UF needs to find answers on offense
GAINESVILLE — It’s amazing how a one-point loss can offset a threegame winning streak so instantaneously, but it has indeed been a rough week for Florida fans in the aftermath of that tough defeat to LSU last Saturday.
There is frustration, criticism and negativity. Hope is waning for the offense, while doubt is mounting for the coaching staff brought in to fix it.
And yet, as coach Jim McElwain might say, the Gators still control their own destiny in the SEC East.
Sure, it’s hard to picture the Florida team that mustered just 302 total offensive yards against a reeling LSU team rising up to knock
off division leader Georgia in a couple of weeks, but one game at a time.
First, the Gators (3-2, 3-1 SEC) host Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1) in an important game this Saturday in The Swamp.
Here are their five keys to success this week against the Aggies:
No excuses on offense: Florida finished with just 108 passing yards against the Tigers for the lowest total in McElwain’s three seasons, while redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks attempted only one true downfield pass (a long incompletion).
On Monday, McElwain suggested the Gators had some downfield play calls they weren’t able to execute in that game. It was the same explanation in the season-opening loss to Michigan: that Florida struggled because it didn’t get the ball to its “get-it-to” guys.
Enough with the excuses. Find a way.
Teams around the country with far less talented offensive personnel still manage to create opportunities in the passing game. Yes, top wideout Tyrie Cleveland was out and might be out again this week because of his high-ankle sprain, but Josh Hammond and Freddie Swain were fourstar recruits. Brandon Powell is a veteran with big games on his résumé. Freshman Daquon Green is another four-star talent waiting for an opportunity. Dre Massey has had two preseasons worth of hype.
Texas A&M ranks 107th nationally against the pass, giving up an average of 263.5 yards per game through the air, and that stat would be even worse if not for the Alabama game in which the Crimson Tide passed for only 123 yards while riding their rushing attack for 232 yards on the ground.
If Franks and the Gators can’t find life in the passing game this week, optimism will be hard to sell moving forward.
Feed Malik Davis: Freshman Malik Davis had just six carries in the first half against LSU, turning one of those into a 25-yard gain.
He’d go on to finish the game with 90 yards on 14 touches, averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. For the season he’s averaging 7.2 yards per carry and ranks fourth in rushing in SEC play.
He’s now rushed for at least 90 yards in four consecutive games and leads the team with 409 yards overall. It’s not a fluke.
There’s no reason not to get him going at the start of the game and let him find his rhythm much earlier.
Mitigate Kellen Mond: Speaking of impressive freshmen ...
A week after getting consistently beat on jet sweeps by LSU receivers exploiting the edge, Florida now must deal with a dual-threat quarterback putting up big numbers through the air and on the ground.
First-year freshman Kellen Mond was rated the No. 3 dual-threat QB in the Class of 2017, according to the 247Sports composite, and he’s living up to that lofty billing.
He’s passed for 1,045 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 266 yards and two scores.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound playmaker is one of the most exciting freshmen in the country, and containing him is the key for Florida’s defense Saturday.
Statement game for D: It’s time for this young Florida defense to really make a statement.
Texas A&M is the best offense Florida has faced this season, and given their own scoring limitations, a shootout would not be conducive to success for the Gators.
The Aggies average 34.3 points per game and have scored at least 44 points in three of their first six games.
It’s not just Mond. Running backs Trayveon Williams (422 yards, 5.2 yards per carry, five TDs) and Keith Ford (321, 4.7, seven TDs) are both capable of swinging games. Williams rushed for 203 yards against UCLA, while Ford has two 100-yard games (114 vs. UCLA and 102 vs. Arkansas).
And Christian Kirk (27 catches for 316 yards and 5 TDs) is one of the most experienced and established receivers in the SEC.
It sounds like senior safety Nick Washington (right shoulder) is out for Florida, while the status of sophomore safety Chauncey Gardner Jr. (ankle) is also in question. That could mean even more youth in the secondary with freshmen Shawn Davis, Brad Stewart and Donovan Stiner, redshirt freshman Quincy Lenton and sophomore Jeawon Taylor among the options there. Meanwhile, the Gators are already relying heavily on freshmen cornerbacks Marco Wilson and C.J. Henderson.
Florida needs those young DBs, and the defense in general, to rise to the challenge Saturday.
Audition Dre Massey: Freshman playmaker Kadarius Toney, the “Human Joystick,” as McElwain has called him, is also on the injury list this week.
It’s not clear if his status is truly in doubt, but that’s a concern nonetheless as Toney has been among the Gators’ most exciting players, between his wildcat reps and his ability to turn short screens into highlight-reel gains.
McElwain said if Toney can’t go, Dre Massey might fill that wildcat role. Like Toney, he is a former high school quarterback who converted to receiver.
If Toney is out, there’s no reason not to see what Massey can do in some of those same packages and plays. And even if Toney is healthy, it would be worth giving Massey a few more opportunities on the outside.
Just a thought.