Driskel recaps Toledo and looks ahead

A quarterback is the face of a football team. He gets more praise than he deserves but also bears the brunt of criticism when things don’t go as planed. That’s just the nature of the position, warranted or not.

As the face of the football team, Jeff Driskel met with the media today even though the rest of the team and the university took the day off to recognize Labor Day.

Toledo Game

  • Driskel said that Florida ran the ball well against the Rockets and that running the ball is something that Florida has done really well the past few years.
  • Driskel said that Toledo plays a lot of off-coverage and that is what dictated Florida not taking shots down field. The passing game simply took what the defense was giving them.
  • Driskel said the gameplan going in was to run the ball. He said that isn’t something that will change week-to-week.
  • Driskel said the gameplan wasn’t vanilla or basic, just that Toledo’s defense dictated what Florida would do on offense.
  • Driskel said that Valdez Showers is a great addition to the offense.
  • Driskel said that the Rockets were calling out Showers when he was in the game but they didn’t really know if he was a running back or receiver. That’s the versatility that he brings to the offense.
  • Driskel said that he didn’t think he was careless with his lost fumble but that it’s on tape now so teams will look to take advantage of that. He knows that Florida faces some talented pass rushers throughout the season and he will have to deal with pressure all year.

Looking forward to Miami

  • Miami and Florida stopped playing regularly in 1987. So being a nineties baby, Driskel said he doesn’t really have any memories of the rivalry and he is only concerned with this game this season.
  • Driskel said that there are a lot of players on the Gators locker room that have history with players at Miami. A lot of the players on both teams grew up with each other and that makes the game special.
  • Driskel said that he has a very good relationship with Trey Burton having played with him for three seasons now. He doesn’t think he will be looking at Burton to fill Jordan Reed’s role as the leading pass catcher, but if Burton keeps getting open, he’ll keep getting him the ball.
  • Driskel said Burton has a good understanding of what defenses are trying to do and he does a good job of finding open space.
  • Driskel said that the coaching staff was pumped to get Showers on offense.
  • Driskel said that being used as a runner is part of the gameplan and will be every week going forward.
  • He said he really only took one shot against Toledo and that there was another time he could have gotten down but he will continue to work on that.
  • Driskel said he wasn’t timid heading into the game. This was the first time he has been tackled or hit since his appendectomy but he said that you can’t play scared or timid.
  • Driskel said that Matt Jones coming back gives the Gators more depth.
  • Driskel said that Toledo’s offense dictated the tight ends not being featured in the passing game. The linebackers played tight coverage and the corners were off the receivers.
  • Driskel made a point to mention how well Demarcus Robinson blocked against Toledo. The freshman didn’t catch a pass but he still had a productive game.
  • Driskel said that the offense as a whole is more comfortable this season.
  • Driskel called getting Antonio Morrison back this week a bonus.
  • Driskel said that the team is treating this as just another game but recognized that it is an in-state game and with the relationships that players on both rosters have with each other, there will be some extra emotion on the field.
  • Driskel said while emotion will be high, Muschamp has talked to the team about keeping those emotions in check and handling themselves.
Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC