The Gator fans who have been clambering for Anthony Richardson to start got their wish. They also got to see why it’s so tough for freshmen quarterbacks to be effective against top tier SEC defenses like Georgia’s. It isn’t just about sequences like the last two minutes of the first half. It’s also about having the ability to change play calls at the line of scrimmage and having mastery of the full array of play options. This is why Dan Mullen was reluctant to bench junior starter, Emory Jones. Still, Richardson earned important experience and remains an exciting piece of the future.
Florida has underachieved this year due to problems in three main areas. The first is the number of turnovers. Gator quarterbacks have thrown 14 interceptions. This is twice as many as all but two other SEC teams. The next highest total is four less than Florida’s total. The especially disappointing reality around this statistic is that Florida is one of the nation’s best running teams. Typically, a strong run game means defenses have to bring linebackers and the strong safety into run support. This opens passing lanes. The interceptions have not only been drive killers, but have also been catastrophic in terms momentum swings. Two have been returned for touchdowns and six others gave the opponent the ball on the Gator’s end of the field. The Florida offense has made life tough for the Gator defense.
A second problem area has been a general absence of “explosive” scoring plays in SEC games. Opponents have taken away vertical pass routes and forced Florida to move the ball incrementally down the field. When the Gators haven’t turned the ball over on these long drives, they have often stalled in the yellow zone (between the opponents 20 and 33 yard lines).
Focus related challenges have been a third area of concern. An abundance of illegal procedure penalties have hampered the offense. The defense has been plagued by poor fundamentals in tackling (an average of 12 missed tackles per game) and a failure to contain by playing edge assignments properly. These types of lapses destroy offensive momentum on the offensive side of the ball and extend the other team’s drives on the defensive side of the ball. This year’s Gators haven’t been able to overcome the adversity they’ve often created for themselves.
Florida faced two #1 teams and two tough SEC road environments over the last six weeks, but now has four very winnable games left on the regular season schedule. These are the circumstances where character determines the direction a program moves. Teams that are able to redirect energy and focus on team oriented goals will improve and position themselves for the future. Teams that lack leadership and are distracted by social media criticism will dissolve into negativity and focus on individual priorities (like NIL and unwarranted swagger) and fall apart. The next four weeks will define the 2021 Gators.