For as long as he has been at Florida, running back Mike Gillislee has sat behind Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey.
It appears those days are over.
With the Gators offense struggling to put up points in back-to-back losses to Alabama and LSU, and with Demps banged up and Rainey struggling to break free against top defenses, Gillislee is finally getting his chance.
He ran for a team-high 56 yards on just nine carries against the Tigers last week, and Gillislee brought a facet to the Florida offense that neither Demps nor Rainey could.
Coach Will Muschamp said Monday he ran with toughness, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis affirmed that sentiment Tuesday.
“Getting hit is part of his game,” Weis said. “There’s times where if he has a choice to make somebody miss or dance or try to run through somebody, he’s a guy that will try and run them over.”
Even before quarterback John Brantley went down with an injured right ankle, the Gators offense hummed when it was able to pound the ball on the ground. With Brantley out, the unit has been stagnant.
While all three backs are similar, the hope is that Gillislee can step in and spark a rushing resurrection, starting with running the ball between the tackles — something Demps and Rainey weren’t able to accomplish.
“We’re all the same kind of running back,” Gillislee said. “But by me being bigger, I (give the defense a different look) by me going through the middle.”
Gillislee hits the hole quickly instead of dancing around and looking for space.
“He likes to run in (between the tackles),” offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said. “Most running backs can’t get to the outside fast enough. But he likes it in there; he likes contact.”
Gillislee said learning the pass-protection schemes in Weis’ offense kept him off the field earlier.
Well, that, and the presence of Demps and Rainey.
Still, Rainey isn’t upset at the prospect of losing some touches, saying his teammate brings a lot to the table.
Gillislee said he was never frustrated by a lack of carries in the past, calling himself a team player, and he added that not much will change knowing he’s in line for a larger workload this week against Auburn.
“My team always brought me up; they never put me down,” he said. “I was just always waiting my turn.”
The first thing Weis said to the offense this week was that Gillislee’s performance shows what can happen when you don’t open your mouth and just work hard.
“Most of these guys have illusions of grandeur and think they’re the best guy on the team,” Weis said.
“He’s a lesson for a lot of these guys that are backups to see what can happen if you prepare to be ready and they call your number and you produce.
“That’s going to get him on the field more.”
In two years and some change in Gainesville, Gillislee has just 123 carries — more than 100 less rushes than what Demps and Rainey have received.
But his numbers are almost as impressive: 6.8 yards per rush, 10 touchdowns and a career-long rush of 60 yards, which came earlier this year against Kentucky.
“Every time I run the ball, I never know when I’m going to get it again,” he said, “so I try to run it as hard as I can while I’ve got it.”
Contact Matt Watts at mwatts@alligator.org.
Florida running back Mike Gillislee could receive more carries this week against No. 24 Auburn after rushing for a team-high 56 yards on nine carries against No. 1 LSU last week.
