It may seem rudimentary to some but Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain is a man who loves details. All spring the Florida Gators have worked situations; goal line, red zone, two minute, four minute, third down and short, third-and-long but with a just one week left McElwain will shift the focus for Florida’s second scrimmage.
“Today we’ll work win 1st down period, and understand the importance of that,” McElwain said Friday. “Which is 1st and 10, play to 2nd, rather than going 2nd and 10, play for 3rd.”
Every offensive drive will start with first and down, sure, working every conceivable situation or scenario that could crop up during the course of a game is important also, but McElwain knows that being successful on first down opens up things for the offense on second and third down. In typical Jim McElwain fashion, he didn’t leave a stone unturned in this endeavor. The coaching staff studied what successful teams were able to do on first down and they have a concrete plan on where the Gators need to be.
“In a perfect world you’d like to be able to get 4.5 to 5 [yards on first down] offensively,” he said. “Those are things that, from a goal-wise, again it goes back to a year-to-year statistical breakdown on success rates when you win or lose first down. That’s something that we studied big in the offseason, certain trends as to when you’re successful, when successful teams are successful. It’s an important down that sometimes gets lost.”
Last season Florida ranked 11th in the SEC on third down, converting just 75-of-206 opportunities. That third down efficiency ranked 94th in the country, a number that needs to improve and has been a big reason why Florida has worked third downs so heavily this spring. The best third down offense, however, may be a good first down offense.
“I know as a play caller, being in that second and medium and short, you’re kind of holding the cards now,” McElwain said. “And yet, when you’re in that second and long situation, you’re a little more predictable.”