The Gator Nation breathed a sigh of relief, as Florida came alive on offense in the 2nd half and put USF back in their place.

Improvement was the focus the entire week of practice, and it showed, especially in the play of the OL.  The botched shotgun snaps were corrected, the running game came alive, and even the pass protection tightened up.  Of course, it helped that Carl Johnson and Xavier Nixon returned to the starting lineup……they were sorely missed.  Jeff Demps again showed why he is one of the most dangerous players in the country with another long TD run and big kickoff return.  Mike Gillislee ran hard between the tackles, and the OL imposed its will on the Bulls in the 2nd half.

The passing game is still a work in progress.  Brantley looked more comfortable this week in the pocket, and made some nice plays on some checkdown routes.  He still seems to favor throwing to Thompson, though, and more WRs need to get involved.  Moore did make some tough 3rd down catches, but some young guys like Debose and Clark need to start making plays.  Jordan Reed showed in limited snaps why he can be a big help to the passing game at TE, getting open for the last TD of the day.  The RBs are available in the flats, and Brantley needs to take advantage of this more often.

Once again, the defense carried the day until the offense started to find a rhythm.  They generated another 5 turnovers, the biggest of which prevented USF from taking the lead in the 3rd quarter and re-taking momentum.  The run defense did get gashed somewhat due to the ball-handling and elusiveness of BJ Daniels, but that can get corrected, as the Gators will not face another QB with that mobility until LSU.  The one disappointing unit was the LBs, as they did a poor job of overrunning holes and not shedding blocks better.  The young guys – Bostic, and Jenkins – both areas need to improve markedly, and soon. 

Janoris Jenkins is playing at an A-A level so far.  His coverage and technique is excellent, and he is a tough tackler.  He may have inherited the PR duties as well for the time being, given the poor performance of Rainey, to go with his off-the-field troubles.  Ahmad Black is not far behind.  Once again, he was always in perfect position to make plays, and is the surest tackler on the team.  Even some of the young CBs like Jaylen Watkins and Cody Riggs made some decent plays in coverage.

Special Teams is a little ragged right now.  Caleb Sturgis fought through a sore back, but he has to make FGs from inside 40 yards, and has to stop kicking off out of bounds, giving the opponent the ball at the 40-yard line.  The initial kickoff coverage is good, but the gunners are overrunning their lanes inside the 20, letting returners get extra yards that should be closed off.  They need to slow up a little and break down in position more soundly.  Another solid week for Chas Henry, both from deep in his own territory and putting the ball inside the 20.

Time to travel up to Rocky Top to face a Tennessee team nearly in crisis mode.  They hung around for one half against Oregon last week, but their lack of depth and speed were exposed as they were run off the field after halftime.  It’s difficult to see where they can generate any consistent offense from right now.  While they still have 2 decent RBs in Moore and Oku, the OL is mediocre, with no depth.  Simms has little experience at QB, and looks uncomfortable under any pressure at all.  Luke Stocker at TE is probably the most consistent player the Vols have on offense.  WRs Da’Rick Rogers and Gerald Jones have some talent, but have shown no consistency yet.   Combined with the QB situation, that’s practically a no-win scenario against a quality SEC defense.

The same story applies to the Volunteer defense.  Decent first team, but no quality depth.  They have some playmakers with DL Montori Hughes and with Myles, Janzen, and Teague in the secondary.  They wore down noticeably last week, and I expect the Gators to keep pounding away at them, even if the game is close entering the 2nd half.

More in-season turmoil, with Chris Rainey suspended indefinitely for utter stupidity.  This puts Omarius Hines in the slot, and gives Debose and Clark a chance to make an impression on the coaching staff.  Hines will improve the edge blocking, and is a dangerous mid-range target that could help the passing game.

Derek Dooley will surely throw everything he can at Florida to try and steal a win, but I have to believe the Gator defense has too much ability and leadership to struggle an entire game.  The unknown factor is how will Brantley and the young receiving corps perform on the road against a loud SEC crowd.  I really do not believe the passing game is ready to win a game by itself if needed yet, but they certainly can take advantage of particular matchups and make some big plays to keep things on schedule for the offense.  Thompson and Moore can really show some leadership this week with solid games.  I like the development of the draw play and misdirection calls in the running game, and the combination of Demps, Gillislee, and Moody needs to control the flow of the game.

Prediction – Florida 27      Tennessee 14

Is it too early to scale back expectations?

Wow – that was the most brutal offense in the Meyer era.  Mike Pouncey was shockingly poor at snapping the ball in the shotgun, the OL blocking was mediocre, no mid-range passing game.  Steve Addazio apparently needs a lot of help from the rest of the offensive staff in devising a game plan, or else Coach Meyer needs to make an executive decision and relieve him of OC duties, as there is no ‘coordination’ of the offense at all.

The OL should improve with Carl Johnson coming back this week at LG, but Xavier Nixon is a huge missing piece right now at LT, and the absence for a few more weeks of Matt Patchan is killing the OT rotation.  The RBs were hard to evaluate, as the OL blocking was so poor.  Jeff Demps showed again how dangerous he can be on any play, and Mike Gillislee, in my opinion, has passed Emmanuel Moody on the depth chart.  The running game has to markedly improve beginning this week.

The passing game was pathetic, mostly due again to the poor snaps and general poor OL play.  I’m glad John Brantley didn’t get injured covering all of those fumbles.  When there was time to read the defense, there were glimpses of solid WR play.  The drop by Deonte Thompson of a potential long TD pass continued his inconsistent pass-catching, but he does get open.  He has to make big plays when given the opportunity.  Omarius Hines is a great player, and has to be utilized more as the competition toughens.  Chris Rainey made no plays in space (what little there was).  Carl Moore was a non-factor.  Also disappointing was the lack of any depth in the rotation.  Will Andre Debose get a chance to contribute?  When will Frankie Hammond be allowed to play?  Right now, there is no contribution from the TE position.  Hopefully Jordan Reed gets healthy soon and gives Brantley another outlet.  Trey Burton looks to be a jack-of-all-trades this season as a receiver and in the shotgun in red zone situations.

Man, if the O stinks it up this week, look out. And the Gators find a way to lose? Wow.

Like it or not, if that happens, someone is gonna take the bullet, and we know ultimately who it has to be.  I’m going to try and remain hopeful for this week’s performance, but hope does not = confidence.  If this doesn’t improve significantly by the end of September, there is NO WAY you can defend Coach A as OC anymore. 

The defense looked good for a first game.  Lots of speed at all positions, some turnovers, and most of the depth chart got some snaps.  The best development was allowing no touchdowns, even when put into extremely bad positions by the offense. 

The DL rotation is the deepest it’s been since Coach Meyer arrived.  Jaye Howard was disruptive at DT, and Omar Hunter occupied blockers and space, as he should.  Sharrif Floyd made a few good plays as well.  The DEs did not apply much pressure, and this will be a concern all season unless some young guys make an impact.  Justin Trattou is solid, but Duke Lemmens is simply not an SEC-caliber DE.  Look for some combination of Ronald Powell, William Green, and perhaps Dominique Easley to see a lot more snaps as the season progresses.

The LBs are fast and can hit.  There were some fundamental mistakes made in pass coverage by the young guys like Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins, but that will be corrected in time.  The secondary was terrific, with Janoris Jenkins and Ahmad Black always in position and also being sound tacklers.  Both of those guys should have all-SEC seasons if they stay healthy.  Josh Evans did a good job filing in for the suspended Will Hill.  The turnovers generated by the defense were not only a promising sign – they were the main reason for the win.  Coach Austin was able to play most of the depth chart, always a good thing with so many new faces to work in.

Janoris Jenkins is definitely a top cover corner who also can hit, Ahmad Black is always in position to make a play, Jaye Howard looks like the real deal at DT, and the young LBs can get to the ball.  Of course, some maturation needs to happen, as there were some mental lapses on the one long drive they allowed at the end of the first half, but that will get corrected with more game experience.

South Florida is talking a big game coming into the Swamp this week.  They obviously feel that the win last season at Florida $tate compares to what they will experience Saturday.  I was of the opinion there was no comparison until the horrid play of the Gator offense last week……looking frighteningly like previous F$U offenses.  Since most of the Bulls’ players are native Floridians, they have extra motivation to prove something this week, and will make some plays.

On offense, BJ Daniels is a mobile QB, and will probably make some plays with his legs.  However, if the Gators apply any pressure on him, he will turn the ball over occasionally.  USF does have a solid rotation at RB and at WR.  The Bulls usually have difficulty sustaining long drives, though, relying on big plays to score.

USF was gutted on defense by the NFL the past 2 seasons, and have a lot of new starters.  With the new coaching regime, there may not be much to gain from looking at last year’s tape.  Having so many in-state players means a fast, aggressive team, though.

It’s easy to say that “if the offense plays that way again, the Gators could lose to USF”.  Can the offense play that badly again?  It was criminal to see so much talent being wasted out there, and I can only hope Coach Meyer does right by the players and improves the coaching and their chances.  I don’t believe that there is a magic cure that will fix everything in just one week.  I need to see proof on the field of improvement across the board.  Getting a few more starters back on the OL will help, and the embarrassment of last week’s performance is a strong motivator.  I would hope that the OL can lean on the undersized USF DL and wear them down.  I fully expect the Bulls to line up guys right over Pouncey to see if the snap problems continue, and a lot of blitzing until the OL proves it can hold up in pass protection

Until the offense proves itself, the Gator defense will need to carry the day.  The quality defensive depth on the roster will be a big advantage in the heat and humidity.  Generating some turnovers again would make things easier all around this week.

Florida 31      S. Florida 17

Offense

It’s the start of a new era, beginning with QB Johnny Brantley IV replacing iconic Tim Tebow, and with other stalwarts like Aaron Hernandez, Riley Cooper, and Maurkice Pouncey gone to the NFL.  Florida is fortunate to have such a talented guy ready to step in, and there are still a ton of playmakers on the roster to fill the void.  Freshman Trey Burton is the first backup, and the offense looks much more like the spread with Tebow when he plays.  He has great running ability, but is suspect right now in the passing game, and has zero college experience except for spring and fall practice. 

It will be the challenge for Coach Addazio to mold the scheme around a different skill set.  He has the luxury of a stable of experienced and dangerous RBs with Jeff Demps, Emmanuel Moody, and the possible dark horse in Mike Gillislee.  Mack Brown comes in with lots of hype, but it will be very difficult to crack that rotation.  This group has big-play ability, but who will develop as the trusted short-yardage back?  I’m leaning towards Gillislee becoming that player.

No worries at RB, but there is a serious lack of experience at WR after Deonte Thompson, who must not only be the leader, but step up and make the big plays everyone expects this season.  The passing game will be much more diverse, with short routes to the RBs helping ease the load on the WRs.  The staff expects to move Omariius Hines around a lot, even flexing him out from the TE position.  A possible key for the entire unit will be the development of Andre Debose, coming back after a lost season due to injury.  If he approaches the playmaking ability that he came to Florida with, then so much more opens up for the offense.  There is a lot of buzz surrounding Chris Rainey’s move to the slot, and if he grasps route-running, his ability to make huge plays in space could be a defensive coordinator’s nightmare all season.  Frankie Hammond has to work his way back up the depth chart after his off-season troubles, but had an inside track to start previous to that.  Chris Dunkley and Quinton Dunbar are two freshmen who will vie for a spot in the rotation as well.  An interesting twist will be the use of Jordan Reed at TE.  I expect to see a handful of direct snaps to him, and he has flashed enough passing ability as a former backup QB to keep defenses honest on run/pass options.

The number one mission for the OL?  Keep Brantley ambulatory, and let him pick defenses apart.  The OL starts off a little shaky with practice injuries to Xavier Nixon and Matt Patchan at OT, necessitating early shuffling of positions.  Nixon must get back soon and establish himself as an all-SEC candidate at LT, which I believe he can be.  The line is still anchored by Mike Pouncey at C and Carl Johnson at LG, two all-SEC caliber players.  Mo Hurt, Jon Halapio, and Sam Robey provide solid depth.  The unit as a whole is very stout and one of the best in the nation when completely healthy.

Defense

The loss of Tebow gets most of the press, but the defense in fact lost even more quality players and leadership with Brandon Spikes, Ryan Stamper, Carlos Dunlap, Joe Haden, and Major Wright gone to the league.  That’s a lot to replace, and will really test the defensive staff’s development skills.  On a promising note, there is so much quality talent stocked up that, given the past player development evidenced by these coaches, the Gators should still put a solid defense on the field that is capable of getting back to Atlanta. 

The past 4 recruiting classes have stocked the roster with talent, but there could be some growing pains early in the season with so much turnover not just on the field, but with a new defensive coordinator (Teryl Austin from the Arizona Cardinals) and LB coach (DJ Durkin from Stanford).  Replacements such as S Will Hill and LBs Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins have the ability, while a host of stud freshmen DL join the fray and will see playing time early.  The DL is probably the deepest and most talented under Meyer’s watch, with Omar Hunter, Jaye Howard, Duke Lemmens, and Justin Trattou leading the way.  It will be a nice problem for Dan McCarney to decide how to rotate Lawrence Marsh, Terron Sanders, and William Green in, along with freshmen Sharrif Floyd, Dominique Easley, and Ronald Powell.  Competition breeds competition and improves the entire unit — these guys will have to carry the weight of the defense’s performance this season.

Brandon Hicks and AJ Jones lead the way for the LB corps on the outside, but this is the unit with the least depth and quality across the board.  Health may the biggest factor in their performance as the season progresses.  Bostic and Jenkins must develop early in the middle while Dee Finley is the top backup at OLB.  Lorenzo Edwards is back for one more year to back up all of the positions, but never became the force many expected him to be.  Freshmen Michael Taylor, Darrin Kitchens, and Neiron Ball will get good looks early in the season to see if any are ready to forego a redshirt year.

Coach Chuck Heater has one solid CB in Janoris Jenkins, but it’s a free-for-all at the opposite slot between Moses Jenkins. Jeremy Brown, and freshman Josh Shaw. There is a lot of young talent including Shaw, Cody Riggs, and Jaylen Watkins, but no real experience.  Not quite as thin in depth as at LB, but still shaky until a few players come to the forefront.  The safety position is stacked with Hill, Ahmad Black, an Josh Evans, with freshman Matt Elam projected for a lot of playing time immediately.  Jonathan Dowling is another freshman that may be too good to redshirt.

Special Teams

Florida is blessed with perhaps the top pair of specialists in the country with P Chas Henry and K Caleb Sturgis.  Henry doesn’t get the publicity he deserves due to his limited opportunities, but ask the rest of the SEC coaches about his leg and placement abilities.  Sturgis has proven he has the leg for long-range FGs, but has to maintain focus on shorter kicks.  He still can improve his consistency on kickoffs as well.  Coach Meyer has never been hesitant to play starters on coverage teams, but now has to replace stalwarts like Joe Haden and Wondy Pierre-Louis, along with possibly Hill and Edwards, who will be seeing much more time on defense.  We should see a lot of hyped freshmen get lots of chance early in the season to make their mark here.  Coach Durkin has been allowed the chance to take the lead in coaching this unit as Meyer has scaled back his own responsibilities, but there’s no reason to think otherwise that the Gators will again be one of the best special teams units in the SEC and nationally. 

Schedule

Miami (OH) – The Redhawks are nothing like 6 seasons ago when Ben Rothleisburger was the QB there.  This will be mostly a glorified scrimmage for the Gators, and a chance to play a lot of freshmen the second half.  WIN

South Florida – They are talking proud, but were gutted by graduation and the NFL on defense.  New coaching staff, many new players on the two-deep depth chart, and turnover-prone QB.  They will be jacked up, but this ain’t a crappy F$U team at Joke Shamble Stadium.  Florida pulls away in the 2nd and 3rd quarters to win comfortably.  WIN

@Tennessee – Wow.  The Vols are staring at a stunning lack of talent across the roster, and have lost almost any playmaker on either offense of defense due to the draft or injury.  Their only hope is the game is at home, and it being the first road game for a lot of young and/or inexperienced Gator players.  Unless there are a rash of injuries or turnovers,  Florida overpowers both lines of scrimmage.  WIN

Kentucky – Joker Phillips is talking a lot of smack about how well he’s going to coach up the Mildcats.  Yeah, right.  Unless Randall Cobb has a Percy-Harvin circa 2007-type game, there’s no way they hang for more than a half at the Swamp.  WIN

@Alabama – Too many storylines to summarize here.  Great matchup, and Bama is whistling past the graveyard if they think the losses on defense won’t hurt them.  Still, until the Gators can slow down the Crimson Tide running game, winning a tough contest on the road comes down to the defense, and the Gator front seven still untested.  LOSS

LSU – Dangerous game for Florida, no matter the result at Alabama.  LSU still has some elite talent, and their pride is hurt after 2 less-than-stellar seasons.  However, I am not a believer in Jordan Jefferson at QB, and the Swamp crowd will pull the Gators through.  WIN

Mississippi St. – Dan Mullen returns to the swamp, and his offense will be improved.  The Bulldog defense is weaker, though, and they still don’t come close to matching the talent and depth of Florida.  This one stays closer than expected due to the emotional letdown after 2 huge games, but there is still plenty of leadership from the upper-classmen to prevent a shocking loss.  WIN

Off Week – WIN (just checking to see if you’re paying attention)

Georgia (@ JAX) – Lots of unknowns about the Puppies, starting at QB.  They also lost a lot of starters in their defensive front seven.  They will be emboldened not seeing Superman on the other sideline, but the Gators are so far into their heads right now that Florida’s defense would have to collapse to lose this game.  WIN

@Vanderbilt – With Bobby Johnson gone, there is a huge loss at the top, as he was respected as a legitimate coach.  There is simply too large a chasm in talent and coaching staff ability to see anything but a solid win in Music City.  WIN

Souh Carolina – So, this is supposed to be the Pariah’s best team at Columbia, and some pundits already predict this as the SEC East championship game.  Sorry, but until Stephen Garcia becomes a SEC QB, this team is too emotionally fragile to tough out a win at the Swamp.  Actually, I hope the Gators have the opportunity to cut out Spurrier’s heart – again – and crush his hope of a division title.  WIN

Appalachian St. – This is a gutsy team that has dominated 1-AA the past 4 seasons.  Despite the loss of many of those players, the tradition they have built is impressive, and they could make some early noise against a Gator team looking ahead to F$U.  A sloppy first half turns into a big win after the 3rd quarter, then it’s time to clear the bench and get ready for F$U  WIN

@Florida St. – They’re back!  At least that’s what the “fans” of the clown school are thinking right now.  The ACC is actually so bad the Criminoles could be 9-2 or 10-1 coming into this game.  They do have good talent on offense, but that overrated sieve of an OL is no match for Florida’s front seven.  Assuming both teams are healthy coming into this game, it will actually be close.  I’m putting my money on Urban Meyer over Dumbo Fisher in the clutch, though.  WIN

SEC Championship Game (@ATL) – Despite the loss of so many great players, the recruiting prowess of Coach Meyer and his staff the past 4 seasons proves itself on the field, as Florida still finds it’s way back to Atlanta.  The opponent?  I still maintain that Alabama could lose at least 2 SEC games, which could open the door for LSU or Auburn.  I actually give Auburn’s Tigers a better chance of getting there more than LSU’s.  I just don’t believe in the Hat’s coaching abilities, and still gibe the Crimson Tide the edge over Auburn based on big-game experience.  Can Florida reverse the early season result on a neutral field?  I think so.  The past two title games have given the edge to the team with more to prove.  WIN

Heeeeeeeere come the Gators!