Florida will look to snap a 3-game losing streak to rival Florida State this Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Gators were handled last season by the Seminoles in Gainesville 27-2, but are coming off a big road win in a hostile environment over LSU.
In the second year under head coach Jim McElwain, Florida has again won the SEC East. Much like last season, the Gators don’t always play the prettiest of games, but they find a way to get the job done. Winning on Saturday would really make a statement for a Florida team that is just 1-5 against the Seminoles under FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher.
On Florida
Record: 8-2
Offensive Ranks: 102nd in yards per game (367), 81st in passing yards per game (217.3), 97th in rushing yards per game (150), 89th in points per game (25.2).
Defensive Ranks: 5th in yards per game allowed (282), 4th in passing yards per game allowed (160), 20th in rushing yards per game allowed (122.4), 3rd in points per game allowed (13).
Last Game: Florida defeated LSU 16-10 last Saturday.
On Offense
For the most part this season, Florida has had its struggles on offense. Quarterback Austin Appleby has been an upgrade over injured starter Luke Del Rio in recent weeks, but the bulk of the offense will be carried by running back Jordan Scarlett, who leads the team with 725 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Scarlett is averaging better than five yards per carry.
Antonio Callaway, a sophomore wide receiver, is Florida’s most explosive player with 545 yards receiving. Freshman Tyrie Cleveland came on last week with 124 yards on three catches, which included a 98-yard touchdown. The offensive line for Florida is young with three sophomores and one freshman. The strength is the left side with guard Martez Ivey and junior tackle David Sharpe.
On Defense
Statistically, Florida has one of the best defenses in the country. It should be noted however, that the average offense the Gators have faced this season has ranked 80th and the unit is very banged up with safety Marcus Maye and linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jarrad Davis all out.
Still, there is no shortage of talent. Defensive tackle Caleb Brantley is one of the best in the country on the interior and is coming off a monster game at LSU. Redshirt freshman Jabari Zuniga leads the team with five sacks while junior Jordan Sherit has 3.5. With Anzalone and Davis out, the linebackers will be anchored by freshman David Reese, who has 43 tackles this season, including two for loss.
The strength of the Florida defense is probably the secondary with Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson both very good at the cornerback position. The Gators will miss Maye at safety, but Duke Dawson is another outstanding player. Florida has returned three picks for touchdowns this season.
Special Teams
Special teams has been a hidden strength this season for Florida. Freshman Eddy Pineiro has alleviated Florida’s kicking woes from last season, going 16-for-20 and a perfect 3-for-3 from 50 yards and beyond. Johnny Townsend is averaging nearly 48 yards per punt as a junior with 23 punts of 50 yards or longer. Callaway is a very dangerous returner on punts.
Summary
The Gators are a good, well-coached team with a defense good enough to keep them in any game. Florida won in a hostile environment last week at Baton Rouge, but will face another hostile crowd this week and in prime time. The challenge for Florida will be finding offense against an FSU defense that has been immensely improved in recent weeks.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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