RB Taylor takes run at boosting sad offense
GAINESVILLE — When the Florida Gators new starting tailback Kelvin Taylor sees an opening, he is hard to stop.
Using the quickness, vision and determination that helped him break Emmitt Smith’s Florida high-school rushing record, Taylor seized his window of opportunity during consecutive losses by the Gators.
The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Taylor cameoff the bench at LSU and Missouri to rush for 126 yards — nearly a third of Florida’s offensive output (391) — and score the team’s only offensive touchdown, a 20-yard scamper at Mizzou.
Taylor’s emergence amid the Gators’ offensive futility earned the first-year freshman his first career start, which will come this weekend against rival Georgia.
“He’s continued to improve throughout the season week to week,” coach Will Muschamp said Monday. “He’s always been a very instinctive, natural runner. It’s very obvious.
“I think he’s done a nice
job and deserves the opportunity.”
The Gators (4- 3, 3-2 SEC) are desperate to find an offensive spark during the final month of the regular season beginning Saturday in Jacksonville against Georgia’s suspect defense.
The Bulldogs rank ninth of 14 SEC team in total defense (389.9 yards allowed per game) and last in scoring defense (33.3 points allowed per game). Meanwhile, the Gators are12th in the SEC in scoring offense (21.1 ppg) and last in total offense (336.9 ypg).
Florida’s struggles have been most pronounced on the offensive line, a key area of focus last week during the team’s bye.
Muschamp said junior college transfer Trenton Brown worked at right tackle with starter Tyler Moore, while left guard Max Garcia shared snaps at left tackle with starter D.J. Humphries.
In addition to finding the right combination of players, coaches looked to simplify communication after allowing 10 sacks against LSU and Missouri, which dropped UF quarterback Tyler Murphy six times.
“I told our offensive staff, to me, it all comes back to execution,” Muschamp said. “’Let’s go execute what we’re trying to do.’ [There were] too many situations where we’re not on the same page against Missouri.”
Despite the offensive line problems, Taylor averaged 5.7 yards per carry the past two games, compared with 3.3 yards per carry for redshirt j unior Mack Brown. Brown started at Mizzou after he replaced injured starter Matt Jones in the lineup at LSU.
Taylor’s teammates are eager to see how the son of former Gators great Fred Taylor responds to a heavier workload.
“He just runs extremely hard,” junior fullback Hunter Joyer said. “He has great vision and has the quickness and the vision to get into the smallest hole.”
Kelvin Taylor’s natural ability has been evident since he was an eighthgrader at Belle Glade Glades Day.
Taylor, who finished his high-school career with 12,121 yards and a 191 touchdowns, needed to prove to Florida coaches he could do more than run. He carried the ball just one time in a four-game stretch, but according to coaches has steadily improved his ball security, pass protection and overall mental approach to the game.
“He looks a little more focused than he did early in the year,” Joyer said. “He understands that we’re kinda relying on him now and he has to grow up and produce for us.”
Murphy has been limited by a sprained right shoulder since the LSU gameand did not throw last week.
While he will resume throwing this week, a strong run game would let Murphy pick his spots and potentially absorb less punishment. It also would limit opportunities for Georgia’s high- powered offense, which averages 36 points and 475 yards per contest.
Much of the burden this week could fall on Taylor.
“He’s shown that he can do a lot of good things with the ball in his hands,” Murphy said of Taylor. “The coaches and myself have to find ways to get him the ball so he can create big plays for us. He’s a very talented, very elusive player. Looking forward to seeing him this week and what role he’ll have.” both Georgia and the hometown Hurricanes. Hewould have liked to stay home and play at Miami, but they Hurricanes did not offer him a scholarship until late in the recruiting process.
“They said that had too many running backs,” said Freeman, who ran for 70 yards on10 carries with two touchdowns during the second half of FSU’s win at Miami last year after starter Chris Thompson was injured. “By the time they wanted me, I was already heading out here, I was coming to Florida State. Nobody could change that.
“Knowing the situation that happened with my recruiting and stuff like that, it’s always going to be that edge about it. It’s Miami.”