Five list of five for Florida Gators vs. North Texas

Florida Gators (2-0) vs North Texas Mean Green (1-1)

Date: Saturday, September 17th

Time: 7:30 PM

TV: ESPNU

Last Meeting: North Texas beat Florida 20-12 in 1947. The Mean Green lead the all-time series 1-0

Last Time Out:

• Florida beat Kentucky 45-7
• North Texas beat Bethune Cookman 41-20

North Texas 2016 Breakdown:

• Head Coach: Seth Littrell 1-1 in his first year as North Texas head coach
• Conference: Conference USA
• 2016 Overall Record: 1-1
• 2016 Conference Record: 0-0

Players to Watch:

• Freshman Quarterback Mason Fine

Fine made his first collegiate start last week against Bethune Cookman throwing for 108 yards and no touchdowns. He also carried the ball eight times for 46 yards.

• Junior Safety Kishawn McClain

McClain was a Conference USA All-Conference selection. He led the Mean Green in tackles last year with 110 and also recorded 2.5 tackles for loss.

5 Things to know about North Texas:

1. North Texas is 2-19 in road openers and lost all 16 games versus Power 5 opponents
2. In 2015 North Texas allowed the most total passing yards and the most total rushing yards in a season since 2007
3. North Texas backup quarterback Alec Morris and Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio were members of the 2013 Alabama Crimson Tide
4. Seth Littrell replaces former Florida defensive line coach Dan McCarney after he was removed from the head coaching position in the middle of 2015.
5. North Texas has been beaten on average 37-8 in their last 4 road games against SEC opponents. Including 2 shut outs (’11 vs Alabama 41-0; ’15 vs Tennessee 24-0)

5 Things to Pay Attention to:

1. Which Florida team shows up
   Now that we have seen two weeks of this Florida team, what should we expect come Saturday night. The Gators had a ho hum game versus UMass and came out with their hair on fire against Kentucky. It would serve Florida best to come out and put this game away early.
2. Is Mason Fine ready for the Swamp and THIS defense
   It is hard enough for senior quarterbacks to come into the Swamp and perform well, much a less a true freshman starting his second game. Coach Littrell says Fine will not be shaken by the atmosphere but the defense he will face will be like nothing he has seen before.
3. Will a third receiver emerge
   We have seen production from Callaway and Powell, both scoring touchdowns in the first two games and quietly becoming one of the better 1-2 punches in the SEC. For this offense to take the next level that 3^rd receiver will need to emerge. C.J. Worton got the first shot and most likely slowed by injury. Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond will see playing time and both have produced when called upon.
4. Can the offensive line remain consistent
   After the hit on Luke Del Rio early in the Kentucky game the Florida offensive line tighten up and controlled the rest of the game. That is what this offense needs to take full advantage of the quality play the quarterback and skill positions are giving. Jawaan Taylor is the key to this line advancing, he was a brick wall last week versus Kentucky. Tyler Jordan is nursing an eye injury and will be out this week.
5. Will we see Trask or Franks
   By this time we thought we would have seen Kyle Trask or Felipe Franks. There is a desire to redshirt one of them to create separation but there is chance both may redshirt at this rate. The hope is that Trask or Franks will get a shot to play prior to entering SEC play.

5 Things to Expect:

1. The horses to run
   In two games Florida has used their stable of backs to pound opponents. In game 1 Jordan Scarlett led the way, last week it was Lamical Perine. This week it could be Mark Thompson or Jordan Cronkrite. The staff will continue to use multiple backs and keep them fresh come the 4^th
2. Kentucky wasn’t a fluke
   Though it was Kentucky and it was the 30^th straight win, that does not keep Florida from becoming vulnerable to a letdown. Jim McElwain has been stressing all week to guard against this. Expect the Gators to come out and take care of business and put on a good show for the home crowd under the lights.
3. Little to no Callaway
   Antonio Callaway’s injury to his quad has slowed him in practice and whether or not he sees anytime is up in the air. If he does play, he may see a series or two to try it out and then get ready for Tennessee where he will be needed. Florida does not need Callaway to win, but having the opportunity to gel with Del Rio is always a good thing.
4. Multiple interceptions
   With a young quarterback in Mason Fine taking the first snap and the backup quarterback already struggling in the first couple of games, the Florida DB’s will be looking to feast on a team that will be in plenty of 3^rd and long situations.
5. Plenty of Brandon Powell and Tight End’s
   With Dre Massey already gone for the year, Callaway most likely down this week and no other proven option at receiver, Brandon Powell will get plenty of work. The receiver position has some questions so Mac and Nuss could look to De’Andre Goolsby and C’Yontai Lewis to provide production in the passing game this week.

5 Keys to Victory:

1. Keep Tennessee out of mind
   This week is another tune up for the showdown with Tennessee next week, but they are not playing Tennessee. The Gators do not want a UMass repeat that will force them to pull away in the 4^th If the Gators come out focused and playing their game this should be a comfortable win.
2. Dominate Early
   The worst thing you can do is allow an inferior team to hang around, ask Georgia and Clemson. Florida will need to start fast on offense and defense, be mentally sharp and put this game away early. A few turnovers and a couple mental mistakes and they could be in a tighter game than they would want.
3. Control both lines of scrimmage
   The Florida defensive line has been tremendous in two games. The offensive line improved from game 1 to game 2. Florida should be able to control the game on both lines and make it easy for Del Rio and the offense and Hard for North Texas to move the ball with any consistency.
4. Stop the Run
   Last week North Texas ran for 329 yards and will use the run game to make the young quarterback comfortable and keep Florida in a tight game and hope they pull off major upset. Running back Willy Ivory ran for 103 yards on 13 carries with a long of 34. The Mean Green also had 83 yards from Jeffrey Wilson. In their lost to SMU, North Texas could only muster 83 yards total.
5. Explode, Explode, Explode!
   With the excitement following the domination of Kentucky, there is an expectation to continue on that course. Struggling on offense is probably not the best look for a team trying to overcome the perceptions of seasons past. This is a game Florida can create big plays on offense, defense and special teams. North Texas has given up three touchdowns of 80+ yards running, passing and on special teams.

5 Signs It Was a Good Day:

1. Florida remains injury free
   With a trip to Tennessee next week, the hope is that the Gators walk away injury free. Antonio Callaway is nursing a quad and it is up for debate whether or not he should play at all even if he were ready. This is also a fine line because they still have to play hard and remain focused on the opponent before them.
2. Young guys get more time on defense
   The first wave of the Florida defense is tremendous and dominate, there are still questions about the quality behind them, especially at linebacker and in the secondary. This is another opportunity to get the young players on defense a chance to get comfortable in the system and making plays.
3. It’s over by halftime.
   Last week something told me when Florida went up 24-0 going into the half against Kentucky that the game was over. It is a chore for any offense to make up multiple scores against the Florida defense. This is not a week to be stressing in the 4^th Florida needs to continue to build confidence heading into the SEC stretch.
4. More explosion in the run game.
   After UMass the explosive plays were non-existent, last week they picked up in the passing game. This week it would be good to see multiple runs from the running back position that are chunk plays. The Mean Green surrendered 252 yards against SMU in game one so the opportunity for big plays will be there.
5. Dominate turnovers
   In two weeks the Gators have turned it over just once on a fluky tip interception. That type of efficiency and quality of defense will give the Gators the opportunity to beat anyone. Florida has an opportunistic defense and should be able to create some turnovers with young quarterback Mason Fine coming to the Swamp.

Prediction:

The Florida team we will see will be more like what we saw last Saturday. The defense will continue to prove they are one of the best in the country. Expect another fast start from the Gators as they put this one out of reach by halftime and we should see some extended work from the backups. North Texas just does not have the talent to keep this game close when Florida is focused. The Florida offense will continue to be balanced and will find some more explosive plays in the running game. The pass offense will continue to look good even with a limited Callaway.

Florida 41 North Texas 7