Where Have They Been?
After a week of wondering whether or not this edition of the Florida Gators will be good enough to compete with the best teams in the conference, they proved that a week can change a lot of things. The Gators dominated what many thought coming into the season was a quality Kentucky team. Regardless of how we feel about Kentucky now, Florida needed a win like this. When you have a team that has not felt good after a win since beating Georgia back in October of 2015, this builds so much confidence moving forward.
Luke Del Rio took another step forward as the Florida quarterback. He completed 19-of-32 passes for 320 yards and four touchdowns. The first 300-yard game since 2013 versus Vanderbilt. Another bright spot for the Gators was the running game. They totaled 244 yards, led by Lamical Perine with 105. Antonio Callaway also topped the century mark in receiving yards with 129.
This was a great opportunity for the Gators to make a statement in front of a national audience. They continue to show they will field one of the best defenses in the nation. Florida made Kentucky look little league on offense. The Wildcats completed as many passes to their own receivers as they did Florida defensive backs. It had to be a disappointing performance for the Wildcats, because after last week’s debacle, we thought they would show better than that.
The Gators weren’t perfect though, turning over once and Pineiro did miss two field goals, but did nail a 54-yard field goal in the first half.
This was a great win for the Gators and more importantly it’s an SEC win. This cannot be stressed enough; college football is a week to week game. The teams that maintain consistency throughout the course of the season are the ones that play for titles. The Gators have to continue to build, get better and play consistently as they have one more week before the SEC gauntlet begins.
What’s Next?
The best thing that could happen for this Florida team after this week’s performance is playing North Texas. This week will be about being consistent in their performance and not playing the level of the competition.
North Texas beat Bethune Cookman 41-20 at home. The win moves North Texas to 1-1 on the season after losing to SMU the week before. The Mean Green had quarterback questions themselves entering this week. Former Alabama quarterback Alec Morris started the first game but after three interceptions Head Coach Seth Littrell opted for true freshman Mason Fine against the Wildcats. Fine went 11/22 for 108 yards in the game. Morris came in late in the game to go 4 of 11 including an interception. North Texas showed a strong running game against Bethune Cookman rushing for 329 yards.
The Mean Green and head coach Seth Littrell will hope to play Florida tough, but this should be a game Florida wins comfortably as they prepare to travel up to Rocky Top next week.
What’s Down the Road?
In week that did not have the amount of marquee games of last week, it still did not disappoint. Beginning with Woo Pig. Arkansas goes on the road and upsets TCU in an overtime thriller, highlighted by a double reverse pass on a two-point conversion to tie the game, followed by a block field goal that would have won the game for TCU. This is a great win for Arkansas, who has had some early season hiccups in the past. If Bielema can continue to mature his team, they will not be an easy out for the Gators or anyone else in the SEC.
Another team that had to fight through some adversity was Tennessee. Tennessee found their groove against the Hokies in the Battle at Bristol. The Hokies jumped up early but after mistake after mistake they handed the Vols momentum and eventually the win. Josh Dobbs continues to struggle throwing the ball, but the Vols got back to what they do best on offense, which running the football. They totaled 239 rushing yards, 106 coming from Dobbs. Tennessee takes on Ohio this week and baring a crazy upset this will set up a showdown in Knoxville next week against the Gators.
In the next episode of LSU’s drama filled soap opera the Tigers bounced back to beat Jacksonville State 34-13, but not without some slight controversy. Les Miles finally made the decision to bench Brandon Harris for Danny Etling after three pitiful possessions. After the game Miles was quoted as saying there is a competition at the quarterback position, but odds are that Etling will be the starter moving forward. The Tigers take on Mississippi State this week and if Harris starts, the few LSU faithful that have donated to the Go Fund Me page to buyout Miles contract may quadruple.
One team not to overreact about is Georgia. Despite struggling with Nicholls, the bulldogs have a quality win against North Carolina and should perform better this week against Missouri.
After one week South Carolina surrenders the SEC East lead after losing to Mississippi State on the road. Other games of note from future Florida opponents. Following a rain delay Vanderbilt finally put away Middle Tennessee 47-24. Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb went for 211 yards. Missouri took down Eastern Michigan at home 61-21. Florida State stomped an undermanned Charleston Southern team 52-8.
The college football schedule picks up again this week with another slate of spectacular matchups. We will learn more about Florida State this week as they travel up to Louisville. It should not be shocking if we walk away saying Lamar Jackson is the clear front runner for the Heisman after this week. He has been doing things video game quarterbacks drool over. We are still in wait and see mode on the Derwin James injury, which could shake up things for the ‘Noles.
Other games to pay attention to are Vanderbilt at Georgia Tech, another SEC versus ACC matchup. East Carolina goes down to Columbia after beating N.C. State. Coach Muschamp might be in for another loss to a tough Pirates team.
Just in case anybody was wondering, the Gators November opponent Presbyterian falls to 0-2 after falling to Chattanooga 34-0. Presbyterian is averaging 1.5 PPG this year.
The Gators fan base has a reason to be optimistic after the Kentucky win. It was a big step up in performance and production. Florida is a legitimate SEC East contender right along with Tennessee and slightly above Georgia. The difference between the Gators and the Vols may be Neyland Stadium. The Tennessee schedule is brutal, so even with a loss, Florida still has a good chance at the East.
Predicted Record: 10-2 (7-1)
Predicted Wins Remaining: Ohio, @Vanderbilt, LSU, Missouri, Georgia, @Arkansas, South Carolina, Presbyterian
Predicted Losses Remaining: @Tennessee, @Florida State