McElwain decides to go with UF spring game,
GAINESVILLE — New UF coach Jim McElwain is going to do his best to give Gators fans a spring game Saturday in the Swamp.
It will not be easy, given the glaring lack of depth on the offensive line.
McElwain said Thursday coaches will split up the roster into two squads that will square off during four 12-minute quarters. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., with the event to be streamed live on the SEC digital network.
The game will have a running clock, with the exception of the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters. An untimed overtime period also is planned, regardless of the final score.
McElwain originally planned to stage a scrimmage between the offense and defense. The newly planned format for the Orange and Blue Debut will allow, among other things, for coaches to put starting quarterback candidates Will Grier and Treon Harris on opposite teams.
“We’re still kind of piece-mealing those groups together right now,” McElwain said. “Yet I think we’ll be able to go, we’ll have a good competitive game as much as we can.”
Expect the Gators’ defenders to have the edge due to the defense’s depth of talent and familiarity with the scheme.
UF will play a defensive style similar to that of former coach Will Muschamp, who fielded units ranked among the top 15 nationally during each of his four seasons at UF.
“We’ve got a good defense,” McElwain said. “There’s good players over there. Those guys are playing their tails off. That’s a good unit.”
However, UF’s defense still has questions.
The Gators’ top two linebackers, Antonio Morrison and Jarrad Davis, continue to recover from major knee injuries. In addition, UF’s top pass rusher, Dante Fowler Jr., left early for the NFL draft.
But the list of concerns on offense is much more daunting for McElwain and his staff.
The loss of offensive tackle Rod Johnson to injury during last Friday’s scrimmage leaves UF with just six scholarship linemen, and none of them have started a college game.
“We’re hanging on from the Oline standpoint, believe me,” McElwain said.
The Gators ultimately could have to rely on some of the six incoming offensive linemen beyond Apopka’s Martez Ivey, the nation’s top-rated tackle in the 2015 class.
“As I’ve explained to them, it’s not like you’re going to stand in line at Disney World, you’re in the Fast Pass line,” McElwain said. “You’re on the ride right now. It’s going to be a huge summer for them, and really summer for the guys teaching them because the coaches obviously can’t be there. Those older guys need to do a great job of leadership to get those guys up to speed.
“We’ve got to get them schooled up and ready to roll.”
Meanwhile, Grier, Harris and the passing game face a long road, too
McElwain said UF suffered three interceptions during Thursday’s practice and has not made the progress throwing the ball he had hoped.
“It’s just OK, to be honest,” he said. “We’ve got a long ways to go.”
McElwain said receiver Chris Thompson has been “excused” from the team as he deals with a sworn complaint filed against him for misdemeanor simple battery.
The incident occurred April 1 when Thompson attempted to “physically retrieve” a cell phone from an ex-girlfriend, according to a Gainesville Police Department report.
The report stated Thompson received a text message from another female, leading his ex-girlfriend to grab the phone and question him.
McElwain said defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick is out for personal reasons.
The redshirt sophomore was suspended for last season’s opener against Idaho, returning to record three tackles in five games in 2014.
Bostwick’s future is unclear. But McElwain said he expects some players to transfer during the offseason.
“I’m sure there might be,” he said. “That’s a personal choice. We’d sure like to have them all here.”.