More than meets the eye.
It was a line in the theme song for the TV show version of Transformers, a quite catchy melody that can get stuck in one’s head quickly.
It’s also a line that fits the Florida Gators so far.
With one loss through three games, the Gators’ record in comparison with the statistical discrepancies is Decepticon-like, especially on defense.
So far this season, Florida has given up 1,247 yards of total offense, nearly double the amount they gave up through the first three games of last year (637). While the bulk of the numbers can be attributed to the record-high 672-yards given up in the Alabama, the real change in production has been seen in the secondary. While Florida has given up 72.7 more yards per game on the ground this season, the Gators have given up 130.7 more passing yards than last year’s three games.
In order to keep their record intact, the Gators will have to pull off a transformation that would make Optimus Prime take note.
The change on place will take place through scheme and personnel, according to head coach Will Muschamp at his press conference this week. Last week, the defense gave up big plays through communications issues as well as defensive assignments.
Early in the game an 87-yard touchdown pass by the Crimson Tide that was the result of linebacker Antonio Morrison covering running back Kenyan Drake whose speed allowed him out into the open field. The coaching staff also didn’t adjust to the Tide placing Amari Cooper in the slot, which allowed the wideout to move in-between the zone coverage and accumulate big yards.
“We put Antonio in a bad situation to start the game,” Muschamp said. “Bottom line, he shouldn’t have been in that situation. That’s on me and we should’ve been rolling over top of Cooper. That’s what we had planned in those situations based on that formation and based on that call we didn’t.”
In order to help out the passing game, the Gators look to have better play from their front seven. Muschamp said while Dante Fowler Jr. and Jon Bullard have been effective pass rushers, they would like to get more pressure with the defensive line. The team looks to give Alex McCallister to rush on the edge while using practice to prepare Gerald Willis for what will be expected of him in the future.
“Gerald’s a guy that’s just got to continue to understand week-to-week, day-to-day-practice, prepare himself,” Muschamp said. “He I thought he had a good day [Tuesday], but he’s got to continue to come on. He’s going to be a good football player, he’s very talented.”
Another thing the Gators look to improve upon their defense is tackling. Fatigued late in the game due to Alabama’s running game, Muschamp said the team was in the high 20s for the amount of tackles missed on Saturday.
Five weeks into the season, Florida has one loss, but the stats show team that will need to make some significant transformations as the year progresses. There’s more than meets the eye with this team, and the weeks ahead will show if the play on the field starts to match the record column.