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!

Still on Top at Rocky Top

All that talk…….all that excitement……all those toothless fans……and still another beatdown administered by Florida to Tennessee.

The Vols certainly made it easy for the Gator coaching staff to motivate the players, trash-talking all week about everything they were going to do to the Gators, and there was even a debate as to whether to rush the field.  Maybe one of their fans could have helped catch Trey Burton or Frankie Hammond as they scorched the field for the tying score and the backbreaker.  Stupid is as stupid does, as another case of Volsheimers is documented for the record.

It looks like Jeff Driskel is learning with every game, and that is an encouraging sign going forward.  He kept his cool in the pocket, ran only when necessary (but with great effect), but is starting to learn that using his mobility can help in the passing game as well.  After a sluggish start, the O-Line started to wear down the Tennessee front seven, and the big plays came in bunches in the second half.  Still some missed assignments and some really dumb penalties (Xavier Nixon), but this group is starting to gel, and it’s fun to watch.  Still, a lot of improvement is needed as the tough competition is coming up in October.

Mike Gillislee continues to show toughness by playing through a groin injury, but is still producing at a high level, and leads the SEC in rushing.  The matchup problems caused by Jordan Reed and Trey Burton are being exploited by Brent Pease, who is showing Florida fans what a real OC does, after the disasters known as the Dazzler and the Cheeseburger.  Now we are seeing glimpses of what the WR corps can start to contribute, with Hammond and Dunbar beginning to get some looks.  The production at the WR position is still the weakness of the offense, and must improve as better defenses to come will really squeeze the box and force Driskel to make plays downfield.  Can Coach Pease find a way to unleash the athletic ability of Andre Debose, who is starting to appear on milk cartons as the missing WR?

Another slow start for the Gator defense, as they allowed that punk Tyler Bray to make some big plays down the field throughout the first half, and this group is still giving up way too many 3rd-and-long conversions.  A new threat was unveiled, as Lerentee McCray was in beast mode all night – he may very well be showing up on NFL draft boards now, and not in the late rounds.  It was a solid if unspectacular performance by the rest of the D-Line rotation, as they started to get hits on Bray in the second half and apply enough pressure to make him inaccurate.

The performance by the LB corps was OK, as they tackled well in space and did a decent job of pass coverage on the short throws.  Still, too many unfilled holes against the run, and this has to improve.  Jon Bostic was flying from sideline to sideline making plays, and Tank Morrison continues to show signs he can be an future all-SEC level player.  The rest of the group needs to contribute more big plays, though.

The secondary had it’s struggles, but you have to give credit to the QB, WRs and TE they were facing – possibly the best they will face in the SEC all season.  To their credit the CBs played physical and did not back down even after giving up some big plays.  Marcus Roberson and Jaylen Watkins had their hands full, but battled.  Louchiez Purifoy is still learning, and gets beat too often. Matt Elam, Pop Saunders, and Josh Evans were in position most of the game at safety, not allowing the home run that could have turned momentum strictly Tennessee’s way.

Finally, the special teams were exactly that – another great game from Kyle Christy, Caleb Sturgis is the best PK in the SEC, and the coverage teams were excellent.  The only problem is the continued timidity of the punt returners.  Too many times they have allowed short kicks to roll for an additional 10-20 yards, giving a still-growing offense that much harder a task.  Maybe Will Muschamp is still gun shy after the disaster that was 2011, but he has a lot of gifted runners available to make things happen.

Next up is Kentucky, as Florida seeks it’s 26th straight victory against them.  The Mildcats are coming off an embarrassing home loss to Western Kentucky, and can’t be a good frame of mind heading to the Swamp.

The offense has to remain focused on solid execution……they are simply not good enough yet to look past an SEC opponent.  It’s time for some backups to contribute this week at RB and WR.  Perhaps Jacoby Brissett can get some snaps at QB if things go well through 3 quarters.  The defense should be too much for Kentucky’s offense to have consistent success against.  Jumping on the Mildcats from the start and getting them in an early hole would be the best scenario.  I need to see continued development from the backups at LB and DB.

I hope that many key players can get some rest this week.  In a perfect world, Gillislee and Dominique Easley would not play at all, but maybe the staff wants them to get enough snaps to stay sharp.  This could be a great opportunity to develop some more depth before the bigger games come along.

It will be interesting to see how the Florida players react to the early success so far.  Will they stay focused on the current opponent, or have another sloppy performance at home, looking ahead to October?  That’s the challenge facing the Gator coaching staff – it would be nice to see some maturity in preparations this week by the players, and a professional effort on Saturday.  However, there are still many young and/or inexperienced players at many critical positions, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see a middling affort……but I’d like to be pleasantly surprised.

Prediction:  Florida 34    Kentucky 13

A Tale of Two Halves

There were a lot of Gator fans out on the ledge after the 1st half ended in Aggieland.  A shockingly poor defensive effort against a freshman QB playing his first game had many shaking their heads in disbelief, and perhaps the entire season was hanging in the balance.  However, cooler heads prevailed, with the coaching staff finally getting through to the defenders to play their assignments and how they had been coached, and suddenly the hammer fell on Texas A&M to the tune of 65 yards and zero points in the 2nd half.

College Station is one of the unique places in college football, with all the Aggie traditions on display – the yell leaders, the corps of cadets and cadet band, and a fan base that’s one of the most loyal in the country.  Florida was able to overcome all of that and a poor first half, as the offense(!) actually held things together and put together two solid drives in the second half to get a much-needed win.

A lot of the discussion and analysis will be centered on the 8 sacks allowed, but only a few of those were poor protection – Jeff Driskel will learn to throw the ball away and start to check down to his secondary receivers as he gains experience.  Despite these bad plays, he exhibited a strong arm, some nice touch, and made some clutch plays with his legs.

Mike Gillislee played tough despite a strained groin, scoring twice and getting some tough yards in the red zone that simply weren’t seen the past 2 years at RB.  Jordan Reed is a big factor at TE, and the WRs started to make some plays downfield just often enough to keep some drives going.  The O-Line is still suffering from some blown protections, and losing Chaz Green at RT for most of the second half hurt.  But the unit stuck together and made the difference in the last 20 minutes.

This was a huge confidence-builder for the team, and gives them momentum heading into another important road game at Tennessee.

Volsheimers is in full effect again, as the Tennessee players are all talking a big game and saying “it’s their time”.  Tyler Bray says he’s ready to pick apart the Gator defense, and their defenders for some reason are bragging on themselves……I guess that comes from the confidence gained from beating two cupcakes so far this year, and after such a fine performance in the SEC the past 2 seasons.  The Vols still have no real running game, their O-Line is still suspect, and almost their entire defense is untested or inexperienced.  I’m sure the Gator coaching staff won’t have to do too much motivating on their own – they’ll let the Volunteers do that job for them.

There were a lot of injuries suffered against Texas A&M – the worst being the broken thumb for LB Jelani Jenkins (out 2-4 weeks) and the broken bone in the foot of CB Cody Riggs (out 4-6 weeks).  Tank Morrison and Jaylen Watkins, respectively, get their turn at bat, in Will Muschamp’s “man down, man up” philosophy.  Tennessee’s passing attack is very different from what Florida has faced so far, and it’s time for the D-Line and LBs to make some big plays and punch Bray in the mouth a few times.  The Vol WRs are a good unit, and they will make some plays, though.

One of the best ways to keep Tennessee’s passing game off the field is simple – control the clock on offense with a solid running game and timely completions by Driskel.  If Gillislee is hobbled or unable to play, Coach Pease will have to find a way to get some production out of Brown, Jones, and Hines.  It may not be pretty, but I expect a large dose of running plays, even if they aren’t getting any big gains.  I still think the passing game will be mostly of the short, safe throw variety to get to manageable down and distance on 2nd and 3rd down……but I believe it’s time to see the deep ball, and Andre Debose or someone else to get their chance to make a big play.  The Gator O-Line should be able to more than hold it’s own against the Vol front seven.

It’s all hands on deck for a second consecutive SEC opponent on the road trying to make a statement.  It’s going to be a tough haul, as the 2012 Gators still are searching for a complete identity, but the confidence gained from last week should be a huge boost.  I expect Tennessee to come out with guns blazing, and wouldn’t be surprised to see Florida down in the first half again…….but with the experience now to come back……and the experience of whipping the Volunteers 7 straight times.

Prediction – Florida 27    Tennessee 23