It’s a new spring with plenty of new faces and that means an offense that is still trying to find its own identity. Six practices in and Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio likes what he sees in terms of effort and attitude, but he’s still trying to figure out how it’s all going to fit together as the Gators transform from an option-oriented team into one that is going to use the pass as its primary weapon.
“I think the goal this year is what the face of our offense is going to be?” Addazio said after the Gators completed their practice Friday. “Who are we? What are we going to be? I really don’t know that yet. We’re in the developmental stage of all that.”
With Tim Tebow at quarterback, the Gators ran a lot of option because that played to Tebow’s strengths. He was an outstanding runner and an excellent decision maker on the edge, the essential elements for an option quarterback. Tebow was a great runner but he still threw 88 touchdown passes in his career so the passing game was essential to Florida’s success.
But with the offense in transition from Tebow to John Brantley, there will be changes. The option will still be a part of the game plan but there won’t be the same emphasis as last season when the Gators averaged 238 rushing yards per game and led the SEC in both rushing and total offense (sixth in total offense nationally).
“We were an option football team a lot last year,” Addazio said. “We’ll still run option football but you’ll see those 10 carries will be divided up among tailback carries and throws.”
Brantley can run, but not with the power of Tebow. Tebow could throw but never with the precision and accuracy of Brantley. That alone tells you the direction of the offense.
It’s all about finding the right fit for the personnel on hand. Addazio remembers what it was like to try to force the personnel to adapt to the scheme. That was back in 2005, Urban Meyer’s first year at Florida.
“It’s not round peg in square hole,” Addazio said. “ Round peg, round hole … make the pieces fit. That’s the challenge every year. We learned that abruptly here one year. Abruptly. I’ll never forget it. Alabama — 05. We had to make some changes plain and simple and we did. We adjusted.”
In 2005 the Gators tried to run an option-oriented package with Chris Leak as the quarterback but after the Alabama game (Florida was exposed to the tune of 30-3), the Florida offensive staff had to make wholesale changes to adapt the offense to Leak’s particular talent, which was throwing the football. The option and quarterback as a runner element returned in 2006 when Tebow was a freshman. Tebow became the power runner in short yardage situations and ran some option while Leak threw the ball.
This year, the Gators might run something similar with freshman Trey Burton, who is an outstanding runner, taking those wildcat type snaps which plus one the offense over the defense
“I think that wildcat package is realistic for him [Burton], king of like we did with Tim when he broke in here,” Addazio said. “I think he’s working real hard at that. That gives us that package we like to run, the read option game and QB runs and things like that.”
The wildcat package and quarterback runs are just part of the puzzle that Addazio is trying to piece together, however. He’s got a brand new quarterback in Brantley, who should be able to carve up defenses with his quick release, strong arm and extraordinary accuracy. Brantley will be a fourth-year junior so he should be ready to take on the task of running the Florida offense.
But Brantley isn’t the only new piece of the puzzle.
The Gators are breaking in a new wide receiver corps. Carl Moore, who sat out last year with an injury, and Deonte Thompson, who was the third option in the passing game, are the two most experienced receivers which means there are a lot of youngsters and inexperienced players trying to work their way into the rotation. Chris Rainey, who spent his first two years at tailback where he averaged better than seven yards per carry, has moved to the slot where he gives the Gators a Percy Harvin type dimension with his speed and elusiveness.
“We’re looking forward to seeing great things from him [Rainey] this spring,” Addazio said. “He’s got to work on his fundamentals. We all know he’s electric and dynamic and he can make all the plays. We first hand witnessed that all year long, most highlighted in the Sugar Bowl.”
In the Sugar Bowl, Rainey had more than 220 all-purpose yards including 27 on the ground and 71 on four pass receptions.
Addazio likes the mindset of his receiving corps but knows the Gators have to find a tight end to replace departed All-American Aaron Hernandez, who was such a vital part of the offense last year.
“We have to find that tight end because that’s a keystone piece,” Addazio said. “That’s not a little piece. That’s a big piece right there. That has a big impact on how we join all those pieces together. That’s what we’re looking at. Jordan Reed has to have a big spring. He’s got a lot on his plate.”
There are two other tight ends on the roster, but one is early entry freshman (Gerald Christian), who Addazio says “should be going to the prom with a corsage” and redshirt freshman Desmond Parks, who has been dinged up this spring.
The offensive line is a bit patchwork right now but Addazio says he’s not worried. “I know what the offensive line will be. I’m not worried about the offensive line,” Addazio said even though starters Marcus Gilbert and Carl Johnson have been out so far; backup center Sam Robey has been dinged up and Matt Patchan is missing the entire spring while rehabbing his knee.
There is a flip side to the injuries, however, because that has allowed some of the younger players like Xavier Nixon, David Young, Ian Silberman, Jonnathan Harrison, Jon Halapio and Nick Alajajian to get in needed reps.
In the fall, the offensive line should have Mike Pouncey, who has started 28 straight games at guard, at center; Carl Johnson at one guard with either sometime starters Mo Hurt and James Wilson or sophomore John Halapio at the other guard; and Nixon and Gilbert at the tackles.
The tackle position will be significantly bolstered if Matt Patchan can come back from his knee injury. While there was plenty of thought given in the offseason to moving Patchan to tight end, that idea has been scrapped and he will be back at tackle.
Addazio loves Patchan’s potential.
“He played as a true freshman and started as a defensive lineman,” Addazio said. “Then he flips over and plays on the offensive line [last year] and was ready to become a starter and then he gets injured. He’s done everything and more. We just have to get him healthy. You’re talking about a 6-7, 290-pound guy that runs 4.7. We’re going to figure out something that can get done. I can’t wait to get him back. He’s a heckuva football player. He was really coming on strong last year right before he got hurt. You go back and watch the cut-ups and wow, he torques off the ball.”
So even though the Gators might be trying to make the offense fit the personnel in the best way, Addazio has the talent he knows he will need to make it all work.
“I think I know what all the components are,” Addazio said. “It’s a matter of getting a good working package together. Can we throw it? Heck yeah. Can we run block? Heck yeah. Do we have great tailbacks? Yeah.”
Addazio doesn’t have all the components ready to go right now, but it is spring and a time for learning and seeing players grow, what he calls “going from Point A to Point B as fast as you can.”
It’s also about seeing who wants it bad enough to outwork others. He’s seeing that not just from a few players but from his entire offensive roster.
“From an effort standpoint, yes … from an attitude standpoint, yes … from the components that I think that will develop into some chemistry on the football team, yes,” Addazio said. “I think that’s what is really important.”