If you’re looking to get Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio riled up, a good place to start would be a question about senior center Mike Pouncey’s snapping abilities.
The Gators offensive coordinator grew noticeably upset earlier this season when asked about the multiple snaps Pouncey muffed in a season-opening victory over Miami (Ohio), and he grew equally displeased when asked prior to Tuesday’s practice whether any thought had been given to moving the 6-foot-4, 310-pound senior back to the guard position he manned for the past three seasons.
“Absolutely not. Are you kidding me?” said Addazio. “We’re talking about a first-round draft pick, the best offensive lineman in American and a phenomenal football player. And a leader on this football team. (It) unequivocally, never even entered the realm of possibility.”
Addazio went on to insist that, since the team’s first outing of the season, snapping hasn’t been an issue for the 12th-ranked Gators. After watching film of last week’s loss to top-ranked Alabama, in fact, he said he saw just three snaps that wouldn’t be considered adequate.
“I went through the film like a fine-tooth comb for us, and we had one low, one wide and one high out of the 60-odd plays there were,” he said. “You don’t want any — you never want any. But that’s no different than last year at any given point. It really isn’t. I know there’s a lot of focus on that right now. … But that’s just the truth.”
Questions about the team’s snapping struggles began during week one, when a number of errant snaps resulted in multiple Florida turnovers, and have occasionally popped up throughout the team’s previous four games, as well.
Still, Addazio made clear Tuesday that he views the issue as much ado about nothing, particularly where Pouncey is involved.
“He grades out champion every single week,” Addazio said. “… You wouldn’t want to play against him. Leave it (at that).”
BRANTLEY ‘LIMITED’ IN SUNDAY PRACTICE: Despite assurances from Florida coaches that John Brantley is healthy after leaving Saturday’s game with a rib injury, the quarterback missed at least part of Sunday’s practice as a result of a rib injury, according to offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert.
“We kept him out a little bit,” said Gilbert. “He was limited, but I think he’ll be good for this week.”
Gilbert’s comments were made minutes after Addazio told reporters Brantley was “doing great.”
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound red-shirt junior was injured early in the fourth quarter against the Tide after scrambling for eight yards in an attempt to get a first down. He remained on the turf for several minutes before being helped off the field, but eventually returned to the game and said afterward that he was doing fine.
Backup quarterback Trey Burton said Tuesday, meanwhile, he thought Brantley would be ready to go against LSU on Saturday, but said he was comfortable in his ability to step into a starting role if necessary.
“Real confident,” Burton said.
HENRY TO HANDLE FIELD GOALS GOING FORWARD: Punter Chas Henry said Tuesday that he’ll be handling field goal duties for the foreseeable future with starting placekicker Caleb Sturgis out indefinitely with a back injury.
“I think for awhile,” said Henry, asked whether he’ll be kicking field goals for the remainder of the season. “We’re not really sure. We’ll find out later in the week or the next couple weeks about how serious it is and (about) the rehab and comeback time.”
Henry’s debut Saturday against Alabama went as well as he could have hoped, meanwhile, as he connected on field goal attempts from 39 and 21 yards and accounted for all of the Gators’ six points.
He also said that emerging unscathed from a difficult situation last Saturday provided him with a good dose of confidence moving forward.
“Definitely,” said Henry. “That’s one of the nicest, biggest, loudest stadiums, you’re playing the No. 1 team on the road, and you’re coming in for your first career field goal attempt, you can make that, you get a little confidence built up.”
OFFENSIVE PREDICTABILITY NOT A PROBLEM, SAYS ADDAZIO: The Gators’ offense might not have executed perfectly at all times this season, Addazio said, but it’s certainly not due to a lack of diversity in play-calling.
“We’re not (predictable); that, we’re not,” he said. “We’re pretty diverse. We still maintain some option, we still maintain some spread, we still maintain and empty throw game. We’re very diverse.
“I don’t think diversity is our issue right now,” he added. “In fact, it’s really execution within that diversity. Maintaining diversity and executing at a high level. That’s where it’s at, simply put.”
BROWN COULD BE CALLED UPON: With running backs Jeff Demps and Mike Gillislee struggling to work their way back from injuries this week, true freshman Mack Brown might be called upon to shoulder some of the run-game load.
Addazio said Tuesday that Brown — who has carried three times for 23 yards in three appearances this season — will be ready go play if needed Saturday against LSU, which enters the game ranked first in the SEC in rush defense after allowing less than 80 yards per game on the ground this season.
“Mack’s getting ready to rock and roll,” he said. “We’re all going to get back in there and get going. He’s one of those four guys.”
— Gator Country reporter Dugan Arnett can be reached at dugan@gatorcountry.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/duganarnett.