence.  By the way……Jarvis Jones should send 50% of his NFL 1st-round draft pick contract to the Gator OL after making him look like an All-American the past 2 years.

What else can be said about the Florida defense?  They were outstanding all afternoon, generating clutch turnovers in their own territory, and preventing scores after almost every Gator turnover.  They probably would say that their run defense was not as good as usual, but they continued to play hard and not get discouraged despite the struggles of the offense……a real tribute to the resolve of the players and the defensive coaches.

There is still one more SEC game to go, and the team has to regain it’s focus and somehow put aside the disappointment and perform well this week.  This year’s offense simply does not appear to be the kind to open up any kind of breathing room on it’s own, and a letdown against Missouri would be a big mistake, despite the Tigers’ struggles this year.  James Franklin can still lead an effective spread attack when he gets hot, and Missouri has a few playmakers on defense, led by DL Sheldon Richards, that could keep them close into the 4th quarter.

The Gator O-Line is banged up, and somehow Coach Davis has to patch together a unit to give Driskel some help, but Coach Pease can help as well by getting Driskel out of the pocket some, and using the screen and flat passes a little more often.

Even though it’s unlikely, there is still a slim hope that Georgia could slip up against Ole Miss (forget Auburn – they are horrible), and allow Florida to go to Atlanta.  There is still a lot left to play for, and now is not the time for self-pity.  Time to get back to efficient, tough football, getting another SEC win, and moving forward towards the end of the regular season.  The coaching staff has a new challenge this week getting the players ready after a loss, and have to make sure they secure a win.

I’m still concerned that the Gators, with the early kickoff of noon and the hangover of a tough loss, will come out flat and uninspired, and fall behind early (again).  I hope I’m proven wrong, but I have a bad feeling that things could get dicey before this one is over.

Prediction:  Florida 24    Missouri 17

Source:  www.mysanmarco.com

It’s not pretty, but it’s effective.  Florida completely shut down South Carolina with it’s usual tough defense and a great special teams effort, hammering the Lamecocks and ending any thoughts of a special season for the Pariah.  Coach Spurrier can go home after essentially quitting by benching his starting quarterback the entire second half, sending a message many Gators received even during his best years at Florida – that he’ll panic as soon as even a few small things go wrong, and he’s done after that.  Enjoy the Piedmont, loser.

The Gator offense struggled mightily to generate any running game in the first half, as Carolina sold out against the run.  This staff, however, doesn’t panic, and bided it’s time and allowed the defense and special teams to play opportunistic football to set up 3 easy scores.  Despite not being able to contain Jadaveon Clowney, Driskel found enough time to complete 3 clutch TD passes to cash in for Florida, and cash out the Lamecocks.  The O-Line performance was only adequate at best, partly due to guys playing through injuries, but there are still some troubling blown assignments allowing rushers to sometimes come unblocked into the backfield.  There’s still work to be done and improvement to be made for Coach Davis and this unit.

The Gator defense was sensational – again – not allowing Carolina any sustained drives (except with a LOT of help from the referees), and stuffed the running game.  Spurrier simply doesn’t have a quality QB that can pass consistently and effectively against quality defenses, and their WR corps does not scare anyone.  Floyd anchored the D-Line, Bostic and Jenkins played well in coverage at LB, and the secondary continued to make plays and, in this case, perhaps the biggest play of the game, Purifoy’s fumble-inducing tackle of Shaw on the first play of the game.  He is a stud on special teams, and his play at CB has improved significantly as the season has progressed.

Kyle Christy has to be the all-SEC punter at this point, and could be 1st team A-A if he continues his tremendous punting.  Coach Muschamp trusts him to flip the filed even when the offense is struggling – the best compliment he could receive.  Sturgis continues to excel as the PK, and the coverage units have been dynamite all year.  The 2 straight fumbles they caused in the second quarter essentially won the game.

Now it’s on to Jacksonville, and to a SEC East title game against the Puppies.  Even with zero running game and crappy QB play last season, Florida still was in position to win, and the staff will have a solid plan ready to prevent a repeat of that debacle.

Georgia comes in as it’s usual enigmatic self.  Great numbers, but a complete implosion in it’s only big game to date, at Carolina.  Their SEC schedule is ridiculously weak, and is the only real reason they have a chance to win the East……but it is what it is, and they can back in to a title with one decent performance.

I thought Carolina would be the most balanced opponent for the Florida to date, but it appears as if the Puppies have enough talent at the skill positions to make this the biggest challenge of the season for the Gator defense.  Florida needs to stick to following it’s coaching and simply making one play after the next, and not let the hype and excitement of the stakes of this game take their minds off the task at hand.  They will be challenged for 60 minutes, and need to keep their focus and not let emotions erase all the good work to date.

Georgia has shown an effective running game with its 2 freshmen RBs, Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley, but they seem to have stalled a little the past 2 games, and the Gator D-Line should have the edge over the Puppy O-Line.  It will be interesting to see how Aaron Murray performs, especially if Florida can force the Puppies into a passing game……we’ll see if he can withstand the pressure, as it took not 1, but 2 garbage 4th down TD throws to beat the Gators last year.  Florida’s CBs will still be challenged by a solid group of WRs, despite Michael Bennett being lost for the season to a knee injury.  Tavarres King, Malcolm Mitchell, and Marlin Brown have good speed, and I expect Georgia to go deep more often that usual to try and get the big plays instead of trying to grind out long drives against a tough Gator defense.

The Florida offense was bailed out against Carolina, and must find a way to get started early.  There’s a lot on the line, and will Coach Pease break tendency and throw often on first down, or will the offense stay with it’s conservative play even if they fall behind?  The O-Line has to gut out another game at less than 100% health, and the early load Gillislee has had to carry seems to be taking it’s toll a little.  However, I love the fact that there are plays that haven’t been seen all season that will probably be unveiled this week, as evidenced by the jailbreak middle screen to Reed, and the reverse handoff and sweep out of the Wild Gator formation.

Georgia still has enough quality playmakers in defense to make this difficult challenge.  John Jenkins is a load at NT, Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree are solid LBs. and Bacarri Rambo is an experienced leader at safety.  Can Florida continue to do what it’s done all year and impose it’s will on opposing defenses in the second half?  The Gators need to be close if they don’t have the lead in the second half, because they are simply not built to throw the ball in a come-from-behind mode, and have not really been asked to go no-huddle to hurry to get a late score.

It’s been a great run so far, but now there’s a ton of pressure with a title within reach.  Florida has been given only grudging praise due to the style of play, and will the players be too anxious to prove themselves now and make uncharacteristic mistakes?  In a perfect world (which doesn’t exist in SEC football), if Florida performs at the level it has so far, it probably has enough to get the win.  Coach Muschamp and the entire staff have done a tremendous job of developing these players and making in-game adjustments, but poor execution and silly mistakes can undo all the good work.

It will be a tense, emotional atmosphere Saturday, and another challenge for a team that has risen to the occasion all season.  I might be ready to finally drink the kool-aid, but just to be disappointed?

Prediction:  Florida 24    Georgia 23

A typically desultory effort against Vanderbilt led to a typically closer-than-necessary game. Penalties, dropped passes, some shoddy tackling, and a general lack of emotion kept this game close into the 4th quarter until Driskel’s 70-yard TD run closed down Music City for another year.

It was obvious that the injuries on the O-Line that had Harrison and Wilson out partly led to a painfully conservative attack, but the lack of any real downfield attempts against an outmanned team is cause for concern going forward. Driskel was lucky 2 of his passes weren’t intercepted, as he stared down a few receivers.

The performance of the run defense was troubling as well. Even with Easley being held out, this group normally dominates a team like Vandy. But the lack of emotion combined with what appeared to be a lot of thoughts already looking ahead to S. Carolina led to the worst second-half performance of the season to date. I’m going to attribute this effort to the usual level of competition provided by the Commodores and the 2 big games coming up, but it’s time to ramp up the intensity again. The run defense was sloppy and uninspired, and there were some misjudged pass plays – Matt Elam in the end zone on Vandy’s first TD in particular, that were surprising. Again, it looked like the players were doing just enough to get the win, which will get you in trouble on the road in SEC.

Now it’s on to the biggest game of the season for Florida, with S. Carolina coming to the Swamp coming off of a tough loss at LSU. The Gamecocks have to win to stay alive in the East race, while the Gators can all but wrap up the division with a win. This is a difficult matchup for the Gators, as Carolina presents the best and most balanced offense they have faced.

The Florida defense won’t be able to load up against the run like they did against LSU, as QB Conner Shaw is a dangerous runner to go along with Marcus Lattimore. The Gamecock passing game isn’t terribly scary, but Shaw’s mobility seems to help get his receivers open at critical times. Ace Sanders is the deep threat, as well as a dangerous kick returner, as has to be contained. The Carolina O-Line has struggled at times this year, including last week, and if the Gators play at the level they exhibited against LSU, they could disrupt things enough to keep the score down and help a still-developing Gator offense.

I don’t believe the Florida passing game (or lack thereof) can be hidden any longer. It’s time to spread the ball to not just the TEs and RBs, but the WRs as well……and not just 3-5 yard throws. This Gamecock defense seems to be at or near the level of LSU’s this year, and I’m not expecting them to only score 6 points. Perhaps there are some formations and plays that Brent Pease has saved up to now, but the lack of balance in the Gator offense will catch up to them……there simply have to plays made downfield to loosen things up.

The injuries on the O-Line could doom the offense, because they rely first and foremost on a power running game, and will stick with it until the situation dictates otherwise……and that could happen this week.

Once again, the Pariah comes back to Gainesville to try and screw over his alma mater and former employer.  I’ll never understand why so many Gator fans give this guy a free pass – “if the Gators don’t win, then I’m glad it’s Spurrier”.  Forget that – I’m a Gator first, and hope Florida kicks his ass out of the Swamp.  This is probably his best chance to win the SEC, and he’s really showing the strain after the LSU loss, calling out his QB and having team meetings.

Again, I’m going in to this game thinking that the lack of a balanced offense will lead to a Gator defeat, and Carolina has enough balance on offense and a solid enough defense to win.  Driskel still has a lot of room for further development in the passing game, and until the WRs help stretch the field, it’s gonna come back to bite the Florida sometime against a quality opponent.

Prediction: S. Carolina 23    Florida 17

Florida showed it is on the path back to competitiveness at the elite level with a hard-fought win at the Swamp against a very tough LSU team.  The Gators atoned for a weak effort last year against the Tigers, and continue to put behind them the disappointment of the previous 2 seasons.

The Gator defense carried the day, keeping the Tigers out of the end zone in the first half while the offense struggled to get untracked and out of it’s own way, then slamming the door once Florida finally took the lead late in the 3rd quarter.  The front seven were called out most of last season and, while showing improvement in September, finally stood up and punched back against an excellent running team.  Solid tackling, sound gap control, and getting a stalemate or better at the LOS most of the game made LSU rely on an unproven QB, and that was the difference in the game.  Lerentee McCray,  Sharrif Floyd, and Jon Bostic are all playing the best football of their careers.  The secondary played physical coverage, and Matt Elam made a statement to be all-SEC or better with an outstanding performance, making plays and physical tackles all over the field along with the play of the game, stripping Odell Beckham after a long reception, ending LSU’s only real threat in the second half.  Jaylen Watkins continues to come on as a playmaker with another interception.

Don’t forget the fine play of Florida’s special teams.  Kyle Christy continues to impress with solid punting, and the coverage units have been excellent all season.  Louichez Purifoy is a standout gunner, and Coach Muschamp singled him out as one of the best he’s ever coached.  While Caleb Sturgis did not get the chance to try a FG due to a turnover and some poor pass blocking in LSU territory, he continues to kick off per the coaches strategy, either getting touchbacks or high kicks to the goal line allowing the coverage unit to hold opponents inside the 25-yard line.

The offense cam alive in the second half playing the most basic and physical running game since at least 2009.  Credit goes to the staff for staying patient, riding a great defense until the O-Line started to assert itself and soften up perhaps the best D-Line in college football.  The improvement in strength and stamina is evident, and credit goes to new S&C coach Jeff Dillman.  Credit also goes to OC Brent Pease and OL coach Tim Davis, who devised a great strategy of adding extra tackles  and running a lot of counter plays in the second half, allowing Mike Gillislee to announce himself on the national stage as a quality RB……quite a difference from never getting a full chance from either of his previous OCs – the Dazzler and the Cheeseburger.

As I said after the Kentucky game, fans need to be patient with Jeff Driskel as the level of competition rises.  He has a long way to go to be proficient in the passing game, but has the physical tools to still make clutch plays in the running game to keep some drives alive.  He did take a step back by taking some unnecessary sacks and giving up a fumble deep in Gator territory late in the first half that could have been devastating.  But the defense bailed him out and he played smart the rest of the way.

It’s obvious that this year’s offense will continue to rely on a power running game, but I am disappointed by the lack of throws to Jordan Reed, and even short routes to the WRs.  Unless this part of the attack improves, there will be some tough games ahead against some offenses that have the talent to score enough points to beat Florida.

Now it’s on the road to Nashville to play Vanderbilt, who is coming off of a nice road win at Missouri.  This has “trap game” written all over it, as the team will hear all the accolades all week from the fans and media.  The coaching staff, along with the handful of upperclass leaders, have to ground the team and keep them focused on this game.  This team has done nothing impressive since 2009, and they will lose a lot of the positive momentum built so far this year if they lay an egg.

James Franklin continues to do good work as Vandy’s head coach, and their defense is considerably improved.  Until the Gator offense shows up in the first half, it’s possible this could be another second-half grind.  Of course, it would be nice to see the team come out loose and take it to the Commodores early, allowing a lot of backups to get some snaps in the second half and staying healthy for 2 huge games to come.

Until I see the offense open up and get an early lead, though, I have to expect a closer-than-wanted game into the second half.

Prediction:  Florida 31    Vanderbilt 16

It’s time for Florida to re-emerge on the national scene, or fade away under the pressure of a tough October that contains 3 games out of 4 against Top 10 teams, starting with the LSU Tigers.

LSU is in a funk right now, struggling to beat a middling Auburn team, and simply not putting weaker teams away early.  I honestly believe they have been sleepwalking a bit, waiting for a real team to show up on their schedule to get their full attention……and the Gators will get it.

The Tiger offense still centers around a powerful running game, with a rotation of solid, big backs, led by Spencer Ware, Kenny Hilliard, and Alfred Blue, and an experienced O-Line.  Their running game still looks formidable, even when teams have been stacked up to stop it and daring their new QB, Zach Mettenberger, to beat them.  He has not lived up to his billing so far, but Florida has had a history of making struggling QBs look like stars – that cannot happen this week.  The Tigers have playmakers at WR with Odell Beckham and Russell Shepard, and an excellent TE in Chase Clement.  I get the feeling that LSU may go for some early deep throws to try and surprise the Gator defense and get an early lead, before settling into their comfort zone and running the ball.

The Gator defense has a huge challenge ahead.  The run defense has not been terribly impressive yet, and LSU will not panic and abandon the run, even if behind by a score into the 4th quarter.  The front seven needs to prevent the long, time-consuming drives that will wear them down going into the second half.  It’s all hands on deck in trying to stop the Tigers and give a still-learning Florida offense enough chances to win the game.  Coach Quinn has been rotating his DL to keep them fresh for the second half, and I expect the same.  The DT rotation of Omar Hunter, Sharrif Floyd, and Tre Orr have to hold the point of attack.  Unfortunately, 2 of the DEs in the rotation are true freshmen, and Jonathan Bullard and Dante Fowler will have a rough go of it Saturday.  Dominique Easley returns, but he needs help.  I am not confident at all that they can hold up for an extended period.  The LB corps will have to tackle better than they have in 2 years.  It’s time for Jon Bostic to play a disciplined game and get himself into the correct gaps to make plays, while Michael Taylor, Tank Morrison, and the rest of the unit to make a stand.  The secondary will be asked to play a lot of man defense, especially if the safeties are needed to slow down the Tiger running attack.  I think there is enough ability between Marcus Roberson and Jaylen Watkins to hold their own against the LSU WRs, so Matt Elam can be used in a variety of ways to try and make some big plays at safety.

I’m sure Brent Pease has a ton of special plays he can call this week on offense to try and trick LSU……but in a way, I hope he keeps it simple so the Gators play “fast” and aren’t trying to think their way through too much new stuff to be effective.  Jeff Driskel has improved each week, and is getting a lot of press, but let’s be honest – he has a long way to go to prove he is elite, and can still improve quite a bit in his throwing.  He missed at least 2 TDs against Kentucky, and was late and high often in the first half.  I’m sure the staff is making him aware of this, while coaching him up for an extremely tough run coming up.

Coach Muschamp has preached a strong running game all season, but will he be stubborn if the running game gets stuffed early, which is entirely possible?  The O-Line hasn’t faced anything close to the caliber of the Tiger D-Line, and there is no proven RB behind Mike Gillislee.  It may take a reversal of tendencies – throwing more on first down, working the WRs in open spots (even if they are short throws), and springing some new formations to get the ball to Jordan Reed and Trey Burton where they can make a few big plays.

The LSU defense is one of the nation’s elite, and could make it a long afternoon for a Gator offense that still doesn’t know how good it is, or has proven itself against a defense of this caliber.  Sam Montgomery, Anthony Johnson, and Barkevious Mingo lead a terrific D-Line.  The secondary, despite the loss of Tyrann Mathieu, is a solid unit that makes plays.  Eric Reid and Craig Loston are one of the best safety duos in the country, but their CBs are inexperienced, and along with the LBs, can be exploited……if the Gator O-Line can protect Driskel and open some holes for the running game……a tough task.

Even with the perceived struggles of the LSU offense recently, I think they are going to be ready to perform well at the Swamp this Saturday.  Florida seems to be mentally and physically tougher than either of the 2010 or 2011 teams, and has the embarrassment of last year’s beatdown in Death Valley as motivation.  In the end, I see the experience of a solid running game and a seasoned defense for the Tigers being the difference in what could be a real classic.

Prediction  – LSU 23    Florida 17

Lipstick on a Pig (or Mildcat)

That was one of the worst efforts I’ve seen at the Swamp from an SEC opponent, as Kentucky rolled over early and handed Florida a sloppy shutout win.

Yeah, their starting QB was out, but they knew that all week during practice, and that was the best they could offer on offense?  Pathetic.  Morgan Newton was basically told not to pass after his 3rd pick in the first half, before they finally surrendered and brought in a true freshman to play the 4th quarter.

Florida’s defense didn’t have to do anything but play simple schemes and wait for turnovers.  However, the run defense still remains a serious concern.  Texas A&M had a big day through 3 quarters until their freshman QB was asked to try and come from behind.  Tennessee was having some success until they panicked in the 4th quarter, and even though the Mildcats were mostly a passing team on film, allowing so many yards on draws and to the edges is simply not good enough.  Coach Muschamp said as much at halftime, and it’s time to put up or shut up in October, starting with LSU.

There’s a lot of praise going around for Jeff Driskel right now, and most of it is warranted.  But if you look a little closer at the first half again, he missed a LOT of open receivers due to bad timing (very late delivering the ball), and winding up and throwing high, costing the Gators 2 potential touchdowns.  The fans need to patient as he has his ups and downs in October as the competition becomes legitimate, because he’s going to have some struggles.

The best thing about this game was that no serious injuries were incurred.  Trey Burton could sit out due to back spasms, Dominique Easley could rest his knee, and Mike Gillislee could play sparingly so he didn’t re-aggravate his groin injury.  Lots of guys saw some action just in case they are needed later in the season, and many starters could get rotated out as the game got out of hand.

Time to buckle the chinstraps, because it’s time for big-boy football in October.  I’ll be back next week with a preview of the LSU game.

Go Gators!